HMP Bullingdon listed as one of the worst prisons in country in report

Law firm Stuart Miller Solicitors found the jail, near Bicester, lacking in many areas, such as cleanliness and food – though it has since improved in terms of safety.

The firm compiled a top of the 10 best and worst-rated jails from inmate survey data conducted anonymously by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons.

It found that HMP Bullingdon received an overall 28.36 per cent rating from inmates, making it one of the worst out of 106 prisons, with the best-rated prison, HMP East Sutton Park, in Kent, getting an 89.43 per cent rating.

The data collected, was based on factors rated most important by inmates across a range of categories such as visitor access, accommodation, food and cleanliness.

Analysis of the data shows where to find the top 10 best and worst prisons, the best female/male prisons, as well as rankings for overcrowding levels, healthcare, and education accessibility.

Despite finishing bottom, since the publication of the data, progress has been made. A more recent report, published in 2019, found that safety and respect at the Oxfordshire prison has risen from ‘not sufficiently good’ in May 2017 to ‘reasonably good’ in July 2019.

But it still has overcrowding problems – with 23 per cent of cells designed to hold one prisoner holding two instead – as well as violence and drug problems.

The jail also struggles with the provision of education, skills and work with the Inspectorate saying that improvement was required.

At the time of inspection, some 140 prisoners were unemployed, and only 65 per cent of all prisoners were allocated to an activity, either full or part-time.

Another concern highlighted was that many high-risk prisoners received little or no offender-supervisor contact and public protection arrangements were ‘poor’.

However, health care has improved and overall the report concluded that Bullingdon had made some ‘significant improvements’.

Prison Governor Ian Blakeman said last year that he was aware of the problems and has put together an action plan with areas that the prison will work on, such as violence and drugs, but currently does not have the funds to tackle overcrowding.

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He also said ‘urgent improvement’ was needed in protection work and trying to get prisoners into purposeful activity.

Stuart Miller Solicitors, which is based in north London, said it had decided to compile the rankings because it noticed that prison information was not available from one single and accessible source.

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The firm said the information may prove helpful to those sentenced to prison, and to their families.

The HM Inspectorate of Prisons and Prisons & Probation Ombudsman was asked for its opinions on the prison being so poorly rated, but said it would not comment.