Urgent notification issued for north London jail
HMP Pentonville has been described as frightening
An urgent notification's been issued to the Secretary of State for Justice after an inspection of a north London jail
It uncovered conditions which have been described as frightening
an inspection discovered many inmates have been kept in prison after they should have been freed because staff "failed to calculate sentences accurately".
The watchdog said data from the prison showed 130 inmates - 20% of those eligible for release - had been held illegally after their release date in the last six months.
The backlog in sentencing calculations also meant 10 prisoners had been released early "in error" between July 2024 and June 2025.
In a letter to the Justice Secretary, the chief inspector said arrangements for new prisoners' first night at the north London jail and induction were "chaotic and even frightening".
Men were held in dirty cells missing bedding, furniture, telephones and pillows, the watchdog said, while the majority of prisoners were locked in their cells for more than 22 hours a day.
The report also said 60% of prisoners were sharing cells that were designed for one person, many living areas were dirty and there was a widespread infestation of mice and cockroaches.
Unacceptable practises
Inspectors took emergency action after they found oversight of prisoners under constant supervision was "shockingly poor", with one prison officer found asleep, two were reading books and another was "completely absent".
The "unacceptable practices" in the care of prisoners under constant supervision was a particular concern for inspectors given three suicides at the jail in 2025.
Chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor said: "Pentonville is an overcrowded, inner-city, Victorian prison with a record of poor performance over many years.
"Too many of its staff have become disillusioned about the possibility of improvement or their capacity to affect change. Yet many of its shocking failures are firmly within the control of leaders.
"The governor will need significant support and investment from HM Prison and Probation Service to strengthen his senior leadership team, re-focus on the basics, and put in place effective oversight and assurance systems to turn this failing prison around."
A survey of prisoners also revealed 44% told inspectors they felt unsafe at the time of inspection, which the watchdog said was the highest figure recorded during his tenure as chief inspector.
Treat prisoners with dignity
Reacting to the urgent notification, Prison Reform Trust chief executive Pia Sinha said: "Prisoners illegally held after they should have been released, or others released early in error, further undermine effective sentence planning and erode public confidence.
"This urgent notification must be a rallying cry for immediate action - fix the failing infrastructure, improve staff training, and treat prisoners with dignity."
Andrew Neilson, director of campaigns at the Howard League for Penal Reform, said the findings of the inspection were "outrageous" and represent a "new low" for an overcrowded public service on the brink of collapse.
He added: "While the Government inherited a dire state of affairs in prisons, it has had more than a year to bring about change.
"As report cards go, such a dire account of dysfunction in Pentonville instils little confidence that ministers have a grip of the situation."
Campbell Robb, Chief Executive at Nacro, said: “Today’s findings are nothing short of shocking. People released early in error, others held unlawfully beyond their release date, high levels of drug-fuelled violence, and people at risk of self-harm left without support. Prisoners are living in squalid, unsafe conditions—some without even basic bedding. These are not just operational failures; they are basic failures of human decency.
Our prisons are in crisis
“Our prisons are in crisis. We’re seeing the same issues repeated across the estate —overcrowding, chronic understaffing, prisons overwhelmed with drugs and a lack of purposeful activity which all impacts on people's mental health. This undermines justice and makes effective rehabilitation near impossible in such a broken system”
“Everyone deserves a second chance. While we welcome the steps being taken following the Independent Sentencing Review, we also need investment in services inside and outside prison to tackle the root causes of offending. Only then can we break the cycle, support people to rebuild their lives and create safer communities for us all.”
Pentonville is the 10th prison to be issued with an urgent notification since November 2022, following Exeter, Cookham Wood Young Offender Institution, Woodhill, Bedford, Wandsworth, Rochester, Manchester and Winchester prisons.
The emergency measure was introduced in 2017 as a way to raise immediate concerns following an inspection, which requires a response and action plan by the Justice Secretary within 28 days.
The Ministry of Justice has been contacted for comment.
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