Port of Tilbury-Police Constable

[Fedster + 1,307]

Scheme inside jails will give prison officers skills to put squeeze on offenders.

Shifting the burden: Prison officers to be primed to take statements and control crime scenes

Date - 9th October 2018
By - Nick Hudson - Police Oracle

 

Prison officers are being offered policing skills to meet the “real challenge” of burgeoning offending levels in UK jails.

Staff are being primed to take statements and control crime scenes as South Yorkshire Police faces dealing with an estimated 100 crime referrals each month at four of the region’s criminal institutions.

A course for prison staff is being developed by the force’s crime training department to be rolled out towards the end of the year with a report to South Yorkshire police and crime commissioner Dr Alan Billings talking up an opportunity to “significantly increase our capability and capacity to manage crimes effectively”.

South Yorkshire is also seeking funding from the prisons to recruit additional civilian investigators, with Doncaster’s HMP Marshgate being the first to support this initiative and others interested.

The news of “shifting the burden” from overstretched police officers comes as the government is planning to arm prison officers with police-style incapacitant sprays as part of a major crackdown on violence in jails.

After trials at four jails, guards at 91 prisons are to be issued with the canisters at a reported cost of £2million, prisons minister Rory Stewart will announce today.

The town of Doncaster has increased its “proactive” approach to the area’s four prisons, with the recently revived neighbourhood policing teams taking on two operations a month to defend the prison perimeters.

The force reports the forging of “excellent links” with prison intelligence officers and the regional prison team to ensure all operations are “intelligence-led wherever possible”.

Since May, a prison partnership board has been operating in the town. Originally set up with HMP Lindholme governor Simon Walters, it now involves all four jails.

In the report to PCC’s public accountability board, Doncaster’s district commander Chief Superintendent Shaun Morley Chief Supt Morley states: “There is much to be accomplished by working closer together and this will be an important element in better understand demands, set realistic partnership objectives and ascertain where there are opportunities for improvement.

“That means future work will be targeted, with greater chances of success.

“The prisons have agreed to have a number of their officers trained in basic crime scene management and statement taking, which will significantly increase our capability and capacity to manage crimes effectively.”

The proposals to introduced the PAVA pepper spray has been welcomed by the Prison Officers Association which has warned its members were working in “the most hostile and violent workplace in Western Europe”.

Chairman Mark Fairhurst said: “The POA have campaigned tirelessly to ensure that our members receive the protective equipment they so desperately require to quell violence and keep themselves and prisoners safe.”

Meanwhile, with the system under intense scrutiny after levels of violence, self-harm and drug use behind bars surged, Prison Governors Association president Andrea Albutt will later today paint a bleak picture of the state of jails – pointing to “horrendous” quarterly statistics on violence.

She is expected to say: “We have crumbling prisons and an inability to give a safe, decent and secure regime to large numbers of men and women in our care due to lack of staff, not fit for purpose contracts and a much more violent, disrespectful, gang and drug affiliated population.”

How jails in England and Wales operate has been brought into sharp focus of late after a report found that staff had lost control of HMP Birmingham, one of the biggest in Britain. It said inmates were openly taking drugs, carrying out assaults and behaving with “near impunity”.

Justice Secretary David Gauke took the dramatic step of moving the former Winson Green jail back into government control for at least six months, having been previously run by G4S on a £30 million private contract.

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[Zulu 22 + 4,574]

Prison System - Short of Staff and cash.

Police System - Short of Staff and cash.

Political System - Over staffed with loads o' money.

Increase staff and let Prison Officers do what they do best and Police Officers to do what they do best.

[Ether + 1,398]

Makes sense to be honest. 

[Radman + 2,163]

I don't understand why Prisons do not take policing primacy within their institutions and conduct their own PACE compliant investigations.

[Ether + 1,398]

46 minutes ago, Radman said:

I don't understand why Prisons do not take policing primacy within their institutions and conduct their own PACE compliant investigations.

I think there is an argument for them to do so for minor crime, but serious crime needs proper oversight 

[ParochialYokal 1,119]

Prisons are now an epicentre of organised crime in their own right arising from the smuggling of drugs, which has associated problems relating to violence.

 

It’s quiet right that Prison Officers should provide the ‘initial response’ to such incidents, which means securing and preserving evidence, as well as taking first accounts in the form of witness statements.

 

I do have some reservations that statement taking should be restricted to minor or easy to prove offences. I don’t think that it would be prudent if they were taking statements for serious assaults etc. Ultimately, I imagine that there would be police oversight from whoever is posted to the prison.

 

I do wonder as well whether the NCA should have a role to play in relation to policing the importation of drugs and contraband into prisons, as well as policing corruption? This would at least bring consistency and deal with the crime gangs whom cross force borders to supply.

