'Chaotic' Pentonville prison released criminals too early and kept others locked up for too long, damning report reveals
Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor placed HMP Pentonville on special measures after uncovering a series of major problems at the jail.
Prison staff had a backlog of release dates to calculate leading to mistakes being made, an official report said, including some prisoners being freed earlier than they should have been.
In a further serious failing, jail guards who were supposed to be carrying out a 24-hour watch on suicidal or self-harming inmates were asleep, reading books or even missing, it added.
'The prison was chaotic, with staff often unaware of who prisoners were or where they were located,' the report said.
'First night and induction arrangements were chaotic and even frightening.'
Staff at the Victorian jail in north London had 'failed to calculate sentences accurately', the watchdog said.
Prison data showed 10 prisoners had been released early 'in error' between July 2024 and June 2025.
In addition, 130 inmates – 20 per cent of those eligible for release - had been held after their release date in the last six months.
It opens the prospect of criminals being able to bring compensation claims for being released too late.
The report went on: 'The oversight of prisoners under constant supervision was shockingly poor.
'During the inspection, we found staff who did not know the name of the prisoner they were caring for, two who were reading books, one who was asleep, and, in another case, one who was completely absent.'
Mr Taylor said: 'Pentonville is an overcrowded, inner-city, Victorian prison with a record of poor performance over many years.
'Too many of its staff have become disillusioned about the possibility of improvement or their capacity to affect change.
'Yet many of its shocking failures are firmly within the control of leaders.
'The governor will need significant support and investment from HM Prison and Probation Service to strengthen his senior leadership team, re-focus on the basics, and put in place effective oversight and assurance systems to turn this failing prison around.'
The Category B, or medium security, jail was opened in 1842 and holds 1,200 men.
Mr Taylor has placed the prison under 'urgent notification' which means Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has 28 days for formally respond to his concerns.
His team also found a widespread infestation of mice and cockroaches at the 'squalid' jail, in Islington.
Prison Reform Trust chief executive Pia Sinha said: 'Prisoners illegally held after they should have been released, or others released early in error, further undermine effective sentence planning and erode public confidence.
'This urgent notification must be a rallying cry for immediate action - fix the failing infrastructure, improve staff training, and treat prisoners with dignity."
Andrew Neilson of the Howard League for Penal Reform said the inspector's findings were 'new low' for a Prison Service 'on the brink of collapse'.
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