Russell Brand is being “watched like a hawk” amid fears he could hurt himself after being jailed for more than a decade for a string of crimes against women. The comic was jailed for 10 years and six months on Monday (November 9) after being found guilty after his trial for rape and sexual assault.
Now, prison insiders have revealed that “no chances are being taken” on keeping Brand safe behind bars – stating that “the first few days” are always the most dangerous for new inmates.
“He’s not been in trouble before really,” an insider said. “It is sure to be terrifying and a complete shock to the system. He’s barely eating. I think it has all hit him all at once that he has not gotten away with it.
“Regardless of the crime or the opinions of those who work there, the prison service has a duty of care to Brand, and they must keep him safe as much as they can.
“And like all new prisoners, the first few days after being given a long sentence it the time when the closest eye is kept on inmates. It is the most dangerous time, when all hope may be lost, and they may see no way through.
“They are watching him like a hawk, with pretty much 24/7 hour care at the moment. They will not want anything to happen to him, and it is likely that support will be given to ensure he is not starting to feel too low.
“No chances are being taken. As well as it being a long sentence, it is also a very high profile case. If he hasn’t already, he will also be seen within the first week by mental health professionals to make sure he is not a risk to himself or others.
“Typically the first few days are when people may try to self harm. They will do all they can to make sure he is kept safe and his mental health is kept a very close eye on.”
Brand was initially placed in the Care and Separation Unit after being taken to HMP Wandsworth following his conviction.
The Category B locks up is based in Wandsworth in South West London, and one of the largest prisons in the UK, and known for violence. The London prison has been condemned as “unsafe, squalid and overcrowded” in recent inspection reports, with former inmates at the prison including the likes of Ronnie Kray, Gary Glitter and Charles Bronson.
A Cell-Sharing Risk Assessment (CSRA) on Brand has been carried out and officers have decided to house Brand on his own amid safety fears, it is understood.
He is understood to be locked up in a single cell on C-wing, where many prisoners are considered vulnerable.
“It is not a nicer part,” the insider continued. “But it is probably being seen as an acclimatisation period for him. He won’t be staying there indefinitely, and then things will certainly change.”
The shocking state of the jail was laid bare by a recent report by its Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) with it said to be “overcrowded”.
The insider continued; “This is not a state-of-the-art new jail. This is old and there are a lot of men in there. It is highly unlikely that Brand will be given his own cell on his own ongoing. I imagine once it is deemed safe, he will be put in with someone else.”
In the report by the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB), it told how thousands of coats, blankets and portions of soup had to be ordered for inmates when its heating system failed a year ago, making the temperatures plunge as low as 12C in the winter inside.
Prisoners at the category B jail are being housed in “unsafe, overcrowded, unsanitary and squalid conditions,” the IMB concluded.
“The severe physical limitations of the Victorian buildings remain, with inhumane living conditions,” it said.
Staffing also remains an urgent issue, with around one third of staff absent or unavailable every day on average, increasing the hours spent locked in cells for inmates, the IMB added.