Drug-fuelled violence, inadequate access to treatment for substance misusers and understaffed rehabilitation programmes make prisons like HMP High Down “unacceptably violent and dangerous places”, according to the government’s chief prison inspector.
Chief Inspector of Prisons Peter Clarke’s report, published today, July 19, corroborated a previous report by High Down’s independent monitoring board (IMB) and vindicated the father of a former inmate who spoke exclusively to the Epsom Guardian earlier this year.
In a report published in April, the prison’s IMB concluded that the atmosphere in High Down had become “more volatile” since its 2015 report.
The father, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told this newspaper he feared overcrowding, poor hygiene and a lack of exercise and rehabilitation were turning his son into a “nutcase”.
In his report Mr Clarke found that High Down prisoners’ daily regimes were “impoverished” with daily exercise periods lastingly only 30 minutes – half of the hour-long recreational break expected by the inspectorate.
He also found that prisoners were only able to access showers and telephones two or three times a week, and that many prisoners did not have access to a radio.
Despite rehabilitation and activities programmes being available, recruitment delays, staff sickness and lack of staff meant that “the advertised programme was unworkable, and sessions were cancelled every day”.
From March 2014: Government denies 'crisis' at High Down Prison
From March 2014: Worried relatives slam Government's denial of High Down prison 'crisis'
From April 2014: 'No crisis - prison safe', says High Down's Governor
Drugs, specifically synthetic cannabis strains such as ‘Spice’ and ‘Black Mamba’, were of particular cause for concern in the report, with officers struggling to stem their flow into prisons.
Mr Clarke wrote: “Their use can be linked to attacks on other prisoners and staff, self-inflicted deaths, serious illness and life-changing self-harm.”
He added that in contrast to “most prisons” which offered “effective and appropriate psychosocial drug services to substance misusers”, High Down provided “poor services and inadequate access to group support for some prisoners.”
Mr Clarke did however note that staff at High Down had acted on advice from the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, a watchdog that investigates all deaths in custody, and commented that “staff dealt with prisoners in crisis compassionately and patiently”.
From February: Four prisoners died inside High Down prison in 2015, Ministry of Justice figures show
Ministry of Justice figures released in February showed four prisoners died in High Down in 2015, including one by suicide.
In the introduction to his first report since taking over as chief prisons inspector in February, Mr Clarke wrote: “I have found that the grim situation referred to by Nick Hardwick in his report last year has not improved, and in some key areas it has, if anything, become even worse.
“What I have seen is that despite the sterling efforts of many who work in the Prison Service at all levels, there is a simple and unpalatable truth about far too many of our prisons.
“They have become unacceptably violent and dangerous places.
“A large part of this violence is linked to the harm caused by new psychoactive substances.”
From November 2014: Government "got it wrong" over cuts which led to "mackerel and dumplings" prison rebellion
Andrew Neilson, Director of Campaigns at the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “This report is clear evidence of why prisons need reform and why the agenda that was led by Michael Gove should be re-doubled under the new Secretary of State, Elizabeth Truss.”
From March 2015: Savage staffing cuts have made "genuinely fair and decent" regime at High Down prison difficult to deliver, report finds
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "We take a zero tolerance approach to drugs in our prisons and use sniffer dogs, cell searches and mandatory drugs tests to find them.
"We have already legislated to make smuggling New Psychoactive Substances into prison illegal and those caught trying to throw packages over prison walls can now face up to two years in jail.
"However we must do more, which is why we are investing £1.3 billion to transform the prison estate, to better support rehabilitation and tackle bullying, violence and drugs."
To view Peter Clarke's report, visit HM Inspectorate of Prisons' website.
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