PRT comment: HMP Swaleside receives Urgent Notification

Commenting on HM Chief Inspector of Prisons’ decision to issue an Urgent Notification to the Secretary of State for Justice regarding conditions at HMP Swaleside, Mark Day, deputy director at the Prison Reform Trust, said:

“It is shocking that a prison tasked with the care and rehabilitation of men serving some of the longest sentences on the estate has been allowed to descend to such an appalling level. We know from our own work at the prison that the climate of despair and hopelessness amongst prisoners is palpable.

“The high levels of violence and severely restricted regime are having a detrimental effect on the wellbeing and mental health of prisoners, their prospects for progression and their ability to engage in any kind of meaningful rehabilitation. Although a permanent governor has recently been appointed, a lack of visible leadership on the wings and a large number of inexperienced new officers means the prison has failed to get a grip on the many problems it faces. This urgent notification must prompt concerted action from the government to give the prison the oversight and resource it needs.”