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Prisoners riot at Bedford jail over lockdowns 'caused by staff shortages' Prisoners riot at Bedford jail over lockdowns 'caused by staff shortages'
(35 minutes later)
A riot broke out on Sunday among prisoners at Bedford jail over tensions sparked by staff shortages. The Prison Service is to launch an investigation after a riot at Bedford Prison which reportedly saw up to 200 inmates go on the rampage.
Bedfordshire fire service was called to the category B prison at 5pm following reports of a disturbance. Bedfordshire police confirmed that they had been alerted to the situation, but would not say if riot police were dealing with the incident. The disturbance was “successfully resolved” late on Sunday night after riot officers spent more than six hours trying to bring the disorder under control.
The Prison Service said on Sunday night that the disturbance had been “successfully resolved”. Scores of prisoners flooded the jail’s gangways in chaotic scenes after the disturbance broke out shortly after 5pm.
According to reports, prisoners have been frustrated over long periods of lockdown caused by chronic understaffing. A Prison Service spokesman said: “Specially trained prison officers and staff from the emergency services have successfully resolved an incident involving a number of prisoners at HMP Bedford. An investigation into this incident will take place. We are absolutely clear that prisoners who behave in this way will be punished and could spend significantly longer behind bars.” There were no injuries to prison staff but two inmates were treated for injuries that were not thought to be serious.
After an inspection at the category B prison earlier this year it emerged that it is easier for the prisoners to get hold of illegal drugs than it was to obtain clothes or sheets. Richard Fuller, MP for Bedford and Kempston, will put an “urgent question” to Justice Secretary Liz Truss in Parliament on Monday, local media reported.
The Chief Inspector of Prisons, Peter Clarke, said standards at the prison had plummeted to “unacceptable levels”. Specialist riot officers were deployed at the category B prison in Bedford town centre after the riot broke out on Sunday afternoon, with police cordoning off an area outside and emergency services on stand-by.
The report revealed that of 72 recommendations made by the previous inspector in 2014, the prison had failed to implement 60 of them. Steve Gillan, general secretary of the Prison Officers Association (POA) said some guards were forced to retreat to a “safe place” while large numbers of prisoners ran amok.
Of particular concern to the inspector were the failings in inmate safety. Only three out of 17 recommendations in prison safety had been realised. Sources told the Press Association the riot spread over more than one wing inside the prison, and footage supposedly from inside the facility – though unverified – posted online revealed chaotic scenes with scores of prisoners shouting and bellowing in walkways and gangways. At around 11pm, about half an hour before the riot was brought under control, there were reports of loud bangs or explosions coming from inside the prison.
The report said: “Although the prison had good knowledge of where and when violent incidents were occurring, far too little was being done to analyse them and take effective action to reduce the violence.” The disorder comes after the head of the POA Mike Rolfe last week warned British jails had been engulfed by a “bloodbath”. Gillan said: “The POA has been warning about this situation of violence in our prisons – it would appear it’s coming to fruition. I just hope there’s no prisoners or indeed prison officers injured in the violence.”
The riot broke out in the afternoon, with prisoners reportedly grabbing batons from the guards and lighting small fires. It is believed prisoners also ripped up toilets in a bid to flood the building as guards fled the scene. There were reports of loud bangs or explosions coming from inside the prison. HMP Bedford, which has been on its current site since 1801, currently holds around 500 inmates, according to a HM Inspectorate of Prisons report in September.
There were also reports of some prisoners raiding the medical safe, taking all the prison’s drug supplies. The watchdog’s report found inmates claimed it was easier to get drugs than clothes or bedsheets at a prison where standards had deteriorated to “unacceptable levels”.
Sources told the Press Association the riot had spread to more than one wing of the prison. A survey found the number of prisoners saying it was easy or very easy to get drugs had almost doubled since the last inspection of the jail in February 2014. The number saying they had developed a drug problem while at the prison increased from 4% to 14%.
The Ministry of Justice said it had no reports of any prison officers being injured in the disturbance. The HMP inspection in May also found that the physical condition of the prison was poor, with many inmates living in cramped conditions. The report detailed damaged furniture, graffiti, shortages of clothing and dirty, unscreened showers.
A Prison Service spokesperson said: “We are absolutely clear that prisoners who behave in this way will be punished and could spend significantly longer behind bars.” The report also said: “Arrangements for managing violent and bullying behaviour and supporting victims were weak.”
The shadow justice secretary, Richard Burgon, tweeted:The shadow justice secretary, Richard Burgon, tweeted:
More troubling news concerning our prisons. The Justice Secretary needs to do more urgently to tackle crisis https://t.co/lAsSLUAQRTMore troubling news concerning our prisons. The Justice Secretary needs to do more urgently to tackle crisis https://t.co/lAsSLUAQRT