‘It’s going out here any day’: Prison whistleblower lifts lid on ‘frighteningly low’ staffing levels

A whistleblower at HMP Liverpool claimed staffing levels were “appallingly low” and prison officers fearing “it’s going to explode here any day now”.

A trusted source at Walton Prison told the ECHO the prison “is in crisis” and claimed both staff and prisoners do not feel safe. The worrying allegations, handed to the ECHO over several weeks, include claims the prison is being forced to operate with 25 fewer staff than it is supposed to have on certain days.

When approached with the allegations made by the whistleblower, the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) said it would seek assurances that unsafe working practices were not a common occurrence at HMP Liverpool.

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The Ministry of Justice told the ECHO that the prison had increased its full-time staff in 2023, but sickness absence had significantly affected staffing levels. The ECHO has been told further work is underway to focus on staff wellbeing to improve attendance levels at the prison.

The allegations come almost two years after the most recent inspection of the prison by the Chief Inspector of Prisons, which found that measures taken in recent years were “very encouraging”, based on a “good approach to care, based on good personal relationships -detained”.

But the whistleblower claimed that “staff-prisoner relations are worse than they have ever been” and guards are overworked to provide adequate care and attention.

The ECHO was told:

• Staffing levels are “frighteningly low” with prison officers being asked to cover two wings leaving the doors open.

• Prison management responded to staff concerns by claiming “it’s much worse elsewhere”.

• Specialist units – including the dedicated search team – have been eliminated.

When approached by the ECHO about the claims, Mark Fairhurst, chairman of the POA and a member of staff at HMP Liverpool, confirmed that the prison does not have dedicated search teams and they are covered by an area resource. He added: “We’re constantly being told we’re top of the league for staff sickness, but sick numbers are coming down.”

Mr Fairhurst added that he was not aware that the gates had been left open but had raised concerns with senior leaders at the prison. He told the ECHO: “As a member of staff at HMP Liverpool these issues cause me great concern and I will seek assurances that unsafe working practices are not a feature of the daily routine at HMP Liverpool.

“Senior prison leaders need to be aware that I will not accept shortcuts or dishonest working practices that put staff at risk and the POA will respond accordingly if these concerns are correct. Staff safety is non-negotiable.”

A Ministry of Justice spokesman told the ECHO: “Thanks to successful recruitment efforts, HMP Liverpool has increased its officer numbers by eight per cent in 2023 and the prison has measures in place to ensure there are always a number of safe staff available.

“We’ve also invested £100 million in tough security measures to tackle the contraband that fuels violence behind bars and equipped officers with PAVA spray and body-worn cameras to increase protection.”

If you work at HMP Liverpool, have a family member in prison or have recently been released and would like to talk about your experiences, please email [email protected].

HMP Liverpool – a Grade B inner-city Victorian prison known locally as Walton – attracted significant and negative criticism following its previous inspections in the 2010s, which found it to be a rat-infested ‘squalis’ environment and cockroaches. In 2017, in such a state of disrepair, the Ministry of Justice (MJ) transferred hundreds of prisoners and invested millions to restore the prison.

However, more recent media reports have painted a more positive picture of the work going on in the prison. A 2022 Telegraph article heard that the renovation brought the prison into the 21st century. Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said: “With investment, you can make it a decent prison with the right staff.”

But the ECHO’s prison source said that HMP Liverpool’s resources are extremely stretched, “putting staff and prisoners at risk”. The whistleblower said: “Staff often make comments like ‘it’s going to go out here one day’ Oscar, which is the call sign given to the senior custodial manager, who is the operational lead for a given day, is often robbing him Peter to repay Paul for lack of a better phrase.

“Because staffing levels are low, officers are often required to cover two wings by leaving the gates open and walking between both wings. However, each wing could have a number of vulnerable prisoners who require set times to be screened, making it very difficult for officers to take into account the needs of other inmates and any emergencies.

“Staff worry that if there is a fire in the cell, or an altercation between fellow cellmates, or a suicide, no one will be available to respond in time. Don’t leave your wings without a pilot, who comes in an emergency?”

The whistleblower also claimed that both inmates and staff feel unsafe due to a lack of adequate staffing. They said prison guards had been targeted, including a worrying incident outside the prison which saw a staff member’s car torched while parked outside the front entrance.

As previously reported by the ECHO, a group of masked criminals set fire to the BMW before escaping on a moped. The Prison Service declined to comment when approached by the ECHO, while Merseyside Police confirmed they were investigating.

The whistleblower claimed staff believed it was only a matter of time before another serious incident occurred. The ECHO has also seen evidence of a social media account, which we are not naming, which was created to share images of staff and their children asking for information about where they live and socialise.

The Ministry of Justice said it had increased national staffing levels in recent years, with almost 5,000 more prison officers compared to March 2017. It has also invested £100m in prison security, aimed at reducing crime, in while new legislation is being introduced in the Police, Crimes, Sentencing and Courts Act has doubled the maximum sentence for violence against officers.

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