Lack of rehabilitation at 'high-risk' jail - report

A prison which struggles with violence, self-harm and drugs is providing limited opportunities for the rehabilitation and resettlement of its inmates, a report has said.

HMP Winchester in Hampshire is also seriously affected by staffing shortages, the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) found.

IMB Winchester chair Cord Oestmann said the jail faced "constant pressures of accommodating and caring for a complex population" in an "overcrowded, ageing estate, parts of which are no longer fit for purpose".

The Ministry of Justice said the report recognised progress made by prison staff.

The facility, built in 1846, is a men's prison and young offender institution in the centre of Winchester, holding about 664 category B and C prisoners.

The board found that poor infrastructure and "insufficient purposeful activity" was significantly hindering rehabilitation.

It highlighted an "inadequate education offer, too few meaningful work opportunities, and constraints on activity caused by staffing pressures and population churn".

It said up to 36% of prisoners left without accommodation, while employment rates six weeks after release were as low as 7%.

Oestmann said staff were having to focus on keeping prisoners safe.

"As a result, there is limited opportunity to support rehabilitation and resettlement, something borne out by the high number of those released homeless and failing to secure employment post release," he said.

The report also describes a "very high level of self-harm", citing 532 incidents in 2025-26.

This was down from 784 in the previous year, but still 15% above average among similar prisons.

Violence levels were also significantly high, with about 27 assaults between prisoners each month, and serious assaults more than doubling.

The prison was operating within a "high-risk environment" with areas of "repeated instability" where "violence, self-harm and drug misuse were widespread and interrelated", it said.

But the board also observed that staff demonstrated "professionalism and compassion when supporting prisoners, especially those with complex needs, despite difficult operating conditions".

Other issues raised include:

• Some areas affected by water leaks, vandalism, extreme temperatures, and vermin, with rats described as "common visitors"
• Officers using force on prisoners about 80 times per month
• Body‑worn video cameras used inconsistently
• The care and separation unit, where prisoners are segregated for disciplinary or safety reasons, "under severe strain"
• Some prisoners spending as little as three hours a day out of their cells
• Prisoners climbing onto netting or beams for extended periods between wing landings "often motivated by fear, frustration, or while intoxicated"
• Illicit substances a "major concern", with drug finds increasing by 114%
• About 28 litres of illicitly-brewed alcohol found, using the fruit served with prison meals
• The bio‑cleaning of a single cell after a dirty protest costing about £3,000, though a "residual contamination and odour remained" rendering it unsuitable for use by anyone other than the prisoner responsible

A separate visit by HM Inspectorate of Prisons to the establishment earlier this year also found "persistent" issues around violence and drugs, saying it was "deteriorating and overcrowded".

It came two years on from another critical report, which found it had "very high levels of violence" and drug problems, forcing it to be placed under "urgent notification".

But the IMB said staff had worked hard to address those concerns, and that the follow up inspection recognised the progress and terminated the notification.

In a statement, the Ministry of Justice said: "We inherited a prison system in crisis, but this report recognises the hard work of staff at HMP Winchester, whose efforts are helping to put this prison on a more stable footing.

"We know more must be done, which is why former Home Secretary Amber Rudd is leading an independent review of the prison system, which will help develop a long-term plan to deliver safer prisons, reduce reoffending, and better protect the public."