Bedford prison continues to record the highest rate of violence of all adult male prisons in England and Wales and the highest rate of staff assaults according to the prisons watchdog.

A report by the Prisons Inspectorate found 938 violent incidents per 1,000 prisoners in the previous 12 months, a rate higher than its previous 2023 inspection, which outlined violence, especially against prison staff, as ‘very high’.

It found there were 151 assaults on staff and 205 assaults on prisoners in the last 12 months. The report attributes the violent behaviour to prisoner frustration with the operation of the jail

Whilst the report claims the prison is ‘performing much better than in recent years’, it still faces challenges such as poor prisoner support, widespread violence and substandard living conditions.

Charlie Taylor, the Chief Inspector of Prisons, highlighted that there is ‘still a long way to go before Bedford can be described as a safe and decent prison’.

Over a quarter of all releases in the past 12 months involved prisoners leaving homeless and only 25 men left with a job to go to.

This report comes nearly three years after an urgent notice was issued regarding the prison in November 2023, with conditions being described by the chief inspector as ‘the worst I have seen.’. Critical issues remain, such as overcrowding, and infestations of rats and cockroaches. The Prisons Reform Trust have previously questioned ‘why Bedford has not learnt the lessons of the past’.

The report found that the prison has since addressed key issues such as racism, excessive use of force, and poor access to mental health services. The old segregation unit which was described as ‘squalid’ had closed and a replacement opened in another wing. The Report also highlighted positive practice in the outreach services delivering individualised support for vulnerable prisoners and a dedicate unit for young adult prisoners.

The report commended the governor, Sarah Bott, who arrived in February 2024, but were concern that her imminent departure, along with other key leadership staff, ‘could lead to a further period of instability at the jail’. inspectors said it ‘is essential that hard-won ground is not lost’.