Wrongfully jailed men call for change to compensation law Justin Plummer, Oliver Campbell and Peter Sullivan tell parliamentary inquiry they do not yet qualify for compensation despite being exonerated www.theguardian.com/law/2026/feb...

Unpacking prisoner property: A hidden source of conflict and complaint. A key findings paper from @hmiprisonsnews.bsky.social cdn.websitebuilder.service.justice.gov.uk/uploads/site...

Serco accused of ‘petty and vindictive’ removal of artwork from court cells Government contractor stripped custody suites of motivational murals, Lay Observers report says www.theguardian.com/law/2026/feb...

There are 87,312 people in prison today, an increase of just 63 on last week.

Synthetic opioids may have caused hundreds more UK deaths than thought Study find nitazenes, which are up to 500 times stronger than heroin, can degrade significantly in portmortem blood samples www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

HMYOI Wetherby inspection Levels of self-harm and violence were high and too few children said they felt cared for. @hmiprisonsnews.bsky.social cdn.websitebuilder.service.justice.gov.uk/uploads/site...

Prisons & health struggle with rapidly changing drug threats NAO report says prison and health services need to work more effectively in partnership www.russellwebster.com/prisons-heal...

Justice That Works: Report of the Scottish Sentencing and Penal Policy Commission The Scotitsh equivalent of the sentencing review but with a wider remit covering early interventions too www.gov.scot/publications...

The probation service is teetering on the brink - Public Accounts Committee report says staff are working under immense pressure in a seemingly toxic environment, in a culture built on emotional strain and trauma www.russellwebster.com/the-probatio... www.russellwebster.com/the-probatio...

Government will work with children to create the first ever child-friendly version of the Victims' Code www.gov.uk/government/n...

10 New Prison Facts From The Winter 2025/6 Bromley Briefing @prtuk.bsky.social prison factfile shows indicators on safety, use of force, purposeful activity and overcrowding all deteriorating significantly in the past two years. www.russellwebster.com/10-new-priso...

Justice delayed is justice denied Part II of Brian Leveson's Court Review makes recommendations about court efficiency including more remote hearings. www.russellwebster.com/justice-dela...

‘Supermax-style units’ for most dangerous criminals to be introduced in England and Wales David Lammy also tells MPs he will draw up legislation to stop prisoners using human rights laws to challenge tougher conditions www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

New prison houseblocks under construction at MP Northumberland Prison will gain four new houseblocks, boosting its capacity by 240 places www.gov.uk/government/n...

Why probation officers quit - or stick it out New research by @Nicola Carr, Harry Annison, Lol Burke Matt Millings & Gwen Robinson looks at the complex reasons why people leave or stay working in the probation service www.russellwebster.com/why-probatio...

There are 87,249 people in prison today, an increase of just 37 on last week.

HMP Whitemoor inspection Whitemoor was doing a difficult job reasonably well but the daily routine was inadequate. via @hmiprisonsnews.bsky.social cdn.websitebuilder.service.justice.gov.uk/uploads/site...

The latest criminal justice trends (January 2026) - Includes the highest ever number of prison recalls - 12,836 people were recalled to prison in the THREE MONTH period between July and September 2025. www.russellwebster.com/the-latest-c...

Yesterday the Government published its first ever annual prison capacity statement which includes hopeful projections of the impact of the Sentencing Act. Nevertheless, the prison population is expected to hit 92,000 by 2032 www.gov.uk/government/p...

Probation still struggling to protect the public - Probation Chief Inspector flags concerns in first public protection inspection. via @hmiprobation.bsky.social www.russellwebster.com/probation-st...

Justice Data Lab analysis finds prison Open University Programme helps reduce reoffending assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6979e5...

ACMD announces decision on the classification of #ketamine To remain class B, but police forces and health care professionals must receive greater support to better identify, prevent and respond to ketamine‑related harms www.gov.uk/government/n...

Improving support to veterans in the CJS New @probinst2.bsky.social report looks at practical ways of supporting veterans in the CJS www.russellwebster.com/improving-su...

#IPPs and DPPs: CCRC refers five people's indeterminate sentences for appeal - Criminal Cases Review Commission In two previous cases, judges did not "attach the necessary weight to the age and maturity of the offender before imposing an IPP". ccrc.gov.uk/news/ipps-an...

Prisoners turn new page with launch of Reading Laureate Author Lee Child (of Reacher fame) announced as first ever Prison Reading Laureate. www.gov.uk/government/n...

Canada is an important country to learn about Drug Consumption Rooms, it has 48 rooms New study: Some crimes increased, others decreased around Toronto supervised consumption sites theconversation.com/new-study-so...

