Rising violence concerns at ageing prison

A high turnover of inmates at an ageing and overcrowded Victorian prison is putting more pressure on staff to make sure it is safe and decent, a watchdog says.

The Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) reviewed HMP Leicester from February 2024 to January 2025 and found cases of violence in that time rose to 270, compared to 186 in 2023.

The group said there were also long delays in the taking of prisoners suffering from acute mental illness to hospital.

The Ministry of Justice, which runs the Welford Road jail, said £40m was being invested in new security measures this year to cut violence in prisons in England.

In July, the IMB - volunteers who monitor standards - said the Category B jail, built in the 19th Century, was no longer fit for purpose.

In their latest report, they said the site "remains under significant pressure" from the large number of men being sent there.

The board said population numbers fell in the summer of 2024 but by the end of January the prison was again full.

The most prisoners which it can hold without a serious risk to safety is 327, according to authorities.

The watchdog found prison staff were trying to manage the high turnover of prisoners in the ageing prison.

The IMB said, despite some funding, the condition of cells continued to get worse and broken windows and grills, which were replaced with perspex sheets with holes, allowed drugs to be smuggled in.

The delay in moving prisoners with acute mental illness to hospital was due to a shortage of available beds, with one inmate waiting 175 days until a suitable place was found, they said..

The IMB advised there should be sufficient places in secure mental health facilities for prisoners who needed them.

The prison "was not a suitable place" for prisoners with severe dementia, the board said, adding it did not meet their needs and put the inmate and staff at risk.

The board found a third of men released from the prison had no accommodation to go to and were more likely to reoffend.

Trevor Worsfold, Leicester IMB chair, said: "In the board's view, the prison is well-led but the high turnover of men and ageing buildings make prison staff's already challenging task much harder."

The watchdog did say the prison was developing strong relationships with local employers to prepare inmates for work after they were released.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said their £40m investment in better security was aimed at reducing violence in prisons.

"This includes £10m on anti-drone measures such as exterior netting and reinforced windows," they added.

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