High rates of violence at new prison, report says

High rates of violence and "significant" drug use have been uncovered at a new prison in Leicestershire, inspectors say.

Inmates at HMP Fosse Way in Glen Parva, Leicestershire, told His Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) that they felt unsafe during an unannounced inspection in March.

Data showed there had been a "steady rise" in violence at the prison which opened in 2023, over the 12 months before the inspection, with violence against staff also increasing.

While the inspection revealed "significant concerns" over safety, inspectors rated three other areas - respect, purposeful activity and preparation for release - as "reasonably good".

The visit was the first review of the service - which is run privately by Serco - since it opened in 2023, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

Inspectors said they found "illicit drugs" were "widely available" at the prison, and added it was a "threat to the stability" of the centre.

They said such items were being brought in through the gate by staff or prisoners, or being thrown over the fence, but acknowledged that steps had been taken to crackdown on the issue.

The report added that tackling the issues had been identified as "a priority" by prison leadership, but said that "not enough" was being done to address demand for drugs or provide for those who engaged with substance misuse

It added that leaders had taken "decisive action" to deal with "staff corruption" with several of staff "arrested or dismissed".

Some 42% of prisoners said they had experienced "bullying or victimisation" in the prison compared to 29% in similar centres.

There were also about 360 new charges brought against prisoners each month, most of which were for possession of unauthorised articles, incidents of violence and positive drug test results, according to the LDRS.

HMIP said staff often "failed" to reinforce the standard of behaviour needed to make prisoners feel safe.

However, the prison was praised for the amount of time prisoners were able to be out of their cells, and the "wide range" of education, work and training opportunities provided.

There was also praise for the range of activities available to inmates, and prisoners were encouraged to stay in touch with their families, the report added.

Ultimately, inspectors said that leaders and staff "should be congratulated on what they had achieved so far" and "encouraged to maintain the momentum they have created".

Wyn Jones, prison director for Serco, said the company was "overall pleased" with the findings.

He said: "Our focus remains on ensuring our prison is safe and we have an action plan in place to improve this.

"This includes an accommodation strategy for prisoners who feel unsafe to move to quieter house blocks.

"Our zero-tolerance approach to drugs in the prison continues and our work with the police has led to a significant reduction in the availability of drugs within Fosse Way."

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