‘Dickensian prison not fit for purpose’
STRANGEWAYS prison is ‘squalid, vermin-infested’ and not fit for purpose, according to a damning report.
An annual study by the Independent Monitoring Board says conditions are ‘more reminiscent of Dickensian England’ with mice, rats and pigeons in the jail.
It also raises serious concerns about staffing levels, which it says had resulted in an increase in assaults by prisoners on guards.
The board, which is made up of members of the community, is scathing in its assessment of the largely Victorian prison which can accommodate up to 1,167 prisoners, including 40 Category A inmates.
The report says: “In our Annual Report published in 2015 we expressed our concern that the Victorian buildings of HMP Manchester do not easily match the modern day aims and ambitions of a 21st Century prison.
“We have regularly reported the lack of decent dining accommodation.
“Our belief that noone should be expected to eat their meals within close proximity to an open toilet as is the case at HMP Manchester, has been acknowledged by successive ministers who have, nevertheless, pointed out the problems arising from the very nature of the midto-late Victorian buildings.
“We believe that as the years pass by, the situation only becomes more profound and more difficult to rectify.
“The desire to provide decent, humane, safe accommodation in which prisoners may find a degree of selfrespect is extremely difficult to achieve when faced with the squalid, vermin-infested, damp environment more reminiscent of Dickensian England that parts of HMP Manchester are becoming.
“Prisoners and staff should not be expected to live and work within such environmentally unhealthy residential premises.”
It reveals the number of assaults by prisoners on guards has risen by 11.25 per cent to 89 from March last year to March this year, compared to the same period the previous year.
The report says: “It is of great concern that the number of assaults by prisoners on officers has increased.
“In our view there is a direct correlation between the staff shortage and the increase.”
It also expresses concern about the lack of full access to education and the library for inmates due to the lift continuing to be deemed out of order.
The government has pledge that as the lift is deemed beyond repair, it has been included in a major maintenance bid in order to get it replaced.
Repair work needed in the prison is often behind schedule. The report says: “The contractor takes an unacceptable time to complete necessary repair work.
“Damaged cells are often taken out of use due to lack of repairs, placing undue pressure on staff to manage prisoners accordingly.
“Broken windows are commonplace and electrical equipment is left useless due to totally unnecessary delays.
“In one wing, 16 showers have been sealed off and condemned due to lack of repairs.
“The main kitchen continuously has a backlog of repairs, creating logistical problems for the staff that expected to produce the required meals on time.
“The wing serveries are regularly hampered by faulty equipment, such faults having been reported for months.”
A Prison Service spokesperson said: “We are committed to transforming prisons into places of safety and reform and have announced a major overhaul of the prison system including 2,500 extra frontline officers.
“While there remains progress to be made, HMP Manchester has already committed to addressing a number of concerns raised in the report. They are making great progress towards meeting their recruitment target through a successful recruitment drive and have employed a new Violence Reduction Strategy.
“We are confident that these measures will enable the prison to build on the progress already made.“