Is Wandsworth prison fit for purpose?
The South West London prison has been ruled 'unsafe and inhumane', but what is being done about it?
A former inmate and prison chaplin have spoken out about the shocking conditions inside Wandsworth Prison, revealing many systemic problems rooted overcrowding, underfunding and a lack of staff.
The latest revelations follow a watchdog's ruling that Wandsworth prison should be put into emergency measures after an inspection into the conditions and security deemed it ‘unsafe and inhumane’. The inspection by HM Inspectorate of prisons took place between 22nd April to 2nd May 2024, eight months after the alleged escape of 22 year-old alleged terror suspect, Daniel Khalife.
Charlie Taylor, the HM chief inspector of prisons, said: ‘living conditions were poor’ largely due to the ‘inexperience and inconsistency [that] characterised much of the culture at Wandsworth.’
He issued an urgent notification that alerted the Lord Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Justice, Alex Chalk, that there is significant concern for about the performance of the prison.
Former inmate describes scandalous conditions inside and why people outside should care
David Shipley was an inmate in HMP Wandsworth for most of 2020, in prison for a fraud he committed in 2014. His time inside opened his eyes to the horrors of the justice system. Shipley witnessed everything laid out in the report and more. Since leaving prison he has written and spoken about life inside extensively.
‘I was astonished to just see how awful the conditions were and how destructive it is of human lives and potential. Also just how poorly run it is. It does terrible things to people’, he said.
‘The level of filth in the cells, many of which are covered in sort of dark brown stains, you don't know its faeces or blood.’
Inside HMP Wandsworth, Mr Shipman said: ‘walking around you all you can smell is the stench of cannabis and spice, and officers just turn a blind eye.
'If people are catatonic from smoking spice or cannabis, they are they're not causing any trouble.’
It costs on average £50,000 a year to keep a prisoner inside. This is one of the most important reasons, Shipley said people that have never had any connection to the justice system should care about prisons.
‘Prisons aren’t something which exist separate to society, the people in there will be out here again soon.
‘We should all want a prison system which makes people less likely to reoffend, more likely to when they leave prison, be pro social, productive members of society, who hopefully get a job, pay taxes, and contribute’, he said.
Picture credit: David Shipley
Picture credit: David Shipley
Former Wandsworth Chaplin Liz Bridges highlighted 'shocking' conditions
Picture credit: Diane Hay
Picture credit: Diane Hay
Liz Bridges was the Quaker Chaplin at HMP Wandsworth for eight years until her recent exclusion. She has been banned from volunteering in prions for five years because she sent small amounts of money (£15-£30) to prisoners about to be released, finding themselves homeless.
She would like Wandsworth to become a ‘flagship’ in which ‘when you arrived you had enough kit given to you to last, easy access to showers with reliable hot water, a pin number that works so you could phone your family to tell them you are safe, medication to be ready and available and a library that you are able to go to.'
These are the 'Things that keep people alive and well.’
Wandsworth Prison Improvement Campaign, is a charity run by Liz and her colleague Diane Hay. It provided wind-up radios, books, games and puzzles, pens, art materials and paper to prisoners to help them cope with the boredom of prison and to give them the best chance of rehabilitation and successful reintegration into the community. The charity also supplied essential clothing and suits for court appearances. Since Liz was suspended from volunteering in prisons the charity were told by the now former governor that nothing could be taken into the prison for security reasons. This has since been relaxed somewhat.
The Chief Inspector's report says 80% of prisoners shared cells designed for one person and spent around 22 hours a day locked in them. Prisoners on the site's G Wing were unable to shower for five days and only had one set of kit, which often did not fit them.
The inspection found ongoing failings in security, severe overcrowding, vermin, drugs, violence and rising self-harm at the category B jail in South West London 'deeply concerning'. Seven men have died from self-inflicted deaths in the last year, a tragic number, largely linked to a lack of mental health support and drug use.
HMP Wandsworth is a Victorian prison opened in 1851 built with an intended capacity of 950 men but now houses around 1,600. It is one of four Victorian prisons in London that are still used today. Most have historic plumbing systems, poor insulation and cells smaller than required, making them unfit for use in the 21st century.
The category B prison, for convicted prisoners who are yet to be categorised but not deemed the highest security threat, has major problems stemming from serious overcrowding. There have been reports of rat and cockroach infestations, mouldy cells, broken toilets, no hot water and consequently high levels of violence and self-harm.
"The risk of a further catastrophe, a self-inflicted death or escape from lawful custody, is ever present."
Charlie Taylor - HM Chief Inspector of Prisons
Former prison governor blames a lack of experienced staff for problems
The author of recently released ‘Screwed: Britain’s Prison Crisis and How to Escape it’, Ian Acheson, worked his way up to prison governor after just a decade in the industry. He served as head of security at Wandsworth in the early nineties, and has witnessed the rapid deterioration of prison conditions, which he largely puts down to staffing issues.
Acheson has seen first-hand the decline in numbers of experienced staff. He said ‘the most disastrous policy for the criminal justice system was austerity, which from 2010 to 2016 basically eviscerated frontline staff in prisons, really quickly, while at the same time the number of prison officers reduced from something like 22,000 to 16,000.’
‘They're very inexperienced, they're open to manipulation by sophisticated prisoners, they don't really know what the you know, they haven't frankly, got the maturity and emotional intelligence to deal with people who are very badly damaged.’
Acheson’s views on current prison staffing are supported by HM Chief Inspector of prisons, Charlie Taylor, who said: ‘For this troubled prison to begin to recover, Wandsworth needs permanent experienced leaders at all levels who are invested in its long-term future to improve security, safety and guide their less experienced colleagues.’
To find out more about the Wandsworth Prison Improvement Campaign and what you can do to help follow the link.
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