A £1.3 MILLION mountain of stationery, including some where there was enough stock to last 450,000 years, has been found in central stores for jails in England and Wales.
Many other items of paper had enough stock to last on average for at least 100 years.
Among other discoveries during an internal inquiry were forms that were out of date and address labels for jails that have been closed for years.
While the inquiry discovered an astonishing paper mountain at the central stores in Branston, Staffordshire, there were no toothbrushes despite an average monthly demand of 55,000. The huge stock levels are disclosed in a critical review of prison industries shown to The Times which also found that some prisoners were making garden furniture for jail staff in breach of prison rules.
It recommended a complete overhaul.
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Among the findings of the four-strong inquiry team were that the Prison Service catalogue of forms and books contained a total of 1,162 forms “allegedly” in use by the organisation. Some were out of date, including one for a House Roll for Borstals, which have not existed for 21 years.
The team looked at the work done in jails. It found that prison industries were loss-making.