Nacro’s comment in response to the latest report on HMP Brixton by the HM Chief Inspector of Prisons following an unannounced inspection:
“The latest HMP Brixton report underscores how the impact of a prison system in crisis extends far beyond the prison walls and into our communities.
It is deeply concerning to see the proliferation of drug use across the prison estate. The ease of access to drugs, coupled with soaring rates of mental illness and overcrowded conditions all serve to undermine the safety of people in prison. We see further how substance misuse in prison can undermine rehabilitation efforts and lead to additional challenges for people on their release.
With over 140 men being released each month from HMP Brixton, it is unacceptable that people are leaving prison without having had access to accredited behaviour programmes, education, or employment opportunities during their time inside that are crucial to their successful reintegration into society.
We know that the issues highlighted in the report are not unique to HMP Brixton – reports on prisons across the country lay bare the reality of a system struggling to cope.
At Nacro, we know that without access to skills training, education, or vital support for mental health and substance misuse, people leaving prison are more likely to reoffend. The failure to provide these most basic services, in prisons across the country, poses increased and unnecessary risk to the safety of our communities.
The HMP Brixton report shatters any illusion that prisons are places of rehabilitation. It ought to serve as a further wakeup call to the Government – if one is needed – that if we want safer communities, they must take urgent action to invest in a prison system currently on the brink of collapse.”
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We operate in more than 40 prisons and provide services across England and Wales. We help 28,000 people across our services each year and run the CAS-2 service for the Government housing people coming out of prison on bail or licence. We work with people at every stage of the criminal justice system, from liaison and diversion services in police custody and courts, to resettlement into the community after prison. We use the insights from our services and the experiences of the people we support to campaign together for a criminal justice system which better serves us all. We’ve been working in this field for more than 50 years.