An inspection of HMP Leeds has raised “critical” concerns around the prison, which is facing a drug epidemic and a high rate of suicide.
A report into the problems HMP Leeds faces has been released by HM Inspectorate of Prisons, who say the prison faces a number of serious issues. The inspectors raised concerns about the number of suicides at Leeds, which has led to the prison having one of the highest rates in all adult men’s prisons over the past three years, with 16 suicides since 2022.
Since the inspection was carried out, there were a further two suicides. While leaders have taken steps to respond to the recommendations of the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, the prison still faces a serious problem.
A lack of day-to-day support for those at risk of self-harm was placing a number of vulnerable prisoners at risk, and was presenting a “serious threat to safety at the jail”.
In addition, the prison is facing a serious issue with drugs, as Leeds has the highest number of drug equipment finds, and the second highest number of drug finds, among reception prisons. In total, 37 per cent of the surveyed prisoners said they had a drug or alcohol problem, with 18 per cent saying they had developed this while in jail.
The substance misuse services at HMP Leeds, which is a category B reception and resettlement prison for men, were overstretched, and there was “too little to keep prisoners occupied during the day”. As a result, 40 per cent spent up to 22 hours a day locked up, and access to both education and work was limited.
Living conditions were also poor, the report pointed out, with 78 per cent of prisoners sharing overcrowded cells which were originally designed for one. The inspectors also said “inconsistent” staff relationships were a “further challenge”.
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, Charlie Taylor, said: “While some staff demonstrated care and professionalism, others were disengaged or unhelpful. One-to-one work with prisoners had stalled, with fewer than three per cent of planned sessions delivered in the previous six months, and far too little had been done to tackle the very high levels of homelessness on release.”
However, the prison’s governor was said to have a “clear vision” for the future of the prison, and they were working to change the culture. The inspectors also found a “rare and commendable” initiative for school-aged children to visit their fathers in the early evening.
Despite this, the problems at HMP Leeds meant the impact of this was limited, and outcomes for prisoners had “deteriorated across every healthy prison test since the last inspection”.
Charlie Taylor said: “Leeds has to cope with a high churn of prisoners with complex and challenging needs. The governor had set out priorities in consultation with staff and prisoners, and there was investment in leadership development and staff training.
“However, many of the concerns raised at our last inspection remained unaddressed and immediate action is required. Leaders must make sure that the needs of the most vulnerable prisoners are placed at the heart of this work to end the unacceptable numbers of suicides at the prison.”
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