The treatment of prisoners with mental health problems is a national shame | Eric Allison

Record levels of self-harm and deaths reflect the poor mental health provision in our jails. Liverpool prison’s leaked report shows how bad things are

The news that living conditions at Liverpool prison are the worst that jail inspectors have ever seen will come as no surprise to anyone who has spent time there. The gaunt Victorian pile on Hornby Road, in the Walton area of the city, was always known as the dirtiest jail in the system.

Most of the old jails have a cockroach problem, but Liverpool took the infestation to a new low, with cell floors carpeted with them, as they came out at night to feed off the crumbs. I experienced those conditions some 20 years ago. With prison budgets still reeling from the cuts imposed by former justice secretary Chris Grayling, it can hardly be imagined that conditions have improved since my time there. According to a leaked report on Liverpool, some areas of the jail were so filthy and hazardous they were beyond cleaning.

Related: Conditions at Liverpool prison the worst ever inspected, says report

Prisoners miss an average of 15% of medical appointments because there are not enough staff to escort them

Related: Violence and self-harm in UK prisons continue to surge

Continue reading... December 20, 2017 at 04:14PM