Too many prisoners released homeless, report finds

Each prison wing is four storeys high and radiates outwards from a central tower

Too many men are being released from a prison "homeless" and without enough help, according to volunteer monitors.

The latest Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) report into HMP Winchester in Hampshire said additional support is "urgently needed", in part because of a government early release scheme

The IMB is also worried about rising levels of violence in what are "cramped" and "dilapidated" buildings.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said it is replacing the previous scheme with "a system which gives probation staff more time to prepare for a prisoner’s release".

The IMB report states between January and May 2024, 124 men were released from HMP Winchester under licence.

Of those, 47 left "homeless" and 26 were soon recalled back to the prison for breaching rules - evidencing a lack of "rehabilitation and resettlement" services.

The number of staff attacked by prisoners is up by 85% over the last year and violent incidents between prisoners has risen by 35%.

As assaults have increased, staff have had to use force more often to restrain prisoners.

The number of self-harm incidents among the men has also nearly doubled and those reported are increasingly severe.

HMP Winchester IMB Chair, Sherrin Moss, said while violence is of "real concern", prison managers deserve praise for driving improvements in "increasingly challenging" circumstances.

Volunteer monitors believe men are being released "without adequate preparation"

A recurring theme of complaint in recent annual IMB reports is the continuing deterioration of the Victorian-era jail, with leaking roofs, damaged brick work and rat infestations.

There have been at least 10 incidents of prisoners removing bricks and window framing from their cells, increasing the risk of escape.

The current Care and Segregation Unit (CSU), being used to isolate dangerous prisoners, remains unfit for purpose because of persistent delays in the construction of a new one.

Such is the inadequacy of the current CSU, one prisoner managed to damage a cell door so badly it left the cell out of action until a replacement could be made.

Damp patches can be seen growing on a prison gym wall in pictures taken in May 2023 and May 2024 (L-R)

In early September, Sir Keir Starmer said he was ‘truly shocked’ by the state of the country’s prisons and some prisoners are being released early to avoid an overcrowding crisis.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “The new government inherited a justice system in crisis and has been forced to take action across the prison estate, so we can continue to lock up dangerous offenders, protect the public and make prisons safer for hard-working staff.

"The Lord Chancellor announced in July that she was scrapping the previous government’s early release scheme, replacing it with a system which gives probation staff more time to prepare for a prisoner’s release.

"The government has also set out plans to recruit over 1,000 new trainee probation officers by March 2025 to meet additional demand."