This important report was published in Jan 2026:
“This report highlights some very positive findings from jails in which committed governors and other leaders had worked together to create a strong reading culture in the prison. It shows that even in the most challenging places, such as Chelmsford and Ranby, leaders could transform the reading offer for the prisoners in their care. Most importantly at these jails, and at other outstanding examples such as Hatfield, Rye Hill and Frankland, leaders had promoted the importance of reading as an essential component of rehabilitation.” [p3]
As well as emphasising the importance of reading, the report also stresses the importance of the prison library:
“In the most impressive prisons we visited, the library played a central role in creating, developing and sustaining a culture of reading. In our survey, we compared the experience of prisoners who could access the library at least once a week or more with those who could not. The findings showed a staggering difference, with the perceptions of those with better library access significantly more positive across almost the full breadth of our prisoner survey. Those who said there was a wide enough range of library materials for their tastes and ability were also much more positive about many aspects of prison life. The library is a vital resource and can have a marked impact across all elements of day-to-day life in prison.” [p23]
Louise Johns-Shepherd. Reading for rehabilitation: a thematic review by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons. HM Inspectorate of Prisons, 2026.