Safety has collapsed at a Lancashire prison where prisoners are able to bring in drugs via drones through smashed windows. The latest inspection of HMP Garth said the high security category B prison has ‘become noticeably less safe’ than their last visit in 2022.
Only three concerns had been addressed since then leaving twelve problems ignored, including the easy availability of drugs.
Inspectors noted an ever-present smell of cannabis, and 63% percent of prisoners surveyed said it was easy to get hold of drugs, with men using their kettles to burn holes in their windows to allow the drones access to their cells.
The drug crisis spawned a 45% increase in violence, which has been directly linked to drugs and drug-related debt. The report identifies little support available for vulnerable prisoners, despite a self-harm rate of 790 incidents per 1,000 prisoners. Garth’s response to the violence was a restricted basic routine, resulting in prisoners being locked up in their cells and not being allowed to engage in purposeful activity.
Garth’s 2024 rating for prison safety decreased to ‘not reasonably good’, with ‘not sufficiently good’ respect and ‘poor’ purposeful activity. The Inspectorate flagged a number of issues, including high numbers of staff non-attendance and poor visibility of staff in wings, inexperienced staff, ineffective behaviour management systems, poor standards of cleanliness and hygiene, and an ‘increased…risk of bullying and diversion among prisoners’ due to staff inattention.
The report recommended the replacement of the inadequate windows with those preventing easy access to drones, improved staff attendance and capability, and ‘substantial investment from the prison service’ as necessary or else ‘drugs will continue to flow into this troubled jail.’
Pia Sinha, C.E.O. of the Prison Reform Trust, commented on the report: ‘When prisons holding some of the most serious offenders in the country cannot control drugs, violence or maintain order, it undermines our confidence in the entire system. The government needs to urgently get a grip of this crisis.’
The Chief Inspector of Prisons, Charlie Taylor, saaid: ‘Garth holds some very serious offenders. Although the governor had a good understanding of the many challenges the prison faced, without better support from the regional team and the prison service it will continue to be a jail of real concern.
‘It is imperative that the prison service finds a way to stem the ingress of drones to reduce the supply of drugs into prisons like Garth, so they can begin to reduce violence and get men out of their cells and into a full day’s work and training. Staff attendance and capability will need to improve significantly and without substantial investment from the prison service, drugs will continue to flow into this troubled jail.
