Overcrowding a big problem at Mandeville lock-up

The Police Civilian Oversight Authority (PCOA) has raised concerns over a serious problem of overcrowding at the Mandeville lock-up in Manchester.

In its just-released April to June quarterly newsletter, the police oversight body said an inspection of the Mandeville lock-up in May revealed that it held prisoners above the gazetted capacity.

The delegation which conducted the inspection found the lock-up was overcrowded to the point where cells designed to hold a particular number held double the capacity. The PCOA reported that some prisoners who could not be accommodated in the lock-up were placed in a makeshift area.

A breakdown of the figures showed that 84 per cent of the lock-up population were remanded by the court, while five per cent were offered bail and another five per cent were not yet before the court. Two per cent were being held on reasonable suspicion and another one per cent convicted.

Unsanitary bathroom facility

The PCOA’s inspection also showed that the bathroom facility was in a deplorable condition, even after being repaired following an inspection by the Public Health Department.

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With one toilet and a sink out of use, coupled with overcrowding, prisoners resorted to unsanitary ways to relieve themselves. While showers were working, drains were blocked. This was in part the result of actions of the prisoners.

An examination of the lock-up was done by the PCOA after prisoners demanded intervention by the government over the state of the facility. This came to public attention in a TVJ News report.

The PCOA delegation that visited the lock-up comprised three Manchester-based justices of the peace (JPs), a representative from the Mandeville office of the public defender, two representatives from Detentions and Court, and three team members from the police oversight body.

According to the PCOA, the inspection took the format of interviews with the administration and custody officer and JPs from the Manchester Chapter, an inspection of cells, followed by a review of CCTV footage.

The oversight body said the police produced evidence to show that the management team made efforts to abide by policy when dealing with overcrowding. However, all lock-ups in the division and area were filled beyond capacity and therefore the division was placed on standby by detentions and courts for any space made available at the Horizon Remand Centre.