PETERBOROUGH prison is struggling under the weight of staffing shortages and a the churn of those caught in a cycle of reoffending, inspectors have found.

The prisons inspectorate found the jail had freed about 1,200 men in the last year but recalled 700 for breaking the rules of their community supervision.

About a third of those released were high-risk prisoners. 

There was not enough housing support, inspectors also found, with about 30 per cent of all releases going out homeless.

The prison was found to be struggling with staffing, with about a third of officers typically being unavailable for duty.

Many staff said that they felt unsupported, and morale was low, according to the inspectorate.

Senior staff had also been deployed to support other Sodexo-run prisons over the last 18 months, which inspector said had contributed to the overall deterioration of the prison.
 
Other key areas of concern were overcrowding, a lack of healthcare staff and how long men were spending locked in their cells.

More than half of prisoners were not allocated any form of purposeful activity, with the daily regime cancelled or curtailed frequently due to the shortage of staff.

Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor called the inspection both worrying and disappointing.

He said its deterioration shows the strain on all prisons with common themes such as drugs, staffing challenges, overcrowding and a revolving door for those caught in a cycle of reoffending.

Andrew Neilson, of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “Buckling under the weight of chronic overcrowding and staff shortages, this prison is releasing hundreds of men to homelessness, then having to find room for them again within a few weeks or months. 

“By failing to plan, the government has planned to fail.”

Sodexo was approached for comment.