Five Wells inspection report 2026
Report for Five Wells Prison
Summary
HMP Five Wells is a relatively new prison which had faced significant challenges since opening in 2022. When we last inspected in 2024, repeated changes in leadership, high staff attrition and a largely inexperienced workforce had resulted in weak governance, poor use of data and an underdeveloped regime. Outcomes were concerning, with purposeful activity judged poor and both safety and respect not sufficiently good. At this inspection we found a prison that had stabilised and made real progress, with better outcomes in three of our healthy prison tests. The director had provided a clear sense of direction and more visible leadership, and his focus on building constructive staff-prisoner relationships was progressing well. The prison was calm, there were excellent interactions between officers and prisoners, and a range of imaginative initiatives had helped to reduce violence, particularly among younger men.