Winchester Prison: Rats and staffing problems at prison, report finds

HMP Winchester is suffering from a loss of experienced staff, a "persistent atmosphere of violence" and rats

A prison is suffering from a shortage of experienced staff and a rat infestation, according to a new report.

The Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) at HMP Winchester, Hampshire, also found there was a "persistent atmosphere of violence".

But the board did commend managers for their efforts under "challenging conditions".

The Ministry of Justice said it had invested in prison security and staff assaults had fallen by 12%.

HMP Winchester was built in 1846 and as of February 2022 could accommodate 564 inmates.

The annual IMB report found up to 40% of staff are "inexperienced in managing either a normal regime or the volatile nature of the population".

It said the buildings were vermin-infested and outdated, but did acknowledge the "restorative and replacement work carried out on two of the main wings during the year".

The persistent rat problem has meant pest controllers are called weekly to the prison

Living conditions, along with the availability of drugs and contraband, undermined the opportunity for prisoners and "hard-pressed staff to achieve the outcomes mandated by the justice system", the report found.

It said recruitment, training and retention of appropriately-skilled staff had been extremely difficult in a region where other, better paid and less stressful jobs were available.

The report found while there had been a slight reduction in assaults on staff, the prison remained a violent place with younger prisoners responsible for a disproportionate number of incidents.

However, the board welcomed the fact work had started on a new care and segregation unit, the previous one being condemned as a "dungeon" in successive IMB reports.

Analysis: Nikki Mitchell, BBC South Home Affairs Correspondent

"Living conditions are bad. We need more money. We need more staff."

That's what a reliable source inside HMP Winchester told me on the day independent monitors published their annual report.

Pest controllers are having to make weekly visits to the prison to tackle a persistent infestation of rats in "outdated, crumbling and overcrowded Victorian buildings.

My source told me "if we treat prisoners like monsters and animals, they'll behave like monsters and animals when they are released back into our communities".

It would be foolish to ignore these words given the vast majority of prisoners serve very short sentences, and so dozens are released into the local area from HMP Winchester every week.

IMB chair Rob Heather said while some improvements had been made there were many areas where the prison fell short of required standards.

"Staff shortages and Covid restrictions meant basic welfare checks were often not carried out, and the key worker scheme, which is meant to ensure meaningful interaction between staff and prisoners, was very severely curtailed," he said.

In a statement the Ministry of Justice said: "We have invested £125 million into prison security across the country, including at HMP Winchester, to ensure violence falls further.

"We are increasing staffing and have boosted prison officer pay to at least £30,000 with an extra £3,000 for some of the lowest paid, helping us reward and retain hardworking prison officers."