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Chris Grayling: "Not a crisis in our prisons"
Justice Secretary Chris Grayling has admitted to the BBC that prisons in England and Wales face problems with violence, suicides and staff shortages.
But he maintained there was "not a crisis in our prisons", saying the government was meeting the challenges of a rising prison population.
It comes as the Isis Young Offenders Institution in London is criticised by inspectors in an official report.
High levels of violence were reported at the prison, often involving weapons.
'Recruiting staff'Official figures from the Ministry of Justice show the number of assaults by prisoners in England and Wales rose from 14,083 in 2012-13 to 15,033 in 2013-14.
The latest statistics also reveal a record number of serious assaults - including attacks by prisoners on staff.
End Quote Chris GraylingWe're meeting those challenges, we're recruiting those staff but I'm absolutely clear - there is not a crisis in our prisons"
Mr Grayling admitted to staff shortages in certain prisons and said there had been "far too many" suicides among inmates, but maintained the government was adapting to such issues.
"We've got challenges of an increased population that was not expected in the last 12 months," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
But he added: "We're meeting those challenges, we're recruiting those staff but I'm absolutely clear - there is not a crisis in our prisons.
"There are pressures which we're facing but there's not a crisis."
The justice secretary went on: "We are looking to make sure that we can continue to deliver a safe and appropriate prison regime in a world where budgets are much lower than they were in the past.
"We've actually got a prison estate where violence today is at a lower level than it was five years ago."
Is there a crisis in our prisons?Chris Grayling's interview with Today is his first on the issue of prisons since a recent run of stories highlighting issues of overcrowding, violence and death in prisons, which have led to calls to improve the state of the system.
Earlier this month, a government investigator called for more action to tackle suicide among young inmates.
In July, official prison ratings revealed that more than a fifth of prisons in England and Wales were "of concern".
Chief inspector of prisons Nick Hardwick attacked the state of the system in June, claiming "political and policy failure" was behind dangerous overcrowding in publicly-run jails.
Also that month, it emerged that the government had ordered dozens of already full jails to take in more inmates because the prison population was growing faster than expected.
The Ministry of Justice started recruiting a reserve force of prison officers in June this year.
But the Howard League for Penal Reform reported in July that prison officer numbers in England and Wales had been cut by 30% over three years, from 27,650 officer grade staff in September 2010 to 19,325 in September 2013.
'Terrorised'Mr Grayling's comments come as an unannounced inspection of the Isis Young Offenders Institution in Thamesmead, south-east London, reported high levels of fights and assaults.
Of these, it stated, "more than we usually see involved weapons".
"Nearly a third of prisoners felt unsafe", it added, with many incidents in the prison - which houses 18 to 30-year-olds - involving groups attacking single inmates.
One former inmate at a young offenders institute, Justin Rollins, said the environment was brutalising.
"I realised straight away that if you don't fight... if you don't act out with some sort of extreme violence, then you're going to get basically terrorised," he explained.
"It's not a nice place for a kid to be when you're away from your family for the first time."
'In danger'The report into the Isis Young Offenders Institution also found "obvious tensions" between staff and prisoners due to the effect of staff shortages, with inmates allowed less time outside their cells.
David Murray, a recently retired prison officer with 30 years' experience, found similar issues elsewhere.
He explained what he had seen in the past two years: "More staff are being assaulted, vulnerable prisoners are in danger of being badly hurt or killed.
"It's frightening to go into an establishment where young people who come from a violent background are not caring what they do to people."
'Devastating' weaponsOne particular worry for the Prison Governors Association is inmates' use of makeshift weapons.
Fred Lunn, who was jailed for armed robbery from the age of 18 to 37, said such items can have a "devastating" effect.
"You make weapons which you would never see [outside prison]… it could be a plastic bog brush," he explained.
"I've seen people boil up cooking oil, I've seen people get that in their face."
The Prison Governors Association claims some prison officers are too afraid to intervene in case they are accused of assault.
Have you been affected by any of the issues in this story? Have you or a member of your family been in a young offenders institute recently? Do you work for the prison service? You can share your views and experiences with us by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using 'prison' in the subject heading.
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