Wandsworth to get £100m after damning report on jail

The government has redirected £100m to improve HMP Wandsworth after a damning inspection report found the prison had alarmingly high rates of self-harm, dangerous levels of violence and nearly 50 per cent of prisoners taking drugs.

- MILLIE COOKE

The report also revealed how crumbling infrastructure, inadequate security measures and consistent staffing pressures had contributed to the prison’s unacceptable rating. Justice secretary Shabana Mahmood warned that it shows the “reality of a prison system in crisis”.

It comes just one month after the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) announced that thousands of prisoners on standard determinate sentences would serve 40 per cent of their sentence in jail, instead of 50 per cent, under new measures aimed at tackling overcrowding.

In addition to redirecting £100m towards HMP Wandsworth from across the prison service over the next five years, the MoJ also announced extra measures to bolster the prison’s security and safety.

These include the deployment of specialist security and drug staff who will conduct regular drug searches. Prison staff will be offered advanced violence reduction training sessions, while prisoners will be given improved access to rehabilitative services, such as education and employment workshops.