Government cuts, leading to massive staff shortages, are deepening the crisis in the prison service as John Hancock of the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) national executive committee, explains.
The latest chief inspector of prisons report into Wormwood Scrubs by Nick Hardwick makes for uncomfortable reading however he must be commended for its accurate portrayal.
In just five years I hardly recognise my prison. Go through the gates of any wing and the first thing you sense is the stench of body odours, drains and cannabis, as you pick a way carefully along the landing, especially if it’s raining, to avoid the numerous puddles where the roof leaks.
The morale and motivation of staff is at the lowest that I can remember and while they struggle to do their best there is little or no support. It’s a case of ‘just get on with it’.
The basics are no longer there. Inmates are unable to get soap, toothpaste or even a toilet roll and yet can gorge on a myriad of drugs.
Shortages
Because of staff shortages the inevitable will happen; bullying, assaults on inmates and staff alike, which have seen a huge increase over the past few years.
Inmates expecting to go to work or education are now told that their classes or workshops are shut. They then return to the wing or their cells for yet another period of ‘bang up’.
The report rightly highlights the unacceptable level of suicides. This is a national problem which has increased dramatically.
Any suicide puts intolerable pressure and stress not only on the family of the victim but also the staff who have to deal with the situation.
Can anyone imagine having to cut someone down from a ligature or confront a suicide where he has cut his wrists or set fire to himself? These are truly shocking incidents which prison officers are unfortunately facing on a regular basis.
The national offender management service (NOMS) must be held accountable for its failure. In key areas they have:
- Allowed too many staff to leave under a voluntary redundancy package.
- Closed prisons that they determined to be too expensive and yet were effective in their delivery.
- Miscalculated the prisoner population over the last 12 months, resulting in overcrowding.
In effect, these problems, when calculated together, have created the ‘perfect storm’. One can only hope that prisoners and staff at Wormwood Scrubs, one of the most well-known prisons in England, do not reap the whirlwind.
The problems that the report has focused on are not insurmountable. The POA is willing to work together with NOMS to avoid another disastrous report. However, the coalition government must also play its part in this process and properly fund the prison service.
The test of a nation is the way we treat our prisoners. Sadly, at present, the Scrubs is failing. I want my prison back as I remember it.
