News

More than 100 prison staff walked out of Nottingham Prison for a protest meeting about a rise in the number of assaults against officers by inmates.

The Prison Officers' Association (POA) union said 10 members at HMP Nottingham had been attacked this month. Police are investigating five serious attacks.

The POA is calling for tougher action to deal with the problem.

The prison's governor said assaults on staff were taken seriously and there would be zero tolerance at the jail.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice said the staff held a lunchtime meeting outside the prison and later returned to work.

Chair leg attack

Joe Simpson, from the POA, said he was "extremely worried about the unprecedented levels of assault against our members".

The association said one officer was almost beaten unconscious, while another needed about 12 stitches after being battered over the back of the head with a chair leg.

"What we're hoping is that senior management will have a look at the strength of feeling here and come up with some robust risk assessments and safe systems of work to ensure the safety of our members, but also prisoners," Mr Simpson said.

"Over 100 staff have come out to voice their opinions and voice their disgust at it.

"We see that as a sign of strength because the members are now saying 'we've had enough of this and we're going to make a stand'."

Mr Simpson added that the violence at the prison was getting worse.

By Colin Adwent Sunday, January 15, 2012
A PRISON officer has been charged with an alleged conspiracy to supply heroin at the Suffolk jail where he was working. Alex Sheppard was employed at HMP Highpoint, at Stradishall, near Newmarket at the time of his arrest.

The 21-year-old is due to appear before Ipswich Crown Court on March 23 for a plea and case management hearing.

Sheppard, of John Davis Way, Watlington, near King’s Lynn, is accused of conspiring to supply a Class A controlled drug.

His co-accused Fiona Wraight, a 21-year-old financial advisor, of Rockingham Road, Bury St Edmunds, is also due in court on March 23 to face the same charge.

Sheppard was arrested shortly before 10pm on May 27 last year.

It is understood he was taken into custody after being detained at Highpoint prison.

He was interviewed by police and then bailed pending further enquiries, before being charged late last year.

It is alleged that, together with others, he supplied a quantity of diamorphine.

Sheppard made his first appearance on the charge before West Suffolk Magistrates Court in Bury St Edmunds on December 6.

The case was then committed to Ipswich Crown Court.

Sheppard and Wraight are currently on bail until their next court hearing.

A Prison Service spokeswoman said: “A member of staff from HMP Highpoint was charged with drug offences relating to May 2011.

“We cannot comment while court proceedings are ongoing.”

A third person Adam James Bloy has also been charged in connection with the alleged conspiracy to supply a Class A drug.

The 25-year-old, formerly of Woodwark Avenue, King’s Lynn, was due to appear before Ipswich magistrates earlier this month.However, his case was adjourned until tomorrow when he is scheduled to appear before the same court.

Bloy, whose address on court records is given as HMP Swaleside in the Isle of Sheppey, has been charged with

Alan Travis, home affairs editor, The Guardian, Thursday 19 January 2012
Almost daily breakdowns in the operation of a cutting-edge biometric roll call system at a new London prison have paralysed its regime, sometimes for hours on end, an official inspection report has revealed. Nick Hardwick, the chief inspector of prisons, says the system, under which "100% of prisoners, 100% of the time had to leave an electronic thumbprint" whenever they moved from one part of the jail to another, bedevilled the operation of the entire jail.

HMP Isis opened in July 2010 next to Belmarsh prison in Thamesmead, south-east London, as a training prison for young men aged 18 to 25. It was the first new public prison for 20 years.

But inspectors say that since it opened the jail has faced enormous problems in recruiting staff, and dealing with an influx of prisoners in the immediate aftermath of the riots last August, as well as problems with its new technology.

Hardwick says the roll call system using thumprints has severely disrupted education, training and work at the jail.

Despite moves by the justice secretary, Kenneth Clarke, to get prisoners to work a 40-hour week, inspectors found that more than half the inmates were locked in their cells during the working part of the day.

The inspectors say the electronic roll call system was partly to blame. "If one thumbprint failed to register, the roll check did not tally and all prisoner movement halted – sometimes for hours – until a manual check could be done. This happened once or twice a day on each day of the inspection, with the result that education, training, work and other activities were severely disrupted," says the report, published on Thursday.

The inspectors say Isis prison has made progress since it first opened but has a long way to go.

They point to poor staff-prisoner relationships as being at the heart of the problem, with relatively inexperienced new recruits and staff drafted in from other jails resorting

Female prison guard suspended for four months on full pay for stealing a pint of milk from jail
Jan 15 2012 By Lynn McPherson, Sunday Mail

A PRISON guard has been suspended for four months on full pay over claims she stole a single pint of milk from the jail’s supply.

Anne Ferguson, 55, faces the sack over claims she took the pinta from a float at Edinburgh’s Saughton Prison.

She claims she asked the delivery driver, from Graham’s Dairy in Bridge of Allan, Stirlingshire, if he could spare a pint and he gave her permission to take one.

But prison officials launched an investigation when they discovered their order was short.

