Prison overcrowding: HMP Oakwood to convert single cells into doubles to make room for 500 extra inmates
The prison, which is operated by the private company G4S, will see its official operating capacity rise by almost a third from July, which campaigners say is a recipe for overcrowding and violence
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Inmates at the UK’s largest privately-run jail are to start sharing cells from this summer after the Government ordered it to make room for another 500 prisoners, in a move described by campaigners as a recipe for overcrowding and violence.
HMP Oakwood near Wolverhampton, which is operated by the private company G4S, is to see its official operating capacity rise by almost a third from July. The increase will bring the number of prisoners held at the jail from 1,600 to 2,106.
The move will result in some single cells designed to hold one inmate being converted into double rooms, which prison campaigners said was a risky strategy given the jail’s history of problems. A year after Oakwood opened in 2012, inspectors said inmates found it easier to obtain drugs than bars of soap.
In 2014, a specialist team had to be called into the prison to restore order after what G4S described as “concerted indiscipline” by up to 20 inmates. An unnamed prison officer later described the disturbances as a “full-scale riot” during which prisoners took control of an entire wing.
Andrew Neilson, director of campaigns at the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “Oakwood’s problems have been well documented. Bloating this prison with 500 more men, many of whom will be forced to share cells that were built for one, will put even more pressure on its staff and resources.
“The lessons from other overcrowded prisons are clear. When education, work and training opportunities become scarce and prisoners spend longer locked in their cells, violence rises. Instead of cramming ever more people into already dangerous prisons, the Government should stem the flow and reform sentencing.”
In anticipation of the increase in prisoner numbers ordered by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), G4S has already started recruiting extra officers to staff Oakwood. The extra inmates will start to arrive in groups from July, to avoid the prison being forced to cope with 500 new arrivals at once.
Jerry Petherick, managing director for G4S custodial and detention services, said: “Decisions about the allocation of prisoners are made by the Ministry of Justice. Our priority is the safety of our staff and those they look after and we are working to recruit and train additional staff and expand our work and education placements accordingly.
“We are committed to working with the Ministry of Justice, local agencies and partners from across the criminal justice system so that every prisoner at Oakwood has access to opportunities which equip them to turn away from crime when they leave custody.”
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “We are committed to making best use of our prison estate, in order to properly rehabilitate offenders and maximise value for the taxpayer. That is why HMP Oakwood will soon accommodate additional prisoners to make use of vacant places. We will never compromise on the safety of our staff or prisoners and will take a carefully phased approach when moving prisoners around the estate.”