Europe

UK prison denies inmate meals amid gross mistreatment

hall20130918042632520

A prison guard in Britain has denied an inmate meals amid an infestation of cockroaches, overcrowding and unruly punishment at an ancient UK prison, a new report reveals.

Her Majesty’s (HM) prison in Bristol was found to have double the amount of gross mistreatment and humiliation compared to similar sized prisons, overcapacity at 577 inmates, and poor quality hygienic conditions, said Nick Hardwick, a chief inspector of prisons from the HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP).

The Victorian-era prison was said to be 45-percent occupied by persons with a disability. In the report the prison’s personnel were scrutinized for bullying inmates and it raised concern over violations of human rights.

One of the staff reportedly prevented an inmate from eating full meals and was locked up all day.

The HMIP reported that the quality of the prison had gone down the drain at some time since the last inspection three years ago.

“Cells designed for one continued to hold two prisoners and many cells had damaged lockers, damaged and scaled toilets and broken and/or missing windows”, said Hardwick in the report.

“Prisoners repeatedly complained of an infestation of cockroaches and we saw many cells in which prisoners had used toothpaste and paper as a makeshift sealant for gaps around sanitary units and airbricks to prevent the ingress of cockroaches.”

A significant number of prisoners also reported that it was easy to get drugs inside the prison.

The report comes as many prisons in Britain are suffering from a lack of staff numbers and overcrowded cells. The government has cut the prison service workforce in England and Wales by 20-percent and intends to further the reductions in October. A sharp drop in numbers has been seen; this year there was a little over 39,500 staffers, marking a drop of 23-percent since March 2009.

Back to top button