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Inspectors call for emergency measures at ‘fundamentally unsafe’ prison in Milton Keynes

INSPECTORS have called for a high security prison to be placed in emergency measures after being condemned as “fundamentally unsafe.”

HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, was found to have the worst levels of violence, bullying, intimidation, drug taking, attacks on prison officers and staff “voting with their feet” and leaving.

The prison holds about 500 male offenders, with some being Category A, including notorious prisoner Charles Bronson.

HM Inspectorate of Prisons visited HMP Woodhill between August 14 and 25.

They said there had been 298 attacks at Windhill in the 12 months before the inspection, compared with 182 before the previous.

Inspectors found at least 26 prisoners confining themselves to their cells because they were too frightened to come out.

They found a “worrying decline” in conditions at Woodhill in five inspections carried out since 2014.

Chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor has written to Justice Secretary Alex Chalk to issue an urgent notification for improvement at HMP Woodhill.

He said Woodhill “simply cannot operate effectively with such chronic staff shortages” and said “urgent support” was needed to recruit and retain staff.

Howard League for Penal Reform campaigns director Andrew Neilson said: “The details in the chief inspector’s letter are shocking, but this warning has not come out of the blue. 

“Woodhill has been unsafe and understaffed for several years, and it is a scandal that conditions inside the prison have been allowed to deteriorate for so long.

“People living and working there have been failed repeatedly, and the high rates of self-harm, violence and staff turnover should come as no surprise to ministers.” 

He said the government should reduce the prison population but that “unfortunately, ministers seem determined to build still more prisons, at a time when there are insufficient staff to work in the ones we already have.” 

Pia Sinha, chief executive of the Prison Reform Trust, branded the report “shocking” and said: “After repeated warnings, it is extremely disappointing that the prison now finds itself in this position.

“Ministers urgently need to get a grip on what has gone wrong.”

Prisons minister Damian Hinds said: “The findings of this report demonstrate the urgent need for improvement at HMP Woodhill and we will be working closely and quickly with the prison to set out how it can address these issues.”

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