HMP Feltham: Levels of violence at youth prison too high - report

A change of culture is needed at a west London young offenders institution after concerning levels of violence were found, a prison inspector said.

HM Inspectorate of Prisons said HMP Feltham B in Hounslow had "failed to make significant progress" since previous inspections in 2019 and 2023.

It comes after the prison increased its capacity by 40% to accommodate a growing number of inmates nationally.

The Prison Service said it was already taking action to address the concerns.

The prison now not only holds sentenced young offenders aged between 18 and 21 but has also become a category C training jail, holding inmates up to the age of 30.

HM Inspectorate of Prisons' report said the change was "necessary" to meet the demand of increasing prison populations, but that a "lack of planning" meant the site did not meet the needs of its new population.

The report said while assaults between prisoners had dropped by 47% since the previous inspection, there was "still a concern about violence against staff". 

It said levels of violence were "too high and prisoners had poor perceptions of their safety".

"Leaders, staff and prisoners were over-reliant on keeping prisoners apart rather than addressing underlying causes of violence. Investigations into incidents were often delayed and sometimes of poor quality," it said.

The report also said toilets and sinks were "rusty and filthy" and prisoners were not routinely provided with cleaning materials to keep themselves and their cells clean.

In his summary of the report Charlie Taylor, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, said: "Local leaders will be unable to make significant progress without substantial support from HMPPS leaders.

"This will need to focus on increasing the amount of work at the site, changing the culture and addressing the shortfalls in the probation service in London."

A Prison Service spokesperson said "decisive action" was already being taken to address the concerns in the report, including investing in maintenance and undertaking "vital refurbishments to improve living conditions".

"We are also increasing access to education and thanks to the efforts of our hard-working staff assault rates have halved," the spokesperson added.

In the past 12 months the inmate population in England and Wales has increased by 2,700 to 85,000 - the UK total is expected to hit 100,000 by 2026.

England and Wales has the highest imprisonment rate in Europe with 136 jailed per 100,000 people.

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