UK Parliament's Public Accounts Committee said in a report released on Friday that prisoners in England and Wales are being held in unsafe and crowded conditions because the UK Prison Service has failed to fulfill its promise to improve prison conditions by 2020
LONDON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th September, 2020) UK Parliament's Public Accounts Committee said in a report released on Friday that prisoners in England and Wales are being held in unsafe and crowded conditions because the UK Prison Service has failed to fulfill its promise to improve prison conditions by 2020.
"Despite promises to create 10,000 new-for-old prison places by 2020, just 206 new places have been delivered so far, and prisoners continue to be held in unsafe, crowded conditions that do not meet their needs," the parliamentary committee said.
The report also concluded that "the Prison Service has been operating hand to mouth, by reacting to immediate crises rather than developing a long-term strategy for the prison estate."
It said that as a result of the ministry of justice's inability to contract maintenance services has resulted in a staggering backlog that will cost more than �900 million ($1.1 billion) to address, also meaning that 500 prison places are permanently closed each year due to their poor condition.
"The poor condition of many prisons, coupled with high levels of overcrowding, are contributing to dangerously high levels of violence and self-harm in prisons," the report added.
The members of the parliamentary committee overseeing government spending also voiced their disappointment with the "inadequate importance" placed on the living conditions of female prisoners.
"Despite women making up 5% of the prison population, the Ministry was unable to answer basic questions about the female prison estate or demonstrate that conditions in these prisons are adequate for the needs and safety of prisoners," it said.
The report said that as of June 26, 2020, there were 79,393 people in prison in England and Wales across the 117 prisons within the prison estate.
