Tom Wheatley, president of the Prison Governors Association, said security systems in “dozens of prisons” were not fully operational, including “high-security prisons that house some of the most dangerous people”.
He told the Financial Times that surveillance cameras and alarm systems at some sites have been out of order for months or even years, making it difficult for limited maintenance funds to prevent them from becoming uninhabitable. The governors added that they were unable to secure the funds because the funds were being spent on public transportation.
His comments come amid a growing capacity crisis in Britain’s prisons, following a spate of high-profile escapes. In June 2024, an escapee from Kirklevington Grange prison was recaptured after a month on the run, and a prisoner who escaped from Wormwood Scrubs in July was found within days.
Former British soldier Daniel Khalif, who was convicted of spying for Iran in a high-profile case in November, has previously been on the run for four days after fleeing HMP Wandsworth by clinging to the underside of a truck. It continued.
Daniel Califf was captured in London after fleeing HMP Wandsworth ©via Metropolitan Police
Mr Wheatley’s warning provides a particularly worrying example of severe underinvestment in the upkeep of Britain’s prison facilities, some of which date back to Victorian times.
This highlights the extent of the crisis facing the government, despite promising to create thousands of new prisons. Prison officials have warned that a lack of investment means cells are falling out of use almost as quickly as new cells are being built.
Some 4,151 cells have been closed indefinitely in England and Wales since 2010, according to the National Audit Office, more than the total number added by the two most recent prisons.
The watchdog also found that between 2020 and September 2024, the estimated total amount of unpaid maintenance work in prisons in England and Wales doubled from £900m to £1.8bn.
Perimeter security systems are maintained on site by contractors, but more extensive repairs or replacements may require prisons to apply for additional state funding.
Mr Wheatley said: “We are aware that prisons have requested upgrades to perimeter CCTV (or alternative CCTV systems), but their requests have not been granted simply due to a lack of funding.” Ta.
He added: “Investment in maintaining systems such as heating is being prioritized so that cells can remain occupied.” It is not invested in anything else, including security concerns. ”
The Ministry of Justice declined to comment on how many prisons lack border security. Two people familiar with the matter said they do not keep up-to-date records of this information.
The Ministry of Justice said the new government “inherited a prison system in crisis, with crumbling infrastructure, dangerous prisons and staff working diligently under enormous pressure.”
The report points out that it has committed to investing £500m in maintaining prison and probation services between 2024 and 2026, adding: ‘We are now starting work on rebuilding our prisons. “I have,” he added.
