New on our website: a blogpost welcoming the recommendations of the Chief Social Worker for England following a rapid review of safeguarding in the children and young people's secure estate. https://howardleague.org/blog/the-trowler-review-a-thoughtful-and-detailed-report-with-much-to-welcome/

Which would you rather have? Five hospitals, 80 schools, or an even bigger failing prison system? We’re telling the government to stop wasting billions on making a problem even worse. https://www.instagram.com/thehowardleague/

Here are the top 10 most overcrowded prisons in England and Wales. The top three most overcrowded are Leeds, Preston and Wandsworth. Prisons in England and Wales are chronically overcrowded. How did we get here? And, why does it matter? https://howardleague.org/why-are-prisons-overcrowded/

A prisoner took their own life every five days according to new ombudsman report. These figures reflect the “dire conditions and human misery” in a prison system asked “to do too much, with too little, for too long”. https://ow.ly/eLL550ZnHZC

Delighted to see our video on Isle of Wight prisons featured by PoliticsJOE during a discussion about the state of prisons. 📺 Watch the clip here: https://youtu.be/eeq5Y9o2qTU?t=1564

“Inmates in some of the UK’s oldest prisons say they are no longer being punished but ‘tortured’ as they are locked in their baking cells for 22 hours a day in the heatwaves.” https://metro.co.uk/2026/07/10/prisoners-tortured-not-punished-small-cells-heatwave-29094219/

Look at these grim pictures from Swaleside prison. With men cooped up for 23 hours a day in cells, is this jail keeping the public safe or simply storing up problems for later? Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thehowardleague #LiftTheLidOnPrisons #PrisonTok #CriminalJustice

"More than one person dies every day in the year after leaving prison, a study has revealed, laying bare the lack of support for offenders after they are released." https://www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/article/prisoner-deaths-release-drugs-7xrw77dhz

15% of people who are meant wear tags don’t have one, Government admits. Our Chief Executive told Inside Time: "Now that the prison system is bursting at the seams, ministers are putting their faith in a flawed electronic monitoring programme": https://ow.ly/LY9S50ZnluZ

The prison population rose this week and now stands at 86,037. This time last week there were 197 less people in prison. The prison estate should not hold more than 81,681 people, the population currently exceeds this level by 4,356. https://howardleague.org/prison-watch/

Some see tagging as a solution to the prisons crisis, but the NAO concludes that electronic monitoring is not working as intended, creating public protection risks. Read our response: https://howardleague.org/news/howard-league-responds-to-national-audit-office-report-on-electronic-monitoring/

Stark figures from the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman ought to jolt a new government into action . The annual report highlighted shocking numbers of deaths – with people dying in circumstances described as self-inflicted at a rate of one every five days. https://ow.ly/CTEk50Zm1BB

VACANCY | The deadline for our Policy Manager role is fast approaching! Closing 5pm, Monday 13 July. Find out more here: https://howardleague.org/about-us/vacancies/policy-manager-2026/

You could lose your leg. That’s what a man was told after he was bitten by a venomous spider in Bullingdon prison. Follow us on TikTok, share, and get ready for more videos that lift the lid on prisons. https://www.tiktok.com/@thehowardleague/video/7659378356768476438

“This is the scale of the challenge awaiting a new Prime Minister”: Howard League responds to HM Chief Inspector of Prisons' Annual Report 2025-26. The report states that too many prisons are failing in their responsibility to make people less likely to reoffend. https://ow.ly/hwct50ZkYG3

***We're hiring!*** Could you be the Policy Manager we're looking for? Click here to find out more about the role and how to apply: https://howardleague.org/about-us/vacancies/policy-manager-2026/

The prison population rose this week and now stands at 85,840. The prison estate should not hold more than 81,865 people, the population currently exceeds this level by 3,975.

"Put simply, it's all about punishment." We analyse changes to additional days, forfeiture of privileges and restrictions on visits in prison. https://howardleague.org/blog/its-all-about-punishment-the-statutory-instrument-bringing-changes-to-additional-days-privileges-and-social-visits-in-prison/

Encouraging to see that the Bar Council has urged the government to lift the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 14 – with an evidence-led report. We endorse this position: https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/bar-opens-campaign-to-raise-age-of-criminal-responsibility/5127194.article

“Far from having confidence that officers might be disciplined for the misuse of force, we've heard of young people being told ‘you brought it on yourself’.” Our Legal Director, Gemma Abbott, on the use of force in prison: https://howardleague.org/spotlights/

***We're hiring!*** Could you be the Policy Manager we're looking for? Click here to find out more about the role and how to apply: https://howardleague.org/about-us/vacancies/policy-manager-2026/

Look at this grim scene from a cell inside Woodhill, one of the worst prisons in England and Wales. Why are we wasting billions on building new jails instead of fixing the problems in the ones we already have? https://www.instagram.com/p/DaNgv_XImPh/

“Tolerating overcrowding means tolerating more victims of crime”: Howard League welcomes new independent review of prisons. The review will look at how to make prisons safer, more secure and better at cutting crime, and aims to tackle drugs, violence and criminal gangs. https://ow.ly/4tB250ZjarB

Which would you rather have? Five hospitals, 80 schools, or an even bigger failing prison system? We're telling the government to stop wasting billions on making a problem even worse. https://www.instagram.com/thehowardleague/

Encouraging to see that the Bar Council has urged the government to lift the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 14 – with an evidence-led report. We endorse this position: https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/bar-opens-campaign-to-raise-age-of-criminal-responsibility/5127194.article

