Prison with ‘squalid’ cells to receive urgent improvements, minister announces

Prisons minister Lord James Timpson said violence and illicit drug use at HMP Rochester were at ‘dangerously high levels’.

The prison is creating a new curriculum to get more prisoners into training and education (PA) (PA Archive)

Urgent improvements are to take place at a prison where “endemic” drug use and increasing violence was found by inspectors, a Government minister has said.

Staff training and the refurbishment of cells in “squalid” conditions are among the measures announced for HMP Rochester in Kent.

The prison received an “urgent notification” earlier this month as concerns were raised by the chief inspector of prisons.

According to the Ministry of Justice, this warning marked the first category C prison, and fourth prison overall, in the last year to receive the worst possible result under the prisons inspection framework.

Violence and illicit drug use is at dangerously high levels and cells are in squalid conditions

Lord James Timpson, prisons minister

Following the visit, inspectors flagged that the facility was failing in its rehabilitative purpose with less than a third of inmates in purposeful activity during the working day, while accommodation was said to be “some of the worst conditions seen in recent years”.

Prisons minister Lord James Timpson said: “This report is yet another example of the prison crisis we inherited. Violence and illicit drug use is at dangerously high levels and cells are in squalid conditions.

“We are taking immediate action to improve conditions at HMP Rochester, offering additional support for our hard-working staff and addressing the drivers of violence.”

The prison is creating a new curriculum to get more prisoners into training and education, and priority cells, showers and windows will be refurbished immediately for staff and inmates, a spokesperson said.

The Prison Service will also assess the prison’s security measures to tackle drug use and give extra urgent support to senior leaders, the spokesperson added.

The urgent notification process was introduced in 2017 to make sure immediate action was taken to address serious concerns raised by inspectors.