Prison Cell UK
Prison Cell
Prison Cell UK and The Prison Cell Size. For the majority of Prisons in the UK, the prison cell size is not fit for purpose as they use victorian jails which are becoming dilapidated with their old age, then stick 2 men in a cell built to house just one. This means that a prisoner in a victorian prison such as Wandsworth ‘doubled up’, which majority are due to lack of space, two prisoners would share a space of as little as 6.5m², including sanitary facilities. You may also benefit from downloading our prison guide, click here
The prison cell acts as a Prisoners home for the duration of their stay. Not only do they have to put up with squalid conditions, sharing a room built for one with another person but also having to deal with someone elses personalities, habits, routines and sometimes religions without a say in the matter.
The prison cell is where a Prisoner spends majority of their time and the cramped conditions does not help a prisoners mental health or ability to get by through the day to day of prison life. A lack of space and mental stimulation can lead to prisoners experiencing extreme stress, anger and frustration.
Prison Cell
Even though the HMP get away with providing such inadequate facilities, there is an International human rights standard that require that cells meet acceptable requirements for health, space, lighting, heating and ventilation:
‘All accommodation provided for the use of prisoners and in particular all sleeping accommodation shall meet
all requirements of health, due regard being paid to climatic conditions and particularly to cubic content of air,
minimum floor space, lighting, heating and ventilation.’ UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of
Prisoners, Rule 10.12
Rule 18.5 of the European Prison Rules (2006)13 states that ‘Prisoners shall normally be accommodated
during the night in individual cells except where it is preferable for them to share sleeping accommodation.’
In December 2015, the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or
Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) published minimum standards for living space per
prisoner:14
– 6m² of living space for a single-occupancy cell plus sanitary facility
– 4m² of living space per prisoner in a multiple-occupancy cell plus fully-partitioned
sanitary facility
– at least 2m between the walls of the cell at least 2.5m between the floor and the
ceiling of the cell
We have included some pictures that we feel are the most realistic representation of what it is like inside a prison cell in the UK. We have also found a video online which also shows inside a prison cell in a UK prison.