Courts crisis leaves prison near bursting point
More than half of the prisoners at Horfield jail are waiting to be dealt with by the justice system, according to a new report. The Independent Board of Monitoring at HMP Bristol says 52 per cent of its 560 inmates are on remand.
The board’s annual report highlights a fall in violence and self-harm, but says matters outside the prison governor’s control mean overcrowding and poor sanitation continue to be major problems, while one in five prisoners are released with no homes to go to.
The Chair of Bristol IMB, Eric Gatling, said: "The improvements for prisoners made by the Governor and staff have been welcomed by the IMB. However, issues still exist, especially given the high demand for prison places, poor conditions for prisoners and the limited support for prisoners on release.
“There appears to be no immediate solution to these issues, and in the meantime it is negatively affecting both prisoners and staff.”
The report says illicit items entering the jail continues to a be a problem. These include drugs, mobile phones, homemade weapons and home-brewed alcohol. A substance misuse support service is used by at least 40 per cent of prisoners every month.
The prison has more than 150 staff, but the Board is concerned that government policy could affect this. It’s asking the prisons’ minister: ‘What action is being taken to mitigate the impact of the Home Office’s proposed changes to the visa system that is likely to adversely affect the recruitment of prison officers’.
Bristol Prison was built in 1883, with two wings added in the 1960s and 1970s. One of these, housing 99 men, still has no sanitation in cells.
The Bristol Independent Board of Monitoring is a statutory organisation currently comprising 12 members of the local community. It has rights of access to every prisoner and every part of the prison.
