‘Price to pay’ for boring prison lockdowns, says chief inspector

Workshops and classrooms remain empty and inmates inactive as prisons do not have staff to run properly'

Covid lockdowns in prisons will leave a price to pay" for the boredom, loss of family ties and lack of education inflicted upon thousands of inmates, the official watchdog has said.

Charlie Taylor, HM chief inspector of prisons, said there had also been a depressingly low level of activity for prisoners" as the pandemic eased despite prisons' responsibility to educate, train and increase the employability of inmates.