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Thursday, December 22, 2016

Investigation launched after mass unrest at Swaleside jail

A police investigation has been opened into a mass "disturbance" at a prison in Kent.

Some 60 inmates took control of a landing on a wing at HMP Swaleside at 7pm on Thursday, prompting the dispatch of a specialist "Tornado" squad trained in advanced control and restraint techniques.

During the unrest fires were lit at the Isle of Sheppey jail, according to the Prison Officers Association.

The Prison Service said that those involved in the incident "surrendered and were back in cells by 1am with no injuries to staff or prisoners".

Video:'Disturbance' at Swaleside prison

In a statement it added that Justice Secretary Liz Truss "is committed to making sure our prisons are stable while we deliver wholescale reforms to the prison estate to help offenders turn their lives around and reduce reoffending".

:: British prisons: Five major incidents in 12 months

The disturbance comes a week after a riot at HMP Birmingham that involved up to 600 prisoners and was described by experts as the worst for 25 years.

Riot officers managed to win back control of the jail after 12 hours of violence in which inmates set fires and stole keys and equipment.
Image Caption:HMP Swaleside is part of a cluster that includes HMP Elmley and HMP Standford Hill

The Swaleside incident is the fourth disturbance at an English prison in less than two months.

A damning report this year by the Chief Inspector of Prisons called HMP Swaleside "dangerous" and said levels of violence were "far too high".

Many staff were also "demotivated and overwhelmed", with half of the prisoners claiming it was "easy or very easy" to get drugs.

The Ministry of Justice has announced plans to recruit 2,500 extra prison officers to make jails safer and crack down on the use of drugs and phones, which are increasingly being dropped using drones.
Image Caption:Inmates went on the rampage last week at HMP Birmingham

A task force has also been set up to "manage down potential flashpoints of unrest".

But the Prison Officers Association says it will be difficult to retain and recruit people given existing levels of pay and conditions inside jails.

It says prison officer numbers have fallen by 7,000 since 2010.

The POA's Mike Rolfe told Sky News: "We were warning then it wouldn't be safe and wouldn't take long before things started to fall apart and we're seeing that now."

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