HMP Exeter: Staff 'saw inmates' drug use as normal'

Chief Inspector Peter Clarke found two inmates "heavily intoxicated by drugs" in their cell

Staff at a failing prison saw widespread drug use among inmates as normal, a report has said.

The Chief Inspector of Prisons Peter Clarke found two inmates at HMP Exeter "heavily intoxicated by drugs" during an inspection in May.

His report, to be published later, describes the jail as "very violent".

HM Prison and Probation Service said it had provided extra funding to improve living conditions, tackle violence and prevent drug use.

Chief Executive Michael Spurr added that the service will be "taking more steps in the coming months to further improve conditions".

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Following the inspection, Mr Clarke invoked the Urgent Notification (UN) process to demand immediate action from the government.

He said he found two inmates in a cell smelling of drugs and "surrounded by obvious signs of smoking" during his survey of the category B men's jail.

"Sadly, the staff on the wing did not seem to regard this as exceptional," his report says.

Around a quarter of the 430 inmates tested positive for drugs and 60% of prisoners told inspectors it was easy to obtain them.

Exeter prison, built in 1853, had 430 inmates at the time of the inspection

Many incidents were serious and involved weapons, the report says, highlighting a concerning trend of prisoners throwing boiling water mixed with sugar at staff and other inmates.

This had occurred at least 25 times in the previous six months and there were eight such incidents in May alone.

Six inmates had killed themselves at the prison since the last inspection in August 2016, the report found, and "the rate of assaults between prisoners was the highest we have seen in a local prison in recent years".

Mr Clarke said that another man took his own life within weeks of his visit in May and self-harm among inmates had risen by 40%.

Prisons Minister Rory Stewart said immediate action was taken to address these issues.

He said a team of specialists was sent into carry out maintenance, support vulnerable inmates and make the prison safer.