Prisons in Britain are facing overcrowding, staff shortages and a spate of violence as a former chief inspector of prisons warns that jails are a tinderbox that could ignite at any time.
Nick Hardwick said there are too many prisoners and too little staff - leaving the jail system at breaking point where prisons are vulnerable to riots.
It comes as the Government has adopted emergency measures in a bid to reign prisons, including the release of offenders 60 days early and delaying sentencing hearings.
There were less than 500 places available in men’s jails across England and Wales last month.
A former chief inspector of prisons warns that Britain is 'very close to the conditions prior to the 1990 riots in Strangeways'
Getty
"We are very close to the conditions prior to the 1990 riots in Strangeways. It’s a dangerous time. You’ve got a general level of frustration, so if you get a spark, that’s when stuff will kick off," Hardwick told The Times.
The population in prisons has surged by 93 per cent over the last 30 years.
Hardwick added: "You’ve got prisoners spending most of their time locked in their cells, 20 hours-plus a day, and you’ve got great levels of violence.
"I was in Wandsworth a bit before the escape and it was obvious that it was going to happen. They just didn’t have the staff to run it.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
"I’m very used to going into prisons and I thought, ‘This is just not a safe place.’ It was out of control. I’m not surprised that someone manages to evade security and get out."
As a result of increased overcrowding, the chances of rehabilitation are low with a third of adults released reoffending.
Tom Wheatley, president of the Prison Governors Association said staff feel demoralised.
"It would be fair to say we’ve been through periods like this before, but there’s always been a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. There doesn’t appear to be the light at the end of the tunnel at the moment," he said.
There were less than 500 places available in men’s jails across England and Wales last month
PA"Either the government have to spend a greater proportion of public money on prisons to allow us to cope with all the people that they’re sending to prison, or government need to consider whether you need to send as many people to prison for as long."
Pia Sinha, chief executive of the Prison Reform Trust described a "perfect storm" in prisons.
"You’ve got a staffing crisis combined with an overcrowding crisis, which leads to poor purposeful activity, which then leads to a greater demand for drugs, because if you’re not doing anything, you’re bored," she said.
"So it increases criminality in prisons. And the estate is crumbling. You have a disintegrating Victorian infrastructure. So all of that — without being alarmist — is when you get riots and disorder. This is what has happened in the past."
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "This Government is delivering the biggest prison expansion programme since the Victorian era – including opening two new prisons in two years – to help rehabilitate offenders and keep our streets safe.
"At the same time, our efforts to boost staffing means there are 4,800 more frontline officers than in 2017 and our £100m investment into tough security measures is helping clamp down on the contraband that fuels violence behind bars."