Prison bosses are set to spend £22 million to fix broken windows at a scandal-hit jail to stop inmates flying in drugs using drones.
An audit of HMP Wandsworth – published last month – exposed shocking levels of decline at the south London prison, including violence among prisoners and towards staff as well as growing numbers of incidents of self-harm and suicide.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said the Labour government had “inherited a justice system in crisis”, and promised to devote £100 million to fixing the category Bmen’s prison.
In the action plan which has now been published, it is revealed that work is underway to fix cells and furniture, £13m has been devoted to improving the dilapidated showers, and £22 million is earmarked for fixing broken windows.
“The benefits of new windows will restrict the current ingress of drone activity, and further reduce the (drug) supply opportunities”, the plan set out.
Drones have been utilised in recent years by prisoners to have drugs and other contraband flown over prison walls, dropped into jail yards, or even delivered directly to cell windows.
The audit revealed that drug use in HMP Wandsworth is “widespread”, with the smell of cannabis commonplace, and it has a destabilising effect on the safety of the prison.
A crackdown involving police and jail security has now been ordered, mandatory drug testing is being introduced, and prisoners themselves are being given the chance to contribute to a new strategy for tackling drug use.
The action plan also covers measures to ensure prisoners spend more time out of their cells, having previous been locked up for 22 hours a day which is believed to have contributed to frustration among inmates and outbreaks of violence and self-harm.
Justice Ministers Lord Timpson and Lord Ponsonby visited the prison earlier this week to see progress on the action plan.
The audit, carried out by HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP), came after the alleged escape by prisoner Daniel Khalife in September last year.
The publication of the report also came shortly after Wandsworth prison guard Linda De Sousa Abreu pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office after she was filmed having sex with an inmate inside his cell.
The report said the Victorian-era jail had come to be “symbolic of the problems that characterise what is worst about the English prison system”.
An Urgent Notification was issued in May after a “catastrophic inspection” found alarmingly high rates of self-harm, dangerous levels of violence and nearly 50 per cent of prisoners taking drugs.
The report concluded that HMP Wandsworth was “not safe” and 10 self-inflicted deaths had occurred since the last inspection, with a “high and rising” rate of self-harm.
Most of the inmates were sharing cells designed for just one person, giving the jail an occupation of 1,521 for a capacity of just 979.
The MoJ said new leadership had been brought in, while staff were undergoing advanced violent reduction training sessions.
“Our staff deserve better and we are taking immediate action at HMP Wandsworth to do what is necessary to protect the public, lock up dangerous offenders and make prisons safe for the brave staff who work there”, said Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood.
