'Drugs, cockroaches and mice': Pentonville prison branded 'appalling' in new report
Cockroaches, mice and staff asleep while working - what's going on at Pentonville Prison? ITV News London Senior Correspondent Ronke Phillips explains
Three prisoners took their own lives at Pentonville prison this year, according to a new report, which said conditions were "appalling" and rooms infested with cockroaches and mice.
The Inspectorate of Prisons also found staff asleep or absent when they should have been supervising vulnerable men.
The north London jail was placed into special measures earlier this year after the extent of the inhumane living standards were first exposed.
Inspectors found that 44 per cent of prisoners in the jail felt unsafe at the time of the inspection - they said drugs that were brought into the prison were driving up levels of violence and the smell of cannabis filled the air.
New arrivals at the prison received shockingly little support despite often high levels of risk and need; some were locked in induction cells without bedding, pillows or cutlery, and others were scattered across the jail with staff unable to locate or identify them.
Chief Inspector Charlie Taylor said: “Pentonville is never an easy jail to run, with overcrowded cells, crumbling infrastructure and a fast-changing population that includes many prisoners who are mentally ill, addicted to drugs and homeless, or who are involved with criminal gangs.
"However, we found comprehensive failures by leaders to make sure that there was effective oversight and management of some of the basic operations of a reception prison.
"It will take support and investment from the prison service to turn round this troubled jail.”
Poor relationships between prisoners and staff were affecting the rest of the population; there was a noticeable lack of empathy and care, and 50 per cent reported that they had been bullied or victimised by staff, the report said.
The report described the wings as "dirty, noisy and chaotic".
"Most prisoners spent more than 22 hours a day locked in poorly ventilated, overcrowded cells, with little chance of getting to work or education," the report said.
The prisoners did not attend their activities and were unprepared for employment - this meant there were low numbers in work after their release.
Some prisoners were also being held unlawfully for extra days past their sentence because the prison had incorrectly calculated the release days.
The report did find some positives, including the health service and a substance-free living unit to help tackle addictions, and a programme to support younger men.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “This is a deeply concerning report that further underlines the prisons crisis inherited by this Government.
“We are already taking urgent action at HMP Pentonville – detailed in our comprehensive action plan published in August - including strengthening leadership, additional training for staff and significant refurbishment of wings.
"Our work will continue at rapid pace to get standards back up to where they should be.”
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