Long-term prison facing growing pressure to prepare prisoners for release

The Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) for HMP Swaleside continues to raise serious concerns about high levels of violence, widespread illicit drug use and chronic staff shortages in its 2025-26 annual report published today (24 September 2026).

Furthermore, despite being a long-term, high-security training prison, HMP Swaleside is being expected to manage a growing number of prisoners returning to the community. The Board reports that 15% of the prison population is due for release in the next 12 months, a number increased by the Sentencing Act 2026.

The IMB notes that:

• Violence increased during the reporting year, with Swaleside recording the second-highest rate of assaults on staff and the second-highest assault rate overall across the long-term high-security estate.
• In a survey conducted by the IMB, prisoners described the establishment as unsafe, frightening and poorly managed, frequently citing violence, drugs, weapons and corruption.
• The ingress of illicit items points to organised-crime groups and sophisticated drone activity to breach prison security. Illicit drug use amongst the population fell to 29% positive tests in the first four months of 2026 plus 10% refusals. Although levels remain unacceptably high.
• Daily staffing levels are inadequate and continue to disrupt the regime resulting in delayed or cancelled activities, reduced opportunities for prisoners and excessive time locked in cells.
• Prisoners’ mental health remains a significant concern, with demand exceeding available resources and continuing delays in transferring prisoners to secure mental health facilities.

However, the Board welcomed several positive developments during the year. A specialist addiction unit and drug recovery wing achieved encouraging outcomes, educational completion rates remained high at 75%, and the prison’s Clean and Decent programme has had a major impact on the cleanliness of the site in recent months.

IMB Swaleside Chair, James Morris, said:

“While the extension to the visa scheme is welcome, staffing remains a major issue with staffing levels typically around 100 officers below requirement. The impact of this is felt across the prison through increased time in cell, reduced access to education and training, and less purposeful activity, which limits progression.

Despite some encouraging improvements, the Board remains concerned about illicit drug use, which is impacting 29% of the prison population and potentially more. It continues to drive instability, debt and violence.

The Board is also concerned that a long-term, high-security training prison such as Swaleside is increasingly being required to prepare prisoners for release. Delivering these additional responsibilities through an already overstretched offender management function raises serious questions about the prison’s capacity to operate safely, and provide the support required for effective rehabilitation.”