CONCERNS have been raised about the safety of inmates at Bullingdon prison during the coronavirus pandemic.

Claims have been made that social distancing has not been adhered to at the prison in Bicester, there is not enough hand soap available for inmates and that guards are not wearing PPE.

The Ministry of Justice, which originally refused to give the Oxford Mail any specific response to the claims, has since claimed they are untrue.

A woman who used to work at the prison and has asked not to be named, says her ex-colleagues from within the jail have told her about what has been happening.

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She said: “Staff are not being given PPE when dealing with virus infected prisoners. The prison gym is still being opened for prisoners to use.

“Prisoners allowed out onto the exercise yards are not being made to adhere to the 2m social distancing rule and are being allowed to communicate with prisoners from other wings at the fences.

“Workshops are still being operated by prisoners and social distancing is not being enforced.”

She says she has also been told that prisoner escorts for hospital appointments are being done in taxis, including a three-man escort for a high risk prisoner.

She added: “Vulnerable prisoners on support documents are being allowed out of their cells to walk around freely. Prisoners are mixing when getting their meals.”

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Regimes at all prisons in England and Wales have officially changed following the outbreak of coronavirus.

Prisoners can no longer take part in usual recreational activities such as using the gym, going to worship or visiting the library.

Handwashing facilities are available to prisoners, staff and visitors and the Ministry of Justice is working closely with suppliers to ensure the supply of soap and cleaning materials.

However other claims have been made by another woman, who has asked not to be named, whose partner is currently serving time at HMP Bullingdon.

She said: “The Government has advised social distancing but the prisoners are all allowed to mingle when getting food, but are on lockdown all other times. How does this make sense?”

She also says prison guards are not wearing face masks or gloves and are talking to each other and prisoners without exercising social distancing measures.

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She added: “These guards go home each day and go back to the prisons everyday, surely this is not correct under Government advise on Covid-19?”

The Ministry of Justice initially said they would not comment on individual prisons.

A Prison Service spokesperson said: “We have robust and flexible plans in place to keep prisoners, staff and the wider public safe based on the latest advice from Public Health England.

“Personal protective equipment is being provided to officers and all prisons have the soap and cleaning materials they need.”

Now, the Ministry of Justice says these claims are not true, saying: "It is not true that:

  • “Staff are not being given PPE when dealing with virus infected prisoners
  • “Prisoners are not being made to adhere to the 2m social distancing rule… and are being allowed to communicate with prisoners from other wings at the fences
  • “Prisoners are all allowed to mingle when getting food
  • “The prison gym is still being opened for prisoners to use”

It also added: "The article is extremely thinly sourced, relying on claims made by one person who... does not work at the prison and therefore cannot have any first-hand knowledge of the situation."