Prisoners have been making weapons for self-protection in a London youth jail where violence is so severe that 13 officers required hospital treatment after a disturbance.
A report by the Independent Monitoring Board for Feltham Young Offender Institution says that high levels of violence were a “real concern” throughout the past year.
It warned that “almost daily incidents” occurred in Feltham A, the part of the jail holding 15 to 18-year-olds, including assaults on staff and prisoners, and a “sharp increase” in self-harm over a two month period. One incident resulted in 13 officers being taken to hospital.
The report is the latest to expose extensive problems inside Feltham. An “urgent notification” requiring immediate action by the government was issued last summer by the chief inspector of prisons, Peter Clarke.
There were also problems in Feltham B, which holds 18 to 21-year-olds. The report says much of the violence was driven by gang conflict. The jail operated “keep apart” policies but many detainees said they still felt unsafe and some even made weapons to try to protect themselves.
