News
Scathing report on HMP Winchester ‘will not bring the needed change’
A damning report on the state of HMP Winchester highlights the risks prisoners and staff are facing, warned the Prison Officers’ Association (POA).
Sarah Rigby, POA national executive committee member, said the government’s reaction to the Urgent Notification may once again fall short of what is needed.
Ms Rigby said she was doubtful that the official response would bring the sustained changes Winchester urgently needed.
“I genuinely wish I had some faith that this notification would create a big ripple effect and give Winchester what it needs. But I don’t,” she said.
“The longer this system of HM Inspectorate of Prisons going in and issuing these urgent notifications goes on, the less faith I have in it, to be honest. These notifications have started to lose relevance.”
Ms Rigby’s concerns echo those voiced by many prison reform advocates who say that the cycle of inspections and short-term fixes often lack the sustained investment necessary for meaningful reform.
Ms Rigby pointed to the repeated warnings at other facilities—Exeter and Bristol prisons, each of which has received two Urgent Notifications—as a sign that the system is not addressing root issues.
“They come up with a plan on paper, a plan of what they’ll do. They might parachute in a couple of extra governors, maybe a few extra staff, but that funding isn’t indefinite,” Ms Rigby said.
“They’ll bring in resources for a year or two, tick a few boxes, and hope that’s enough to improve things. But the reality is that these problems are systemic.”
Safety concerns hit crisis levels
The latest inspection at HMP Winchester, a Victorian-era Category B prison housing about 670 male inmates, highlighted widespread issues, from drug availability to violence.
Among reception centres in England and Wales, Winchester now has the highest rate of serious sexual assaults.
Drug prevalence is also at critical levels, with 41% of inmates testing positive in August and nearly half reporting easy access to illicit substances.
Ms Rigby underscored the challenges officers face when dealing with rising violence, particularly with inmates experiencing mental health issues and communication difficulties.
“Our officers are expected to manage highly vulnerable people, many of whom have complex mental health needs, without the proper training to respond appropriately,” she said.
This lack of specialised training can lead to unsafe conditions for both inmates and staff, creating a volatile environment that worsens with every new intake, she said.
Systemic failures
The inspection report also highlighted a 297-case backlog of unresolved disciplinary hearings, and about one-third of CCTV cameras remain in disrepair.
Conditions have worsened in recent years, with maintenance issues, such as leaking roofs and broken windows, remaining unresolved since 2022.
Deputy Chief Inspector of Prisons Martin Lomas acknowledged the gravity of the issues, calling for “sustained support and investment” if the prison is to achieve “decent living conditions, keep prisoners safe, and provide them with the skills they need to succeed in life outside prison”.
Winchester’s current conditions, however, suggest that such sustained support is far from guaranteed.
According to Rigby, the short-term fixes often applied to urgently flagged prisons lack the depth required for lasting improvement.
Widespread issues
Winchester joins eight other UK prisons, including Woodhill, Wandsworth, and Exeter, in receiving an Urgent Notification since November 2022.
While Prisons Minister Lord Timpson stressed the importance of preventing prisons from becoming “breeding grounds for further crime,” critics argue that these statements need to be backed by action.
Mark Day, deputy director of the Prison Reform Trust, supports Ms Rigby’s call for deeper changes.
“Inspectors are right to lay the blame on systematic failings with the prison service and Ministry of Justice…a radical change to our approach to imprisonment is needed,” he said.
Meanwhile, a 2022 ITV Meridian report had already labeled Winchester “one of the most violent jails in the country”.
Despite a government-deployed team of experienced officers aimed at managing violence, the persistent problems at Winchester signal the need for more than temporary boosts in staffing or oversight.
Complete overhaul needed
Educational and rehabilitative programs at HMP Winchester have also suffered.
The Ministry of Justice recently acknowledged an Ofsted rating of “inadequate” for Winchester’s educational services, underscoring the lack of rehabilitative support available to inmates.
For Ms Rigby, the cycle of urgent notifications and temporary interventions does not bode well for true reform.
“Without genuine, sustained support and training, these efforts will continue to miss the mark,” she warned.
Ms Rigby’s message is a clear one: the prison system’s current approach does not need more band-aid solutions—it requires a complete overhaul focused on consistent funding, comprehensive training, and support for both staff and inmates alike.
Ivan Juric has left his role as Southampton first team manager following the club’s relegation on Sunday.
The Croatian joined the Saints on an 18-month deal in December following Russell Martin’s dismissal but lasted just 107 days in charge.
Juric oversaw just two victories in his 16 matches in charge with Sunday’s 3-1 defeat to Tottenham confirming Southampton’s relegation to the Championship.
With seven matches still to play, Saints’ relegation is the earliest in Premier League history, breaking the joint-record set by Derby County and Huddersfield Town in 2007-08 and 2018-19 respectively, who both went down after 32 games.
