PA mediaA cockroach-infected jail that illegally detains prisoners in “horrific circumstances” for longer than the date of their release has been put in special measures.
Charlie Taylor, Chief Inspector of the jails, made an immediate notification at HMP Pentonville in Isington, North London, after a inspection several prisoners were placed there, as they should be kept there after being freed as the staff “failed to calculate the sentences correctly”.
Watchdog said that data showed 130 prisoners, which are eligible for release, 20%of them, held after their release date in the last six months.
The minister of the jails, Lord Timpson said: “The team is working to immediately address the concerns raised.”
“We will publish an action plan in the coming weeks to support him in these efforts,” he said.
Mr. Taylor said: “The government needs to take action very quickly.
“In fact, people are being illegally imprisoned by the state as the jail is properly failing to calculate their sentence.
“The state secretary has 28 days, in which my letter has to answer with an action plan what they are going to do about Pentonville.”
‘Shocking failures’
Watchdog also found that 10 prisoners were released early in error between July 2024 and June 2025.
In the letter to the Justice Secretary, the Chief Inspector said that the arrangement of induction of new prisoners and the first night in jail was “chaotic and frightening”.
Men were missing bed, furniture, telephone and pillows in dirty cells, while the Watchdog said, while most of the prisoners were locked in their cells for more than 22 hours.
The report also states that 60% of prisoners in Category B Jail were sharing cells designed for a person, and there was a wide infection of mice and cockroaches.
Inspectors took emergency action when they received the monitoring of prisoners under constant supervision, “shocking poor”. One jail officer slept, reading two books and the other was “completely absent”.
The care of prisoners under continuous supervision was a special concern for the “unacceptable practices” inspectors, given that in 2025 there were three suicides in jail.
‘rallying cry’
Mr. Taylor said: “Pentonville is a congestion, internal city, Victorian Jail with a record of poor performance over the years.
“Many of its employees have become disillusioned about their ability to affect the possibility of improvement or change.
“Nevertheless, many of its shocking failures are strongly under the control of leaders.”
He said: “The governor would require significant support and investment from HM Jail and Probation Services to strengthen his senior leadership team, putting the refocus on the basics and putting this unsuccessful gel in effective inspection and assurance systems to turn around.
“We will return to jail within a year and we would like to see sufficient improvement in the safety of prisoners, but also that some basics, such as the sentence calculation, is being corrected.”
Pentanville is the 10th jail to be issued from November 2022 with immediate notification.
In response to the findings of the Chief Inspector, a spokesman for a jail reform Trust said: “This immediate notification must be a rally weeping for immediate action – fix the failed infrastructure, improve staff training, and treat prisoners with dignity.”
Lord Timpson said: “This government will end us in the inherited chaos in our jails. We are constructing 14,000 new prison places and sentencing to reduce our jails again, cut crime and keep the victims safe.”
