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Inspector: Brixton jail plagued by drugs, gangs and violence
Martin Bentham, Home Affairs Editor21.10.08
BRIXTON prison is awash with drugs, gang culture and violence, the Chief Inspector of Prisons warned today.
In one of her most critical reports in recent years, Anne Owers also said the jail was infested with vermin and overcrowded. Inmates who shared a cell were forced to eat with an unscreened lavatory only feet away.
Other problems included a lack of vocational training for prisoners to help them get jobs after release and the excessive time they had to spend in cells because of a lack of alternative activities.
The only positive developments were improvements to education, work on race and diversity and the "energetic" attitude of the prison's new management team. Despite these, Ms Owers expressed grave concern about the jail, which houses 800 prisoners, and singled out the failure to curb the flow of drugs.
She blamed the absence of sniffer dogs, a lack of random or voluntary drug testing and "insufficient suspicion" by staff.
The quantity of drugs was "feeding violence and gang cultures", leading to more than half of inmates reporting they have felt unsafe.
Efforts by staff to tackle gangs were "underdeveloped". Ms Owers added: "Brixton prison exemplifies all the problems of our overcrowded prison system. It has cramped and vermin-infested buildings, no workshops to provide skills training, and two prisoners eating and living in a cell."
Phil Wheatley, director general of the National Offender Management Service which oversees the prison system, said improvements were being made. "The last six months have seen efforts to control the level of drug availability rewarded, with improved security and search procedures producing a significant drop in positive drug tests."
Reader views (8)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
to Rachel in Melbourne...maybe that hot aussie sun has got to your head at last? The whole problem with prisons is that they are to soft - that is why the prison population is booming. I should know - havving sampled the delights myself a few years ago for 'lowlevel' offences. Milton Keynes prison is like Butlins - Playstations, pool tables, great food, rules and discipline lax and a politically correct staffing regime that has its hands tied by leftwing dogma about 'human rights'. It was not a problem serving the time, and in fact, on release there was absolutely no disincentive not to come back!! Harder, tougher sentences with retribution being seen to be done, remove the luxuries and bring back punishment - that will be the only way to lower the population in our prisons.
- Gary, wycombe
We should put them to work while in jail and incorporate American style manufacturing plants that make licnese plates or chain gang cleaning crews that clean highways and graffiti etc. How many foriegn born immigrants make up these numbers and are they being deported after serving the time? Probably not..
- Brandon Thomas, London UK
Just give them 2 basic meals a day and lock them in solitary for weeks at a time, after all prison is a punishment not somewhere that is supposed to bow to their every welfare whim, after all they have harassed and hurt people and probably animals on the outside, so stuff them they are only just about getting what they deserve, I'm sure they have heard of the saying 'YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW'
- Sean O'Leary, Walthamstow, London.
"Infested with vermin" and "more than half of inmates reporting they have felt unsafe."
If half of the prisoners feel unsafe and live in squalor conditions in prison when they come out their unlikely to want to go back in (i.e. will not commit more crime), compared to other prison where murders and rapists are rewarded by being sent to a blue coat holiday camp style prison?
I say squash the drug problems in the prison but keep the squalor conditions with no activities, prison isn't supposes to be a reward nor should it be a nice place, its a punishment often for some awful and hideous crimes why should our tax money be spent on sky subscriptions and gym equipment for paedophiles, rapist and murderers? but I'm happy for my tax contributions to pay for guards to keep them in prison!
I'm all for human rights but I really do feel a huge majority of prisons should basically forfeit these rights when they commit crime.
- Dave, Bolton
Some of the comments here are incredible! Prisoners are still human beings. We lose our humanity as a society when we choose not look after people like the imprisoned. It is also worth noting that these prisoners will return to society at some time. Let’s not make it worse for ourselves but releasing people that are even more damaged back onto our streets.
- Rachel, Melbourne, Australia
"Serves them all right"? It is hardly right that some inmates can get away with crimes such as violence towards and intimidation of other prisoners.
- Austen, London
It's a pity they feel unsafe, we feel safer that they are there behind bars having an uncomfortable lifestyle.
Prison is not supposed to be a nice place!
They have the availability to equipment that the common person must pay to use (gym equipment, etc) but they commit crimes and get 3 meals a day, gym SKY, etc shame for having felt a bit unsafe.
- Stu, Fulham
"leading to more than half of inmates reporting they have felt unsafe".
Serves them all right, they made a decision to go there by committing crimes against the public.
- P I Staker, London, UK.
