Violence and drugs increasing at HMP Isle of Wight, inspectors warn

The latest unannounced inspection of HMP Isle of Wight, carried out from March 16 to March 26 by a team of 21 inspectors, and published today, paints a picture of a prison struggling with ageing infrastructure, staff shortages and a regime that leaves too many men locked behind their doors for long periods. While there were signs of improvement in some areas, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, Charlie Taylor, concluded that the jail “continued to significantly underperform”.

Inspectors found that outcomes for prisoners remained “not sufficiently good” in safety, respect and purposeful activity and there were not enough incentives to encourage prisoners to behave well. Preparation for release had improved to “reasonably good”, but the prison’s overall direction was hampered by a sprawling site – particularly the Albany side, which was described as “not fit for purpose”.

Violence and drugs on the rise

One of the most troubling findings was the rise in violence and drug availability. In the inspectorate’s survey, 56 per cent of prisoners said drugs were easy to obtain, a sharp increase from the previous inspection in 2022. Violence was also up, driven by debt, illicit substances and bullying. Staff shortages meant leaders had to redeploy officers to keep the segregation unit safe, leaving gaps elsewhere.

Conditions on the segregation unit were described as poor, with some men only able to shower every other day. Across the prison, inspectors found that a third of prisoners were locked in their cells, and too few were accessing education or workshops. Attendance in education was “unacceptably poor”, with many classes cancelled due to difficulties recruiting trainers.

Infrastructure and care concerns

The Albany site’s electronic night sanitation system was singled out as “indecent and unhygienic”. Prisoners have just seven minutes to use communal toilets before being locked back in their cells, leading some to resort to buckets, with waste reportedly thrown from windows at night.

Self-harm rates are the fifth highest of the male prison estate, although 5 “highly complex prisoners” were responsible for half of all incidents; a total of 124 out of the 961 inmates had self-harmed in the previous year. Although mental health support for the most seriously ill had improved, staffing shortages meant many prisoners were not receiving adequate care. Substance misuse services were also too limited for inmate’s needs.

Inspectors did highlight pockets of good practice, including a dedicated unit to help those who had experienced trauma to address their offending behaviour, a strong reading strategy, and a well structured induction programme. The senior probation officer and psychology teams were praised for creating a more rehabilitative environment.

The Governor, Dougie Graham, in post since May 2018, was described as “well-regarded”, but leaders, Mr Taylor said, must “be more imaginative about how to incentivise prisoners to behave well” and ensure that activity, education and support are consistently available. “The prison service must improve the staffing profiles in this complex site, and fund improvements in the infrastructure and buildings,” he added to enable HMP Isle of Wight fulfil its role as a category B training establishment.