“INTENSE” population pressures, funding challenges, the designation of a young offenders area and a transition to a new governor contributed to a busy year for those working at HMP La Moye in 2025.
Those are just some of the themes documented within the States of Jersey Prison Service’s latest annual report, presented by Home Affairs Minister Mary Le Hegarat and released earlier this week.
Writing in the document’s foreword, prison governor Paul Yates OBE – who took on the role in September having moved from HMP Nottingham – acknowledged that the service had faced “a period of significant pressure”, but stated that it had “continued to operate securely, safely, and consistently”.
He said: “The year was marked by sustained population pressures, increasing complexity of prisoner need, and continued demand on infrastructure.
“Nevertheless, the service remained focused on fulfilling its core responsibility to serve the order of the courts and hold prisoners in secure, safe and decent conditions in accordance with statutory obligations and inspection expectations.”
“Intense” population pressures
La Moye, which is the Island’s only prison, is equipped to accommodate up to 200 prisoners.
The report outlines the “intense” population pressures dealt with in 2025, with a peak occupancy rate of 92% recorded in September.
It noted that this reflected an “ongoing trend” in population growth, with the average number of prisoners housed daily standing at 138 in 2023, 155 in 2024 and 175 last year.
Such pressures were especially apparent within the vulnerable prisoner unit on Journeaux Wing, which underwent a temporary expansion in 2024 to increase its standard capacity from 59 to 63.
“Despite this increased capacity, the 2025 average daily occupancy rate in the VPU was 95% or 60 prisoners per day, up from 53 prisoners per day in 2024, and 49 in 2023,” the report added.
“Maximum capacity was exceeded for a full week in September with a daily population
of 64, with one of two emergency safer cells in use to accommodate the additional prisoner.”
The population pressures also meant prison jobs were limited. The report stated that while the number of work roles – in areas such as the kitchen, bike workshop, carpentry, education, horticulture and wing-based activities – had remained largely the same, the “increase in resident outpaced the increase in available workspaces”.
“This means that, despite staff maintaining high levels of engagement and although workshops are operating at or near capacity, the ratio of jobs to prisoners naturally fell,” the report stated. “In effect, the States of Jersey Prison Service was employing the same number of individuals in absolute terms, but a larger prisoner population resulted in a lower percentage being recorded as employed.”
Young offenders in an adult prison
It also acknowledges that it was not just adults held at La Moye last year.
In May, the JEP revealed that part of the prison had been designated as a young offenders’ institution by Deputy Le Hegarat “in order to meet young people’s needs at this time”.
Deputy Catherine Curtis, who chairs the Children, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel, later told the paper she understood that there had been “so much damage done by some young people” in an incident at the Greenfields secure children’s unit “that there was no way to keep them there for a while”.
Four children between the ages of 15 and 17 were held in custody at La Moye in 2025.
“To accommodate offenders under the age of 18, a segregated section of the prison was
officially designated as a Young Offenders Institution,” the report states.
“Young people are held in La Moye prison only as a last resort.
“Whilst here, a bespoke, child‑centred regime for young people in custody was delivered in close partnership with education providers, health professionals, social care teams, and external specialist agencies.
“This approach ensured that every young person received tailored support aligned with their individual needs, safeguarding requirements, and developmental stage.”
In January this year, Children’s Minister Richard Vibert confirmed that there were no longer any children in custody at La Moye at the time.
Funding challenges
The service also laid bare concerns around “considerable” cost pressures.
It warns that population growth and inflation have outpaced funding in recent years.
“When adjusting for inflation and increased prisoner numbers, real-term funding per prisoner has fallen by over a third since 2018,” it explains.
“Targeted reinvestment would assist in sustaining establishment stability, core operations, staff wellbeing, and rehabilitation efforts.”
It contends that, as a “minimum”, investment will be necessary to expand the prison’s current accommodation capacity “in the coming years”.
A year of “significant” progress
Despite the challenges faced by the service, the report describes 2025 as a year of “significant progress”.
It cites Mr Yates’s commencement of his tenure as prison governor for a three-year term, following 30 years’ service in His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service in England.
“Acting governor Artur Soliwoda thus reprised his role as deputy governor following a successful period of governing,” the service noted.
It also pointed to progress in “several core areas” throughout the year, including the implementation of recommendations made by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons.
Out of the 36 accepted and 3 partially accepted recommendations made following a HMIP inspection in 2024, 15 have been completed and implemented and 20 have been partially completed.
The report states that four recommendations which have been not achieved are “waiting for legislative change and additional funding”.
Some of the positive figures outlined in the report related to recruitment, including the graduation of five new prison officers in November.
The service also pointed to “successful efforts to promote positive behaviour”, which it states resulted in a 40% drop in breaches of prison rules.
Additionally, it observed a decline in the number of prisoners who are recommitted within 12 months of their previous release, down from 28% in 2023 to 21% in 2025.
A neuro‑inclusive environment
Progress was also made on work to align the prison with the Island‑wide neurodiversity
strategy, though the report notes that this “has naturally been paced by the limited data availability, resources, specialist capacity, and health assessment information needed to support evidence‑based service delivery”.
“Despite these constraints, meaningful foundational work has taken place, and opportunities for further development will continue to be explored throughout 2026 and 2027,” it added.
“The target date for completing all HMIP recommendations relating to neurodiversity remains the end of 2026.”
Community engagement “a major strength”
Improvements were also marked in relation to those leaving the prison, with 100% of convicted prisoners serving a sentence of six months or more documented as having a discharge plan in place on release.
And 80% of prison leavers had access to settled accommodation on release – up from 54% in 2024 – while 86% of those eligible and fit to work had employment secured, up from 71% in 2024.
“Community engagement continued to be a major strength, with active participation in education days, charity events, environmental projects, creative initiatives, and partnerships with organisations including Age Concern, Brighter Futures and local schools,” the service added.
“These activities supported rehabilitation, strengthened community links, and contributed positively to the Island.”
