PR 299: REPORT OF AN UNANNOUNCED INSPECTION OF HMP WHITEMOOR ON 13th TO 23rd OCTOBER 2025 BY THE CHIEF INSPECTOR OF PRISONS

The POA welcome the Report of an unannounced Inspection of HMP Whitemoor on 13^th to 23rd October 2025 by the Chief Inspector of Prisons. Overall, this was a positive and encouraging inspection with an improvement on the assessments made when last inspected in 2022.

Whitemoor is a High-Security Prison for category A and B adult male prisoners. Nearly all were serving sentences exceeding ten years, with over three-quarters serving an indeterminate sentence. A significant number of individuals, some 80%, were assessed as presenting a very high risk of serious harm, and at the time of the inspection, of the 455 prisoners being held, over a third were category A status, evidencing the very great risk and complexity being managed by the Prison. Whitemoor also operates a special facility, holding a small number of some of the most disruptive men currently in custody in the country.

However, the POA are dismayed that the Chief Inspector chose to criticise the establishment, stating that “the Prison’s approach to determining the number of staff required to unlock prisoners remained inflexible and limited the delivery of the regime”. 

This once again, proves that Mr Taylor has very little knowledge of the Prison System. In the interests of staff and inmate safety, security and control, minimum staffing levels should be set by Governors in consultation with Regional Directors after discussion with the local branch of the POA. Typically, these minimum staffing levels will be utilised to provide the bare minimum of regime, and it would be considered unsafe to unlock prisoners and provide a regime in such circumstances.

Regime Management Plans are important factor in maximising safe regimes with the available resources. Managers are accountable for making decisions based on the priorities set by the Governor, up and to the point where the operational pressures of the day do not allow. Unfortunately, on occasion, this will involve restrict the unlocking of prisoners on occasion.

This is not an ‘inflexible approach’ as Mr Taylor calls it. It is a requirement under the Health and Safety at Work Act which requires employers to ensure staffing levels are sufficient to keep employees and others (prisoners) safe, based on risk. Employers must ensure the health, safety, and welfare of employees which includes having enough competent staff to carry out work safely. Mr Taylor does not appear to understand that staffing levels (and therefore regime) are based on a documented risk assessment. If staffing is too low to maintain safe operations, the employer is in breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

POA Members’ Health and Safety is non-negotiable and no amount of idiotic comments from the Chief Inspector will change this Union’s opinion on this.

The National Executive Committee of the POA acknowledge the excellent work by the members and Committee of the POA at HMP Whitemoor ensuring that, as far as is practicable, they keep each other safe.

Steve Gillan, General Secretary said:

“It is frightening to think that the Chief Inspector of Prisons would play fast and loose with staff and prisoner safety given this is a high-risk environment and staffing needs to be correct to maintain control and order. I’m afraid Mr Taylor is totally out of touch”.

Mark Fairhurst, National Chair said:

“Staff at Whitemoor deserve credit for keeping control in one of the country’s most dangerous Prisons. They have proven that unlocking smaller cohorts of prisoners with proper staffing has clearly reduced violence and improved stability. It’s regrettable that an out‑of‑touch Chief Inspector of Prisons refuses to recognise this success, clinging instead to a blanket push for more time out of cell that only fuels disorder”.

 

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For further information, contact:

POA Press Office                                                  020 8803 0255 Option 7