Living conditions of life in prisons
| Date | 01 March 2018 |
| Author | Mark Harvey |
| DOI | 10.1177/0264550518756527 |
| Published date | 01 March 2018 |
| Subject Matter | Research & reports |
Research & reports
Research & reports
Living conditions of life in prisons
Published in October 2017, this report is part of a series, which focuses on daily life
in adult prisons and young offender institutions. The paper draws on existing liter-
ature surrounding prison cell conditions as well as recent inspections by HMI Prisons
and survey data from inspection reports published between 1 April 2016 and 31
March 2017. Peter Clarke HM Chief Inspector of Prisons states in his introduction
that some people may feel a sense of de
´ja
`vu or world-weariness when they hear
accounts of poor conditions in prisons. He asks readers to give thought to the details
within the report and consider whether it is acceptable for prisoners to be held in
these conditions in the UK in 2017.
It is certainly true that the themes in this report are disturbingly familiar. Over-
crowding is highlighted with figures from Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Ser-
vice (HMPPS) themselves indicating that in 2016/17 nearly 21,000 prisoners out
of 85,000 were held, by their own definition, in overcrowded conditions. It was
found that overcrowding was highest in male local prisons, where 48 per cent of
prisoners lived in crowded conditions equating to 15,313 out of 31,864 prisoners.
Not only were prisoners living in overcrowded conditions and ‘doubling up’ in cells
designed for single occupancy, but shared cells were found to be cramped. The
majority of cells inspected did not meet the required minimum standard for living
space of four square metres per person, as set by the European Committee for the
Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
The inspectors had an expectation that prisoners spend at least ten hours outside
their cells onweekdays. Unfortunately, thiswas an expectation that was rarelymet. In
the inspection surveys it was found that only 14 per cent of adult prisoners reported
spending more thanten hours out of their cell and 21 per cent reported spendingless
than two hours out on weekdays. Those in young adult and local prisons reported
spending the most time in their cells. A 2016 inspection of HMP Cardiff found that
prisoners couldbe locked up for a shocking 27 hours. Inspectors found thatthe living
conditions of cells varied greatly, from clean, well equipped and spacious to
cramped, squalid and unsuitable for habitation. Unfortunately, common problems
were the lack of or broken furniture, poor decoration, damp, damage to flooring,
dangerous exposed wiring, graffiti, litter and vermin infestations.
Perhapsone of the most striking findingsin the inspectionswere issues that prisoners
had withtoilets and sanitation facilities. The cleanlinessof cell toiletswas often found to
Probation Journal
2018, Vol. 65(1) 101–104
ªThe Author(s) 2018
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DOI: 10.1177/0264550518756527
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The Journal of Community and Criminal Justice
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