The government has announced an urgent Action Plan for HMP Woodhill after inspectors found the prison ‘not safe’ due to high levels of violence, drug use and self-harm.
The plan was published by the Ministry of Justice following an Urgent Notification issued by HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) in March after an unannounced inspection, the second such warning for the prison in three years.
The prisons inspector, Charlie Taylor, said the prison was ‘fundamentally failing’ in its role. Inspectors found the prison was struggling with widespread drug availability and high levels of violence. It also had some of the highest rates of self-harm in the estate. 61% of prisoners said they had felt unsafe at some point, while 39% said they currently felt unsafe at the time of the inspection.
The notice also pointed to inadequate education provision and prisoners spending long periods locked in their cells due to staff shortages. It also raised concerns about delays in transferring severely mentally unwell prisoners to secure hospitals.
In its Action Plan, the Ministry of Justice says it will introduce additional specialist staff to help deal with addictions, tighten security and expand rehabilitation measures through work and education. New physical barriers, including window grilles and wiring, will be installed to prevent contraband entering the prison by drones.
Lord James Timpson, Minister for prisons, probation and reducing reoffending, said the plan sets out ‘decisive steps’ to improve safety, tackle drug use and expand access to education and training.
In response to the inspector’s urgent notification in March, the Prison Reform Trust said that ‘simply warehousing prisoners in dangerous and inhumane conditions does nothing to keep the public safe’.
The Howard League for Penal Reform raised concerns that special measures were not working given that this was HMP Woodhill’s second Urgent Notification in three years. Its Chief Executive, Andre Coomber KC (Hon), said that ‘the system is now under so much pressure that even placing a jail in special measures and giving it additional resources is not enough to turn it around’ and that ‘the government should be focused on reducing the prison population.’
