Bedford prison has made good progress but violence still highest in England and Wales

A prison in Bedford has made good progress in recent years but still has the highest rate of violence of any adult male prison in England and Wales, according to inspectors.

HM Inspectorate of Prisons carried out an unannounced inspection of HMP Bedford between 27th July and 6th August 2026.

Its report, published yesterday, found outcomes were not sufficiently good for safety, respect and preparation for release, and poor for purposeful activity.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said the report shows signs of progress but that there is more to do.

HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor said: 'It is, therefore, heartening to report that on this latest inspection we found a prison that had made good progress and was performing much better than in recent years.'

HMP Bedford is a category B reception prison.

The report says it holds an average of 340 men a day. It says 297 prisoners were held at the time of the inspection, against an operational capacity of 378.

Ministry of Justice response

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: 'We inherited prisons in crisis, but this report shows signs of progress at HMP Bedford, with improvements in officer training, healthcare, and support for young adults.'

The spokesperson also said: 'There is more to do, and the prison's action plan will help drive further improvements. Former Home Secretary Amber Rudd is also leading an independent review to deliver safer prisons, cut reoffending, and keep the public safe.'

Violence and safety

Inspectors said the rate of violence had increased compared with the same period before the previous inspection in 2023.

There were 151 assaults on staff and 205 on prisoners in the 12 months before the inspection. The prison also had the highest rate of staff assaults nationally.

In the inspectors' survey, 29% of prisoners said they felt unsafe, which was similar to the last inspection.

Inspectors said inconsistent management of behaviour and widespread availability of drugs were likely to be a cause of the high violence.

A quarter of random mandatory drug tests in the previous 12 months were positive. Inspectors said this was too high, although lower than the average for similar prisons.

The rate of self-harm had fallen by around 50% compared with the 12 months before the last inspection.

Leadership and time out of cell

Inspectors said leadership had improved under governor Sarah Bott, who has been in post since February 2024.

They said the governor had strengthened her leadership team and focused on training and keeping prison officers. At the time of the inspection, 86% of frontline staff had more than two years' experience.

Time out of cell had improved substantially. Prisoners in work could be unlocked for up to 10 hours a day from Monday to Thursday.

Inspectors said this was the best regime of any reception prison they have inspected since the pandemic.

However, they found there was not enough purposeful activity. While 87% of prisoners were unlocked during the working day, just 28% were in education or work.

Ofsted, which inspected education and work provision alongside the inspectorate, rated it inadequate overall.

Living conditions

Inspectors described the prison as old and dilapidated, with failing infrastructure including broken windows and poor-quality CCTV.

Around half of prisoners shared cells designed for one person.

Many communal areas were dirty, and inspectors reported a widespread infestation of cockroaches and rats. Pigeons were also getting into residential units.

A new segregation unit had opened, replacing an old unit that inspectors described as squalid. They said living conditions there had improved considerably.

Health care and young adults

Inspectors said health care was considerably better, particularly mental health support, and that there was a better offer for those with drug or alcohol addictions.

The Care Quality Commission, which inspected health services jointly with the inspectorate, found Dr PA Ltd, the GP provider, in breach of a regulation on good governance and requested an action plan.

The report described the young adults' wing as one of the most impressive parts of the jail. Inspectors found respectful relationships between staff and prisoners there.

Release and resettlement

Only 25 prisoners were released with a job to go to in the 12 months before the inspection.

The prison said 26% of prisoners were released homeless in that period. Of 511 releases where the outcome was known, 40% went to homelessness or transient accommodation.

Concerns raised

Inspectors identified 13 key concerns, seven of which were priorities. These included the rate of violence, living conditions and weaknesses in public protection arrangements.

At the previous inspection, violence and living conditions were among the priority concerns that inspectors found had not been addressed.

Leaders due to leave

Mr Taylor said the governor and some other key senior leaders were due to leave, meaning the prison was about to enter a more unstable phase.

He said regional and national leaders must make sure the roles are filled quickly so the progress made in recent years is not lost.