HMP Woodhill: Call for emergency measures at 'unsafe' prison

Inspectors person called for the high-security jailhouse HMP Woodhill to beryllium enactment into exigency measures amid attacks connected officers and "chronic" unit shortages.

The prison, successful Milton Keynes, was deemed to beryllium "fundamentally unsafe" pursuing an inspection successful August.

Charlie Taylor, the main inspector of prisons, has contacted Justice Secretary Alex Chalk to contented an urgent notification for improvement.

The Ministry of Justice has been contacted for comment.

The situation holds astir 500 antheral Category A offenders, including Charles Bronson, and was said to person the "highest complaint of superior assaults successful England and Wales" connected staff, with "bullying and intimidation by prisoners to beryllium commonplace".

Low morale meant galore unit had "voted with their feet", with much officers leaving than joining, and with "no denotation that the concern would improve", the watchdog said.

In August, the BBC reported the jailhouse was connected a recruitment thrust for caller officers, with erstwhile inspections besides highlighting a deficiency of unit astatine the site.

Chelsea Lee, lawman caput of residence, said it took "a definite benignant of person" to beryllium a situation officer.

"Sometimes we person atrocious days. There tin beryllium precocious frustrations moving successful this benignant of custodial environment," she said.

"There could beryllium aggregate incidents passim the time and it's rather precocious accent levels for the officers."

Mr Taylor expressed interest that a "complex, high-risk" situation similar Woodhill could not "operate efficaciously with specified chronic unit shortages".

"Urgent enactment is needed from HMPPS (His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service) to assistance Woodhill and different establishments to make credible, semipermanent plans that amended unit recruitment, and, crucially, unit retention," helium said.

The inspectors' study besides recovered precocious levels of unit and cause usage astatine the jail, with the complaint of self-harm among inmates the highest successful the state for men's prisons.

Twenty-six offenders were recovered to beryllium "self isolating" successful cells successful fearfulness of their ain safety, portion unit shortages meant acquisition classes and enactment had been cancelled for inmates, leaving them "frustrated".

The watchdog said without importantly improving staffing levels, "it was not wide however the jailhouse volition improve".

Pia Sinha, main enforcement of the Prison Reform Trust, branded the study "shocking", adding: "After repeated warnings, it is highly disappointing that the situation present finds itself successful this position.

"Ministers urgently request to get a grip connected what has gone wrong."