WPIC visits Wandsworth Prison
Members of the WPIC Steering Group were invited by the Governor, Andy Davy, to visit the prison on 21 February. Staff and prisoners were generally willing and able to talk to us freely.
What did we think?
· The parts of the prison we saw were much cleaner than we had previously observed and men seem to be getting more time out of their cells
· Nonetheless, the physical infrastructure (eg showers, boilers, windows) is generally in very poor condition and there is much work to be done to improve this
· We heard mixed reports on staff attitude and culture with most prisoners saying staff were generally respectful, but a few had less positive experiences.
Cleanliness
Those of us who had visited the prison before (over a year ago) thought the prison was significantly cleaner and considerably less smelly. Litter and other mess, presumably thrown by prisoners, had collected at the bottom of the large end of wing windows but the gulleys around the walls were generally free of rubbish and the wings were clean. We saw one rat, in the yard near the waste bins, but little other signs of vermin. The servery in C wing looked a bit dirty whereas the one on Trinity looked much cleaner than before. The cells in Addison (the ones awaiting refurbishment) looked very shabby and depressing and one was very dirty.
Reception
It was good to hear from prisoners that they received kit, including a change, on arrival and an electric razor. Those gathered for their third day induction all wore full, new-looking kit. Everyone seems to be given a PIN number on arrival, but we were not told how long it takes for the PIN to be activated for some prisoners whose PIN is initially locked. High value items now go into a safe in the cashier’s office.
However, we were told it takes several hours to get through reception, especially for those arriving late from court and prisoners we spoke to said it takes too long.
Regime and time out of cell
We saw men out of their cells on Trinity in free association and men on E wing doing cleaning duties, the rest were locked up as it was canteen day (when supplies the men have ordered are delivered). The Governor told us that, starting in a couple of weeks, everyone will get access to daily exercise and that men on Trinity are unlocked at weekends as well as weekdays.
After our visit, the Governor gave us further details about the regime and explained that no prisoners now spend 22 hours a day locked up in their cells. Time out of cells varies depending on what activity a prisoner is allocated and their incentive level, but he estimated that the minimum time out of cell would be about 4-5 hours. Some trusted men spend up to 14 hours out of their cells
We saw the Trinity exercise yard and agreed better use could be made of the space for recreation if the planters were removed, provided they were replaced with alternative seating. We were shown the table tennis and pool tables on one of the wings in Trinity. We couldn’t see any cues or balls so wondered how often these and the giant chess set are used.
Books
It was good to see a book trolley on E wing. The reasons given for no book trolleys on Trinity did not sound very convincing, although two prisoners said they can get to the library when they want to.
Respect
Relations between staff and prisoners appeared to be generally positive, respectful and friendly. Several prisoners on Trinity told us how much things have improved recently. A couple of prisoners elsewhere said that officers’ behaviour varied and that some scream and shout which encourages others to join in.
Clothing
This is one of WPIC’s priorities. We were pleased that men now seem to get a full kit when they arrive, with a change, and we were told that stores are audited and new stock ordered on a monthly basis.
The system for sending in clothes is still not working properly. The guidance on the website is still out of date (the garage has been demolished and the dropbox is no longer there) and does not give clear guidance to families on what items are acceptable and how the process works. There have also been problems with families sending clothes in for court appearances. The Governor investigated quickly the most recent case we raised with him but it is not the first and it suggests that it would be helpful to have specific guidance for families and staff on clothes for court appearances as well as more generally. We will be pursuing this further.
Heating and ventilation
There was no heating on A wing because the boilers were not working and we had the impression this was not uncommon. We were told that there is not always enough fuel for the back-up boiler on Trinity.
Staff told us it could get very hot on the fours (where a prisoner had died in December 2021 due to hyperthermia (heat stroke)). We were told there are air vents on the roof but this is not used in case the hydraulics fail and they won’t close, letting in the rain and pigeons. The Governor told us after our visit that the hydraulic problem with the roof vents has been fixed and we will explore further whether these will be used to lower the temperature during hot weather.
Safety
When prisoners ring their cell bells the light goes on outside the cell but the bell only sounds in the office. When there is only one officer on duty they would not necessarily see the light outside the cell. We were told they would hear the bell in the office even if they were elsewhere on the wing but would have to return to the office to find out where the bell was ringing.
We welcomed the latest figures which showed a 26% decrease in assaults over the last 6 months. While the number of prisoners self-harming has remained about the same, the number of self-harm incidents has reduced.
Fire
We asked about fire safety measures and were told that a mist was used rather than a hose to dampen smoke. At this point a prisoner in his cell who had overheard the conversation said that the ventilation point in his cell had been painted over. The Governor told us that the Crown Premises Inspection Service had undertaken a fire inspection in January and the only issue had been a fault with the alarms which had now been fixed. We remain concerned about fire safety and the lack of fire drills. The fact that there has not been a major fire for many years is not a good enough excuse. We have asked if we can see a copy of the Crown Premises Inspection Service report.
Showers
We saw two shower blocks on Trinity. In one block the showers were in a very poor condition and the smell was awful. A prisoner told us there is a pool of dirty water constantly because there is no underfloor drain. The other shower block had been painted and was better, but the lack of ventilation was still worrying. The state of the showers was one of the worst aspects of Trinity. In terms of access to showers, one prisoner on E wing said it had taken a week before he had access to a shower although staff told us prisoners on E wing had access to showers every day.
Healthcare
It was good to hear that the new healthcare centre is open and will be hosting clinics in a couple of weeks. One prisoner told us that he had not seen a neurological clinician in 3 years.
The disabled cells on C wing were spacious but could do with redecoration. One of the prisoners in a wheelchair told us that before moving to a disabled cell he had several months in a cell where he could not get out of the door, so clearly more disabled cells are needed.
We visited the mental health cells on Addison, 6 of which were being refurbished which is clearly desperately needed judging by the state of the remaining 6 cells. The head nurse explained to us that she is alerted by dispensing nurses if prisoners have not taken their normal meds for 3 days or straightaway for vital mental health control meds. She acknowledged that she and her team are able to assist 80-100 men across the prison which leaves many men with mental health needs without support.
What happens next?
We will continue to follow up our concerns including those relating to fire safety, ventilation and the arrangements for sending in clothing.
The Governor has invited WPIC to make a further visit in a couple of months’ time after the security audit and the Chief Inspector’s interim report. We have said that we would like to see the new health centre, the training rooms, the library, and the Pact House. We would also like to attend a meeting of the prison council and to have some opportunities to talk to prisoners at greater length, perhaps at the chess club, the book club or when they are waiting in the queue for the dentist or the optician.
We very much appreciate the Governor's invitation to visit the prison, the time that he and his staff gave us and their openness in answering our questions.