Children’s prison named UK’s most violent jail

A prison for troubled children has been called the most violent prison in the country by a watchdog.

Feltham Young Offenders Institution, which houses children aged 15 to 18, has sparked concerns after an investigation found that six times more violence was reported at the west London site than at one of the UK’s most dangerous adult prisons.

Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor said he was “very concerned” after a watchdog found 410 violent incidents at Feltham A over a 12-month period involving 84 children, equating to a rate of 488 incidents per 100 children.

In contrast, the latest inspection of HMP Bedford – one of the most violent adult prisons – found that the rate of violence was 80.6 incidents per 100 prisoners.

In a report published on Tuesday, Mr Taylor said: “It was disappointing to come back and find that there had been a deterioration in standards, with levels of violence now the highest of any prison in the country.”

Inspectors found high levels of violence and an increase in self-harm when they visited Feltham A in March.

Incidents of disorder have “tripled” since the last inspection, with the latest report detailing the volatile situation the watchdog found behind bars.

There was a “dramatic increase” in the number of assaults and serious incidents last summer, leading to the closure of the educational block for several weeks.

Rather than being assigned to classes with children with similar interests and abilities, the boys were assigned to classes based on which other inmates they would not fight with, based on the results.

The watchdog also expressed “major” concerns about the “worrying and prolonged” segregation of some child prisoners, noting that seven children had been separated for more than 50 days, and two of them for more than 100 days.

Mr Taylor’s report is the latest in a series of concerns raised over the years about the high-profile YOI inquiry.

The government suspended sending children to Feltham A in 2019 after the then chief inspector of prisons demanded immediate action due to an “extraordinary” decline in security levels. The move came after a report revealed an increase in violence and self-harm at the prison.

Mr Taylor added: “We were very concerned to see how badly Feltham A had deteriorated over the last two years, but it was thanks to the governor and his management team that there were signs that they had managed to arrest that decline.

“The frontline staff, for their part, have been a real asset to the prison and have managed to maintain incredibly positive and supportive relationships with even the most difficult children in their care, despite the violence that surrounded them.”

The Justice Department has been contacted for comment.

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