Prison Education Cuts Linked to Surging Drug Use and Violence, Says Chief Inspector

HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor's final report, published 7 July 2026, finds education cuts by Labour ministers directly fuel despair, boredom, and rising drug use and violence. Some jails cut frontline education spending by 50 percent; one reduced teaching staff from 22 to nine. Taylor warns the emerging release wave under the Sentencing Act will compound risks without adequate community support. This contradicts Keir Starmer's 2024 manifesto pledge to improve prison learning.