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Swaleside Prison: Inmates take over part of jail | Swaleside Prison: Inmates take over part of jail |
(35 minutes later) | |
Sixty prisoners have taken control of part of a wing at a prison in Kent. | |
The Prison Officers Association (POA) said there was an "ongoing disturbance" at the category B training prison, HMP Swaleside, on the Isle of Sheppey. | The Prison Officers Association (POA) said there was an "ongoing disturbance" at the category B training prison, HMP Swaleside, on the Isle of Sheppey. |
Specialist "Tornado" teams have been deployed to tackle the unrest, the Prison Service said. | |
POA chairman Mike Rolfe said the extent of the disturbance was unclear, but it did not appear to be on the scale of a riot at HMP Birmingham last week. | |
Riot police were used to quell last Friday's disturbance, which lasted for 12 hours and involved hundreds of inmates. | |
'Tensions high' | |
A Prison Service spokesperson said: "The Prison Service is dealing with an incident involving 60 prisoners at HMP Swaleside. | A Prison Service spokesperson said: "The Prison Service is dealing with an incident involving 60 prisoners at HMP Swaleside. |
"The incident is contained to one landing on A Wing. The rest of the prison is secure with all prisoners in locked in cells." | "The incident is contained to one landing on A Wing. The rest of the prison is secure with all prisoners in locked in cells." |
Mr Rolfe described Swaleside as "a particularly difficult place to work" due to an "acute staff shortfall" and high levels of violence. | |
A man claiming to be an inmate there told the BBC the disturbance started when staff raided cells and confiscated prisoners' possessions. | |
The unverified source said tension between inmates and prison officers had increased after an intake of young, inexperienced staff, and the cutting of family visits. | |
The BBC's Home Affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said the disturbance had now been contained but prisoners were refusing to go back into their cells. | The BBC's Home Affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said the disturbance had now been contained but prisoners were refusing to go back into their cells. |
He said at least 60 and possibly as many as 80 inmates were involved. | He said at least 60 and possibly as many as 80 inmates were involved. |
"Tornado" squads were also used to last week's riot in Birmingham, after prisoners set fires, stole keys to residential areas from a guard and one inmate was seriously injured. | |
Up to 240 prisoners were moved following the riot, but the Ministry of Justice has not commented on whether any were shipped to Swaleside. | Up to 240 prisoners were moved following the riot, but the Ministry of Justice has not commented on whether any were shipped to Swaleside. |
Guardian prison correspondent Eric Allison said he had been told of problems at the prison during a recent research visit. | |
"The governor told me that it was a troubled jail," he said. | |
"He said that there were high levels of violence and access to and use of [formerly] legal highs". | |
However, Mr Allison said Swaleside, which houses about 1,100 inmates serving terms of more than four years, had some "innovative" education schemes. | |
An HM Inspectorate of Prisons report in July described the prison as "dangerous" and found levels of violence were "far too high", with many of the incidents classed as serious. | An HM Inspectorate of Prisons report in July described the prison as "dangerous" and found levels of violence were "far too high", with many of the incidents classed as serious. |
Latest unrest in England's prisons | Latest unrest in England's prisons |