Inmates at Shropshire’s young offenders institution are joining gangs and using weapons in fights while in custody, a report released today reveals.

The warning comes from the Independent Monitoring Board for Stoke Heath YOI, near Market Drayton, and reveals that inmates have scalded each other and there has been one slashing.

The IMB’s annual report is the second critical analysis of the running of the centre this month after Dame Anne Owers, Chief Inspector of Prisons, said in her report that processes for the support of young adults in the early days in custody were inadequate.

Now the IMB report has lifted the lid on further problems at the unit, which caters for young adults aged 18 to 21 and also under 18s on the same site.

Challenge

The report by Val Meachin, chairwoman of the IMB, said in one incident the arrival of an influx of detainees from a prison in the south of England resulted in “unrest” which had to resolved by moving problem inmates out.

She added: “Gang membership within the establishment continues to cause concern but prompt active management by staff helps keep it under control.

“Throughout the year problems between gangs have been a continuing challenge to the staff, the lack of effective sanction being a significant problem.

“There have been a number of scalding incidents and a severe slashing.

“There has recently been a weapons amnesty, which produced good results.”

The report tells of “an obviously vulnerable trainee transferred in from the south of England who, on arrival, was dismayed to see one of his alleged assailants.”

Further problems include the distance between inmates’ homes and the unit, causing some to go months without visits from friends and family.

The report also cites a lack of respect shown by inmates to staff resulting in low staff morale.

It said this was causing young adults to miss out on some of their training and education due to high levels of staff sickness.

But the IMB report said the unit was doing good work to improve race relations and improve understanding of diversity.

By Tom Johannsen