Police custody facilities – joint inspections

This page sets out information about HMICFRS’s joint inspections of police custody, including:

why we inspect police custody facilities;
our rolling programme;
who we work with;
published reports; and
related documents.

Why we inspect police custody facilities

These inspections contribute to the UK’s response to the UN Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, or the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT).

To comply with obligations under OPCAT, all places of detention must be inspected regularly to monitor treatment of, and conditions for, detainees. This approach is known as the National Preventative Mechanism (NPM).

Who we work with

HMICFRS leads the programme of police custody inspections, as part of the NPM, to assess outcomes for detainees. We work with the Care Quality Commission, which inspects health outcomes for detainees.

The programme started in 2008 and, until July 2022, police custody inspections were carried out by HMICFRS and HM Inspectorate of Prisons.

Rolling programme of custody inspections

Police custody inspections are carried out on a rolling programme across all 43 Home Office-funded police forces in England and Wales. The programme ensures that each force is inspected regularly inspected.

We also inspect Border Force and British Transport Police custody facilities, and in 2019 our first inspection of Terrorism Act (TACT) facilities took place. For further information, see the TACT custody facilities page.

Police custody inspections assess how well each police force is fulfilling its responsibilities for the safe detention and respectful treatment of those detained in police custody. They focus on outcomes for detainees.

Assessment criteria

Custody suites are assessed against criteria set out in our Expectations for Police Custody. These criteria have been developed through consultation with the police service and other relevant stakeholders. They are frequently reviewed to achieve best custodial practice and drive improvement.

The expectations set out five principal inspection areas:

leadership, accountability and partnerships;
pre-custody: first point of contact;
in the custody suite: booking in, individual needs and legal rights;
in the custody cell: safeguarding and health care; and
release and transfer from custody.

The inspections also assess compliance with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 Codes of Practice and the College of Policing’s ‘Authorised Professional Practice – Detention and Custody’.

Inspections of specialist custody suites assessed against criteria set out in the Expectations for Border Force Custody Suites and Expectations for TACT Custody Suites.

The welfare of vulnerable people in police custody

In 2015, HMICFRS published its thematic report on the welfare of vulnerable people in police custody. This inspection was commissioned by the Home Secretary.

The inspection focused on three groups where there was “a pronounced concern” about their treatment in police custody:

those with mental health conditions;
those from ethnic minority backgrounds; and
children.

The findings from this inspection continue to inform our approach to police custody inspections, reflecting our focus on vulnerable and child detainees.