The chief inspector of prisons has produced a scathing review of Wandsworth Prison in which he blames “poor leadership at every level of the prison” for a “shocking decline” at the facility.
Charlie Taylor has written [pdf] to Alex Chalk MP as Lord Chancellor and justice minister following his unscheduled inspection last week, and issued an “urgent notification” that gives the government one month to respond publicly to observations in his report and issue a plan of action.
The warning was expected after it was announced last week that Wandsworth Prison governor Katie Price had resigned. That resignation comes after a local campaign by Putney and Wandsworth residents to put a spotlight on just how bad things had got at the prison.
Despite that, the contents of the report are no less shocking. Taylor noted, among many other deficiencies:
- Systemic and cultural failures not only at the prison but also at the Prison Service and the Ministry of Justice
- A degree of despondency amongst prisoners that he had never come across before.
- Significant security weaknesses, despite a high-profile escape last year. The prison is “chaotic and staff across most units were unable to confirm where all prisoners were.”
- No less than ten self-inflicted deaths since his last inspection, seven in the last year, with 40 per cent of emergency cell bells not answered within five minutes.
- An increase in violence and serious assaults with 69 per cent of prisoners saying they felt unsafe
- Over half (51 per cent) of prisoners saying it was “easy” to get illicit drugs, and a “ubiquitous” smell of cannabis in the prison. In a random drug test in February, 44 per cent of prisoners tested positive.
- The prison is badly overcrowded – with over 1,500 prisoners in a prison designed for a maximum of 1,000. Living conditions are “very poor” and the prison itself is dirty.
- Most prisoners spent over 22 hours a day locked up and had no idea when or even if they would get fresh air that day.
- A new health centre that was supposed to open in the summer of 2022 was still unused.
- Over a third of staff employed by the prison did not actually carry out any prison work due to sickness, restricted duties, and training.
- “Inexperience across every grade of operational staff” prevented things from being improved.
Although the chief inspector noted that there were many “well-meaning” and “hard-working” leaders and staff at the prison, he also noted that they were “fighting against a tide of cross-cutting, intractable problems” that needed long-term solutions.
In summary, he noted: “For this troubled prison to begin to recover, Wandsworth needs permanent experienced leaders at all levels who are invested in its long-term future to improve security and safety, and to guide their less experienced colleagues.
“Until this happens, the risk of a further catastrophe, a self-inflicted death or escape from lawful custody, is ever present.”
You can read his full 22-page report here [pdf].
It is not just Wandsworth Prison that is in dire straits, however: this was the sixth “urgent notification” that has been issued in the past two years. The prison service is under significant strain, and the chief inspector clearly feels that the problems start at the top.
In response to the report, Prisons Minister Edward Argar said: “This is a deeply concerning report which shows HMP Wandsworth continues to face significant challenges and it is clear that on top of the additional support we’ve already provided since September to improve safety and security, including nearly £1million of upgrades, we need to go further still.
“In the coming weeks, we will be strengthening the management team with extra experienced staff to provide the leadership, culture change and training needed to turn Wandsworth around. In the interim we are deploying more staff, including prison officers, to the prison and will set out further action shortly.”
