Two 'worst' prisons win reprieve from privatisation

Two of the country's worst jails have escaped privatisation after promising dramatic improvements.

But the Prison Service yesterday said Dartmoor and Liverpool could still be handed over to the private sector if they fail to hit performance targets in the next five years.

Damning reports last year on the inmates' conditions prompted six-month performance tests at the jails.

Anne Owers, the Chief Inspector of Prisons, last year branded 700-inmate Dartmoor as the "prison that time forgot". Inmates in the segregation unit were found in an "appalling" wire cage.

Dartmoor yesterday agreed to make efficiency savings of £900,0000, to revise its anti-bullying strategy, encourage staff to use inmates' first names and to improve plans for resettling prisoners.

Ms Owers blamed an "unacceptable regime" at Liver pool on overcrowding and poor industrial relations. One wing for new prisoners was infested with cockroaches. The jail is the biggest in England and Wales with 1,500 inmates.

Liverpool is to make efficiency savings of £1.4 million, let prisoners take a daily shower, increase the amount of education and training and improve the hot water supply.

Martin Narey, the Home Office Commissioner for Correctional Services, said: "There have been advances at both prisons but there is still room for improvement.... The service level agreements will contain challenging targets.

"Penalties will be imposed for poor performance against the service level agreements and if the prison is ultimately failing to deliver, then I will not hesitate to ... contract out the prison."