Ferguson, of Uddingston, Lanarkshire, worked as a custody officer for Reliance, escorting prisoners to and from court.

They suspended her after the incident last September and she remains in limbo, even though the prisoner transfer contract has now switched to rival firm Group 4 Security.

Disciplinary proceedings have stalled because prison bosses claim Graham’s have been unable to trace the milkman.

Ferguson refused to comment but a jail insider said: “Anne has always reckoned bosses were out to get her after her partner was sacked from Reliance five years ago.

“He was accused of using brute force with a prisoner and she was sure that they wanted shot of her too.”

6 January 2012 BBC NEWS
Petrol attack prison officer Kevin McDonagh honoured
An officer who stopped an attacker from turning a prisoner into a human fireball inside an Edinburgh security van has been honoured for his bravery.

Kevin McDonagh, 40, was inside the Reliance van as a colleague brought Robert Chalmers out of the court after his Samantha White murder conviction.

Alistair Gibb, Ms Wright's former boyfriend, doused the prisoner with petrol before barging onto the van.

Fellow Reliance officers Gary Liddle and Guy Busby have also been honoured.

The awards ceremony took place at Reliance's East Kilbride Headquarters as the company prepared to stand down from the Scottish government's prisoner escort contract after 7 years.

The trio were honoured for their courage and commitment in the face of real and present danger.

Runaway prisoner

Mr Liddle was dragged under the wheels of a hijacked car as he attempted to stop a runaway prisoner escape in Edinburgh's Holyrood Park on 12 May 2011.

Mr Liddle was honoured for disregarding his own safety in attempting to stop a runaway prisoner.

Mr Liddle said: "I was right behind him when he managed to get a girl to stop her car. He jumped into the passenger seat and I yelled at her to get out, which she did.

"I was half in the passenger door trying to grab the keys when he hit the accelerator and I was dragged under the back wheels.

"I woke up in the hospital recovery room covered from head to toe in bruises and cuts, but I still don't know how I escaped more serious injury."

Mr Busby 31, rugby tackled a prisoner armed with what appeared to be a knife and prevented him from escaping from Glasgow Royal Infirmary where he had been taken for treatment.

Mr Busby, from Inverclyde, said: "I managed to shrug the blows off and when he tried to get out of the room I grabbed him and a fight broke out which spill out into the ward.

"I yelled at the nurses to get help and grabbed him again when he tried to get away by jumping over the nurses station.

"I eventually managed to subdue him till police and security staff arrived, then I doubled cuffed him and we got him back into the room."

Mr McDonagh, from West Lothian, said: "My colleague yelled that he had a lighter. The

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thank the bankers

By News Today · January 8, 2012
A FORMER prison officer who engaged in a sex act with a ‘soulmate’ prisoner on the mother and baby wing has escaped jail – despite being told by a judge custody was inevitable.

Stephen Hennessy, 25, had been told by Judge Nic Madge to expect an immediate prison sentence after he pleaded guilty to one count of misconduct while in a public office.

The inmate told Hennessy she loved him and thought they were soulmates before the incident happened in her cell in the summer last year.

He admitted engaging in a sex act with a prisoner while working at HMP Peterborough but walked free from Peterborough Crown Court yesterday (THUR).

The turnabout came after the judge heard how Hennessy, of Howland in Peterborough, made attempts to transfer away from the prison’s mother and baby wing, where the inmate was imprisoned, before the event took place.

Judge Madge said he was able to give him a suspended sentence – despite saying that prison security was compromised by his actions.

Cheryl Williams, prosecuting, said: “Hennessy had been employed as a prison officer since 2007.

“In 2010 he came into contact with a prisoner on the mother and baby unit.

“During that time there was an incident in her cell where she performed a sex act on him.

“After she was released she revealed what had happened to probation and an investigation was started, and he made full admissions.

“He was dismissed from his job and later arrested. He accepted his actions and admitted he had made a dreadful mistake.”

Gordon Aspden, defending, said: “He had been working on the wing for a while, when he realised he had feelings for the prisoner and asked to be transferred to another area of the prison.

By James Johnston Published on Tuesday 10 January 2012 11:54
A PRISON officer stabbed by a triple killer brandishing a broken bottle has been handed a bravery award.

Craig Wylde, from Seaham, was given the special commendation by the prison service after he was attacked in a cell by Kevan Thakrar, who plunged the glass weapon into his upper left arm, cutting an artery.

Screaming “I am going to kill you! I am going to kill you”, the inmate, who was serving a 35-year sentence for a gangland slaying, then lashed out at Craig’s colleague Claire Lewis, 36, from Washington.

Today, 29-year-old Craig, who is unable to use his left hand and has had to undergo a series of operations since the stabbing in Durham’s high-security Frankland Prison, admitted he had “mixed emotions” about the award.

“I really don’t know what to feel – proud or upset,” he said.

“I’m proud that something I did on that day meant saving a life, but on the other hand it is something to remind me just how bad that day was.

“It has been really difficult for me. To be honest, it has absolutely broken me.

