HMP Liverpool 'continuously targeted' by serious gangs as new report reveals major concerns
HMP Liverpool has the highest drug rate of positive drug tests of any prison of its in England and Wales, according to a new report published by HM Inspectorate of Prisons.
HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) inspect all prisons at least once every five years, although most are inspected every two to three years, and some high-risk establishments may be inspected more frequently.
Men’s prisons are organised into four categories - A, B, C and D - with HMP Liverpool being category B, a ‘reception’ prison.
HMIP performed an unannounced inspection of HMP Liverpool in Walton between August 11 and 21, 2025, with an officially inspection reported published today (November 10).
The report noted that the prison was being “continuously targeted by serious organised crime gangs who were frequently using drones to deliver drugs and other contraband to the jail”.
The inspector said leaders at the prison were liaising closely with the police and other agencies to try to stem the flow however, 46% of mandatory drug tests completed in the last year were positive - the highest of all reception prisons nationally.
They warned that without “significant” improvements to security, Liverpool would “continue to be disrupted by unacceptable levels of criminality”.
It was also noted that prison leaders “had not done enough to oversee the provision of activities”, with the inspector writing: “There are too many men at Liverpool lying on their beds watching daytime television and taking drugs to pass the time.”
Other key concerns included high staff sickness rates and the possibility of staff from overseas having their visas withdrawn, as well as high self-harm rates.
The report praised good relationships between officers and prisoners as a “real strength” of the prison.
However, it said that the fact there had been seven suicides since the last inspection in 2022 and high levels of self-harm showed “there had not been enough focus on supporting the most vulnerable men, many of whom were addicted to drugs or alcohol, or suffering from very poor mental health”.
Liverpool World has approached the Ministry of Justice for comment.