Illegal drugs “appear to be readily available” in Wrexham’s super prison and a fifth of prisoners are fearful of violence, an independent report has found.
Prisoners at HMP Berwyn, which will be Europe’s largest prison when fully operational, expressed fears over reprisals for drug debt within the facility, with some so scared they are taking refuge in the prison’s separation unit.
The report, published by the Independent Monitoring Board, also found that prisoners were treated “fairly and with decency” overall with those locked up standing a good chance of rehabilitation if they get on board with the prison’s aims.
However, those monitoring the prison said there were some areas they were concerned about.
They said: “The board has very real concerns at the ingress of illicit drugs, which appear to be readily available within the establishment and would ask that all steps are taken to minimise the issue.
“A local Violence Reduction Survey was conducted in January 2018.
“In response to a series of questions 81 per cent of the men who completed the survey said that they felt safe at Berwyn.
“However, that indicates almost 20 per cent who did not.
“Men identified drugs and resultant debt as being the most common reason for incidents of violence.”
The report added that they were provided verbal evidence from prisoners who had “become so affected by drugs and resultant debt issues that they feel that their only option is ‘to take refuge’ in the Care and Separation Unit”.
They added that a policy whereby prescribed medication can be withdrawn if somebody tests positive to illegal drugs when arriving in the prison.
The board said that this could cause prisoners to “self medicate” with illegal drugs and fall into debt.
Overall, the board had praise for a number of areas of work being carried out at the prison, particularly on their emphasis for reforming offenders.
They added: “The emphasis on humane treatment comes right from the top and informs all key decisions.
“An enormous amount of work has been carried out to prepare men for release and resettlement.
“The setting up and operation of Berwyn is still work in progress, with the establishment working towards finding and maintaining the right balance between rehabilitation and security, between rewards and sanctions and between freedom and control, in order to make it an enduringly safe and rehabilitative prison.”
Prisons Minister Rory Stewart said: “The Independent Monitoring Board has rightly recognised the excellent work done by the Governor and his staff at HMP Berwyn.
“I’m delighted the prison has been praised for the great job it is doing reforming offenders, helping them to learn new skills and working closely with local employers to find jobs for them when they are released.
“The high rates of drug use by prisoners remains a serious issue. We’re already taking action to combat this including training sniffer dogs, rolling out body scanners and investing £14 million a year to disrupt organised crime in prison.”
