Prisons

• Staff cuts


  Between 2010 and 2018, the number of prison officers fell by 15% as a result of budget cuts. More experienced officers were more likely to leave and by 2018, ⅓ of prison officers had less than two years' experience. This has made it harder to maintain control over inmates.
• Overcrowding


  The prison population has almost doubled from 43.000 in 1993 to around 83.000 in 2019. This has meant more prisoners to control as well as overcrowded conditions for many inmates: in 2018, 58% of prisons were overcrowded. In turn, overcrowding contributes to discontent and rule-breaking.
• Not addressing rehabilitation needs


  Increased numbers of prisoners, staff shortages and budget cuts mean that prisons are often unable to deal with the causes of prisoners' offending, including mental health needs, drug and alcohol dependency, illiteracy and lack of qualifications.

  This is made worse by the fact that many prisoners are serving short sentences, so there is not enough time to address their often complex needs.
• A drug epidemic


  Drugs use has incresed in recent years, particularly for new psychoactive substances such as Spice. Between 2013 and 2016, 65 deaths in prison (44 of them self-inflicted) were linked to NPS use. In 2016 the Psychoactive Substances Act outlawed their possession in prisons. In 2018 the chief inspector for prisons reported that the mandatory drug testing programme was not running effectively in 18 prisons, mainly due to staff shortages. The availability of drugs undermines prison discipline and control by reducing inmates' participation in rehabilitation activities, creating debt among prisoners and increasing levels of violence.
• Security


  The most basic requirement is to hold prisoners in custody. There have been almost no escapes from closed prisons since 2010 and few absconders from open prisons. However, there have been numerous breaches of security, with drugs, sim cards and other forbidden items smuggled into prisons, sometimes by the use of drones.
• Safety


  Incidents of assaults, self-harm and suicide have risen. In 2018 there were:

  8.400 assaults on staff.

  22.000 assaults on prisoners - 252 assaults for every 1.000 prisoners (142 in 2010).

  5 homicides.

  69 suicides.

  47.000 incidents of self-harm (25.000 in 2010).
• Riots and disorders


  Major breakdown of order and loss of control by staff have increased. In addition to the riot at HMP Birmingham in 2016 - the worst in 25 years due partly to staff shortages, there has been a series of lesser incidents. In 2018 there was serious disorder at several prisons, including The Mount, Long Lartin and Bedford. The chief inspector of prisons warned of a "complete breakdown in order and discipline" at Bedford, described as rundown and rat-infested.
• After release: the evidence of recidivism

  Although rehabilitation is a primary aim of the prison system, many ex-prisoners re-offend and quickly find themselves back in the criminal justice system. For example, in 2017, within one year of release:

  37.5% of all ex-prisoners re-offended.

  Among ex-prisoners with many previous convictions (11 or more), nearly half re-offended.

  64.1% if those on short sentences (less than 12 months) re-offended.

  Around 40% of juvenile offenders re-offended.