Watchdog blasts ‘inhumane’ conditions at squalid prison

A PRISON watchdog yesterday blasted another overcrowded, vermin-infested jail with drug and gang violence issues.

The report into Pentonville jail comes days after the Government took over G4S-run HMP Birmingham due to a shocking inspection.

Pentonville, in North London, holds 1,200 inmates but was built for 900. The Independent Monitoring Board report said

INFESTED Pentonville Prison

conditions were “inhumane” adding: “Vermin is rife, plumbing is overloaded.”

A lack of staff meant some men were rarely let outside to exercise, while gang violence erupted during prayer meetings. The report added: “Lockdowns to search for contraband – drugs and phones – exacerbated the situation.”

The Prison Service said £16million of investment would “bring prisons back to acceptable standards”.