Key concerns 28 items
Key concerns were extracted from the report text by an AI model.
Key concern 1
Safety
Gang affiliations continue to affect the prison. This includes both affiliations with external gangs, particularly county lines networks, as well as the emergence of groups newly formed within Swaleside. Monitoring and responding to these evolving associations places a continual demand on security resources.
Key concern 2
Substance Misuse
levels of illicit substance use remain unacceptably high.
Key concern 3
Safety
Violence increased further, with Swaleside recording the second-highest rate of staff assaults in male prisons nationally and the second-highest assaults overall. A new safety regime since December has improved the situation, but not sufficiently, in the Board’s view.
Key concern 4
Estate/Conditions
While there are ongoing maintenance issues with the flooring, showers, heating, hotplates and other parts of the estate
Key concern 5
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The impact of the new safety regime has seen an improvement in safety, but at the expense of time out of cell, especially for non-workers. Again, too often movement has been delayed or cancelled, due to a shortage of staff.
Key concern 6
Mental Health
The Board is concerned about the appropriateness of these cells [CSRU] for prisoners with severe mental health issues, particularly where they are used for extended periods or as constant-watch accommodation.
Key concern 7
Healthcare
Missed hospital appointments are an issue due to a lack of appropriate transport, lack of officers and prisoner refusals. Non-emergency appointments could be better planned and prioritised.
Key concern 8
Mental Health
Prisoners’ mental health continues to be a major concern. While the InReach team do their best to manage, there are not enough staff to cope with the caseload.
Key concern 9
Mental Health
The time limits for assessing and transferring prisoners to secure or specialist mental health care units continue not to be met.
Key concern 10
Staffing
the offender management unit’s (OMU) staffing is well below capacity.
Key concern 11
Resettlement/Release
Introducing these substantial legislative changes to an understaffed, overworked department, which continues to rely on paper-based processes, raises significant concerns about its capacity to manage the additional workload effectively.
Key concern 12
Resettlement/Release
The sheer magnitude of these releases places further pressure on the probation team and other related services, increasing the challenge of managing an already highly pressured system.
Key concern 13
Resettlement/Release · Repeated from a previous year
Following on from SDS40, FTR56 and the Sentencing Act are producing enormous strain on the OMU and probation, with the potential for 15% of prisoners to be released over the next 12 months (from 1 October). As before, as a category B training prison, HMP Swaleside does not have the ability to double as a resettlement prison. Furthermore, it destabilises Swaleside for those prisoners not released so soon.
Key concern 14
Safety · Repeated from a previous year
As mentioned in our previous report, attempts to combat the incursion of drones nationally have not been successful. At HMP Swaleside, sightings have increased, despite the new grilles and, subsequently, an anti-drone structure, which were both compromised soon after installation.
Key concern 15
Staffing · Repeated from a previous year
staffing challenges remain significant. New officers on initial deployment, alongside sickness absence, resignations and retirements, have contributed to severe staff shortages, necessitating the introduction of a revised regime. The Board welcomed the Minister’s visit following the UN and his focus on organisational culture. However, how can a positive culture be created without Governor involvement in the recruitment process and the steadiness provided by a stable workforce?
Key concern 16
Education/Purposeful Activity
The reduction in education provision has severely curtailed the availability of courses. Not only has this impacted rehabilitation, but it has also had a knock-on impact for all prisoners, creating regime restrictions.
Key concern 17
Staffing
HMP Swaleside reached a crisis point, with unacceptable violence and safety leading to a UN in December 2025. What is the rationale for only having an acting Governor for over a year?
Key concern 18
Segregation · Repeated from a previous year
As mentioned in last year’s report, the length of time spent in the care, separation and reintegration unit (CSRU) by a number of prisoners remains too long and far exceeds regular recommendations. During this year, the situation in the CSRU worsened, with a quarter of the cells rendered unusable due to prisoners damaging bespoke fittings.
Key concern 19
Food/Catering · Repeated from a previous year
While noting last year’s response, the continued reliance of HMP Standford Hill on the kitchen at HMP Swaleside for the preparation of its food continues to cause major issues, as has been stated in previous annual reports.
Key concern 20
Mental Health · Repeated from a previous year
Despite the fall in the population at the prison, the facilities are inappropriate to properly care for those with severe mental health issues. The Board notes the responses last year, but when will the Prison Service increase secure units nationally?
Key concern 21
Safety · Repeated from a previous year
Again, there remains a lack of sufficient constant-watch cells (which are specially designed cells used to accommodate prisoners who require continuous observation because they are at immediate risk of self-harm or suicide). During periods of heightened need, capacity is inadequate. At one stage this year, seven prisoners were on constant watch, with only two such cells available. Your response last year was ‘suitable available cells would be used’, but standard cells do not provide a safe environment for continuous observation.
Key concern 22
Regime/Time Out of Cell · Repeated from a previous year
Why does prisoners’ non-compliance with prison rules, including dress standards and vaping restrictions, continue to be evident on the wings?
Key concern 23
Staffing · Repeated from a previous year
Staff and prisoner relationships have been damaged by the low level of key work sessions. A new quality assurance process is welcomed by the Board. When will the number of sessions improve to the recommended level?
Key concern 24
Substance Misuse · Repeated from a previous year
The continued prevalence of drugs, mobile phones and other illicit items, which the prison continues to assess as posing a ‘serious risk’, is not acceptable and has implications for the safety of prisoners and staff.
Key concern 25
Safety
Similarly, scanning and searching at the gate is erratic.
Key concern 26
Education/Purposeful Activity · Repeated from a previous year
Attendance at purposeful activity is extremely poor, with only around half of allocated places filled.
Key concern 27
Resettlement/Release · Repeated from a previous year
The Board is concerned that an increasing number of prisoners are due to be released without adequate preparation under the Sentencing Act 2026.
Key concern 28
Safety · Repeated from a previous year
The relentless theft of stock by prisoners from the DHL workshop continues.