Watchdog Raises Concerns Over HMP Gartree

A watchdog has raised concerns about increasing violence at Gartree Prison and the crumbling fabric of the jail near Market Harborough.

The Independent Monitoring Board report highlights the creaking infrastructure of the aging jail, which houses over 550 male prisoners.

It states prisoner-on-prisoner assaults tripled during the reporting period to 75, while 55 members of staff were assaulted by inmates.

Earlier this month the Prison Officers Association revealed details of an incident in which a female officer suffered a broken wrist and a male officer was injured when a TV was thrown at him.

The IMB report also raises concerns about the influx of drugs and illicit items getting into the jail, mainly through the use of drones, while healthcare provision was branded ‘inadequate’.

Steve Martin is the IMB chair at Gartree and told HFM the condition of the prison is an on-going worry:

HMP Gartree

The Ministry of Justice says a ‘living conditions audit’ from July 2024 found that HMP Gartree is mostly compliant with the expected standard of living conditions.

It added the prison is investing funding in an ISFL (incentivised substance free living unit) which will offer support to prisoners who actively wish to recover and desist from using drugs and illicit items.

Additional recruitments has been made to the Safety team, including a further Custodial Manager, to support the management of violent and/or self-harming prisoners.

An MoJ spokesperson said: “This Government inherited a prison system in crisis – overcrowded, with drugs and violence rife – and we fully acknowledge the challenges at HMP Gartree.

“We have a zero-tolerance approach to drugs and are clamping down on illicit items through X-ray body scanners and restricted fly zones for drones.

“This is on top of landmark sentencing reforms announced last week to reduce pressure on our prisons.”