A report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons in 2025 found both the HMP Liverpool and HMP Altcourse were battling violence, organised crime groups, drugs and failing infrastructure
Investigations into two Merseyside prisons have found high volumes of drug use and targeted organised crime groups, reporting by the Liverpool Echo showed.
Problems at United Kingdom prisons are not new and have been well-documented, including overcrowding, crumbling infrastructure, lack of rehabilitation and poor living conditions.
In early 2025, sources of the Liverpool Echo raised concerns over the HMP Liverpool, where prison officers were struggling to deal with an increase in violence. One officer had her head split open after being assaulted with a tap.
In the second half of 2025, focus turned to privately-run HMP Altcourse. Headlines were flooded with the story of a former inmate who shot dead prison officer after an internal dispute years earlier, the Echo reported.
The Merseyside’s prisons were visited by HM Inspectorate of Prisons this year and inspectors found both were battling violence, organised crime groups, drugs and failing infrastructure.
Inspectors found that prisoners at the HMP Liverpool were “lying on their beds watching daytime TV and taking drugs to pass the time”. The prison was also found to have the highest positive drug test rate of any jail of its kind across the country. Almost 50% of tests yielded positive results.
The prison was found to have been “continuously targeted” by organised crime groups who were delivering drugs into the facility via drone. The illicit drug network was found to pose “an ongoing threat to the safety and stability of the prison”, the report said.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said it was investing £40m in new security measures this year alone to clamp down on the contraband that fuels violence behind bars. The spokesperson said that £10m would be spent on anti-drone measures such as exterior netting and reinforced windows.
Inspections at the HMP Altcourse also found a significant amount inmates were using drugs and at risk of gang-related violence. The facility also was found to have one of the highest drug among similar jails in the country. Drugs were found to have resulted in a “major threat” to safety and security.
Prisoner-on-prisoner assault had increased steadily over the past two years. This was largely fuelled by debt collection, the Echo reported, and almost three quarters of prisoners felt debt was the biggest driver of violence.
Other issues found by investigators included self-harm, dilapidated buildings and high staff sickness at HMP Liverpool. HMP Altcourse was found to be facing a rise in self-harm rates and issues around debt-collection within the prison.
Positively, inspectors found that staff retention at HMP Liverpool was considerably better than other jails. At HMP Altcourse, inspectors found that relationships was a strength, with prisoners commenting the support they felt. These resulted in much lower rates of staff assaults than similar jails.
