Mould and broken windows 'common' in Britain's prisons, warns damning new report

Mould and broken windows 'common' in Britain's prisons, warns damning new report HM Inspectorate of Prisons said many prisoners are being 'held in unacceptable conditions' Sign up to the News Newsletter I agree to receive updates and information about my account, the GB News Community, and related products and services from GB News. Email address Sign up By signing up you agree to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy and Community Rules.

Thank you for signing up! See the latest from GB News here . Choose GB News on Google - add us as a preferred source Choose GB News Support GB News Champion free speech and independent journalism while unlocking exclusive benefits. Support us Mould, broken windows, damaged flooring, and a lack of basic furniture and storage were common in some of Britain's biggest prisons, according to a new report. HM Inspectorate of Prisons said overcrowding, poor sanitation, deteriorating infrastructure and long maintenance delays are "causing persistent problems across the prison estate, rendering much of it inadequate".

The report, published on Tuesday, analysed inspections of 40 prisons and 6,404 prisoner surveys. About half of the prisoners surveyed lived in accommodation built before the 1980s that had never been significantly refurbished. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say The report found conditions were often "particularly poor" in older Victorian reception prisons, where population pressures and high turnover have made repairs and improvements difficult.

It added that poor ventilation contributed to overheating in jails in summer, while unreliable heating systems left many cold in winter. Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor said: "The provision of decent, clean, well-maintained accommodation is a fundamental test of a prison system, but this report shows that standards fall short of acceptable in many jails. "Improving procurement and maintenance systems, reducing overcrowding and upholding basic standards of decency must be priorities if prisons are to be places that rehabilitate rather than simply warehouse prisoners."

The report laid bare the dire state of Britain's prisons | PA The report found that a small number of prisons still relied on night sanitation systems, requiring prisoners to be unlocked one at a time to use toilets at night, and often resorting to buckets or bags in their cells instead. In many jails, in-cell toilets sat next to prisoners’ beds, were broken, lacked lids, and offered little privacy. The report found that shower facilities were "frequently in poor condition", with mould, damaged cubicles and inadequate screening common in older accommodation.

Only 49 per cent of prisoners held in Victorian and pre-1930s buildings described communal showers as clean, compared with 88 per cent in more modern, temporary units. LATEST DEVELOPMENTS Prison chiefs blasted for blowing thousands of taxpayers’ money on hip-hop classes for inmates Labour blasted for spending £1.7m a year on 'finding ways to claim prisons are racist' amid overcrowding crisis 'Where's the joined up thinking?!' Labour MP grilled on plans to release 'high risk' offenders in new scheme Victorian-era prisons have been left in dire conditions, warns the new report | PA Worn, damaged mattresses also went unreplaced, and inspectors found some prisoners spending their first night in dirty cells without basic items such as bedding and pillows.

In the year to March 2026, 24 per cent of prisoners across England and Wales were held in overcrowded conditions, rising to more than half of prisoners in reception jails, the report found. HM Inspectorate of Prisons said this had "implications for the safety of prisoners and staff", with Ministry of Justice analysis finding that, from January to December 2022, prisoners in overcrowded cells were 19 per cent more likely than those in non-overcrowded cells to be involved in assaults.

Despite the challenges, inspectors found examples of prisons maintaining high standards "through strong leadership, effective cleaning regimes and involving prisoners in maintenance work". The Tories had first begun releasing offenders early in 2023 to ease prison overcrowding, with population figures now sitting at around 98 per cent full | PA At Berwyn, prisoners worked alongside maintenance teams, while at Lewes and Haverigg prisoners helped to carry out refurbishment projects that improved conditions and reduced costs.

Chief Executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform Andrea Coomber KC said the report revealed how the "prison system has become a vicious circle, failing everyone and holding the country back". Ms Coomber said: "For decades, politicians’ knee-jerk response to crime has been to make sentences longer and longer. "This has led to a steep rise in the prison population, to the point where dozens of jails are holding more people than they are designed to hold and have fallen into disrepair."

