A prisoner has died and two others were critically injured in a stabbing at HMP Pentonville, leading to claims the prison system is in a “dark place”.
The man in his 20s died at the London prison on Tuesday. The injured were taken to hospital with knife wounds.
Two prisoners, aged 34 and 26, have been arrested on suspicion of murder.
The Prison Governors Association (PGA) said inmates were living in “squalid and brutal conditions”. The government said it is trying to tackle violence.
A PGA spokesman said: “Our members, uniformed staff and prisoners are working and living in squalid and brutal conditions which should not be tolerated in a country that is one of the richest in the Western world.
One unconfirmed report said the stabbings occurred in the exercise yard and an air ambulance was called.
No prison officers are understood to have been injured in the attack, the Prison Officers Association said.
In a statement, the union said “the unprecedented rise in violence in all of our prisons must not be underestimated”.
It added: “We now ask for the Ministry of Justice to fully investigate this matter and the underlying problems within the prison estate.”
Visitors queuing to see friends and relatives inside the prison spoke of their safety concerns.
“My son is 21. I haven’t felt the same since I heard the news,” one woman said.
“As a mother everyone tells you at least you know where he is and he is safe – but actually he’s not safe, is he?
“No matter their age or what they have done, no-one deserves to die in prison.”
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