A new report from HM Inspectorate of Prisons has painted a grim picture of life inside HMP Featherstone, describing the Midlands prison as 'dreary' and in need of urgent, robust action to improve poor living conditions for inmates.
Poor Conditions and Maintenance Failures
The inspection, which took place in late 2025, found that despite committed leadership, the prison's overall infrastructure remained run-down and in need of long-term investment. Inspectors noted that while there had been some improvements since the last visit in May 2022, such as new flooring and refurbished showers, the older units were particularly 'shabby and grim'.
Maintenance issues were a significant problem, with a contractor experiencing staff shortages and wing staff not always reporting problems quickly. The report highlighted instances of broken toilets and showers that had gone unreported, and a lack of lighting in one area that forced an officer to work in near darkness, creating a safety risk.
Life for New Arrivals and Daily Living
For new prisoners, the first experience is often negative. The prison receives about 75 new arrivals each month. While reception staff were praised as friendly, first-night cells were not always well prepared. Only 32% of prisoners said their cell was clean on their first night, a figure lower than the 44% average in similar jails. Access to basic items like clean clothes, toiletries, and even pillows was a common complaint.
In general housing, most prisoners lived in single cells with little overcrowding, and cells were generally well-equipped and tidy. However, on the induction unit, many shared small cells with inadequately screened toilets. The segregation unit was in particularly poor physical condition, with cells lacking electricity sockets and a 'bleak' exercise yard, though it was clean and staff were praised.
Drugs, Self-Harm, and Limited Opportunities
The report identified several critical areas of concern impacting safety and rehabilitation. It found that drugs were 'readily available' within the prison. Furthermore, the establishment had a troubling record on self-harm, with self-inflicted deaths noted as the tenth highest in male adult prisons.
Opportunities for inmates to better themselves were severely lacking. Training and work opportunities were described as 'too limited', a factor that can hinder efforts to reduce reoffending. The report did note some positive elements, such as reasonably clean communal areas, and better facilities on smaller, specialist units like the drug recovery unit.
The inspection concludes that while leadership is trying, robust action is urgently required to address the dreary environment, poor conditions in key areas, and the serious issues of drug availability and self-harm at HMP Featherstone.
