Following a full inspection of HMP Wormwood Scrubs, the prison inspectorate says it is concerned to have found that staff corruption is a “major problem”.
HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) reported there had been as many as 17 staff leaving through dismissal or resignation linked to accusations of corruption during the past year alone.
The report, published on 8 September, also said that despite calls by HMIP in the past for body worn cameras to be used whenever force was required, only 32 per cent of incidents were recorded during the past year, and some of those demonstrated that offensive language had been targeted by officers at prisoners.
HMIP was also disappointed that the west London prison is “badly affected by drugs”, with over one-third of men tested showing positive results. Inspectors were surprised to find that a body scanner in the reception area was not always used, and that gate security was inconsistent. Also, 39 per cent of prisoners are only unlocked for 90 minutes per day at the most, leading to boredom that increases the temptation to take narcotics. Access to the library is very limited.
The family visit booking system is faulty, harming family contact. The inspectors also slammed the conditions in many of the cells, having found evidence of rats and cockroaches.
However, some aspects had improved from the previous visit, with self-harm being the lowest amongst all comparator prisons, and the prison is being better run by capable staff and middle managers, making it operate more effectively than similar jails.
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