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| Riot officers called in to contain disturbance at Kent prison Riot officers called in to contain disturbance at Kent prison | |
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| Prison riot officers have been sent in to quell the latest disturbance in a British jail after about 60 prisoners took control of part of HMP Swaleside on the Isle of Sheppey. | Prison riot officers have been sent in to quell the latest disturbance in a British jail after about 60 prisoners took control of part of HMP Swaleside on the Isle of Sheppey. |
| The prison service said it sent in the specialist Tornado team to deal with a disturbance involving 60 prisoners on the prison’s A-wing on Thursday evening. | The prison service said it sent in the specialist Tornado team to deal with a disturbance involving 60 prisoners on the prison’s A-wing on Thursday evening. |
| It later said the incident had been contained and all prisoners had been returned to their cells by 1am on Friday, the BBC reported. | It later said the incident had been contained and all prisoners had been returned to their cells by 1am on Friday, the BBC reported. |
| The Prison Officers Association chairman, Mike Rolfe, said earlier that fires had been lit in the prison. The category B prison, which is run by HM Prison Service, is one of a cluster of three on Sheppey in Kent. | The Prison Officers Association chairman, Mike Rolfe, said earlier that fires had been lit in the prison. The category B prison, which is run by HM Prison Service, is one of a cluster of three on Sheppey in Kent. |
| “We are not sure how bad it is yet, but we understand 60 prisoners have taken control of A wing there,” Rolfe said. “Some fires have been lit, apparently.” | “We are not sure how bad it is yet, but we understand 60 prisoners have taken control of A wing there,” Rolfe said. “Some fires have been lit, apparently.” |
| The trouble at Swaleside comes shortly after one of the worst prison riots in decades at the G4S-run HMP Birmingham. Specialist prison officer Tornado teams were sent in after one inmate was seriously injured and others set fires and stole keys to residential areas from a guard last Friday. On Monday, the justice secretary, Liz Truss, said the firm should foot the bill for the 12-hour disturbance. | The trouble at Swaleside comes shortly after one of the worst prison riots in decades at the G4S-run HMP Birmingham. Specialist prison officer Tornado teams were sent in after one inmate was seriously injured and others set fires and stole keys to residential areas from a guard last Friday. On Monday, the justice secretary, Liz Truss, said the firm should foot the bill for the 12-hour disturbance. |
| Swaleside has a capacity of about 1,100 inmates serving prison terms of more than four years. It has eight wings comprised of single cells. | Swaleside has a capacity of about 1,100 inmates serving prison terms of more than four years. It has eight wings comprised of single cells. |
| The shadow justice spokesman Richard Burgon said: “This is yet more troubling news from our prisons. In July, the independent monitoring board said this prison is not safe and staff shortage is the major cause. As with the Birmingham prison, the public will once again wonder what action the justice secretary actually took in response to the board’s concerns. She needs to tell us.” Truss did not respond on Thursday. | The shadow justice spokesman Richard Burgon said: “This is yet more troubling news from our prisons. In July, the independent monitoring board said this prison is not safe and staff shortage is the major cause. As with the Birmingham prison, the public will once again wonder what action the justice secretary actually took in response to the board’s concerns. She needs to tell us.” Truss did not respond on Thursday. |
| An HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) report in July described the prison as “dangerous” and found levels of violence were “far too high”, with many of the incidents serious. | An HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) report in July described the prison as “dangerous” and found levels of violence were “far too high”, with many of the incidents serious. |
| A survey found 69% of inmates had felt unsafe at some point – a result that was significantly higher than at similar facilities. More than half of prisoners polled said it was easy or very easy to get drugs at the prison, while 45% said the same about alcohol. | A survey found 69% of inmates had felt unsafe at some point – a result that was significantly higher than at similar facilities. More than half of prisoners polled said it was easy or very easy to get drugs at the prison, while 45% said the same about alcohol. |
| HMIP also said the use of force was high, while the segregation unit was described as “filthy”. The A wing of the prison houses a study centre with a computer suite. At the time of the HMIP report, inspectors said it was used by 50 of the 126 prisoners on the wing who were enrolled on open and distance learning courses. | HMIP also said the use of force was high, while the segregation unit was described as “filthy”. The A wing of the prison houses a study centre with a computer suite. At the time of the HMIP report, inspectors said it was used by 50 of the 126 prisoners on the wing who were enrolled on open and distance learning courses. |
| The latest trouble marks the fourth such incident at an English prison in less than two months. Besides the rioting at Birmingham, which involved more than a hundred prisoners, there was also a major disturbance involving about 200 prisoners at HMP Bedford. That came just days after a national response unit had to be brought in to control prisoners after a six-hour incident at HMP Lewes in East Sussex. | The latest trouble marks the fourth such incident at an English prison in less than two months. Besides the rioting at Birmingham, which involved more than a hundred prisoners, there was also a major disturbance involving about 200 prisoners at HMP Bedford. That came just days after a national response unit had to be brought in to control prisoners after a six-hour incident at HMP Lewes in East Sussex. |
| Addressing the Birmingham riot on Monday, Truss said the job of improving conditions in Britain’s prisons would be difficult and lengthy. | Addressing the Birmingham riot on Monday, Truss said the job of improving conditions in Britain’s prisons would be difficult and lengthy. |
| “It is important to remember that these problems have developed over a number of years and it will take time and it will take concerted effort to turn the situation round ... The issues in our prisons are longstanding and they are not going to be completely solved in weeks or even months,” she said in a statement to MPs. | “It is important to remember that these problems have developed over a number of years and it will take time and it will take concerted effort to turn the situation round ... The issues in our prisons are longstanding and they are not going to be completely solved in weeks or even months,” she said in a statement to MPs. |
| Truss added: “As I have said before, levels of violence are too high in our prisons. We also have very concerning levels of self-harm and deaths in custody. That is why we are reforming our prisons to be safe and purposeful places and taking swift action to deal with drugs, drones and phones.” | Truss added: “As I have said before, levels of violence are too high in our prisons. We also have very concerning levels of self-harm and deaths in custody. That is why we are reforming our prisons to be safe and purposeful places and taking swift action to deal with drugs, drones and phones.” |
| In early November, before the latest incidents, Truss announced an extra 2,500 prison officers would be recruited at a cost of £104m to tackle “unacceptable” levels of violence in jails across England and Wales. | In early November, before the latest incidents, Truss announced an extra 2,500 prison officers would be recruited at a cost of £104m to tackle “unacceptable” levels of violence in jails across England and Wales. |