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Table 4 Catastrophic issues in prisons that arise from austerity programmes

From: Contextualising the pervasive impact of macroeconomic austerity on prison health in England: a qualitative study among international policymakers

Theme

Illustrative quotation

4a) Prisoners could not be released from their cells due to the lack of prison staff

Prisons in Dubai and Abu Dhabi [have not had] one suicide since 1995 … . All landings are locked, but all cells are left unlocked, so by day everyone can mix freely with each other. But in England, we insist on separating people and doing nothing. (Participant 13, Former head of a prison inspectorate)

4b) Deterioration of living conditions in prisons

I was shown [an English prison]. I looked at the level of dirt and the level of non-upkeep of material conditions; never mind the provision of services. It was really distressing to see. I expect to see conditions like that in some of the Balkan countries I'm working in. I do not expect to see conditions like that in England. It's sending a much bigger message rather than it simply being about austerity. It's sending the message that we just don't care. (Participant 4)

4c) Insurmountable challenges in controlling prisons

[W] hen you have lower number of staff, and fewer secure prisons where it is more stressful, people start looking to themselves and other structures, informal structures, especially gangs, for their security. (Participant 25, European human rights specialist)

4d) Declining level of health and well-being among prison staff

Often with male prison officers, there is a reluctance to actually take sick leave so as not to put pressure on colleagues who would have [to do] overtime. [It is] not always easy to talk about it. In France [which has experienced similar austerity measures to England], there is a high rate of suicides among prison staff, more than in the general national population. So, on health and safety, we can clearly see the impact has been extremely harmful. (Participant 8)