[1] Bristol's history includes fourteen executions, of which the last took place on 17 December 1963 when Russell Pascoe was hanged for the murder of William Rowe during a robbery.

A report from the Board of Visitors in 2000 criticised Bristol Prison for keeping some remand inmates on a punishment regime in segregation.

[4] A year later, Bristol was downgraded back to a Category B local prison, after repeated overcrowding and safety concerns from nearby residents.

[6] A year later officers at the prison reported rising levels of violence due to widespread use of heroin, crack cocaine and cannabis among inmates.

The establishment was heavily criticised following an unannounced inspection in May 2013, in which it was reported that staff "racially abused" inmates, and on one occasion denied food to a serving prisoner.

The same inspection also discovered that over half the population – a significant number of whom were unconvicted – spent 23 hours a day locked in a cell.

Prison officers are reluctant to assert their authority and feel unsupported when violence happens due to low staffing numbers.

There are also nurses posted to each wing during the core day to carry out treatments and triage prisoners with minor illness and injuries.