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<p>When establishing the 10 Prisons Project, we identified a group that were representative
of the range of challenges currently facing the estate, including drugs, violence,
and building issues. We focused on a small number of regions - London, Yorkshire and
the North Midlands - to facilitate partnership working within the project and to limit
any potential displacement whereby controlling drugs in one prison would simply move
the problem to a neighbouring prison. We identified prisons in both urban and rural
areas, with cohorts of young adult or adult male offenders, that are facing some of
the most significant challenges across the estate. While all prisons were considered
for the project, we included those that gave the best balance of these criteria.</p><p>
</p><ul><li>All the prisons selected have three times more assaults now than in 2012;</li><li>Eight
of them have regularly had higher numbers of assaults than similar prisons through
the first half of the year;</li><li>Five of them are among the worst for positive
drug tests for psychoactive substances;</li><li>One has received an Urgent Notification
from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons;</li><li>Two are in special measures;</li><li>Four
are over a hundred years old; and</li><li>Three received the lowest mark possible
for safety in their latest Inspection reports.</li></ul>
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