Prison violence highest in England, report says

Levels of violence at a prison near Wolverhampton have risen and are now the highest at any adult jail in England and Wales, inspectors have said.

HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP), which looked at HMP & YOI Brinsford said that had resulted in a "high amount of force used against prisoners" and a "concerning over-reliance on Pava incapacitant spray".

Its report also said many prisoners spent too much time in their cells, although staff retention, which had been a significant challenge, had improved.

The Ministry of Justice has been approached for comment.

Brinsford held more than 500 remanded and sentenced men, of whom most were under 25, an HMIP report about the Staffordshire jail said.

It added the large population of 18 to 20-year-olds was "largely responsible for the very high levels of violence".

Incidents of self-harm had also gone up by 70% since the last inspection in 2023.

Other priority concerns in the report included how little time prisoners spent out of their cells - as little as an hour a day other than to collect food. Living conditions, meanwhile, were described as poor.

Some showers needed urgent repair and people were not given sufficient opportunities to clean their cells, it said.

Prisoners were likewise "not engaged in purposeful activity", HMIP said, with attendance at education, skills and work too low and resettlement support "too limited".

As a result, it said many prisoners were anxious about their release and not fully prepared.

There had also been a "concerning rise" in the quantity of drugs getting into the jail, inspectors added, with 26% of tests coming back positive.

Long waits for transfers to hospital for prisoners with serious mental illnesses, and inadequate access to the library and careers information were among other issues, highlighted by HMIP.

But the inspectorate said there were grounds for optimism and the "well-regarded governor was active in supporting his leadership team to make improvements and he had ambitious plans".

Notable positive practice included that a "care leavers flat" for promoting independent living skills supported those with care experience and a new neurodiversity hub was well-equipped.

The jail also made effective use of "rehabilitative adjudications" to support prisoners who tested positive for drugs, inspectors said.

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