A newly opened prison has such high levels of drugs and violence that prisoners feel unsafe according to its first ever inspection.

HMP Fosse Way was opened in 2023 as a resettlement prison for 1,700 men. The prisons inspectorate found that violence was ‘too high and rising’ and a prisoner had recently died in a serious accident. A significant proportion of prisoners reported feeling unsafe to inspectors. The report showed evidence of significant illicit drug use, with an ‘ineffective response’ by prison leaders and staff.

ITV News recently highlighted two known incidents in the prison, revealing how two inmates have been given increased jail sentences after they ‘kicked and stamped another inmate to death.’ A third defendant in the case was found not guilty.

To combat this, prison leaders have launched initiatives to curb violence and drug use, most notably providing training to inexperienced junior staff, but these have not shown a meaningful impact as of yet. Junior staff were reported as using force frequently, including batons and PAVA spray.

The Justice Secretary said that several of the prison’s operational measures are meant to ‘cut crime at its core,’ in a statement on the announcement of the opening of the prison in 2023.

Even with reports of shortcomings in prison safety, inspectors commended the prison’s leadership for remaining steadfast about the positive direction of the prison. The Director was directly mentioned as being strong and displaying front-line leadership, building a more positive culture throughout the prison.