Prison with ‘worst conditions ever’ sees dramatic improvement after population slashed by nearly half

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A jail that was deemed by prison inspectors to have the “worst conditions ever seen” has made a dramatic improvement after its population was reduced by nearly half. “The problem is that there are many jails like Liverpool, and moving men from one struggling prison to another does not address the issues in the system as a whole; it merely causes pressure to build elsewhere,” said Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform. “Sensible steps to reduce the population in prisons across England and Wales would help to deliver the lasting impact we all want to see.” An analysis of government figures by the Howard League for Penal Reform last year showed three in five men’s prisons were holding more people than they are certified to look after, with more than 18,000 prisoners living in cells designed for fewer people. In the previous inspectorate report on HMP Liverpool, living conditions were described as “among the worst inspectors had ever seen” – with broken windows, filthy blocked lavatories, graffiti, damp, dirt, rodents and insects – while violence had increased and drugs were readily available.