Report into HMP Birmingham says there are still concerns over the prison

HMP Birmingham is facing 'significant strategic challenges' according to a report. The prison was the first to be purchased by a private company last October.

The inspectors had some key concerns:

• The prison was overcrowded, meaning many prisoners shared small cells with inadequately screened toilets

• Strategies for addressing bullying were weak

• There was a high rate of positive drug tests and packages of drugs were regularly thrown over the wall into the yard

• Escort, reception and first night facilities required improvement and needed expanding

• The regime for vulnerable prisoners was unsatisfactory, with harassment from other prisoners

• Too few prisoners were engaged in useful activity, with a third of prisoners unemployed, while the leadership and management of learning and skills were weak

• Work to reduce the likelihood of reoffending still had a long way to go and was insufficiently resourced

Despite this, the inspectors said the prison was a safer and more decent place. Improvements included:

• A significant drop in the use of force

• Cleaner conditions

• Improved relationships between prisoners and staff, although black and minority ethnic prisoners reported worse relationships with staff than the prison population as a whole

• An excellent day care centre for older prisoners and others less able to cope on the main wings.