As someone once interested in prisons, I feel that news of the riot in Ford Open Prison raises a variety of questions that need to be addressed quickly.
I wonder, for example, whether there are enough prison officers to maintain control of an establishment of nearly 500 prisoners in this place? In view of the reported low numbers when the riot started (two officers and four support staff), was this enough to maintain any discipline within the prison? Were all prisoners suitable for open conditions? What is the discipline regime in the prison? And if, as reported, prisoners have had free access to drugs and alcohol over a period of time, I wonder why nothing seems to have been done about it? There are many other such questions that spring to mind.
The internal discipline of a prison is largely down to the way in which senior staff and prison officers manage it. On the other hand, if staff numbers are kept low by the Prison Service, no amount of goodwill on the part of the prison officers and staff can prevent a situation such as the one that has occurred in Ford from getting out of control.
The Independent Monitoring Board for Ford reported in 2009 (there is no report yet for 2010) that: ‘The import of drugs, alcohol and mobile phones continues to be a problem and with possible reduced staffing levels it is difficult to see how this can be addressed.’
In light of this, I wonder what, if anything, was done about the situation?
.
I wonder, for example, whether there are enough prison officers to maintain control of an establishment of nearly 500 prisoners in this place? In view of the reported low numbers when the riot started (two officers and four support staff), was this enough to maintain any discipline within the prison? Were all prisoners suitable for open conditions? What is the discipline regime in the prison? And if, as reported, prisoners have had free access to drugs and alcohol over a period of time, I wonder why nothing seems to have been done about it? There are many other such questions that spring to mind.
The internal discipline of a prison is largely down to the way in which senior staff and prison officers manage it. On the other hand, if staff numbers are kept low by the Prison Service, no amount of goodwill on the part of the prison officers and staff can prevent a situation such as the one that has occurred in Ford from getting out of control.
The Independent Monitoring Board for Ford reported in 2009 (there is no report yet for 2010) that: ‘The import of drugs, alcohol and mobile phones continues to be a problem and with possible reduced staffing levels it is difficult to see how this can be addressed.’
In light of this, I wonder what, if anything, was done about the situation?
.
No comments:
Post a Comment