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Prison Service slams "cushy" jail claims

25/04/2008

Inmates in Britain's jails do not enjoy a "cushy" lifestyle, a spokesperson for the Prison Service has insisted.

The comment follows claims from the Prison Officer Association (POA) that prisoners were enjoying their lifestyle so much they were not attempting to escape, even when given the opportunity to do so.

He alleged a drug-dealer at HMP Everthorpe supplied drugs to prisoners through a fake grille, which inmates were aware of but did not use to make their own escape.

"It tells me there's something wrong in society when people are breaking into prison but the prisoners are quite happy to stay inside," Mr Travis said.

"Drugs are coming into prisons at a rate so dramatic that drugs in prisons are actually cheaper than on the outside."

The Prison Service spokesperson described the suggestion that prison is "cushy" as "ludicrous".

But she added that neither did prisons run "harsh regimes" as such a strategy would not help efforts to drive down re-offending rates.

"The comments by POA undermine the excellent work done by prison officers — their own members," she said.

"The POA's description of prisons is out of touch with reality."

The Prison Service insisted its fundamental stability in the last ten years was a strong record reflecting the hard work of its staff.

And it rejected claims by Mr Travis that some areas of prisons are no-go for staff as "simply not true".