Inmates dig through cell wall with plastic cutlery
Inmates in Winchester Prison dug through cell walls using plastic cutlery, a report has found.
The Independent Monitoring Board's (IMB) national annual report for 2023 looked at the treatment and conditions for those detained.
Victorian establishments like Winchester, were labelled "particularly dire" with crumbling walls, which were able to be damaged by inmates.
The Ministry of Justice said it was "delivering an additional 20,000 modern prison places" across the country.
HMP Winchester, mostly built in the mid-19th Century, was found to have "crumbling walls and roofs all over the prison" which lead to "leaks, flooding, and slip hazards".
The report added: "There were several occasions throughout the year where prisoners were able to damage and attempt to dig through cell walls, on one occasion through the wall to the landing, using simple implements such as plastic cutlery."
The IMB said it was difficult to keep such buildings "functional and decent".
The IMB added that Winchester's Care and Separation unit's were routinely full, with prisoners segregated in cellular confinement on the wings instead.
The report also found there were problems with the release of prisoners from Winchester.
It noted 40 - 50% of men were being release from the prison without accommodation, leaving them homeless.
The Winchester findings were part of the IMB's report into conditions in prisons across England and Wales.
It concluded that "population pressures and overcrowding caused tremendous strain on every area of prison life, which was compounded by widespread staff shortages".
The Ministry of Justice said: “We are delivering an additional 20,000 modern prison places – including opening two new prisons in two years – to help rehabilitate offenders and keep our streets safe."
It said a £100m "security crackdown" in prisons included measures such as X-ray body scanners and specialist sniffer dogs.
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