Manchester prison spends £15,000 on rap lessons amid safety and staffing crises
HMP Manchester approved a £15,000 contract for rap and hip-hop classes despite recent inspection reports highlighting drug use, violence and severe staffing problems.
A 2024 surprise inspection labelled HMP Manchester, formerly Strangeways, as severely deficient, citing rampant drug use, violence, an under-trained staff team and a weak regime. The situation prompted the Urgent Notification protocol, and a January 2026 revisit confirmed only modest progress while many issues persisted, leading inspectors to deem the facility "not sufficiently good". Despite these shortcomings, prison officials awarded a £15,000 contract on September 28 for rap and hip-hop programmes running from October 7 to March 31, 2027, targeting inmate interests.
The contract lists the provider as "Wings", believed to be the Manchester charity New Wings founded by former drug dealer Nick Shahlav. Taxpayers' Alliance researcher Anne Strickland condemned the spending, saying funds should prioritize security and basic operations. Similar music schemes exist at other prisons, but critics argue that HMP Manchester's pressing problems—high drug positivity, contraband phones, drone deliveries and unsafe windows—make such projects a questionable priority.
Why it matters
It highlights how limited public funds are allocated to non-essential programmes while a prison struggles with safety and basic services.
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