Posted:
27.11.2024 12:51:00
Independent: British prison inmates suffer from rats, cockroaches, spiders
Inmates in British prisons are beset by rats, bloodsucking parasites, and venomous spiders, signaling the deteriorating overall condition of the country’s prison estate, RIA Novosti reports
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Citing observers, the British Independent paper stated that, “Vermin infestations are an ‘acute issue’ […], with inspectors describing cockroach invasions, biting flies living in the showers, dead rodents rotting on the wings and cells taken out of use due to bedbugs.”
According to the publication, a rat infestation in one prison was so bad, the kitchen had to be temporarily closed down in April 2024 for three months. Prisoners had to resort to sandwiches and, on one evening, freeze-dried army-grade rations. An inmate in another facility was bitten by a venomous spider known as the ‘false widow’.
The report details another problem in British prisons: roof leaks and flooding caused by delays in maintenance and repairs. Broken heating systems and poor ventilation also cause issues
The Independent cites James Timpson, the prisons minister, who called the report ‘very concerning’, adding that it ‘highlights the shocking extent of the [British] prison crisis’.
Due to the recent anti-migrant riots, the prison population in England and Wales reached numbers unheard of since 2011. Presently, about 89,000 people are serving time in those two British regions.
Citing observers, the British Independent paper stated that, “Vermin infestations are an ‘acute issue’ […], with inspectors describing cockroach invasions, biting flies living in the showers, dead rodents rotting on the wings and cells taken out of use due to bedbugs.”
According to the publication, a rat infestation in one prison was so bad, the kitchen had to be temporarily closed down in April 2024 for three months. Prisoners had to resort to sandwiches and, on one evening, freeze-dried army-grade rations. An inmate in another facility was bitten by a venomous spider known as the ‘false widow’.
The report details another problem in British prisons: roof leaks and flooding caused by delays in maintenance and repairs. Broken heating systems and poor ventilation also cause issues
The Independent cites James Timpson, the prisons minister, who called the report ‘very concerning’, adding that it ‘highlights the shocking extent of the [British] prison crisis’.
Due to the recent anti-migrant riots, the prison population in England and Wales reached numbers unheard of since 2011. Presently, about 89,000 people are serving time in those two British regions.
