Salford MP Rebecca Long-Bailey says she is concerned about the number of deaths at Forest Bank Prison and has called for an “urgent review” to be carried out.
According to a report by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO), 12 people have died at Forest Bank in the last two years.
Reports corroborate that illicit drugs have infiltrated the Pendlebury-based Category B prison, with at least one prisoner having used synthetic cannabis (often referred to as spice) “some time before his death.”
In May, justice services firm Sodexo secured a new ten-year contract to continue running and maintaining the men’s prison, despite having received a formal caution two years earlier over concerns about prisoner safety and living conditions.
Long Bailey stressed the importance of Sodexo “being held to account” by the Ministry of Justice now that they have been awarded the decade-long deal.
She said: “The number of deaths at HMP Forest Bank is deeply alarming and cannot be treated as routine. Every life lost in custody represents a failure to keep people safe, and the distress caused to families and staff alike is immeasurable.
“The latest Ombudsman report highlights serious failings in basic procedures, including searches on arrival and first-night checks. These are not optional safeguards – they are the foundations of a safe prison environment.
“I am calling for an urgent review of conditions and oversight at Forest Bank, and for the Ministry of Justice to ensure that Sodexo is held fully accountable under its new contract.
“We need transparency, proper staffing levels, and a clear plan to stop preventable deaths once and for all.”
An anonymous source who spent several years in HMP Forest Bank said the prison did not meet acceptable hygiene standards and pathways to prisoner support did not function as advertised.
“The conditions at the prison were disgusting, unclean and unsanitary. For safety, it’s you and only you. You have to look after look out for yourself because no one else will look after you.
“Nothing is provided in the prison. They say that they will get you support, but you won’t get it. The prison is a joke, it is horrible, and I am surprised that nothing has been done sooner about it.
“It is unsafe and should not be allowed to operate,” he said.
The prison service and Sodexo have been approached for comment.
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