Too many prisoners were spending 22 hours a day locked up in ‘squalid conditions’ and often in ‘outdated 19th century prisons’ with two men ‘crammed into tiny cells originally designed for one’, according to a new report from HM Inspectorate of Prisons into prison conditions. Communal areas were ‘unacceptable, with ingrained dirt, mouldy showers and endemic vermin problems’, according to the report which is titled  Fit for purpose or falling apart? A review of living conditions in prison.

The new study draws on inspections of 40 prisons and more than 6,400 prisoner surveys. Around half of the prisoners surveyed lived in accommodation built before the 1980s that had not been significantly refurbished since being built. A small number of prisons still relied on ‘night sanitation systems’ (i.e., cells without toilets or running water) requiring prisoners to be unlocked one at a time to use toilets during the night and ‘often resorting to using buckets or bags in their cells instead’. ‘In many jails, in-cell toilets were next to prisoners’ beds and were broken, lacked lids and offered little privacy,’ it continued.

Over half of prisoners in reception and high secure prisons were located in legacy/historic (Historic Victorian, Edwardian and pre-1930s) buildings

‘The provision of decent, clean, well-maintained accommodation is a fundamental test of a prison system, but this report shows that standards fall short of acceptable in many jails,’ commented HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, Charlie Taylor. ‘Improving procurement and maintenance systems, reducing overcrowding and upholding basic standards of decency must be priorities if prisons are to be places that rehabilitate rather than simply warehouse prisoners.’

‘The provision of decent, clean, well-maintained accommodation is a fundamental test of a prison system, but this report shows that standards fall short of acceptable in many jails in England and Wales. The prison service continues to rely on solidly built, yet outdated 19th century prisons to house men on remand or those who have been recalled to custody, mainly because their inner-city locations means they are near to the courts. Conditions in these jails are some of the worst, with two men often crammed into tiny cells originally designed for one due to population pressures. In many cases prisoners spend up to 22 hours a day locked up in squalid conditions. Many of the communal areas in these prisons are unacceptable, with ingrained dirt, mouldy showers and endemic vermin problems.’
Charlie Taylor

Last year close to one in four prisoners (24%) was being held in overcrowded conditions rising to more than half of prisoners in reception jails. According to the  inspectorate, this had ‘implications for the safety of prisoners and staff’. According to the Ministry of Justice analysis, in the 12 months from January to December 2022, prisoners in overcrowded cells were 19% more likely than those in non-overcrowded cells to be involved in assaults.