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The Lord Chancellor has announced an urgent intervention to address severe issues at HMP Wandsworth, one of the UK’s most troubled prisons, following a damning inspection report.
The Ministry of Justice, led by The Rt Hon Shabana Mahmood MP, has redirected £100 million over the next five years to tackle the prison’s alarming conditions. This decision comes in response to an Urgent Notification issued by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) in May, which highlighted significant concerns including high rates of self-harm, violence, and drug use among inmates.
Key Findings of the HMIP Report:
- Violence and Self-Harm: The inspection revealed dangerous levels of violence and a high incidence of self-harm among prisoners.
- Drug Use: Nearly 50 per cent of prisoners were found to be taking drugs.
- Overcrowding: Over 80 per cent of offenders were sharing cells designed for one person, exacerbating the prison’s overcrowding crisis.
- Infrastructure Issues: The prison suffers from crumbling infrastructure, inadequate security measures, and consistent staffing pressures.
Immediate Government Actions:
- Specialist Staff Deployment: Extra specialist staff are being sent to help improve conditions.
- Funding Allocation: £100 million has been redirected from across the Prison Service to be spent over five years on urgent improvements such as repairing cell windows, refurbishing showers, and investing in fire safety measures.
Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, stated: “This is the reality of a prison system in crisis. Cells are overcrowded, infrastructure is crumbling, and our hard-working prison staff are at risk of violence and harm. Our staff deserve better, and we are taking immediate action at HMP Wandsworth to protect the public, lock up dangerous offenders, and make prisons safe for the brave staff who work there.
Additional Measures for HMP Wandsworth:
- Specialist Security and Drug Staff: Deployment of these staff and introduction of new leadership.
- Drug Searches: Regular, intensified drug searches conducted by specialist detection teams.
- Violence Reduction Training: Advanced training sessions for prison staff to manage and reduce violence.
- Rehabilitative Services: Improved access to education and employment workshops for prisoners.
The inspection of HMP Wandsworth is the sixth since May 2022 that resulted in an Urgent Notification, indicating a severe crisis within the prison system. In response, the Lord Chancellor has published an urgent action plan to address these failings.
Context and Broader Measures: The Lord Chancellor has also taken steps to address the overcrowding crisis affecting the entire prison system, including:
- Stopping the End of Custody Supervised Licence Scheme: To manage prisoner numbers more effectively.
- Adjusting Sentence Release Points: Temporarily reducing the release point of some sentences from 50 to 40 per cent, with safeguards and exemptions for public safety.
Sentences for serious violent offences of four years or more, as well as sex offences, will be automatically excluded from this reduction. Additionally, offenders in prison for domestic abuse-related crimes will not be eligible for early release.
The Urgent Notification process, introduced in 2017, ensures that immediate and urgent action is taken to address serious concerns identified by inspectors, demonstrating the government’s commitment to improving prison conditions and maintaining public safety.
