2025-26 Annual Report launch

In this special episode of The Prison Inspectors Podcast, we bring you audio from the launch of HM Inspectorate of Prisons’ 2025–26 Annual Report - Charlie Taylor’s final Annual Report as Chief Inspector of Prisons. At an event held on 7 July, host Russell Webster sat down with Charlie to discuss the key themes emerging from inspections carried out across the prison, youth custody and immigration detention estate over the past year.

Together, they explore the challenges facing prisons in England and Wales, including rising drug use, violence and self-harm, poor living conditions, and the continued impact of restricted regimes that leave many prisoners locked in their cells for long periods with little purposeful activity.

Russell Webster has worked as an independent consultant, researcher, writer and trainer specialising in substance misuse for more than 30 years and runs a criminal justice blog.

*Please note, the above text was updated on 25 August to remove unsubstantiated detail about Russell Webster's blog.