Covid: Restrictions at Bedford jail have 'significant impact' on inmates

The Victorian prison, in the centre of Bedford, held 380 offenders at the time of the report

Covid-19 restrictions at a prison have had a "significant impact" and the number devices for inmates to contact relatives was "wholly inadequate", a report said.

The Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) said HMP Bedford prisoners had a "lack of contact with their relatives".

This, coupled with confinement to cells, had led to an increase in mental health problems, the report said.

A Prison Service spokesman said the restrictions "helped save lives".

The IMB said inmates faced "the stresses of confinement for long periods" and it was "inhumane" to deprive them of contact with relatives due to a lack of technology.

"Four laptop computers and nine mobile phones among 400 prisoners is a pretty miserable gesture," the report said.

Despite the difficulties caused by the pandemic, the IMB chairman Geoff Shepherd said the prison had been "well-managed".

In November 2016, a riot caused £1m of damage to two wings at the prison

The Category B jail was placed in special measures in May 2018 when the HM Chief Inspector of Prisons found it to be "fundamentally unsafe".

The new report said due to the high turnover of inmates it was difficult for officers to offer "meaningful interventions and build productive relationships... which are necessary to maintain a safer and orderly prison".

While prisoner-on-prisoner assaults and self-harm had reduced, the report said the use of force and prisoner-on-staff assaults were "worryingly high".

According to inmates acting as mentors, levels of frustration among prisoners were increasing and could lead to a "major disturbance", the report said.

• HMP Bedford violence levels still 'unacceptably high'

• 'Insufficient' progress at violent prison

• Inmate killed cell rats during inspection

The report, which covered the period 1 July 2019 to 20 June 2020, said violence was linked to drugs being smuggled into prison and it was hoped a "more sophisticated scanning machine" would help.

The IMB commended staff for improving the cleanliness of the jail and said the previous issue of rats was "rarely evident".

Mr Shepherd said conditions had "generally improved" but there was "still a long way to go".

The spokesman for the HM Prison Service said: "This report recognises the significant strides HMP Bedford made over the past year to ensure the wellbeing and safety of staff and prisoners.

"Necessary restrictions on daily life helped save lives and these have been safely eased in line with the latest public health advice."

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