Today, Dame Anne Owers, Chief Inspector of Prisons, publishes reports of two inspections of Pentonville and Wandsworth prisons in May and June 2009. 

After the inspections, she discovered a concerted attempt by managers at both prisons to transfer a small number of prisoners between the two prisons for the duration of their respective inspections. Inspectors also established that two of the Wandsworth prisoners had self-harmed as a consequence

The Chief Inspector described the actions in both prisons as ‘irresponsible, pointless and potentially dangerous’, and the events at Wandsworth as ‘a dereliction of the prison’s duty of care to prisoners’.  The transfers had not in practice influenced inspectors’ findings - in fact, the consequence was to overshadow the considerable and undoubted progress made in both prisons over recent years. 

She said

Sadly for the many staff and managers who had worked hard to improve the two prisons, their efforts will inevitably be overshadowed by these events.  Instead, the inspections will be remembered for the unacceptable attempts, at managerial level, to subvert the inspection process at the expense of prisoners’ well-being.  This is deplorable, not only because of the effects on individuals, but because of the underlying mind-set: that prisoners are merely pieces to be moved around the board to meet performance targets or burnish the reputation of the prison.

Those involved in the decision and its implementation not only lost sight of their primary duty to those in their care, but also sent a message to more junior staff that prisoners’ wellbeing is negotiable – and this in a prison which had been struggling to change a negative staff culture, and where the levels of use of force by staff are still of concern.

In response to reports' publication Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said:

The integrity of the Prison Service and the independence of our Prisons Inspectorate are respected worldwide, so any actions that lead to prisoners being used as pawns in a game to undermine these institutions must be thoroughly investigated.

The dangerous and damaging dereliction of the duty of care to prisoners, and the lack of honesty and openness to the inspectorate, are profoundly disappointing to all those wanting decent, safe and effective prisons. 

This attempt to undermine the inspection process raises stark questions about whether all future prison inspections should be unannounced. 

Read and comment on Juliet Lyon's Comment is Free article for the Guardian on this issue here
 

Justice Secretary Jack Straw said:

The transfer of prisoners in an attempt to undermine the HMCIP
inspection process was disgraceful in its intent and in its execution.
In its misguided effort to present the prisons in a better light, it
neglected one of the service's primary responsibilities - to treat those
in its custody with decency and care.

Phil Wheatley, Director General of the National Offender Management
Service said:

The transfer of prisoners between Wandsworth and Pentonville and the
consequences of those transfers were completely unacceptable and a very
serious breach of the Prison Service's professional duty of care to
those in its custody.

That the purpose of this practice was to seek to manipulate the HMCIP's
inspection process is reprehensible.

You can read the report on Pentonville here and Wandsworth here