Improvements at prison despite 'challenging' year

HMP Rochester has made improvements in violence reduction despite a "challenging year", a report says

A Kent prison has made improvements in reducing violence and self-harm despite an "extremely challenging" year, a report has found.

An Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) found that HMP Rochester saw a "gradual decline in violence" from August to March, but said gang violence was becoming "an increasing trigger" for incidents.

The improvements come after the prison was issued with an "urgent notification" by the HM Inspectorate for Prisons in 2024, which found "endemic" drug use and violence.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said it was "pleased the report recognises the prison's successes" but added that more needs to be done.

The prison, which has been without a permanent governor since Spring 2025, also faced challenges after losing a drug rehabilitation unit which was instead used to house prisoners convicted of sexual offences.

The report, released on 12 August, said violence peaked in August 2024, when 29 incidents were reported, but has since declined to 12 incidents in March 2025.

It said that "throwovers" of illegal substances and mobile phone use also continued to persist, including contraband delivered via drones.

'Commendable flexibility'

Issues with vermin declined but continued to persist, the IMB found, including one prisoner who saw a mouse giving birth in his cell.

Other concerns include limited accommodation for prisoners and failing infrastructure such as mould issues.

An IMB Rochester spokesperson said: "This reporting year has been exceptionally challenging for HMP Rochester.

"Progress is being made due to the commendable flexibility shown by all working at the prison, but there is still some way to go before things settle down."

The IMB said it was "particularly concerned" by the lack of offender behaviour programmes for prisoners convicted of sexual offences, but said it understood this would improve in September.

The IMB report also called for the MoJ to ensure a "period of stability" at the prison and provide the resources necessary to make improvements.

When HM Inspectorate for Prisons revisited the site in June 2025, inspectors found it had "made commendable efforts in reducing recorded levels of self-harm and violence".

A spokesperson for the MoJ said: "We have worked hard to improve HMP Rochester and are pleased the report recognises the prison's success in addressing concerns around safety, with reducing levels of violence and self-harm.

"We recognise that more needs to be done to reduce the availability of drugs and action has been taken to disrupt their supply including an upgraded CCTV system and new cell windows to stop drugs getting in."