Lags in troubled prison HMP Bedford claims it’s easier to get hold of drugs than bed sheets
- Standards have fallen to "unacceptable levels"
- The number of prisoners saying they had developed a drug problem while at the prison jumped ten per cent
PRISONERS at HMP Bedford are more likely to get hold of illegal drugs than bed sheets, according to a damning new report.
Standards have fallen to "unacceptable levels" at the jail, where the availability of drugs, including what were previously known as legal highs, is having a "serious impact" on safety.
The prisons watchdog report also found that self-harm incidents had increased "dramatically" and many inmates lived in cramped conditions.
It found furniture was damaged, showers were dirty and unscreened and there was a shortage of clothing.
Shockingly, the number of prisoners saying they had developed a drug problem while at the prison has jumped ten per cent.
related stories
It went from 4 per cent in the previous inspection in February 2014 to 14 per cent in the most recent May assessment.
The number of inmates who said it was easy or very easy to get drugs from inside prison almost doubled between the two reports.
Chief inspector of prisons Peter Clarke wrote: "The stark reality is that prisoners told us it was easier to get illegal drugs in the prison than it was to get clothes or sheets."
Of the 72 recommendations made in the 2014 report only 12 had been achieved in this year’s inspection and four had been partially achieved.
Mr Clarke said: "It is hard to understand how such an abject failure to address our previous clear recommendations has been allowed to happen.
"As a result, standards in the prison have declined to unacceptable levels.
"I am not suggesting that staff at HMP Bedford are not working hard - they clearly were, and some important things had been put in place to improve things in the future."
The stark reality is that prisoners told us it was easier to get illegal drugs in the prison than it was to get clothes or sheets
Peter Clarke
Frances Cook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, told the prison was "unsafe, overcrowded and understaffed", adding that it was "a good example of everything that is wrong with the prison system".
A Prison Service spokeswoman said prison safety was "fundamental" to the justice system and a "vital part" of plans for reform.
She added: "There are a number of factors, including the availability of psychoactive substances, that must be tackled. From today we are rolling out mandatory nationwide testing of synthetic drugs, which will help to end the flow of these dangerous drugs into our prisons.
"The Secretary of State is determined to make sure our prisons are safe and places of reform and will announce further measures this autumn."
She said HMP Bedford is taking action to address the level of substance misuse.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368.