The Commissioner defended the funding, describing the £20,000 price tag as 'modest' | X / HMP LEICESTER Ms Coomber continued: "Damaged cells cannot be repaired if they are occupied, and prisons are so overcrowded that they cannot afford to lose space even temporarily, so people stay locked up for 23 hours a day with nothing to do in disgusting conditions, where rehabilitation is close to impossible. "None of this sets people up to succeed on release, leading to more crime, and so the process repeats itself, with politicians calling for more punishment that drags more people into a broken system beset with more problems.

"Surely, it is time to change direction. Sensible steps to ease the pressure would save lives, protect staff and make our streets safer." The report included evidence from inspections carried out between April 1 2025 and March 31 2026 of 40 adult prisons, 35 of which were men’s and five were women’s. The Ministry of Justice said they inherited a 'system in crisis' | GETTY A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "This Government inherited a prison system in crisis, with crumbling infrastructure, dangerous prisons and hard-working staff under immense pressure.

"We are turning that around by building 14,000 new prison places, with 3,300 already complete, and investing £800million into long-term prison and probation maintenance to improve conditions and ensure we always have the cells we need." HM Inspectorate of Prisons is an independent inspectorate that inspects places of detention to "report on conditions and treatment and promote positive outcomes for those detained and the public". Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter Exclusive News Royal Navy’s flagship aircraft carrier scrambled F-35 combat jets to intercept Russian spy plane News British troops to participate in major multinational wargame to prepare for peace in Ukraine News Rare ants stolen from England’s last remaining colony as 5,000 vanish from nature reserve News Union leads calls for abusive passengers to be banned from ALL airports entirely News Teenagers arrested after mass stabbing at Hampshire Halloween party News Britain on alert as hackers shut down supermarket fridges across Europe News Energy expert issues chilling warning over Britain's power supply as 'lights may not stay on' this winter News Jesus statue smashed and anti-Catholic graffiti sprayed on war memorial ahead of Remembrance Sunday News Oxford University sparks backlash over bearded lecturer with prosthetic breasts News Man who drugged his wife and allegedly allowed strangers to rape her had over 'one million photographs and videos of the abuse,’ court told News Man jailed for 25 years after mowing down headteacher and dragging him under his car for more than one mile News Royal Navy intercepts Russian spy ship off Scotland as helicopters track vessel monitoring Nato exercise News Wizz Air flight from London forced to divert to Hungary after bomb threat as fighter jet deployed News British explorer's 28-year walk across world mapped out as 36,000 mile journey reaches finish line Exclusive News Commonwealth leaders urged to focus on tackling modern slavery rather than demanding TRILLIONS in reparations News Police review video showing officer punching teenage boy three times while handcuffed News Homeowners 'trying not to panic' as HS2 tunnelling causes homes to 'sink and crack' News Egypt demands return of Scottish museum mummy after remains removed from display over 'consent' concerns News Police launch investigation into ‘illegal and persistent’ drone activity near British airport News Driver accused of 'stealing from council' after picking up dead deer from roadside as police drop case News Halloween chaos erupts in Birmingham as fireworks fired at police and seven arrested News Historic 17th-century pub set for major transformation despite local backlash News Henry Nowak’s family say 'world changed twice' after watching harrowing police footage News Child in 'critical condition' after horror crash as two other children rushed to hospital and woman arrested News Local community unites to launch new Sunday market in £15,000 bid to boost businesses News Sadiq Khan slammed over refusal to investigate 'mistake' as 66,000 motorists fined under unlawful speed limit News UK police left powerless after father shot British daughter dead in Texas over Donald Trump row News Halloween house party stabbing leaves five teenagers hospitalised with serious injuries News Adventurer Karl Bushby less than 24 hours away from completing epic 28-year journey News New safety measures introduced to protect children around banned dog breeds