A UK prison remains empty after being forced to temporarily close in July – as hundreds of prisoners are released early under Keir Starmer‘s plan to free up cells.
More than 170 inmates at the prison – which has a capacity of around 700 – were relocated to other prisons in the southwest after radon was discovered in the cells in July.
The prison has faced issues with the colourless, odourless, radioactive gas, for almost a year now.
At the end of 2023, high levels of the gas led to more than 400 inmates being removed from the jail – with prisoners starting to return in July before the latest incident.
The prison, which was built during the Napoleanic Wars in the early 19th century, was originally set to close last year – however that decision was suspended in 2019 due to rising prisoner numbers.
The prison remains closed as the Labour government releases prisoners to ease overcrowding, a move that has caused controversy amongst opposition parties.
Questions have been raised about why the radon issue was not resolved when it was first detected.
Gas specialist David Rees, boss of safety firm Air Quality Testing, told the Sun on Sunday: “These systems can be fitted in two or three days. I did a prison in Bridgend where they moved the inmates from one section to the other. We were in and out in a day.”
He added there was usually a period of testing after, and that the government may be keen not to be criticised for taking risks with people’s safety.
James Cleverly, shadow Home Secretary, claimed the Conservative government had worked to reopen the cells at HMP Dartmoor when they became aware of the radon issue.
Also speaking to the Sun on Sunday, Mr Cleverly demanded Labour get the prison back “online”.
Labour’s policy – which it says is a result of prison overcrowding it inherited from the Conservative Party – sees the proportion of sentences which some inmates must serve behind bars temporarily cut from 50 percent to 40 percent amid Government warnings jails were being pushed to the “point of collapse”.
Around 1,750 prisoners were freed early on Tuesday from jails across England and Wales.
Criminals serving prison sentences of less than four years for violent offences, including manslaughter, are among those eligible to be freed under the scheme.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “After close monitoring of the situation at HMP Dartmoor, the prison has been temporarily closed and we are exploring how it can be reopened.”
