More and more jailbirds are making hooch in their cells as confiscations soar.
Warders seized 522 illegal home brew set-ups in 2021/22.
HMP Swaleside on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, was the booziest site with 80 alcohol distilling kits found and 391 booze stashes. Brew set-up finds in jails in 2021/22 were up from 90 in 2015/16 and Ministry of Justice data shows alcohol finds rose from 1,368 to 8,703 in that time.
Lags ferment hooch in buckets and bottles using fruit, water, sugar and bread. It can be stronger than wine and has led to riots. The huge rise in liquor abuse came during lockdowns when prisoners were confined to cells.
Andrew Neilson, of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “These restrictive regimes have continued due to staff shortages.
“Substance abuse can only be worsened due to isolation and a lack of meaningful engagement with education, employment or training.”
Shadow Justice Secretary Steve Reed, who unearthed the figures, said: “This Government has lost control of the prisons.”
The Prison Service said: “We are finding more contraband and have stopped 20,000 smuggling attempts thanks to our £100million security investment.”
