Howard League responds to urgent notification for Manchester prison

The Howard League for Penal Reform has responded today (Thursday 10 October) after HM Inspectorate of Prisons invoked an urgent notification for Manchester prison.

Inspectors visited the prison in September and October 2024 and found it to be among the most violent of all jails in England and Wales, with squalid conditions and high rates of assaults, self-harm and illegal drug use. Since the last inspection, six people had died in circumstances recorded as self-inflicted. A further three deaths are suspected to be linked to drug misuse.

Andrew Neilson, Director of Campaigns at the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “Manchester, or Strangeways, is best known for the longest prison riot in British penal history, which took place there in 1990. That incident prompted a major inquiry into the squalid conditions in the prison system and, three decades later, we are back there again.

“Drugs are a scourge in prison, leading to debt and ultimately violence and self-harm. Security at Manchester prison must be tightened, clearly, but ultimately the way to combat drugs is to reduce demand for them. This means ensuring well-trained staff get men out of their cells and into activities that will help them to live healthily and move on from crime.

“This is the scale of the challenge confronting the new government. Instead of wasting resources on building new jails, we should focus on restoring order and decency to the ones we already have.”

Notes to editors  

1. The Howard League for Penal Reform is the oldest penal reform charity in the world. It is a national charity working for less crime, safer communities and fewer people in prison.
2. The urgent notification letter for Manchester prison is available on the HM Inspectorate of Prisons website. 

Contact 

Rob Preece
Communications Manager
Tel: +44 (0)7714 604955
Email: robert.preece@howardleague.org