Inspectors step up snap prison visits

The Chief Inspector of Prisons will greatly increase the frequency of his unannounced swoops on the prisons of England and Wales. Sir David Ramsbotham said he would inspect more than one jail a week after being promised an extra £400,000 by the Home Secretary, Jack Straw.

The Chief Inspector of Prisons will greatly increase the frequency of his unannounced swoops on the prisons of England and Wales. Sir David Ramsbotham said he would inspect more than one jail a week after being promised an extra £400,000 by the Home Secretary, Jack Straw.

Sir David said the money would allow him to make 20 more annual inspections, a total of 60. He is keen on extra snap inspections, giving the prison no warning. Jail staff have been angered by scathing reports from the Chief Inspector, criticising senior management and uniformed officers. One report on Wormwood Scrubs in west London talked of "evil" in the regime and described officers as having a "destructive, unco-operative and self-seeking attitude".

More highly critical reports are expected next month on treatment of inmates at Wandsworth prison, south London, and the close supervision centre at Woodhill prison in Buckinghamshire.

Yesterday Mark Healy, the chairman of the Prison Officers' Association, said he hoped the extra inspections would enable Sir David to take a more "balanced" view. He added: "The Chief Inspector appears to be operating in a knee-jerk reaction to everything that is untoward. He needs to take a more balanced approach and be less sensational in his reporting."

The Chief Inspector said Mr Straw had been happy to give him the extra resources because Martin Narey, the director general of the Prison Service, believed the jail system had a positive story to tell.

Sir David said: "He feels we tend to go round more of his failing prisons than his successful ones. He feels we could be accused of giving an unbalanced picture."

All 150 prisons and detention centres in England and Wales will have a full inspection, including a follow-up visit, every five years. Some prisons have not been inspected for more than seven years.