The Home Office has been accused of delaying new research that aims to reduce violence in Britain's overcrowded prisons by up to 40%. The former chief inspector of prisons, Lord Ramsbotham, said yesterday that the department was guilty of "breathtaking prevarication" over a proposed trial to improve prisoners' nutrition, which he believes would dramatically reduce offending behaviour in jails.
Prisons in England and Wales were full last week, with a record number of nearly 80,000 prisoners. Better nutrition would have a "huge impact" on prison life, Lord Ramsbotham said. "If the correct mix of diet reduces offending behaviour - and I am absolutely convinced there is a direct link between diet and antisocial behaviour - it's hugely important for prisoners, it frees up staff time for rehabilitation."
Earlier scientific work conducted by the charity Natural Justice, of which Lord Ramsbotham is a trustee, demonstrated a causal link between bad diet and the number of violent incidents at Aylesbury young offenders' institution. In a double blind placebo controlled trial, the number of incidents dropped when prisoners were given multivitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids.
Since the study was published in 2002, the charity and researchers at Oxford University have been trying to get the go-ahead to repeat the trial on a larger scale at other prisons. They have secured more than £1m funding from an independent research charity, and the prison service confirmed that it had identified two prisons to take part, but the work has been blocked by delays at the Home Office, Lord Ramsbotham told the Guardian. The Dutch government has conducted a study giving prisoners nutritional supplements.
"It would cost roughly £3.5m to give the correct balance of nutrients, either through proper diet or supplements across the prison service. For that you could have up to 40% reduction in violent behaviour. So why isn't the Home Office embracing it?" Lord Ramsbotham said.
A National Audit Office report in March 2006 found that prison catering had reduced its costs while improving standards since 1997, but noted that government recommendations on healthy diets were only "partially" met and prisoners often made poor choices of food so they did not get a balanced diet.
A spokesman for the Home Office said all research was subject to approval by the department's project quality approval board. The government was committed to offering all prisoners a healthy diet and provided at least one low-fat, low-sugar option on every menu. "The NAO report makes very clear that meals offer recommended levels of vitamins and minerals," he added.
