Six arrested after prisoner beaten to death at Britain’s newest jail day before he was due to be released
22 August 2024, 09:03 | Updated: 22 August 2024, 09:04
Six men have been arrested after a prisoner was beaten to death at Britain’s newest jail just a day before he was due to be released.
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Officers were called to HMP Fosse Way, in Glen Parva, on Tuesday, after a 31-year-old man was found unresponsive in his cell, Leicestershire Police said.
The man was due to be released on the same day but attacked another inmate the day before by throwing boiling water at him, it has been reported.
Despite the attack, known as "kettling", the prisoner was not moved from his cell.
Four other inmates then “stormed” the cell and “kettled” him before “beating him to a pulp”, a source inside the jail said.
They told the Times: “One lad kicked him in the head on the way out and broke his neck.”
Six men have since been arrested in connection with the man's death and are in police custody.
The death is currently being treated as unexplained and inquiries are ongoing.
Read more: Man charged with attempted murder after police officer stabbed at high-security prison
Questions have since been raised about why the inmate was not removed from his cell after carrying out his initial attack.
HMP Fosse Way, which is run by Serco, was opened in June last year, making it Britain’s newest prison.
It houses mostly low level offenders who are considered less dangerous than category A and B.
A Serco spokesman said: “We can confirm that a 31-year-old man has died at Fosse Way prison. The matter is being investigated by Leicestershire police.”
Serco's website says the new prison provides a “secure, safe and decent environment” aimed at “reducing reoffending”.
The goal is for inmates to “learn new skills and acquire training that will provide them with a viable opportunity to work in key industries when back in the community”.
However, there have be complaints that prisoners have been left in their cells for up to 22 hours a day.
The prison is also affected by the wider overcrowding crisis, with 1,697 of its 1,715 beds taken up.
