Around half of British prison cells lack basic fire alarms, years after the danger was identified, with at least 11 inmates losing their lives in recent years as a result. The Ministry of Justice is breaking the law by tolerating this situation, as adequate fire alarms are required in workplaces across the country.
A particularly distressing case involved a mother of six at HMP Eastwood Park, who could not be rescued from her burning cell for over half an hour because the fire went unnoticed and the locked door handle was too hot to touch. The coroner noted that fire detectors are still missing from her cell three years after her death.
Cell fires have more than doubled over the last five years, running at a rate of eight per day, often caused by malfunctioning vape devices. Vapes can self-combust and lead to intense blazes due to lithium-ion batteries, which are difficult to control.
The Ministry of Justice claims there are not enough places for prisoners while fire safety work is carried out. However, capacity must be found, even if it means releasing safer prisoners early. Labour ministers have promised to make all cells fire-safe by 2027.
Britain's prisons are notoriously overcrowded due to draconian sentencing, with outdated IT systems leading to accidental releases of dangerous individuals. A report by former justice secretary David Gauke showed that custodial sentences are often inappropriate and counterproductive.
Prisons must be treated like any other public building, such as hospitals or schools. A prisoner's life is worth as much as anyone else's, and we should not wait for a Grenfell-style disaster to address these issues.
