Prison inspection reports drugs causing violence

HMP Bullingdon has not made sufficient progress since 2022, inspectors said

Inadequate security at a men's prison is allowing the use of illicit drugs to lead to debt and violence, an inspection has found.

In July and August His Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons visited HMP Bullingdon in Bicester, Oxfordshire, for the first time since 2022.

During the two-week inspection it also noted relationships between staff and prisoners were "not good enough".

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said it was "taking immediate action" to "improve security and clamp down on drugs".

The inspectors said prison leaders and staff had not made "sufficient progress" from the previous visit and outcomes for prisoners had "deteriorated".

It also said that "many of the concerns we had previously raised remained unaddressed".

The report said Bullingdon was a prison with "potential but significant and persistent challenges have undermined its ability to deliver safe, respectful and rehabilitative outcomes for prisoners".

Illegal drugs and violence

The inspectors' report outlined 14 key concerns, six of which it said should be addressed as priorities.

It said there had been a 43% increase in positive drug tests, with a frequent smell of cannabis on the wings.

It said a "weaknesses in physical security" allowed large quantities of drugs to be delivered by drone.

This had contributed to a 27% increase in violence, the report said.

As well as illegal drugs and violence, it also noted the education curriculum did not meet prisoners career goals.

Staff also did not record prisoners' progress when developing employability skills, which meant too many were released homeless.

Ofsted graded the overall effectiveness of education, skills and work as inadequate, stating that attendance was low, and the curriculum did not meet the needs of the population.

The Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "This government inherited a prison system in crisis."

"We're taking immediate action at HMP Bullingdon to tackle drone activity, improve security and clamp down on drugs.

"We're also stepping up staff training and mentoring to support new officers and strengthen staff-prisoner relationships."