A prisoner has described an Oxfordshire prison as a 'diabolical institution' in a damning newspaper article.
The article was written about HMP Bullingdon near Bicester for Inside Time, a national newspaper for prisoners and detainees.
It was titled "Don’t go to Bullingdon", published on September 13.
The writer made numerous claims about the institution, including that the water in the prison is 'contaminated' and that they contracted gastroenteritis in the first week.
"The food is mostly flavourless and lacks the right nutrition," they added.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice said one water tank on one wing of HMP Bullingdon was found to be contaminated in March 2024.
However, they said this was quickly isolated, flushed, cleaned and tested, and during this process bottled water was provided. They claimed this was an isolated incident, and no prisoners or staff experienced any ill effects.
In the article the prisoner also claimed that staff are 'under-trained, most without a clue or any compassion'.
"Some are on a power trip, treating prisoners however they please. Some choose to have an argument rather than get on the phone to a nurse," they wrote.
The writer also claimed that phone numbers and property were not processed at the prison.
"I was a day away from achieving my enhanced regime when I was transferred, and they knew I also had a visit booked on the same weekend and I was having clothing brought in.
"Clothing which I cannot have now brought in or sent in at my current establishment," they wrote.
"This meant I had to return the clothing and reorder from an approved supplier."
They added: "On top of that, I had started a job, training for a test that I could have completed had they kept me there for a week longer.
"And to top it off, they lost an item of my stored property for which I have to await reimbursement. And it’s a long wait."
The prisoner finished the article by describing the prison as a "shambles" and the "worst six weeks [they've] experienced in a prison".
"I’m glad to be out of there. If you have a choice, don’t go to Bullingdon," they added.
In response to this, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice said: “The new government inherited a justice system in crisis and has been forced to take action across the prison estate to put our jails on a more sustainable footing.
“HMP Bullingdon swiftly addressed an isolated water contamination issue earlier this year and a new catering contract has delivered significant improvements.”
The Ministry of Justice added that there have been no recent complaints about the quality of food and recent prisoner forums have provided positive feedback.
They concluded that all staff complete the national prison officer training and extra support is then provided at HMP Bullingdon with in-house training, shadowing, buddying, and mentoring to upskill its staff group.
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