The club confirmed the process of searching for a new manager is now under way and said: “With relegation to the Championship now confirmed, we believe it is important to give fans, players and staff some clarity on the future as we head into a very important summer.”
First team coach Simon Rusk is set to take charge of the team for the remainder of the season with player Adam Lallana to act as his assistant.
Southampton currently sit on 10 points at the bottom of the league and require a further two points to avoid breaking the record-low set by Derby County, who finished the 2007-08 season with 11 points.
A new foodhall is set to open later this year in place of Vodka, Winchester’s former nightclub.
The venue, which shut down in May 2023, is set to be converted to foodhall called Helch Market.
The market is planned to open until 3am and will have a number of food vendors which will rotate over time as well as events space in the basement.
Helch Market Winchester will be the second of its kind after David Jamal Benamor, of Benamor LTD, opened a similar business in Bournemouth in 2022.
Mr Benamor aims to open the new venue in the autumn.
Mr Benamor said: “There’s quite a low diversity in independent businesses, so there’s a lot of chains and very few independent, especially with new concepts, which are a lot harder.
“It’s quite stale, the diversity on the high street, like everywhere in the UK.
“This offers smaller businesses a chance to try a concept or to start their own chain of stores, whatever they’d like to do, so I’d say just a diversity within small businesses.”
Mr Benamor’s application for a licence which allows the sale of alcohol, the serving of hot food and drinks between 11pm and 5am and live and recorded music and entertainment was approved on 25 March.
The plans to take over the Vodka site have been controversial and the initial licence application was met with criticism, with a number of written objections being made to Winchester City Council.
Residents have also been concerned with the potential rise in crime levels after there were 18 crimes reported on or near the Vodka property in the first half of 2022, a year before its closure.
‘As long as there’s a facility for the youngsters, which is much needed.’
One man said: “In principle, I am happy with the idea.
Despite the complaints, the members of the Winchester public WINOL spoke to were mostly supportive of the venue.
“I wouldn’t like it if it was open until 3am, but in normal hours it’s fine.
“No problem at all, I think we need to encourage young people here.”
Another resident said: “As long as there’s a facility for the youngsters, which is much needed in town because we haven’t got a lot like clubs as such.
“Not everybody wants them, but I just think the youngsters need something rather than have to go elsewhere. It’s good.”
A security team in Winchester has hit a major milestone by recovered more than £100,000 worth of stolen goods in the city centre.
The Winchester Business Crime Reduction Partnership (WBCRP) and Winchester Business Improvement District (BID) Rangers were formed in 2018 with the aim of reducing business crime, antisocial behaviour and low level crime.
The group has now retrieved over £100,000 worth of goods and returned them to businesses in Winchester.
The Rangers work closely with local businesses, Hampshire Constabulary, Winchester City Council and BID to help their efforts of combatting theft.
They are highly trained security professionals that are accredited under the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme (CSAS) and certified by the Security Industry Authority (SIA).
BID lists the Rangers’ key functions as being crime prevention and recovery, supporting the local Shopwatch and Pubwatch schemes, real-time assistance and customer engagement and public safety.
Hannah Hitchon, Shopwatch chair, said: “It is with the greatest pride that the BID Rangers have surpassed the stolen property recovery figure of £100,000.
“This figure has been recovered over a challenging time, including the pandemic, which naturally impacted the vital role that they played in protecting our local area.
“As such they should be commended for their hard work and resilience over the last six years.
“My heartfelt thanks go out to the Rangers for the continuing hard work and dedication that they offer both the public and local businesses and here’s to many more years of the same!”
The group have been recognised for their efforts by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC).
BID Ranger Brett Jones received an OPCC award in 2023 for his commitment to public safety.
Winchester BID Business Crime Reduction Manager Jane Bastock has been honoured with a 2025 OPCC award nomination for her leadership in business crime reduction over the past decade.
On the efforts by the Rangers, Ms Bastock said: “I am very proud of this achievement. This demonstrates not only the success of the BID Rangers scheme but that of the Radio Link and Shopwatch schemes, which businesses in Winchester utilise to alert suspicious or offending behaviour in their store or in the city.
“I would also like to thank the local police and Winchester City Council CCTV Control Room for their continued support with these schemes.”
Following the milestone, the WBCRP and Winchester BID remain committed to strengthening security initiatives and supporting businesses in tackling crime.
Cheif Inspector Korine Bishop, Winchester district commander, said: “This milestone demonstrates the importance of the BID Rangers to the partnership effort needed to keep the city centre a safer environment for all.
“Our officers, including those from our dedicated city centre Neighbourhood Policing Team, will continue to work with the BID Rangers and all our partners to reduce and prevent crime.”
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