‘I would urge readers not to assume this paper is simply another account of some dilapidated prisons, but to look at the details of what we describe, and then ask themselves whether it is acceptable for prisoners to be held in these conditions in the United Kingdom in 2017.’
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, Peter Clarke, in an October 2017 findings paper (pdf).
The paper summarises literature on living conditions in prison, and highlights these areas of concern:
- Too many prisoners live in cells that are far too small for multi-occupancy
- Too many prisoners live in squalid cell conditions with inadequate ventilation,
damaged furniture and unscreened toilets - In-cell toilets are unhygienic and when in shared cells lead to a loss of dignity
and respect for prisoners who use them - Prisoners spend far too long locked in their cells with limited access to
association or purposeful activity.
Read the findings paper (pdf).
