The Chief Inspector of Prisons, Charlie Taylor, has called for
urgent action to tackle drones which are frequently bringing in
drugs and weapons to prisons holding some of the most dangerous
men in the country, including terrorists and organised crime
bosses.
Inspections of HMP Manchester and HMP Long Lartin in September
and October revealed serious concerns with safety and security,
with the situation at Manchester so bad that Mr Taylor issued an
Urgent Notification for improvement to the Secretary of State.
Both jails had thriving illicit economies of drugs, mobile phones
and weapons, and basic security measures such as protective
netting and CCTV had been allowed to fall into disrepair. At
Manchester prisoners were burning holes in supposedly secure
windows so they could continue to receive regular deliveries by
drone. Some of these had increasingly large payloads, which had
the potential to lead to serious disruption and potential escape.
A staggering 39% of prisoners had tested positive in mandatory
drug tests at Manchester, and at Long Lartin 50% of those who
responded to our survey said it was easy to get drugs and
alcohol. Violence and self-harm at both jails had increased, in
part driven by drugs and the accompanying debt prisoners found
themselves in. There had been six self-inflicted deaths at
Manchester since our last inspection in 2021, with a seventh
taking place a few weeks after our visit. It was now one of the
most violent prisons in the country, with a high number of
serious assaults against prisoners and staff. Many officers
lacked confidence, were demoralised, and were struggling to
manage experienced prisoners who were serving long sentences for
serious crimes.
Conditions were grim at both prisons, with widespread dirt, damp
and litter. Manchester had a chronic rodent infestation, many
cell windows were smashed and prisoners used torn-up foam from
mattresses and pillows to keep out the cold. Inspectors found 38%
of prisoners at the jail locked up during the working day and
poor attendance at education and work was further fuelling the
boredom, drug-taking, self-harm and violence. At Long Lartin, a
continued lack of in-cell toilets for many prisoners led them to
use buckets in their cells and throw bags of excrement out of the
windows, many of which were not cleared up.
Charlie Taylor, Chief Inspector of Prisons said:
“It is highly alarming that the police and prison service have,
in effect ceded the airspace above two high-security prisons to
organised crime gangs which are able to deliver contraband to
jails holding extremely dangerous prisoners including some who
have been designated as high-risk category A. The safety of
staff, prisoners and ultimately that of the public, is seriously
compromised by the failure to tackle what has become a threat to
national security. The prison service, the police and other
security services must urgently confront organised gang activity
and reduce the supply of drugs and other illicit items which so
clearly undermine every aspect of prison life.”
Notes to editors
- The inspection of Manchester took place between 17 September
and 3 October 2024. The Long Lartin inspection took place between
30 September and 10 October 2024.
- HMP Manchester is a category B training prison. It also holds
a small number of category A prisoners, mainly those still going
through the court process, and a close supervision centre.
- Following the inspection, Manchester was issued with an
Urgent Notification on 9 October 2024. Read the letter
announcing the Urgent Notification and the debriefing paper
sent to the Secretary of State.
- The Urgent Notification process was introduced in 2017 and is
a means of raising immediate, urgent concerns following an
inspection which requires a response and action plan from the
Secretary of State within 28 days. A full report from the
inspection is still published in the normal timeframe of within
14 weeks of the inspection. The Urgent Notification is supported
by the evidence of the debrief from the inspection, which is
presented to the governor, and which outlines the key issues
which will be explored in more detail in the full report once
published.
- We invoke an Urgent Notification by writing to the Secretary
of State for Justice within seven calendar days of completing an
inspection setting out our concerns. We also tell the governor of
the prison that we are doing so. The Secretary of State then has
28 days following publication of the Urgent Notification to reply
to us setting out an action plan of improvement. Find out more about Urgent
Notifications.
- Manchester is the second prison in
the long-term and high security estate to be issued with an
Urgent Notification. The other prison is Woodhill.
- Long Lartin is a high-security prison for category A and B
male prisoners. It holds mostly those with a determinate sentence
of over 10 years, as well as life sentence prisoners and those
with an indeterminate sentence for public protection (IPP).
- Copies of both reports, published on 14 January 2025, can be
found on the HM Inspectorate of Prisons website at: https://hmiprisons.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/
