UK prison anarchy exposed as shocking 19-day investigation reveals 30 guards attacked by lags, hostage taking, legal highs and £1million of damage in HMP Bedford riot
The UK's jails have become little more than a war-zone as the level of rioting, violence and drug-abuse reaches tipping point
THE anarchy in UK prisons has been laid bare through a shocking 19-day snapshot of life behind bars.
There were also 96 “lag-on-lag” attacks — and 15 deaths in custody.
The figures were gathered from just 20 of the 199 jails in England and Wales, meaning they potentially represent just the tip of the iceberg.
READ MORE
Six inmates die in Britain’s prisons EVERY week as violence soars
Tough prison rules preventing inmates from getting perks will be ripped up
Probe after vid emerges of prisoners doing mass Mannequin Challenge
Drug dealers and bank robbers in Dorset prison reveal cushty life
In the same statistics, it emerged that 12 smuggling operations involving drones were reported by officers.
Officers at a jail in the North East found cannabis in the carcass of a rabbit on perimeter fencing.
The internal figures, compiled by the Ministry of Justice, also show 13 mobile phones discovered. And under-pressure staff dealt with 162 incidents involving inmates threatening to jump from prison wings.
Meanwhile, there were five fires in cells and 16 incidents of “concerted indiscipline”.
These include the riot at Bedford prison, where 300 inmates ran amok causing £1million damage, and the rampage at Lewes prison in East Sussex, where lags took over a wing, leaving a £50,000 repair bill.
Other stats show 16 incidents of prisoners self-harming and 14 cases of hostage-taking.