A young offenders institution has been labelled "unacceptably violent" by inspectors who found "unprecedentedly high" use of batons by staff.Feltham Prison and Young Offender Institution, in west London, witnessed on average almost two fights or assaults every day, a report said.
Some of the fights were "very serious", HM Inspectorate of Prisons found.
The National Offender Management Service said the report highlights "the remarkable work staff do".
Andrew Neilson, director of campaigns at the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: "This is the worst inspection report of its kind we have seen in a decade.
"If you want to see the effects of keeping hundreds of troubled boys cooped up in a prison, you need look no further than Feltham."
Self-harming
Feltham is divided into two parts - Feltham A holds children and young people, mostly aged 16 or 17, while Feltham B holds young adult men aged 18 to 21.
Chief inspector of prisons Nick Hardwick said: "Feltham as a whole is an unacceptably violent place.
"Despite excellent work in some cases, staff were unable to prevent a high number of very concerning incidents that carried a significant risk of serious injury.
"Staff were sometimes overwhelmed by the challenges they faced," he added.
"As a consequence, some of their response, such as the prolonged use of isolation on the children and young people's side and the use of batons on the young adult side, were unacceptable."
Many young people told inspectors they were frightened and had little confidence in staff to keep them safe.
Self-harming behaviour remained high among young adults and emergency cell bells were not answered quickly, the report said.
National Offender Management Service (Noms) chief Michael Spurr said: "This report reflects the serious concerns I have about the propensity for and the level of gang-related violence among young people sent to Feltham.
"It also highlights the remarkable work that staff do on a daily basis to manage such a challenging group."
Prison Reform Trust Juliet Lyon director said: "Feltham should frighten us all.
"Why do we place our most vulnerable and volatile young people in our most troubled institutions, and expect anything other than the violence, self-harm and mayhem this report reveals?"
"Despite excellent work in some cases, staff were unable to prevent a high number of very concerning incidents that carried a significant risk of serious injury.
"Staff were sometimes overwhelmed by the challenges they faced," he added.
"As a consequence, some of their response, such as the prolonged use of isolation on the children and young people's side and the use of batons on the young adult side, were unacceptable."
Many young people told inspectors they were frightened and had little confidence in staff to keep them safe.
Self-harming behaviour remained high among young adults and emergency cell bells were not answered quickly, the report said.
National Offender Management Service (Noms) chief Michael Spurr said: "This report reflects the serious concerns I have about the propensity for and the level of gang-related violence among young people sent to Feltham.
"It also highlights the remarkable work that staff do on a daily basis to manage such a challenging group."
Prison Reform Trust Juliet Lyon director said: "Feltham should frighten us all.
"Why do we place our most vulnerable and volatile young people in our most troubled institutions, and expect anything other than the violence, self-harm and mayhem this report reveals?"
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