Severe restrictions on inmates' movements now lifted at most prisons

Prisoners were being kept locked up in their "grim" and "overcrowded" cells for up to 23 hours a day at the height of the pandemic in an attempt to limit the spread of coronavirus.

Prison bosses insisted the action was necessary to save lives after the virus spread through prisons at a rapid rate in the early days of the pandemic.

But the lack of time spent out of their cells and outdoors led to fears about the impact on prisoners' physical and mental health.

Hundreds of inmates at HMP Featherstone, near Wolverhampton, were confined to their cells for around 22 hours a day for months from March 2020 and inspections during the pandemic found inmates being kept in the same conditions across the country.

Some restrictions remain in place at prisons but the harshest measures are no longer widespread, the Express & Star has found.

However, tens of thousands of inmates are still subject to some form of restrictions.

Prison campaign group the Howard League for Penal Reform said nationally as of May 11, inmates at 94 adult prisons were "locked in their cells for long periods, but get some visits".

The Prison Service said its "decisive action" had "saved thousands of lives" and that restrictions were eased when it was safe to do so.

Britain's largest prison, HMP Oakwood, near Wolverhampton, is run privately by G4S rather than the Prison Service. A spokeswoman said inmates were not locked up for 23 hours a day.

She added: "Lots of restrictions have been allowed to lift, with visits, work, education, exercise, and access to communal areas and libraries resuming with Covid safety in mind."

A leading judge said earlier this month that conditions inside prisons had been difficult for inmates over the last year. Michael Chambers made the comments at Wolverhampton Crown Court after hearing defendants had spent up to 23 hours a day locked in their cells.

Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: "The last year has been a worrying time for everyone, but particularly for people living and working in prison and their families.

"Tens of thousands of people have been kept in overcrowded conditions or solitary confinement for months on end, with no purpose and no opportunity to make amends.

"Easing restrictions safely and swiftly would help to reduce the tension in prisons and better prepare people for release."

A Prison Service spokesperson said: “Our decisive action has saved thousands of lives and we continue to support prisoners’ wellbeing and rehabilitation through vital family contact, education, work and exercise.

“The safety of those who live and work in our prisons remains our priority and restrictions are eased when it is safe to do so, in line with public health advice.”