A new model for policing ‘From local to national: a new model for policing’ sets out a (long-awaited) comprehensive package of reforms to policing. www.russellwebster.com/a-new-model-...

GoodTech Ventures’ Justice AI Hackathon drives innovation in the justice space Pathway AI is an early warning tool which flags at-risk prison leavers in need of urgent intervention with the aim of reducing recalls Via Catch22 www.catch-22.org.uk/resources/go...

There are 87,212 people in prison today, a jump of 212 on last week and 456 over the last two weeks.

Providing inhalation devices to people who smoke crack “could reduce drug-related harms, improve engagement and provide a non-judgemental and inclusive point of access Kathryn Ashton et al in Harm Reduction Journal link.springer.com/article/10.1...

HMP & YOI Foston Hall Inspection Progress blighted by two self-inflicted deaths @HMIPrisonsnews cdn.websitebuilder.service.justice.gov.uk/uploads/site...

Parole research to shape the future Mike Maguire shares findings from the inaugural Parole Board research conference. www.russellwebster.com/parole-resea...

Restricting jury trials unlikely to tackle courts backlog @instituteforgovernment.org.uk questions impact of reducing jury trials www.russellwebster.com/restricting-...

If you work in probation, you might want to enter the Mike Guilfoyle Essay Prize This year's question: What needs to change for probation to be more effective? Up to 1,000 words Closing date 31 March via @crimeandjustice.bsky.social www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/mike-guilfoy...

Judge-only trials in England and Wales will not wipe out crown court backlog @instituteforgovernment.org.uk says proposed plans, which will slash the number of jury trials, will produce ‘marginal gains’ of less than 2% time saved www.theguardian.com/law/2026/jan...

Between the bars: theatrical gig about life after prison reveals hard truths of homecoming A Giant on the Bridge, performed by a ‘Scottish indie folk supergroup’, draws on dozens of interviews about the confines former prisoners experience on the outside www.theguardian.com/stage/2026/j...

Free access to sentencing remarks for all victims - Victims going through the Crown Court better supported free access to transcripts of judges’ sentencing remarks - unbelievably till now victims had to pay to get these! GOV.UK www.gov.uk/government/n...

Croydon Live Facial Recognition pilot cuts crime, says Met Police A trial of Live Facial Recognition technology has helped cut robbery and shoplifting and led to more than 100 arrests, according to the Metropolitan Police. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Disappointing judgment in PAVA spray judicial Despite work by @thehowardleague.bsky.social, the use of PAVA spray against children in prison has been found to be lawful howardleague.org/news/pava-sp...

There are 86,936 people in prison today, a jump of 244 on last week.

HMP Birmingham inspection: Major concerns about drugs, organised crime and poor regime. A change in police policy also meant acutely mentally unwell men were not being diverted and ended up in the prison. @hmiprisonsnews.bsky.social cdn.websitebuilder.service.justice.gov.uk/uploads/site...

Latest grim #IPP statistics from the great people at @ungripp.bsky.social There are still 2,422 IPPs in prison At the current rate, it will take 11 years to release all IPPs 946 people have never been release 689 people are over tariff by 10-20 years

A whole systems approach for women in contact with the CJS @clinks-charity.bsky.social report shares expertise on WSAs combining multi-agency collaboration, women’s centres, diversion pathways, and lived experience expertise. www.russellwebster.com/a-whole-syst...

The UK's first safer drug consumption facility has registered 575 users in its first year. The Thistle in Glasgow has been accessed 11,348 times and used for 7,827 injections of illegal drugs. Staff on site also managed 93 medical emergencies. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Death on the inside: as a prison officer, I saw how the system perpetuates violence @Guardian long read www.theguardian.com/society/ng-i...

Plans to limit jury trials may be watered down after backlash David Lammy’s proposals could be altered to avoid fight in Lords after criticism from MPs, peers and lawyers www.theguardian.com/law/2026/jan...

Reading for rehabilitation @hmiprisonsnews.bsky.social highlights the importance of reading in prison and says some jails have created vibrant reading cultures. www.russellwebster.com/reading-for-...

There are 86,692 people in prison today, a jump of 124 on last week.

London’s homicide rate drops to lowest in more than a decade In 2025, the Metropolitan police recorded 97 homicides in London, down from 153 in 2019, and down from 109 in 2024. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

Slashing jury trials could clear courts backlog within a decade, says Lammy Lord chancellor urges MPs to back judge-only trials in thousands of criminal cases @guardian interview www.theguardian.com/politics/202...