'They are caged like animals': HM Wandsworth staff reveals the shocking state of British prisons
22 October 2024, 14:06 | Updated: 22 October 2024, 15:48
LBC has obtained exclusive insight from Sarah*, a long-time staff member at HMP Wandsworth, revealing shocking details of life inside one of the UK's most troubled prisons.
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She describes an environment out of control where self-harm is used by prisoners as a "bargaining tool," vulnerable inmates are used as drug "guinea pigs," and serious violence is common.
The situation at Wandsworth has been of national concern, particularly following the alleged high-profile escape of terror suspect Daniel Khalife a year ago, which sparked a two-day manhunt. Since then, the pressure on the UK prison system has intensified, with concerns over capacity and safety at an all-time high.
A second group of prisoners are being released early today to ease chronic overcrowding in the country's jails. Back in August, in the aftermath of the summer riots the Prime Minister defended Labour's decision to release some prisoners at 40% of their sentence, reduced from 50, adding that further "tough decisions" would need to be taken in order to "fix the foundations of the country".
A core principle of the sentencing review is to look at what can be done to reduce reoffending. Last month the former Chief Inspector of Prisons Nick Hardwick told LBC that prisons "are not doing enough to change these men's behaviours and attitudes so that they don't reoffend when they are released".
Read more: Prison officer admits having sex with inmate inside HMP Wandsworth jail cell
HMP Wandsworth has repeatedly been flagged as a serious concern by authorities.
His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons, Charlie Taylor, says conditions at Wandsworth mean the prison is failing to prevent prisoners from reoffending. I’ve spoken to Sarah, who lifts the lid on what it’s really like inside one of England’s most troubled jails.
Despite efforts by the Ministry of Justice to improve the prison estate, Sarah paints a bleak picture.
“Caged animals”
According to her, “The problem is there is no policing in the prisons because there is no staff... they [inmates] are like caged animals.” She explains that many prisoners remain locked in their cells for up to 24 hours a day, only being let out briefly for food or medication.
Those seeking psychological help, she says, are often the most mentally unwell and psychotic, while others are left to fend for themselves.
Sarah told LBC the lack of trained staff means prisoners are frequently locked up for much of the day, leading to issues with the inmates.
"So what is happening is they are all becoming tinder boxes. Because there's no staff, there's less regime. When there is no staff, the men do not get unlocked. And they come out eventually for medication or for food, and that will be the only time they come out of their cell in a 24-hour period. And they are like caged animals,” Sarah said.
She adds that the only prisoners able to seek psychological help are the acutely mentally unwell and psychotic patient prisoners.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson responded, telling LBC: "The safety of our hard-working frontline staff is paramount, and we are taking action to get a grip on the situation across the prison system, ensuring safer conditions for everyone."
The Ministry also highlighted that £100 million will be spent over five years at HMP Wandsworth to improve conditions, including cell window repairs, shower refurbishments, and investment in fire safety.
“Self-harm is used as a bargaining tool”
Sarah told LBC about a disturbing tactic used by prisoners: "A lot of prisoners will self-harm to get something – time out of their cell, vapes, or even to speak to a governor. The lack of trained staff means officers are ill-equipped to handle this manipulation."
"A lot of prisoners I have come across will self-harm to get something: either time out of their cell because then when they seriously self-harm, they have to come to a treatment room… or they use it to get vapes, or they use it as a bargaining tool for something."
"It's usually between the prisoner and landing officer, who, because everyone's so new and poorly trained, doesn’t know how to cope with this.
"The prisoner will cut himself and say ‘I need to speak to the governor,’ and then it'll be 8 o’clock at night – there is no governor. And then this carries on until it turns out that he actually just wants vapes. Or they threaten to hang themselves. They make a ligature."
In response, the Ministry of Justice explained its efforts to ensure safety in prisons, citing recent investments in PAVA spray, body-worn cameras, and x-ray body scanners to keep dangerous contraband out of jails. Additionally, specialist drug detection teams now conduct regular searches to limit the spread of drugs that fuel violence.
Vulnerable prisoners used as drug “guinea pigs”
Drug use is rampant, with Sarah telling us that synthetic cannabinoids, especially Spice, are regularly smuggled into the prison. Vulnerable prisoners are coerced into becoming “guinea pigs” to test new drug batches, often with life-threatening consequences.
“I attend overdoses of drugs every day,” Sarah says, identifying the synthetic cannabinoid, Spice, as the common substance of choice. “What happens when they take spice, especially if it's been mixed with an opiate, is their breathing rates and oxygen levels drop drastically, and they are at serious risk of cardiac arrest.”
She says vulnerable prisoners looking for protection volunteer as “guinea pigs” to test drugs. “A new batch comes in, and they will make some poor, unfortunate and vulnerable prisoner take the first dose.”
The Ministry explained that advanced violent reduction training sessions are available to prison staff and noted the deployment of specialist security and drug staff to help tackle drug smuggling.
The prison system is also struggling with internal corruption. The Ministry of Justice has taken steps to address this by deploying its Counter-Corruption Unit to detect and disrupt any wrongdoing by staff, yet the problem persists.
“On one occasion… somebody has died”
Sarah also tells us that violence is fuelled by inmates’ homebrews known as “hooch,” made from bread, fermented fruit, and sometimes stolen yeast from kitchen staff. “It’s insanely strong,” she says. “I’ve seen prisoners who have had to be taken out of their cell because of violence. They may be two friends who’ve drunk hooch and are battering 10 bells out of each other.”
She goes on to describe how the situation can spiral out of control, sometimes with deadly consequences: “On one occasion... somebody has died.”
The Ministry of Justice has stressed that it will “never tolerate violence or sexual abuse towards our hard-working staff” and that it always seeks the “strongest punishments for prisoners who harm them.” Support services for staff wellbeing include Care Teams, occupational health services, trauma management, and mental wellbeing interventions.
“He will always be a huge threat to the community”
Wandsworth is a men’s Category B prison, designed to make escape difficult, and has housed some of Britain’s most prolific criminals. I ask Sarah if she ever feels unsafe. “The ones who I fear the most are probably the mentally unwell. I was assaulted by a known sex offender. He was taken to a mental health hospital, but he could be released at any time. He will always be a huge threat to the community.”
She shared this with LBC on the day the new Labour government announced a policy to release some prisoners at the 40% mark of their sentence. Sarah adds, “If he gets released at 40% or 50%, it doesn't matter – he will always be a huge threat to the community at large.”
“We’re running out of space”
I asked Sarah what she thought of the government’s plan. “The reality is we’re running out of space and we’ve got nowhere to put potentially really violent offenders. I've worked in reception when vans full of prisoners have been turned away because we have no space.”
The Ministry of Justice acknowledged the pressure on space but highlighted its ongoing commitment to rehabilitative services, such as education and employment workshops for prisoners, in an effort to reduce reoffending rates.
“Whether somebody's let out on a Monday or a Thursday, is that really a big deal? The reality is we're running out of space and we've got nowhere to put potentially really violent offenders. What is the lesser of the two evils?... I've worked in the reception block on occasions when vans have been turned away full of prisoners because we have no space. I don't know where they go. And were it to get to the point where the prisons are full and there are no beds, what happens to these men in the vans? Where do they go? Maybe they’re more dangerous than the people who have been released early?”
*Sarah's name has been changed for security reasons but LBC has verified her story.