“Drugs, violence and self-harm. Crumbling buildings. Scant education. Insufficient support for those in poor mental health. These problems did not crop up overnight.” https://insidetime.org/newsround/prisons-are-stuck-in-decline-says-imbs-damning-annual-report/

"Chipped teeth, broken noses, facial injuries, head injuries, scars..." Our Legal Director, Gemma Abbott, details the injuries we hear young people sustaining from use of force in prison in our Spotlights webinar. Catch up here: https://howardleague.org/spotlights/

The prison population fell again this week and now stands at 85,761. However, the prison estate should not hold more than 81,865 people, the population currently exceeds this level by 3,896. https://howardleague.org/prison-watch/

In January 2026, the Sentencing Act received Royal Assent after swift passage through Parliament. This Act represents the culmination of government’s attempts to reduce the demand on the prison population. Here is a summary of the changes: https://ow.ly/SPt350ZhiYZ

Reforms introduced by the Sentencing Act 2026 have come into effect, reducing the “qualifying period” for licence termination has been reduced from three years to two years for IPP sentences. Find our guide here: https://howardleague.org/publications/terminating-your-ipp-licence-a-legal-guide/

“This powerful report from the IMBs lifts the lid on a prison system in turmoil. It reveals the gulf between the rhetoric we hear in Westminster and the reality we see in overwhelmed and under-resourced jails up and down the country.” https://ow.ly/q5gp50ZfPgz

"Concerns over therapy ferrets used to kill rats at UK’s largest children’s prison. Prison officers’ union calls for immediate end to practice at HMYOI Wetherby over fears for child and animal welfare." https://ow.ly/vpwL50ZfFAk

***We're hiring!*** Could you be the Policy Manager we're looking for? Click here to find out more about the role and how to apply: https://howardleague.org/about-us/vacancies/policy-manager-2026/

The prison population fell this week and now stands at 85,808. The prison estate should not hold more than 81,865 people, the population currently exceeds this level by 3,943. https://howardleague.org/prison-watch/ (Photo by Andy Aitchison)

"Three UK prisoners have been hospitalised and one told he could 'lose his leg' in a report published by a prisons watchdog." https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/2215735/uk-prisoners-hospitalised-one-told

***We're hiring!*** Could you be the Policy Manager we're looking for? Click here to find out more about the role and how to apply: https://howardleague.org/about-us/vacancies/policy-manager-2026/

“Far from having confidence that officers might be disciplined for the misuse of force, we've heard of young people being told ‘you brought it on yourself’.” Our Legal Director, Gemma Abbott, on the use of force in prison: https://howardleague.org/spotlights/

"Understaffing in our prison system leads to poor regime... people spending large spells of the day in their cells... It exacerbates poor mental health... which we know from what little academic research has been done in this area, is associated with people starting cell fires more often than not."

"In 2025 there were around 2,500 cell fires, that's on average about seven a day. 18% of fires have resulted in injuries." Our Managing Solicitor, Sinead MacCann, gave evidence to the Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee this morning on fire safety in prison. Watch: ow.ly/Xovz50ZckcC

Andrea Coomber said the report "reveals the gulf between the rhetoric we hear in Westminster and the reality we see in overwhelmed and under-resourced jails up and down the country." https://ow.ly/ZL2650Zcivw

"The Howard League for Penal Reform... stated, ‘successive governments have been too slow to respond to the warning signs and too eager to add to the sentence inflation that has brought the system to the brink of collapse.’" https://ow.ly/lEeV50ZbLqr

The prison population fell this week and now stands at 85,848. The prison estate should not hold more than 81,865 people. However, the population currently exceeds this level by 3,983. https://howardleague.org/prison-watch/ (Photo by Andy Aitchison)

Here are the top 10 most overcrowded prisons in England and Wales in May. The prison estate should not hold more than 81,865 people, the population currently exceeds this level by 4,071. https://howardleague.org/prison-watch/

"Nineteen thousand." WATCH: The Justice and Home Affairs Committee hears that 19,000 people are being held in prison cells without automatic fire detection equipment. And that's not to mention all the other fire safety improvement works that are required across the estate.

***We're hiring!*** Could you be the Policy Manager we're looking for? Click here to find out more about the role and how to apply: https://howardleague.org/about-us/vacancies/policy-manager-2026/

"The Board is concerned about the significant rise in self-harm, violence and use of force over the reporting year." The Independent Monitoring Board for Low Newton, a women's prison in County Durham, has provided its annual report: https://imb.org.uk/document/low-newton-2025-26-annual-report/

We are delighted to have won the Sheila McKechnie Foundation's 'Best Use of Law' award for our campaign to end unlawful isolation and segregation of children in custody. 🏆 Watch this video to find out more about the campaign: https://www.youtube.com/live/Cu10C4emYBw?si=XmZfEmCuLGbhcTp7&t=2136

In 2024, 65% of pain inducing techniques used against children and young people in YOIs and training centres, were “outside of policy”, or what we would call unlawful. Catch up on our Spotlights webinar on use of force: https://howardleague.org/spotlights/

"Nineteen thousand." WATCH: The Justice and Home Affairs Committee hears that 19,000 people are being held in prison cells without automatic fire detection equipment. And that's not to mention all the other fire safety improvement works that are required across the estate.

"Inmate died in fire and another almost lost leg to spider in UK’s packed prisons." https://metro.co.uk/2026/06/10/inmate-died-fire-another-almost-lost-leg-spider-uks-packed-prisons-28710136/