Segregation
3.34 The accommodation in the segregation unit was unfit for purpose. The unit consisted of two underground landings, one of which was flooded with sewage after periods of heavy rain. Sandbags and wellington boots were stored on the unit to help staff stem the tide and prisoners regularly had to be moved temporarily to other cells.
3.35 The condition of all the cells was poor. Most contained stained toilets with no seats and damp was a problem in some. Furniture was sparse and most of it was broken and some cells smelt of human effluent despite being cleaned. The communal areas on the unit were austere and cramped, although cleaner than most of the main wings.
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Living conditions
4.5 There was considerable overcrowding, with almost three-quarters of the population living in cells that accommodated more prisoners than they were designed for. Several cells held groups of three prisoners, and, while these cells were slightly bigger, they were still too cramped for this number of prisoners.
4.6 The condition of cells varied, but too many were in poor condition and some were not fit for purpose with mould and broken windows. At the time of the inspection, more than 100 repair jobs were outstanding and not all work that was needed had been reported. Extensive graffiti in cells across the prison went unchallenged by staff and leaders. A programme to paint and decorate cells was often not operating because of staff shortages. There had been poor oversight of living conditions which leaders had tried during November 2023 to remedy with a tracking document.
4.7 Leaders and staff had not set and maintained sufficiently high standards of cleanliness. The wings were dirty and, in our survey, only 42% of prisoners said the communal areas were normally clean, compared with 70% at our last inspection and 66% at similar prisons. Our observations corroborated this. The frequent curtailments to the regime (see paragraph 5.3) and ineffective use of available staff resulted in too few cleaners being unlocked to clean.
4.8 There was a widespread infestation of rats, cockroaches and pigeons. Professional pest control services had been engaged and outside areas were reasonably clean. However, the unhygienic conditions on the residential wings and the difficulty of treating the residential areas meant that prisoners regularly saw vermin and had resorted to creating their own barriers to prevent vermin from coming into their cells.
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5.1 Time out of cell was very poor and many prisoners received as little as an hour a day unlocked. The system for allocating prisoners to activities was inadequate, there was low attendance and frequent cancellations. About half the population was allocated to an activity but only about half of those attended.
5.2 In our roll checks, only 25% of prisoners were engaged in purposeful activity during the core working day and 45% were locked up.
5.3 There were frequent curtailments to the regime. During the last month, wings had been placed on restricted regime almost every day and units were not unlocked at all for part of the day. Leaders also frequently shut down activity areas such as the gym, education and library. On rare occasions, visits and health clinics were also cancelled. In our survey, only 21% of prisoners said that unlock times were usually adhered to compared with 50% in similar prisons.
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