London - The British Home Secretary, Mr Jack Straw, yesterday challenged prison chiefs to overhaul radically the "evil" regime at Wormwood Scrubs or leave Britain's most famous jail facing privatisation or closure.
Senior prison service managers were strongly criticised for their failure to turn around the fortunes of the jail where 25 officers were suspended this month over allegations of mistreatment and brutality. The Chief Inspector of Prisons, Sir David Ramsbotham, said in his report that a "pall of depression" hung over the west London prison and conditions had worsened since his last report 2 1/2 years ago.