Appalling, dilapidated, and covered with blood spatter and graffiti, along with some extensive scratches on the walls reflecting the distress of previous residents. This is how cells were described by the chief inspector of prisons following an unannounced inspection of Eastwood Park prison in South Gloucestershire.
The damning report on the inspection, which took place in October 2022, and which has just been released, highlighted shocking details about the prison which found 83 per cent of women in the prison spoke about suffering from mental health difficulties. The priority concerns in the report included “very high rates of self-harm” and two self-inflicted deaths since the last inspection in May 2019.
One experienced inspector described one of the units, ‘Houseblock 4’ as “the worst he had seen”. This unit housed women who were kept under supervision, in segregation, or awaiting transfer to a secure mental health facility.
