|
This
part of the website looks at HSE’s responsibility
for enforcing health and safety law in prisons. It
also looks at the responsibility of the Home Office’s
‘Fire Service Inspectorate conerning fire safety'.
It summarises the contents of an "Operational
circular" produced by the HSE for its inspectors
called "Prison Service Organisation, Management
and Inspection"
This
is the only website that allows access to this document.
Although this is an ‘open document’, it
is not available on HSE’s website.
You
can download this document below, but you will probably
find it easier to read this webpage first as it explains
the situation more clearly, provides a commentary,
and allows you to access other relevant documents.
To download the operational circular, by Clicking
Here. (word)
The
HSE has censored certain information from this Operational
Circular. This relates to:
• Risk Assessments and Instruction and Advice
to Governors;
• Risk Assessment and Staffics Levels;
• Cell Sizes;
• Enforcement Considerations.
• Fire Precautions and Cell Fire Rescue
The HSE says that this can not be disclosed since
this "would harm the frankness and candour or
internal discussion". The CCA has challenged
this ruling.
To read more about HSE’s policy on Disclosure,
click here
Index
Who
Inspects and investigates
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and associated
regulations are enforced by the HSE. Within HSE, there
is a division called Field Operations Division, and
within that there is a unit called "Services
Sector Crown, Fire and Police Unit". It is inspectors
from this unit who have responsibility for inspecting
prisons.
Fire safety law – the Fire Precaustions Act 1971
(FPA) and the Fire
Precautions (workplace) Regulations 1997 is ‘enforced’
by the Crown Premises Group (CPIG) of the Home Office’s
Fire Service Insepctorate. It should be noted that
Prisons are exempt from the normal requirement, set
out in the FPA 1971 to have a Fire Certificate.
Crown
Bodies
Both HM Prison Service of England and Wales and the
Scottish Prison Service are Crown Bodies. As a result,
although health and safety and fire law applies to
them, HSE (and Fire Service) inspectors cannot impose
binding enforcement notices or prosecute.
As with all Crown Bodies, informal procedures have
been developed by the HSE to try to obtain compliance.
To see more about how the HSE deals with Crown Bodies,
Click Here.
What incidents within a prison
are reported to the HSE
The Prison Service – like any other employer
– has responsibility for reporting certain deaths
and injuries to the HSE.
Injury to employees: In relation to most deaths
and injuries suffered by prison staff, the obligations
to report are straightforward. Deaths, major injuries
and over-three day injuries, suffered by employees,
should be reported. This includes deaths and injuries
to prison staff that results "from an act of
non-consensual physical violence." To find out
more about the obligations upon employers to report
injuries suffered by employees, Click
Here.
Injury
to inmates: In relation to deaths and injuries
to inmates, an injury would be reportable if:
|
• |
it resulted from an "accident", and |
| • |
the "accident" arose "out of or
in connection with" the work of the prison,
and |
|
• |
the
injured person dies or is taken from the site
of the "accident" to a hospital for
treatment (whether or not any treatment is given
when they got there). |
The
key question therefore is whether the injury was sustained
as a result of an "accident" as defined
by the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous
Occurences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR 95). This states
that an injury to a member of the the public
resulting from deliberate action directed at that
individual, would not be regarded as arising from
an 'accident', and hence would not be reportable.
However an injury to an inmate, may be reportable
if it arises from an unintentional result of
prison staff action.
| In
effect, any death of a prison inmate which might
be the result of neglect, gross neglect or recklessness,
or simply the result of 'accidental' conduct –
rather than any deliberate intention to kill -
on the part of the prison staff, will be reportable
|
Suicides
in prisons: The only suicides that are reportable
to the HSE are those which take place on a "relevant
transport system". Suicides in prisons are therefore
not reportable
This
fact that an incident is not reportable to the HSE
does not however mean that the HSE can not or should
not investigate it; for example, the violence or the
suicide may raise issues about the adequacy of the
working practices of the prison (see below)
Health and Safety of Staff
and inmates
The HSE inspectors should be concerned about the health
and safety of both the staff and the inmates.
Employees: The prison service’s obligations
to its employees are the same as they are for any
employer. Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at
Work Act 1974 state that:
It
shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so
far as is reasonably practicable, the health. safety
and welfare at work of all his employees.
Section
2(2) states that this includes the
|
• |
provision
of safe systems of work and equipment |
| • |
arrangements
for safe use, handling, storage and transport
of articles and substances |
|
• |
provision
of adequate information, instruction, training
and supervision
|
To
see more about these duties, Click
Here. These general duties are buttressed by a
number of different regulations.
Inmates: In relation to the Prison Service’s
obligations towards inmates, section 3 (1) of the
Health and Safety at Work Act states that:
"It
shall be the duty of every employer to conduct his
undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as
is reasonably practicable, that persons not in his
employment who may be affected thereby are not thereby
exposed to risks to their health or safety."
