HM Prison Woodhill

History

Woodhill Prison opened in 1992, with a further unit added to the complex in 1996. In 1998, one wing of the prison was re-designated as a Close Supervision Centre for prisoners who are amongst the most difficult and disruptive in the prison system. Two years later, an inspection report from Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons criticised conditions in the Close Supervision Centre, stating that inmates being held there were being deprived of mental stimulation and human contact.

Inspections

A further inspection report in February 2003, stated that there were too few prison staff at Woodhill. The report also highlighted the prison's suicide monitoring as an area that needed improvement. However, the staff at the prison were praised for maintaining a positive attitude.

In February 2006, another inspection report from the Chief Inspector of Prisons criticised Woodhill Prison for poorly supporting at-risk prisoners and failing to bring in anti-bullying measures. The report also stated that staff in charge of youths held in the prison had not been trained or vetted to work with them.

The prison today

Woodhill is a category B Training Prison (listed as category A until 2020 when it was recategorised as category B) for male adults, with an adjacent unit for young offenders. The prison holds convicted prisoners from magistrates' courts along with foreign nationals awaiting deportation.

The regime at Woodhill includes full-time and part-time classes. Other features include a job club, and listener schemes. Woodhill also has a multi-faith full-time chaplaincy. There is a visitors' centre at the prison, run by the Prison Advice and Care Trust.

In 2017, Dr Elizabeth van Horn, an experienced prison psychiatrist, left her job at Woodhill and alleged that staff shortages prevented change. The courts, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman and the prison's independent monitoring board all expressed concerns over regular understaffing, too much reliance on agency and temporary staff, and assaults on both staff and inmates have also risen in the last few years as have suicides (see below). Van Horn claimed no real changes happened despite promises management made; they knew what needed to be done but did not know how to achieve improvements. Staff shortages meant prisoners were often locked in their cells for 23 hours a day, which added to stress for prisoners with mental health issues.

Suicides

There were seventeen suicides at Woodhill Prison between 2013 and late 2016. This was the highest suicide rate of any prison in the UK. Staff shortages and the complexity of the prison were blamed.

Woodhill's Independent Monitoring Board had warned over "significant problems" in the prison, due to "serious staff shortages" and "increased use of new psychoactive drugs", which made prisoners inclined to violence and self-harm. Coroners' reports have noted the jail repeatedly failed to meet requirements of national policy on suicide and emergency response.

References

References

1. {{HM prison. woodhill. Woodhill
2. . (24 May 2021). ["Oakhill Secure Training Centre"](https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/11/1027077). *Ofsted*.
3. . (October 2021). ["Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP Woodhill by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons"](https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2021/12/Woodhill-web-2021.pdf). *HM Inspectorate of Prisons*.
4. . (8 February 1998). ["Britain's own Alcatraz opens"](https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/54737.stm). *BBC News*.
5. . (22 March 2000). ["'Alcatraz' prison conditions criticised"](https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/685995.stm). *BBC News*.
6. . (19 February 2003). ["'Too few' staff at prison"](https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/2778087.stm). *BBC News*.
7. . (7 February 2006). ["Watchdog condemns suicides prison"](https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/beds/bucks/herts/4674862.stm). *BBC News*.
8. Buchanan, Michael. (22 May 2017). "Suicide jail failed to improve, says doctor". BBC News.
9. . (6 December 2016). ["Woodhill prison's suicide epidemic is by far the worst in the UK - but it's not the governor's fault, says expert"](http://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/our-region/milton-keynes/woodhill-prisons-s-suicide-epidemic-is-by-far-the-worst-in-the-uk-but-it-s-not-the-governor-s-fault-says-expert-1-7701863). *Milton Keynes Citizen*.
10. Goddard, Emily. (1 February 2017). "Why do so many inmates die at Woodhill prison?". The Guardian.