Today’s HMP inspection report (30.09.2025) on HMP Pentonville outlines the appalling treatment and conditions which led the Chief Inspector of Prisons to issue an Urgent Notification for improvement to the Secretary of State.
Campbell Robb, Chief Executive of Nacro, said:
“This report exposes the brutal reality of life at HMP Pentonville. What chance is there for rehabilitation when violence and drugs are rife, nearly half of the prison population feels unsafe, and people are confined to overcrowded, filthy cells infested with vermin for over 22 hours a day, with little access to education, work, or basic essentials like bedding?
“This is not just a failure of one prison, these issues are systemic driven by chronic overcrowding, underfunding, and a lack of staff. We need urgent change. Prisons must be places of rehabilitation, not fear and neglect. That means investing in staff, mental health and addiction, education and employment services.”
Notes to editors.
- Comprehensive failures creating chaos, violence and fear at HMP Pentonville, HMIP inspection report.
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