A troubled youth offenders institution is now the most violent prison in England after a “dramatic” increase in disorder, a watchdog has warned.
It follows a report by Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor which shows there was six times more violence at Feltham A in Hounslow, London, than at one of the most violent adult prisons in England and Wales.
There were 410 violent incidents at Feltham A, which holds boys aged between 15 and 18, within a 12-month period from 84 children – equating to a rate of 488 incidents per 100 children.
By contrast, the latest inspection of HMP Bedford found the rate of violence was calculated at 80.6 incidents per 100 prisoners.
Inspectors found high levels of violence and rising self-harm when they visited Feltham A in March, with incidents of disorder having “tripled” since the last inspection.
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The report details how there was a “dramatic increase” in the number of assaults and serious incidents at the prison last summer which led to the education block being shut down for several weeks.
Rather than attending lessons with children who had similar interests and abilities, boys were assigned to classes based on which other inmates they would not fight with, according to the findings.
The report lso raised “major” concerns about the “worryingly prolonged” segregation of some of the child prisoners, highlighting how seven boys had been separated for more than 50 days, and two of them for more than 100.
The prisons watchdog wrote in his report: “It was disappointing to return to find there had been a deterioration in standards with levels of violence now the highest of any prison in the country.”
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Mr Taylor also wrote that although he was “very concerned” to find how the prison had “deteriorated in the past two years”, it was to the “credit of the governor and her leadership team that there were signs that they had managed to arrest this decline”.
He added: “Frontline staff, meanwhile, were a real asset to the jail and had managed to maintain impressively positive and supportive relationships with even the most challenging children in their care despite the violence around them.”
Mr Taylor’s report is the latest in a string of concerns raised about the high-profile youth offenders institution over the years.
The government halted sending children to Feltham A in 2019 when the then chief inspector of prisons demanded immediate action over an “extraordinary” plunge in safety levels.
It came after a report found a surge in violence and self-harm at the jail.
The site in Hounslow also houses Feltham B – a Category C prison and youth offenders institution for men aged over 18.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “The criminal justice system is in crisis and as this report clearly shows, this is placing great strain on the youth estate.
“As the Chief Inspector recognises in his report, the governor and frontline staff are now making every effort to drive improvements and reduce violence.
“But we know there is much more to do and we are committed to increasing the support these children need to turn their lives around.”