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Prison chiefs seek court injunction to force protesting staff back to work Justice secretary condemns 'unlawful industrial action' by prison officers
(about 2 hours later)
Prison chiefs are urgently seeking a high court injunction to force thousands of prison officers back to work amid a 24-hour protest over the soaring level of violence at jails in England and Wales. The justice secretary has condemned a 24-hour walkout by thousands of prison officers across England and Wales as “unlawful industrial action” and said “necessary legal steps” were under way to bring it to an end.
The disruption has meant that several trials have been halted, including that of Thomas Mair, the man accused of the murder of the Labour MP Jo Cox. The jury was sent home from the Old Bailey after being told he could not be brought to court from Belmarsh prison in south London. Elizabeth Truss told MPs in the Commons that the protest by as many as 10,000 prison officers over health and safety concerns was putting more people in danger.
Though emergency cover is being provided, the action by the Prison Officers’ Association at every jail in England and Wales means prisoners are not being unlocked from their cells – a situation described as “dangerous” by the chief executive of the National Offender Management Service, Michael Spurr. Truss made her comments in response to an urgent Commons question as the high court was hearign the matter hearing was under way to hear the government’s request for an injunction to force the prison officers to end their protest over the soaring levels of violence in jails.
The justice secretary claimed that Labour’s refusal to join her in condemning the action by the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) was “a disgrace” and accused the union of walking away from talks and taking action without any notice.
Their action has disrupted hundreds of trials across the country, including at the Old Bailey and the court of appeal. Among these was that of Thomas Mair, the man accused of murdering the Labour MP Jo Cox.
The shadow justice secretary, Richard Burgon, refused to respond to Truss’s demand that he condemn the POA, instead blaming Truss for refusing to recognise a prisons crisis that she could not control.
The Conservative chair of the justice select committee, Bob Neill, joined Truss in condemning the POA action but asked her to recognise that there was an underlying issue of prison officer morale and the loss of many experienced prison officers.
Though emergency cover is being provided, the POA action at every jail in England and Wales means prisoners are not being unlocked from their cells – a situation described as “dangerous” by the chief executive of the National Offender Management Service, Michael Spurr.
Spurr said the prison officers’ protest amounted to a strike, which the POA is banned from taking by law. The Ministry of Justice is to ask the courts to ban the 24-hour protest action.Spurr said the prison officers’ protest amounted to a strike, which the POA is banned from taking by law. The Ministry of Justice is to ask the courts to ban the 24-hour protest action.
“We will be seeking relief from the courts later today … Rather than talk to us the prison officers have taken protest action, which by any other means would be classed as industrial action. They are not working. Prisoners are not being unlocked and that is a dangerous situation,” he said.“We will be seeking relief from the courts later today … Rather than talk to us the prison officers have taken protest action, which by any other means would be classed as industrial action. They are not working. Prisoners are not being unlocked and that is a dangerous situation,” he said.
He was given support by Sir Martin Narey, the former director-general of the prison service, who said the POA action had come after the new justice secretary had undertaken ‘a massive reversal of inept staffing’ cuts: “Hard to fathom, impossible to support,” he said of the POA action.
The union’s instructions to its members asks them to stage protest action outside their jails for 24 hours until midnight on Tuesday. Emergency cover will be negotiated at each prison to deal with fires, incidents of self-harm, issuing essential medication to prisoners, hospital bedwatches and maintaining unit patrols. Each POA branch is asked to negotiate on a jail-by-jail basis on an action plan to establish minimum safety levels at that jail.The union’s instructions to its members asks them to stage protest action outside their jails for 24 hours until midnight on Tuesday. Emergency cover will be negotiated at each prison to deal with fires, incidents of self-harm, issuing essential medication to prisoners, hospital bedwatches and maintaining unit patrols. Each POA branch is asked to negotiate on a jail-by-jail basis on an action plan to establish minimum safety levels at that jail.
. @Andrew_S_Hatton POA instructions to members pic.twitter.com/n2wpNb8Pv6. @Andrew_S_Hatton POA instructions to members pic.twitter.com/n2wpNb8Pv6
The protests also led to the cancellation of a Commons justice select committee hearing during which MPs were to hear evidence from prison governors on the government’s safety and reform programme outlined by the justice secretary, Elizabeth Truss, two weeks ago.The protests also led to the cancellation of a Commons justice select committee hearing during which MPs were to hear evidence from prison governors on the government’s safety and reform programme outlined by the justice secretary, Elizabeth Truss, two weeks ago.
The POA said it had consistently raised the “volatile and dangerous state of prisons, as chronic staff shortages and impoverished regimes has resulted in staff no longer being safe a lack of discipline and prisoners taking control of areas”.The POA said it had consistently raised the “volatile and dangerous state of prisons, as chronic staff shortages and impoverished regimes has resulted in staff no longer being safe a lack of discipline and prisoners taking control of areas”.
The statement from its national executive said the continued surge in violence and unprecedented levels of suicide and acts of self-harm, coupled with recent murder and escapes showed that the system was in meltdown.The statement from its national executive said the continued surge in violence and unprecedented levels of suicide and acts of self-harm, coupled with recent murder and escapes showed that the system was in meltdown.
Dave Todd, the POA south-east representative, who was outside Pentonville prison in London, where there was recent jailbreak, said conditions in jails were “volatile and dangerous”.Dave Todd, the POA south-east representative, who was outside Pentonville prison in London, where there was recent jailbreak, said conditions in jails were “volatile and dangerous”.
“We need to act to protect ourselves,. It has not come about quickly, it’s a build-up over probably years actually. It’s just unsafe. To me, prison officers taking this type of action speaks volumes for what’s happening inside,” he said.“We need to act to protect ourselves,. It has not come about quickly, it’s a build-up over probably years actually. It’s just unsafe. To me, prison officers taking this type of action speaks volumes for what’s happening inside,” he said.
Todd, a former soldier, added: “I served in Northern Ireland and I felt more vulnerable walking the landings in prisons than I did on the streets of Northern Ireland.”Todd, a former soldier, added: “I served in Northern Ireland and I felt more vulnerable walking the landings in prisons than I did on the streets of Northern Ireland.”
The MoJ said there was no justification for the action: “We have been engaged in constructive talks with the POA over the last two weeks and have provided a comprehensive response to a range of health and safety concerns.The MoJ said there was no justification for the action: “We have been engaged in constructive talks with the POA over the last two weeks and have provided a comprehensive response to a range of health and safety concerns.
“The government has announced an additional 2,500 frontline officers to help reduce violence in prisons. We have well-established contingencies in place to manage prisons and keep the public safe, but we are clear that this constitutes unlawful industrial action, and we will seek remedy in the courts.”“The government has announced an additional 2,500 frontline officers to help reduce violence in prisons. We have well-established contingencies in place to manage prisons and keep the public safe, but we are clear that this constitutes unlawful industrial action, and we will seek remedy in the courts.”