By Mark Leech, Editor: The Prisons Handbook It is with profound sadness that I share the news of the death of my dear friend Bobby Cummines OBE, who has died aged 74 after being hit by a car in Warley, Brentwood. I first met Bobby in B Wing at Parkhurst Prison in the mid-1980s, and […]
The Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) reports over the period 1 November 2024 to 31 October 2025, in accordance with the National Monitoring Framework statutory requirements. Throughout the annual reporting period the IMB members, who are highly trained volunteers, visit the prison through a high level of frequent visits observing and monitoring the main aspects within […]
Domestic abusers will be placed under real-time surveillance for the first time, with tags that alert police when they approach their victims as part of a major expansion of tagging. Lord Timpson, the prisons minister, has announced £100 million to ensure almost all offenders would be tagged on leaving prison from September. Billed as the “biggest […]
This Management of Internal Security Procedures (Closed Prisons) Policy Framework, has just been updated in respect of PAVA Spray View the amended Management of Internal Security Procedures (Closed Prisons) >> Whoops! You need enhanced membership to access this page – login below or join now https://prisons.org.uk/register/enhanced
This Policy Framework, that provides all public and contracted prisons with the information and guidance needed to manage prisoners who pose an escape risk, has nw been updated. Read the Policy Framework and Summary >> Whoops! You need enhanced membership to access this page – login below or join now https://prisons.org.uk/register/enhanced
By Mark Leech, editor: The Prisons Handbook for England and Wales Today the Chief Inspector published the full inspection report for HMP Swaleside; and simultaneously issued a second Urgent Notification for HMP Woodhill. Swaleside received its own Urgent Notification on 15 December 2025. Today’s full report explains why. Since August 2023, TEN Urgent Notifications have […]
A prisoner died due to delays in detecting a fire she caused in her cell after there were “missed opportunities” to give her better mental health care, an inquest has found. Clare Dupree, 48, from Cardiff, died of smoke inhalation on 28 December 2022, two days after a vape caused a fire in her cell […]
The government just published the most revealing set of prison statistics in years — and almost nobody noticed. The figures reveal the cumulative years of service held by prison officers in England and Wales every year since 2010. The numbers are stark. In 2010, England and Wales had 24,501 prison officers holding a combined 329,353 […]
Slashing access to jury trials could put judges in danger of physical threats from criminals, the lady chief justice has warned. Ministers have brought forward a bill that would create judge-only trials for about half of those currently heard by juries in an attempt to cut the backlog in the crown courts, which stands at […]
A Prevention of Future Deaths report has been issued by Assistant Coroner Bernard Richmond KC following the inquest into the death of Rajwinder Singh (born 18 August 1986), who died on 25 June 2023 after being found in his cell at HMP Wandsworth on the evening of 20 June. The inquest, heard between 23 July […]
Healthcare staff have been urged to take action following the death of a prisoner who stopped eating while on remand. Surendrakumar Patel, 78, from Warwickshire, died at Alexandra Hospital on October 31, 2024, while he was on remand at HMP Hewell. An inquest heard Mr Patel had been suffering from a lower respiratory tract infection […]
A woman attempted to smuggle drugs and phones into a Norfolk jail in a pair of trainers, a court has heard. Natasha Berritt, 42, had been wearing the white Nike shoes when she went to Norwich prison to visit inmate Reuben Jacobs. Norwich Crown Court was told the pair were caught after being spotted trying […]