Muslim gangs hold sway at one of the most violent and drug-ridden prisons in Britain, watchdogs have warned.
Chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor has served an urgent notification for HMP Swaleside in Kent after discovering dangerously unsafe conditions for prisoners and staff in an unannounced visit earlier this month.
Mr Taylor said the prison was ‘filthy’, rife with drugs and had a ‘pervasive sense of despair’, leading him to give it the ‘worst scores of any jail in my five years as chief inspector’.
The jail’s Independent Monitoring Board previously raised concerns about ‘religious gangs’ at the facility, where a third of inmates are Muslim.
‘A recurring theme is the perception of widespread violence, including bullying by both prisoners and staff, as well as unchecked gang control, particularly by religious gangs, which many prisoners report feeling powerless and unsafe against,’ the IMB said.
Their report noted that there was evidence of rival gangs fighting over drugs, racist comments and discrimination against Jewish prisoners.
The IMB described violence as a ‘constant theme’ and called the manufacturing of blades on site ‘ominous’.
There were 107 assaults on staff over a three-month period, with 70 per cent triggered by officers giving instructions.
Six inmates were attacked on their first night at the prison.
In his own inspection, Mr Taylor found inmates at the Category B jail who were too frightened to go to health appointments or use the gym because of fears of violence.
Writing to Justice Secretary David Lammy to issue his urgent notification, Mr Taylor described ‘very high levels of violence’ as affecting every aspect of prison life, with a third of prisoners surveyed saying they had been assaulted and three quarters felt unsafe.
Drug-taking was ‘rife’, drones were regularly dropping contraband into the prison, including knives, and inspectors also saw widespread graffiti, fire damage, broken furniture and mouldy showers.
Attempts to restore order were also described as ‘wholly insufficient and inhumane’ as a new regime allowed 44 per cent of the prison’s inmates out of their cells for only 30 minutes on most weekdays.
Mr Taylor also said it was ‘shameful’ such a risky prison had been left without a permanent governor in charge for many months in 2024 and 2025.
‘Many hardworking staff were doing an impressive job in extremely difficult circumstances, but during our inspection we were very troubled by a palpable level of tension and a pervasive sense of despair in the jail,’ he said.
‘The appalling outcomes we found at Swaleside, holding some of the most dangerous men in the country, represent serious failings by leaders in the Prison Service to address the systemic problems at this troubled jail.’
The emergency measure was introduced in 2017 as a way to raise immediate concerns following an inspection, which requires a response and action plan by the Justice Secretary within 28 days.
Other sites issued with an urgent notification include HMP Pentonville, Exeter, Cookham Wood Young Offender Institution, Oakhill Secure Training Centre, Woodhill, Bedford, Wandsworth, Rochester, Manchester and Winchester.
Reacting to the latest notice, Prison Reform Trust deputy director Mark Day said: ‘It is shocking that a prison tasked with the care and rehabilitation of men serving some of the longest sentences on the estate has been allowed to descend to such an appalling level.
‘We know from our own work at the prison that the climate of despair and hopelessness amongst prisoners is palpable.’
Howard League for Penal Reform chief executive Andrea Coomber KC said: ‘This is the latest in a long line of inspections that reveal the level of disorder that exists in a prison system on the brink of collapse.
‘Without effective leadership and reform and proper investment, prisons such as Swaleside will continue to fail their staff, the men in their care and the public.’
Prisons minister Lord Timpson said: ‘This is a deeply concerning report and I’m disappointed we have failed to achieve the required standard. I know the new Governor and her talented team are already working hard to address the serious concerns it raises, which has been recognised by the Chief Inspector.
‘Work is underway to rapidly reduce violence, improve safety and drive up standards. We will publish an action plan in the coming weeks to support them in these efforts.
‘But the sad fact is, we inherited a broken prison system, with too many jails like HMP Swaleside breeding further crime.
‘That is why we’re building 14,000 new prison places and reforming sentencing to end this crisis for good, reduce reoffending and keep the public safe.’
