Increased violence at prison, report finds

HMP Wakefield is a 'prison under strain', according to the report

Levels of violence have increased at a prison in West Yorkshire and some inmates do not feel safe enough to leave their cells, according to inspectors.

Representatives from His Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) visited HMP Wakefield in June and July.

They found there had been a 62% rise in violent incidents and a 72% increase in serious assaults since the last inspection in 2022, and older inmates felt unsafe around "a growing cohort of younger prisoners".

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said the government was investing £40m nationally in security enhancements at prisons and introducing a violence reduction unit.

There are currently 630 prisoners housed at the prison and 148 of them are category A - the most high-risk offenders.

Charlie Taylor, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, said the unannounced visit had revealed "a prison grappling with significant operational pressures, an ageing and deteriorating infrastructure, and a shifting prisoner demographic; all of which challenged its ability to deliver safe, decent and purposeful outcomes".

Much of the infrastructure at the prison was said to be "shabby and concerning"

The report found that education, skills and work provision was "a major concern," with a curriculum that "lacks ambition".

The condition of the building was also criticised.

Broken lifts, showers, boilers, cell call bells, damaged floors and "shabby wings" were reported, as well as the poor state of "some significant elements of the prison's perimeter security systems".

A sensory room is provided for prisoners with additional needs

However, inspectors praised other aspects of the site, including significant improvements in healthcare services.

The report said strong leadership and successful recruitment had led to "better access and safer delivery of services".

Autistic prisoners living on the Mulberry Unit spoke positively about their environment and older prisoners spoke positively about the gym and weekly sports sessions.

Meanwhile, the multi-faith chaplaincy was well integrated into prison life and provided "valued care and good pastoral support" to prisoners, according to the inspectors.

But Mr Taylor concluded that HMP Wakefield was "a prison under strain".

"While there were pockets of good practice and committed staff working hard to deliver decent outcomes, the cumulative impact of infrastructure failures, staffing pressures and a changing prisoner population were significant challenges," he said.

The site lacked some working showers and many have 'makeshift' curtains, inspectors found

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "This government inherited a prison system in crisis, overcrowded and rife with violence and we are fixing this by delivering the fastest prison-building programme in more than a century.

"In addition to our national security investments we've taken further action in high-security prisons such as Wakefield to reduce violence."

They added: "This includes increasing the number of full lockdown searches to intercept more of the contraband that fuels violence behind bars and introducing a dedicated violence reduction unit across the high-security estate."

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