BEHIND BRRRS

Inmates at boiling point over jail’s cold shower shambles

LAGS are doing grime as well as time at a prison where the showers have been running cold – for more than a YEAR.

Young offenders at HMP Portland can’t have a hot wash because of a problem with water pressure.

It means 62 on Greville wing either have to brace themselves and duck into the showers for a brief cold wash or go without.

And only one shower works on Nelson wing, where 76 inmates have to choose between queuing for a hot wash, braving a cold one or not bothering. A source said: “Prisoners are meant to be able to have a shower every day, but many will avoid the cold showers, which obviously raises another problem – one of smell. These showers should be treated as a priority. The conditions are Third

World, and could cause all manner of problems.”

Inspectors from the Independent Monitoring Board watchdog this week admitted the shower problem at Portland was “long-standing”. Their report added

“difficulties in accessing showers” were a “consistent theme” at prisoner meetings and contributed to “distress”.

It is not the first time poor washing facilities have led to protests about dirt at the 530-capacity jail.

In 2000 prisoners used furniture to barricade themselves in their cells as part of a protest against “filthy” showers.

Four years later inspectors were stunned to find inmates there were still slopping out.

Portland prison, in Dorset, dates back to 1848. It was a borstal for most of the 1900s then became a young offenders unit. Match Of The Day pundit Ian Wright once filmed a TV series there teaching soccer to inmates.

Last night a Prison Service spokesman said: “We have repaired a number of showers and work is underway to refurbish more.”