A prison is so “dilapidated” an inmate was able to remove his own cell door, an inspection has found.
A watchdog has called for Winchester prison, a category B jail in Hampshire, to be put into emergency measures over concerns of “very high levels of violence” and drug problems.
Inspectors wrote to Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood to issue an urgent notification for improvement.
An inspection carried out earlier this month found examples of “weaknesses in physical and procedural security”, with one wing so “dilapidated” an inmate had “been able to remove his own cell door”.
A separate report by the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) earlier this year found Winchester prisoners were able to dig through walls using plastic cutlery.
Martin Lomas, deputy chief inspector of prisons, said: “Winchester was in a very poor state and had been for many years.
“At this most recent inspection we found that standards had deteriorated to the point that we had no choice but to issue an urgent notification for improvement.
“These very poor outcomes represent systemic failings under the oversight of HMPPS (HM Prison and Probation Service) and the Ministry of Justice, and will require sustained support and investment if the jail is to provide decent living conditions, keep prisoners safe and provide them with the skills they need to succeed in life outside prison.”
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Inspectors highlighted how prisoners were being held in “dreadful conditions” with some cells “so damp and mouldy that inspectors questioned whether they were fit for habitation”.
The report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons said drugs, debt and “prisoner frustration” led to the “highest level of serious assaults” against staff in all England and Wales reception jails. These process new inmates into the prison system and hold people on remand or who have been convicted but are yet to be sentenced while they are taken to court.
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The prison, which also has a lower security category C resettlement unit, also had the second highest rate for serious assaults against other inmates, while self-harm was at the third highest level of all prisons of this kind, according to the watchdog.
Winchester is the ninth prison to be issued with an urgent notification since November 2022 and the second this month, joining Manchester.
The notice effectively places the jail in special measures and means the justice secretary has to urgently produce an action plan for improvement before the watchdog carries out another inspection.
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Prisons and probation minister Lord Timpson said: “This report illustrates the scale of the crisis this government inherited in our prisons.
“We took immediate action to grip the overcrowding chaos inflicting our jails. We have since committed to building 14,000 more prison places, and this week launched a landmark review of sentencing to ensure the prison system is never placed in such a position again.
“Prisons like HMP Winchester must not be allowed to become breeding grounds for further crime. Staff are already working hard to drive the improvements needed and we will publish an action plan in the coming weeks to support them in their efforts.”
Earlier this week the Labour government released prisoners early for a second time in a bid to ease pressure on the justice system.
