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Riot officers sent to deal with incident at Hertfordshire prison Incident 'resolved' after officers said to have lost control of two wings at prison
(about 1 hour later)
Specialist riot-trained officers are dealing with an incident involving a number of inmates at a prison in Hertfordshire, following a warning two days ago that “trouble was brewing”. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said the officers were called to the Mount, a category C prison, near the village of Bovingdon. An incident in which prison officers are said to have lost control of two wings at a jail in Hertfordshire has ended.
Disorder broke out at HMP The Mount and specially trained staff were sent in. The trouble, said to have spanned two wings which house 227 inmates, erupted on the same day that a report warned the prison has struggled with “severe” staff shortages.
A Ministry of Justice spokesman said the incident had been “resolved”.
Inmates’ relatives said staff shortages meant prisoners were locked in their cells over the weekend.
Specialist riot-trained Tornado officers were called in to deal with the incident involving a number of inmates , following a warning two days ago that “trouble was brewing”. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said the officers were called to the category C prison, near the village of Bovingdon.
A spokeswoman said: “Specially trained staff are working to resolve an incident involving a number of prisoners at HMP the Mount. The prison is completely secure and there is no risk to the public.”A spokeswoman said: “Specially trained staff are working to resolve an incident involving a number of prisoners at HMP the Mount. The prison is completely secure and there is no risk to the public.”
The BBC said sources claimed that one wing and half of another were “lost” and that a command suite had been set up around 2pm on Monday.
The prison scored the second lowest of four possible ratings in the National Offender Management Service’s (NOMS) annual prison performance review last week, which said overall performance was “of concern”.The prison scored the second lowest of four possible ratings in the National Offender Management Service’s (NOMS) annual prison performance review last week, which said overall performance was “of concern”.
Former prisoner and author Alex Cavendish warned two days ago that staff shortages were causing problems. On Monday he said Tornado squads, equipped to deal with riots, had been sent in. He said that he had been informed that two wings, housing 227 prisoners, were out of control. Former prisoner and author Alex Cavendish warned two days ago that staff shortages at the prison for more than 1,000 men were causing problems. On Mondayafternoon he said Tornado squads, equipped to deal with riots, had been sent in. He said that he had been informed that two wings, housing 227 prisoners, were out of control.
On Saturday Cavendish tweeted:On Saturday Cavendish tweeted:
Staff shortages at HMP The Mount (Herts) are so severe that this is 3rd weekend of total lockdown. Meals given at cell door. Trouble brewing pic.twitter.com/n6Ndj9TWkEStaff shortages at HMP The Mount (Herts) are so severe that this is 3rd weekend of total lockdown. Meals given at cell door. Trouble brewing pic.twitter.com/n6Ndj9TWkE
On Monday he added:On Monday he added:
HMP The Mount: inside sources stating that too many young, inexperienced officers had been deployed. Prison has been on brink for weeks.HMP The Mount: inside sources stating that too many young, inexperienced officers had been deployed. Prison has been on brink for weeks.
He said a source claimed the prison has “been running on very restricted regime for weeks” because of shortages of “nearly 50 staff”.He said a source claimed the prison has “been running on very restricted regime for weeks” because of shortages of “nearly 50 staff”.
The prison opened in 1987 on the site of a former RAF station and provides training and resettlement programmes for more than 1,000 men serving the last six months of their sentences. They are mainly from Hertfordshire and the surrounding area. The prison opened in 1987 on the site of a former RAF station and provides training and resettlement programmes for men serving the last six months of their sentences. They are mainly from Hertfordshire and the surrounding area.
The MoJ said the regime includes full and part-time education, workshops and training courses. There are also farms and gardens at the prison.The MoJ said the regime includes full and part-time education, workshops and training courses. There are also farms and gardens at the prison.
The partner of one inmate told the Guardian that conditions at the prison had deteriorated recently. She said: ‘There’s been a general decline in staffing levels for three months. Visits have been a nightmare. They’ve not been allowed out of their cells because of staff shortages.”The partner of one inmate told the Guardian that conditions at the prison had deteriorated recently. She said: ‘There’s been a general decline in staffing levels for three months. Visits have been a nightmare. They’ve not been allowed out of their cells because of staff shortages.”
Her partner told her he was worried that there would be trouble. She said: “ I think this weekend has been the catalyst because people were not allowed out [of their cells]. There’s been no showers this weekend.”Her partner told her he was worried that there would be trouble. She said: “ I think this weekend has been the catalyst because people were not allowed out [of their cells]. There’s been no showers this weekend.”
The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “I’ve been noticing that he’s hungry. As far as I’m aware, the food situation is terrible. They are being given lunch in their cells. In the evening they are getting a baguette, an apple and a biscuit.”The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “I’ve been noticing that he’s hungry. As far as I’m aware, the food situation is terrible. They are being given lunch in their cells. In the evening they are getting a baguette, an apple and a biscuit.”
An assessment from the jail’s Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) said that last summer “all the ingredients were in place for The Mount to suffer disorder such as has been experienced in other prisons – staff shortages, readily available drugs, mounting violence”.
The report covering the 12 months to the end of February said The Mount has struggled with staff shortages “driven by uncompetitive pay scales”.
It said: “Experienced staff have left and not been fully replaced, so that at the end of February there were 24 vacancies out of a complement of 136 officers, and a high proportion of officers and managers had less than two years’ experience.”
Despite shortages the IMB said the establishment ended the year as a safe prison where prisoners have a good chance of rehabilitation.
It said the drug problem at the jail was most acute in November when a number of prisoners suffered serious short-term health problems with 70 emergency call-outs in the month, mainly for drug related problems.
Spice is a “big concern”, the report said, adding that while drone deliveries have declined, “the supply is still getting in”.
A Tornado squad dealt with unrest on a wing at HMP Hewell Prison in Worcestershire last week.