A HAMPSHIRE prison has made progress - despite the deaths of five inmates last year.

Inspectors visited Winchester Prison and said the jail is improving but still has major challenges to overcome and inmates at risk of self harm are not being supported enough.

The prison’s leadership has been under fire over the past two years following the deaths of five inmates in 2015 and sources from within the jail saying that morale among prison officers had reached rock-bottom.

Inspectors said the jail had issues with violence and the spread of legal highs.

The jail is recognised by the government as one that needs additional staff and resources, and is set to share in £14m of government money to bring in “new ways of working”.

The inspection comes as up to 10,000 prison officers in England have stopped work over a “surge in violence” in jails threatening the safety of staff and inmates.

The inquest into the death of father’s rights campaigner Haydn Burton, who was found hanging in his cell, revealed that staff could have done more to prevent his death by making more welfare checks.

This inspection revealed that over the past six months there had been 209 recorded incidents of self-harm, which is far higher than at similar jails.

The hard-hitting report also stated that there was no strategy to manage self harm or address issues leading to periods of crisis.

The inspection also showed there was little evidence to suggest staff had meaningful interactions with prisoners on a care plan.

A major concern was that prisoners only had 45 minutes out of their cell, they also called for the segregation unit to be replaced as it is “bleak and oppressive.”

Worryingly 40 per cent of inmates say they have been “victimised” by staff, and 56 per cent say they have felt unsafe at the jail.

While 40 per cent say it is easy to get hold of drugs inside the jail.

Compared to the critical inspection in 2014, inspectors were pleased to find the jail is doing much better with activity and resettlement much improved, however they say there are still big challenges to overcome in terms of safety of inmates.

HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, Peter Clarke said: “HMP Winchester continues to make progress – some of it very significant – notably in activity and resettlement.

"Some big challenges to improve safety remain and the limited access to time out of cell was undermining much that the prison could offer.

Improvements to the environment and access to the basics of daily living also remained priorities.

“The prison had a cohesive and decent management team and progress in staff culture was commendable. We hope this report and the recommendations it makes will help encourage and sustain the momentum we have seen.”