- HMP Wandsworth is the UK's most overcrowded prison, housing 1,444 inmates against a design capacity of 894, which is 62 per cent more people than it was built for, leading to conditions described as "inhumane".
- The south-west London prison has been at the centre of several high-profile incidents, including the September 2023 escape of Daniel Khalife, the mistaken release of Algerian national Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, and a prison officer being jailed for having sex with an inmate.
- The prison was placed into special measures in 2024, with inspectors noting a "sustained decline" and issues such as guards not always knowing prisoners' locations, despite an investment of almost £900,000.
- While a new governor has brought "energy and focus" and there has been "substantial investment" in staffing and training, reports indicate a persistent problem with low staff experience and high absenteeism, with an average of a third of staff absent daily.
- Independent monitoring boards have consistently found living conditions in the crumbling 170-year-old building to be "unacceptable" prompting the Ministry of Justice to state it is investing in new prison places and improved conditions.
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HMP Wandsworth labelled ‘inhumane’ after being found to be most overcrowded prison in UK
