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Abstract

Pentonville Prison should be knocked down and rebuilt if urgent investment is not forthcoming, an explosive report by the prison’s own monitoring board claimed yesterday (Thursday).

The Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) report urged new Justice Secretary Liz Truss to get a grip on problems at the “decrepit” 174-year-old prison in Caledonian Road.

The report paints a grim picture of life inside an institution deemed “unfit for the 21st century”. It details:

• Criminal gangs exploiting the “shoddy” state of prison windows by sending small, almost silent drones to drop off drugs, mobile phones and other contraband to prisoners.

• Delays to building maintenance and procurement, leaving cells out of action for days; chronic shortages of basic kit such as towels, toothbrushes and soap; and a lift for wheelchair access to the visits hall being out of action for six months.

• Staff shortages causing mental health assessments to take place through locked cell doors.

The report comes less than a week after the Tribune revealed that five prisoners have taken their own lives within Pentonville’s walls within just 18 months. Figures released by the government yesterday show prison suicides and the level of assaults in jails were at an all-time high in the last year.

A glimmer of hope in the Pentonville report shows it has bucked the national trend of increasing violence, with a reduction in the period 2015-16 – 847 incidents compared with 870 the previous year.

The report highlights two threats, the formerly legal drug Spice and drones, which are plaguing prisons across the country.

Members of the IMB report seeing prisoners collapse after taking Spice in Pentonville.

“Spice is driving a whole illicit economy, violence, self-harm and bullying,” the report states. “Pentonville’s security team works with police and uses drugs dogs to make every effort to stop Spice and other contraband getting in. But it is like holding a hand up against the incoming tide, when dilapidated windows in this ancient building make most parts of it porous.”

The report calls for the windows on the most exposed aspects of the prison to be replaced immediately while pointing out that plans to do so have been in place for two years.

“Only 10 windows have been replaced,” it says. “ And not 10 of the worst because the glazing units were the wrong size. One hundred more are supposed to follow. Everyone is waiting.”

Outsourced procurement and buildings maintenance firm Carillion has repeatedly failed to respond on time to jobs, the report states.

“This is distressing for prisoners and families and frustrating for staff. The board doubts that a problem with wheelchair access to the Ministry of Justice would be allowed to languish for six months,” it adds.

Well-documented staff shortages and overcrowding have led to a series of problems, including prisoners being confined to cells and being unable to access basic education, vocational workshops or the library.

A Carillion spokesman said: “In the case of Pentonville Prison we have tackled issues relating to the operation of the stores and recruited new staff. The lift was out of action for a period of time but during this time an alternative provision was made available for visitors.”

A Prison Service spokesman said: “Staff are working hard to address the concerns raised in the report and liaising with local police to tackle the threat of drugs entering the prison.

“As the Justice Secretary has made clear, there are a number of factors, including the availability of psychoactive substances, which must be tackled in order to make our prisons safe and places of rehabilitation.”