She has warned that unless the funding issue is resolved quickly, the momentum to change the ‘appalling lack of facilities and opportunities at the prison will be lost’. Uncertainty over enough money being made available has meant that only four of 20 posts needed to implement an improvement plan have so far been filled. Much of the money that had been earmarked for improvements has had to be used to meet higher than expected running costs. Dealing with a number of high-risk inmates has seen costs go up sharply and a lot of overtime has had to be paid to staff to carry out other duties. And the prison faces a bill of about £500,000 to meet the recommendations of inquests into the deaths in custody of two prisoners.
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