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| Swaleside Prison: Wing reclaimed after inmates take control | Swaleside Prison: Wing reclaimed after inmates take control |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Part of a prison wing that was taken over by about 60 inmates has been reclaimed, the Prison Service has said. | Part of a prison wing that was taken over by about 60 inmates has been reclaimed, the Prison Service has said. |
| Specialist "Tornado" teams were sent into HMP Swaleside, on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, after a disturbance at about 19:00 GMT on Thursday. | Specialist "Tornado" teams were sent into HMP Swaleside, on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, after a disturbance at about 19:00 GMT on Thursday. |
| A Prison Service spokeswoman said all those involved at the category B jail had "surrendered and were back in cells by 1am". | A Prison Service spokeswoman said all those involved at the category B jail had "surrendered and were back in cells by 1am". |
| No prisoners or staff were injured, she added. A police inquiry is under way. | No prisoners or staff were injured, she added. A police inquiry is under way. |
| The disturbance happened less than a week after inmates at HMP Birmingham rioted for 12 hours - the latest in a number of disturbances in the past two months. | The disturbance happened less than a week after inmates at HMP Birmingham rioted for 12 hours - the latest in a number of disturbances in the past two months. |
| Live updates | Live updates |
| Do England and Wales lock up more people than other countries? | Do England and Wales lock up more people than other countries? |
| Call to halve prisoner numbers to 45,000 | Call to halve prisoner numbers to 45,000 |
| Former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg and former home secretaries Ken Clarke and Jacqui Smith have said the incident at Birmingham should act as a "wake up call". | Former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg and former home secretaries Ken Clarke and Jacqui Smith have said the incident at Birmingham should act as a "wake up call". |
| In a letter to the Times, they said jails had become unacceptably dangerous and called for inmate populations to be reduced by about half from their present levels to 45,000. | In a letter to the Times, they said jails had become unacceptably dangerous and called for inmate populations to be reduced by about half from their present levels to 45,000. |
| The Prison Service said "challenges in our prisons are longstanding and won't be solved overnight". | The Prison Service said "challenges in our prisons are longstanding and won't be solved overnight". |
| But, it added, Justice Secretary Liz Truss was "committed to making sure our prisons are stable while we deliver wholesale reforms to the prison estate to help offenders turn their lives around and reduce reoffending". | But, it added, Justice Secretary Liz Truss was "committed to making sure our prisons are stable while we deliver wholesale reforms to the prison estate to help offenders turn their lives around and reduce reoffending". |
| Latest unrest in England's prisons | Latest unrest in England's prisons |
| The Prison Service said the Swaleside incident had broken out on a landing of the jail's A wing. | The Prison Service said the Swaleside incident had broken out on a landing of the jail's A wing. |
| It is understood the rest of the jail, which houses 1,100 male prisoners, was put on "lockdown" while the prison was brought back under control. | It is understood the rest of the jail, which houses 1,100 male prisoners, was put on "lockdown" while the prison was brought back under control. |
| Earlier, Prison Officers Association (POA) chairman Mike Rolfe said fires had been lit. | Earlier, Prison Officers Association (POA) chairman Mike Rolfe said fires had been lit. |
| Mr Rolfe described Swaleside as "a particularly difficult place to work". | Mr Rolfe described Swaleside as "a particularly difficult place to work". |
| 'Toxic job' | 'Toxic job' |
| He said: "Staff recruitment and retention there has been poor. | He said: "Staff recruitment and retention there has been poor. |
| "In the last few years they've lost lots of experienced staff and new recruits haven't wanted to stick the job out due to the toxic nature of the job." | "In the last few years they've lost lots of experienced staff and new recruits haven't wanted to stick the job out due to the toxic nature of the job." |
| A man claiming to be an inmate at the jail contacted the BBC and said the unrest had been sparked when officers raided cells. | A man claiming to be an inmate at the jail contacted the BBC and said the unrest had been sparked when officers raided cells. |
| He made further claims, which have not been verified, that the use of inexperienced staff and a reduction in certain privileges had caused "tension" between prison officers and inmates. | He made further claims, which have not been verified, that the use of inexperienced staff and a reduction in certain privileges had caused "tension" between prison officers and inmates. |
| During the disturbance, the Prison Service said the incident had been "contained to one landing on A Wing". | During the disturbance, the Prison Service said the incident had been "contained to one landing on A Wing". |
| The A wing of the prison houses the Open Academy, a study centre with a computer suite. | The A wing of the prison houses the Open Academy, a study centre with a computer suite. |
| An HM Inspectorate of Prisons report in July said the centre was used by 50 of the 126 prisoners on the wing, who were enrolled on open and distance learning courses. | An HM Inspectorate of Prisons report in July said the centre was used by 50 of the 126 prisoners on the wing, who were enrolled on open and distance learning courses. |
| The report described the prison as "dangerous" and found levels of violence at the jail were "far too high" with many incidents classed as serious. | The report described the prison as "dangerous" and found levels of violence at the jail were "far too high" with many incidents classed as serious. |
| Up to 240 prisoners had been moved to other jails after last week's Birmingham riot was quelled, but the Ministry of Justice did not say whether any had been sent to Swaleside. | Up to 240 prisoners had been moved to other jails after last week's Birmingham riot was quelled, but the Ministry of Justice did not say whether any had been sent to Swaleside. |
| Richard Burgeon, Labour's shadow justice secretary, told the BBC: "In July the Independent Monitoring Board said this prison is not safe and staff shortage is the major cause. | Richard Burgeon, Labour's shadow justice secretary, told the BBC: "In July the Independent Monitoring Board said this prison is not safe and staff shortage is the major cause. |
| "As with Birmingham prison, the public will once again wonder what action the justice secretary actually took in response to the board's concerns. | "As with 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." | "She needs to tell us." |
| John Podmore, a former prison governor at HMP Swaleside, said: "We should be sending fewer people to jail in absolute terms but we need to be looking at who we are locking up, why we are locking them up and how we deal with the way in which they are offending against society. | |
| "We need a much more subtle approach than what we have at the moment." | |
| At the scene: Peter Whittlesea, BBC South East reporter | At the scene: Peter Whittlesea, BBC South East reporter |
| A clearer sense of what happened is coming to light. The Prison Officers Association said there were disputes between inmates and prison staff over how many hours people would be locked up over Christmas. | A clearer sense of what happened is coming to light. The Prison Officers Association said there were disputes between inmates and prison staff over how many hours people would be locked up over Christmas. |
| There were raids of cells where personal possessions were then confiscated. | There were raids of cells where personal possessions were then confiscated. |
| After that a riot broke out and prison officers lost control and retreated. | After that a riot broke out and prison officers lost control and retreated. |
| Prisoners were brandishing snooker balls which are often used as weapons and they let off fire extinguishers. | Prisoners were brandishing snooker balls which are often used as weapons and they let off fire extinguishers. |
| Tornado squads were brought in and by 01:00 the wing was under control. | Tornado squads were brought in and by 01:00 the wing was under control. |