Brinsford inspection report 2026
Report for Brinsford Prison
Summary
Report on unannounced inspection at HMP & YOI Brinsford 2026. HMP & YOI Brinsford Brinsford, in the West Midlands, held a complex population of just over 500 remanded and sentenced men, of whom most were under 25 and some were in prison for the first time. The large population of 18–20-year-olds was largely responsible for the very high levels of violence, which had increased since our last inspection and was now the highest of any adult male prison in England and Wales. This had led to some very high levels of use of force and some particularly concerning over-reliance on PAVA incapacitant spray, the oversight of which by leaders was not always sufficiently robust. There had also been a concerning rise in the quantity of drugs getting into the prison, with 26% of tests coming back positive, a significant increase since our last inspection. Levels of self-harm had also increased to a worrying level.