▁hold ▁a ▁five - month ▁public ▁inqu iry ▁with ▁Her ▁Majesty ' s ▁Chief ▁Ins pect or ▁of ▁Pr isons , ▁Judge ▁Stephen ▁T um im , ▁into ▁the ▁dist urban ces ▁at ▁Str ange ways ▁prison , ▁Manchester ▁and ▁other ▁pr isons ▁between ▁ 1 1 ▁June ▁on ▁ 3 1 ▁October ▁ 1 9 9 0 . ▁His ▁inqu iry ▁sent ▁letters ▁to ▁every ▁prisoner ▁and ▁prison ▁officer ▁in ▁the ▁country . ▁The ▁W ool f ▁Report , ▁qu oting ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 7 0 0 ▁rep lies , ▁was ▁published ▁on ▁ 2 5 ▁February ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁and ▁bl amed ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁Str ange ways ▁prison ▁on ▁the ▁prison ▁officers ▁abandon ing ▁the ▁gates ▁outside ▁the ▁chap el , ▁which ▁" effect ively ▁handed ▁the ▁prison ▁to ▁the ▁prisoners ". ▁ ▁More ▁fund ament ally , ▁however , ▁W ool f ▁bl amed ▁the ▁" int ol er able " ▁conditions ▁inside ▁Str ange ways ▁in ▁the ▁months ▁leading ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁ri ots ▁and ▁a ▁" com bin ation ▁of ▁errors " ▁by ▁the ▁prison ▁staff ▁and ▁Pr ison ▁Service ▁management ▁as ▁a ▁central ▁contrib uting ▁factor . ▁Finally , ▁he ▁bl amed ▁the ▁failure ▁of ▁success ive ▁govern ments ▁to ▁" prov ide ▁the ▁resources ▁to ▁the ▁Pr ison ▁Service ▁which ▁were ▁needed ▁to ▁enable ▁the ▁Service ▁to ▁provide ▁for ▁an ▁increased ▁prison ▁population ▁in ▁a ▁hum ane ▁manner ". ▁W ool f ▁recommended ▁major ▁reform ▁of ▁the