 

[ParochialYokal 1,119]

I don't understand why Prisons do not take policing primacy within their institutions and conduct their own PACE compliant investigations.

I guess that Prison Officers do indeed have the power of constable...

[Ether + 1,398]

10 minutes ago, ParochialYokal said:

 

I guess that Prison Officers do indeed have the power of constable...

 

Being a constable is hardly relevant most of the time in a prison, hardly like they need arresting 🤔

Loads of pace compliant organisations that don’t have constables 

[David + 4,981]

I think much if not all of the problems we have now are born of a perfect storm of our own making.

Courts are reluctant to sentence until some criminals are too far down the path, a fear of imposing discipline due to the liberal elite giving us the increasingly 'nicey nice' approach, staff shortages - there could possibly be more in there.

Bring them all together though and this is what we have: prisoners running the roost.

[ParochialYokal 1,119]

I think much if not all of the problems we have now are born of a perfect storm of our own making.
Courts are reluctant to sentence until some criminals are too far down the path, a fear of imposing discipline due to the liberal elite giving us the increasingly 'nicey nice' approach, staff shortages - there could possibly be more in there.
Bring them all together though and this is what we have: prisoners running the roost.

It’s a lot more complex than that.

Cuts to the prison service have seen an exodus of experienced individuals at Officer and Governor ranks leaving an inexperienced, understaffed and disillusioned workforce.

This has impacted on the ability to let prisoners out of their cells to undertake classes, rehabilitation and even basic socialising, leading to tensions and indiscipline.

The influx of psychoactive drugs has led to a number of associated problems of violence and it leaves prisoners in debt, which then has to be paid off either by relatives on the outside or when they eat out.

To some extent, the Courts have nothing to do with it. The problem is a clear example of the effect of cuts. Even chucking money at the problem will not replace the experience that has been lost. It is a system in chaos that needs to heal.

[David + 4,981]

ParochailYokal, although I didn't say it (I had intended to) as I hinted above, there is more to it I agree. But whatever it comes down to, each and every one of the problems we have can be tackled if we had the political will to do it. As I say, with a combination of factors, this is a perfect storm of our own making.

If that means searching every single visitor and every single child - and random searches of staff and officers - then so be it. If that means installing netting outside of windows and over courtyards to stop drones, if that means installing mobile phone signal blockers (which with adequate searching shouldn't ever be a problem since the devices should never be able to reach prisoners in the first place) then so be it.

If that means more staff and extra resources, then so be it. If that means telling liberal groups to stick a sock in it, then so be it.

Doesn't matter how much more staff and/or resources they eventually need, we simply need the political will. Standing around wringing our hands bleating 'what can we do' isn't good enough.

Start showing the political will and I'd like to bet that virtually all, if not all, of the current problems will be solved.

[Radman + 2,163]

1 hour ago, ParochialYokal said:

 

I guess that Prison Officers do indeed have the power of constable...

 

I wouldn't think they'd really utilise those powers to be fair for basic investigation.

(I'll add them to the list.))

[ParochialYokal 1,119]

I wouldn't think they'd really utilise those powers to be fair for basic investigation.
(I'll add them to the list.))

They could administer special warnings in taped interviews, I guess.

[ParochialYokal 1,119]

ParochailYokal, although I didn't say it (I had intended to) as I hinted above, there is more to it I agree. But whatever it comes down to, each and every one of the problems we have can be tackled if we had the political will to do it. As I say, with a combination of factors, this is a perfect storm of our own making.

It’s very easy to blame austerity and cuts as being the root cause but on this occasion it very much is.

There is no political will in the Tory Party to pay for prisons or pay money towards rehabilitation. That’s why there is the perfect storm that there is.

You make reference to searching every visitor, which I agree they should. Ironically, Wandsworth Prison stopped using their body scanner as they lacked the resources to use it!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-england-london-44804401

[Zulu 22 + 4,574]

There are several schemes within the Prison Service which allow inmates to take NVQ courses to give them qualifications when they are released. Many are also assured of employment on their release.  One such scheme featured on the News the other day where Virgin Rail were running course at Styal Prison with those who gain the qualification employed on release, if they so wished.  There are several prisons who run catering Courses and run Restaurants attached to the prison. There are several Prisons doing this under the name "The Clink"

Prison officers do not need a power of arrest as the residents are already under arrest, a captive audience, and are subject of internal discipline proceedings. They can be dealt with for offences by the Visiting Magistrates.If Serious offences are committed then they are investigated by the Police. I believe that the most interviewed prisoner is Charles Bronson in Wakefield.