“I’ve had five operations and the doctors say that is the best they can do for me.

“The pain is going to be there forever.”

Thakrar used a 285ml glass Encona sauce container to attack prison officers Craig, Claire and Neil Walker, who all suffered stab or slash injuries.

He admitted the violent attack, but a jury cleared him of all charges after he claimed he was “acting in self defence.”

It was said Thakrar’s “state of mind” led him to believe he was going to be attacked, an account that had been dismissed by prison officers and bosses.

Craig, who is expecting to become a father for the first time in the coming weeks, said: “I’m still trying to come to terms with everything. There has been so much going on in my life.

“I’m still trying to adapt to life with a disability and I can’t even think about another career at the minute.”

Thakrar was jailed for the part he played in gangland killings.

The 24-year-old, of Stevenage, Hertfordshire, was jailed in 2008 for helping his brother Miran kill three men and stab two women.

He was serving time in Frankland when the attacks on the prison guards took place on March 13, 2010.

After he was cleared, Thakrar said he was deeply sorry for his actions, but was a victim of the prison system and wrongly imprisoned.

He was transferred to Wakefield

Jan 8 2012 Exclusive by Lauren Crooks
A PRISON officer posted anti-Catholic slurs and death threats to Neil Lennon on Facebook, we can reveal.

George Harvey, 22, had only recently been recruited as a prison officer and was due to start tomorrow.

But he could be facing jail instead as his new bosses and the police investigate his comments about Celtic boss Lennon.

Messages on Harvey’s Facebook page following the Old Firm shame game in March said: “Neil Lennon you low life f***. Ally congratulates you and you point the finger. Matter of time, click f*****g click.”

He then blasted: “Ya dirty fenian rebel lego munching ****. Damned to hell ya wee ginger ****. Bang bang. We’re coming.”

Other online postings under his name and picture slur Celtic fans and Catholics in general.

And on Twitter, a poster claiming to be Harvey, from Kirkintilloch, near Glasgow, moans: “Hate how you can’t dislike a Catholic without being labelled a bigot. Or hate a black man without being labelled racist.”

He declined to comment last night but a message to pals on Christmas Day from his Facebook account said: “Merry Christmas to all my Protestant friends. The rest, f*** you.”

In a tweet two days before Rangers’ 4-2 win over Celtic at Ibrox in September, Harvey’s feed said: “48 hours to go and the hatred has started to pour out me.”

And hours before the Old Firm showdown a fortnight ago, a sickening video tribute to outlawed loyalist paramilitary groups was posted on Harvey’s Facebook page by a pal.

The three-minute song features lyrics about killing Catholics and images of armed terrorists.

Harvey had been due to start training as a prison officer before joining the new Low Moss jail at Bishopbriggs.

Yesterday, a Scottish Prison Service spokesman said: “It is not policy to comment on any individual.

“We have well-established policies which make c

Published on Tuesday 3 January 2012 12:06 scotsman news
UP to 70 prisoners went on a riot at Addiewell Prison, firing snooker balls as missiles and setting fires.

The incident throughout yesterday afternoon saw a number of inmates take control of one wing of the West Lothian prison for more than three hours. The rampage sparked a full emergency response from police, the Scottish Ambulance Service, and Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service.

It is the latest of several riots at privately-run Addiewell, which has been criticised in the past for its “luxury” facilities including flatscreen televisions and en-suite showers.

Prisoners took control of the wing at around 4.30pm for more than three hours, before being surrounded.

Inmates used snooker balls as missiles and are reported to have set off multiple small fires before police regained control at around 7.45pm. There were no reported injuries to prisoners or staff.

Sources said it was a “serious” situation requiring a “full-scale response”.

One source said: “It was well out of control. Up to 70 prisoners were involved.”

A spokeswoman for Sodexo Justice Services, which runs the prison, last night said: “We can confirm that an incident has occurred at HMP Addiewell. There are no reported injuries.” She added that the riot had broken out in one wing, while the rest of the prison had continued to run as usual.

An internal investigation into the incident is due to take place. One explanation offered today was that the riot was sparked by a clampdown on the illegal trafficking of drugs into the jail over the festive period.

However, a spokesman for the Scottish Prison Service could not confirm this.

He said: “I’m not aware of why particular individuals decided to behave in a criminal manner, but that is something that will be investigated. It is not appropriate for me to speculate on what the reasons are.”

The prison has been blighted by riots and fights during the past two years. In early December, one inmate suffered serious cuts when he was attacked by a fellow prisoner. He was left with deep slashes to his chest, arms and face after being attacked with a weapon fashioned from a glass jar.

Three months earlier, six men who were part of a six-hour long disturbance were jailed. Two pleaded guilty to assaulting a prison officer, while one inmate was caught on CCTV manoeuvring a fridge and moving a pool table. Another pair struggled with prison officers and one prisoner was caught on CCTV putting wet news-paper over a camera.

The previous December, one prisoner threw scalding water over an inmate who was allegedly bullying him.