It
should be noted that whilst the Prison Service has
a duty in relation to the welfare of its ‘employees’
it does not have have a duty to the ‘welfare’
of its inmates.
The
extent to which the HSE does and should enforce section
3 in relation to the prison is a key issue.
To read about the application of section 3 in general,
Click Here
To read specifically about the application of section
3 in relation to prison, Click
Here
Private
Prisons
HM prison Services has planned for 13 private prisons
to be operated by the private sector in Engalnd and
Wales. 7 of which would be deisnged, built, finances
and run by private contractors.
The Scottish Pison Service …
In each private prison, a respresentive of the Home
Office of the Scottish Office should be located on
site, as a "controller". The Controller’s
function is to montor contract performance, investigate
allegations against custodial staff and assume repsonsiblity
for adjudications in prison disciplinay matters. All
other staff on site will be employed by the contractors.
The Contractors do not have Crown Immunity and normal
enforcement procedures should be used the HSE.
Who Runs Prisons
Prisons are run by one of two different organisations:
| • |
HM
Prison Service in England and Wales. This is an
agency of the Home Office and is run by a Director
General. Within the service is the Health and
Safety Policy Unit (HASPU) |
| • |
Scottish
Prison Service. This is an agency of the Scottish
Office and is run by a Chief Executive. |
HM Prison Service runs 138 prisons, remand centres and
young offenders institutions – holding almost 71,000
inmates, with over 40,000 staff, of whom 28,000 are
uniformed prisoner officers.
The
Scottish Prison Service holds about 6000 inmates in
22 establsihments (19 prisons and 3 special units)
with a staff of 4,700.
Management
of Prisons
The manner in which the Prison Service manages prisons
is set out in HSE’s Operational Circular which
is set out in paras 21 to 29 which are set out in
full here.….
| 21 |
Prison
management is formally structured. In England
and Wales there are 12 area managers reporting
to 2 directors of operations (North and South),
who sit on the Prisons Board. Each area manager
is responsible for a number of prisons on a roughly
geographical basis. The Scottish Prison Service
has 2 area directors who report to the director
of custody. |
| 22 |
Prison
Service Headquarters produces large numbers of
policies on a wide range of issues, eg security,
fire precautions, contingency plans (these can
cover emergencies such as feeding the inmates
if the kitchens go out of action, outbreaks of
contagious diseases, evacuation procedures), etc.
Whilst each prison will produce its own safety
policy, some of the specific policies and arrangements
are set down in these centrally produced policies.
An example is prisoner transfers or movements.
This is a regular activity at all prisons, as
prisoners are transferred, taken to court or hospital.
The procedure is risk-assessment based and frequently
involves liaising and cooperating with other bodies
outside the prison. The policy and procedures
for organising such transfers may not, however,
be found within the safety policy, but within
other policy documents dealing with security.
Inspectors should bear this in mind when assessing
a prison management's safety policy. |
| 23 |
The
officer in charge of a prison is the governor
(sometimes known as the governing governor, as
distinct from other governor grades). His/her
grade may be governor 1, 2 or 3, depending on
seniority and the complexity of the prison. Below
them are various less senior governor grades;
the head of management services (HoMS), who is
a Treasury grade; medical staff; works staff;
etc. |
| 24 |
The
responsibilities of the senior prison managers
are described below:
| 1 |
head
of custody (HoC): deputy governor, responsible
for custodial areas, security, etc; |
| 2 |
head
of operations: reports to the HoC, responsible
for visits, security, escorts, dogs, etc; |
| 3 |
head
of residential services: reporting to the
HoC, responsible for residential areas,
ie the wings and cell-blocks. The wing managers
would report to the head of residential
services. |
| 4 |
head
of management services: responsible for
the administration of the prison. Often
appointed health and safety coordinator,
with responsibility for day-to-day managing
and organising the prison's health and safety
policies and systems; including chairing
the health and safety committee. |
| 5 |
head
of works: manages the works department,
which maintains the fabric of the prison
and its estate. Will have uniformed and
non-uniformed trades working for them. As
with HoMS, frequently appointed as health
and safety coordinator. |
| 6 |
head
of regimes (also known as head of inmate
activities): oversees the regimes of the
day-to-day activities of the prisoners,
ie manufacturing workshops, education, catering,
physical education, ensuring prisoners get
from A to B, etc. The industrial manager,
who has more specific responsibility for
managing certain of the industrial activities
and workshops, normally reports to the head
of regimes/inmate activities. |
| 7 |
head
of medical services: medical officer who
normally has responsibility for inmate health
care, overseeing the hospital or health
centre facilities. Does not normally have
a role in occupational health for prison
officers. |
| 8 |
.establishment
health and safety advisers have been appointed
in about 50 prisons, recommended to be at
Higher Professional and Technical Officer
(HPTO) level and with NEBOSH qualification.
This post is intended to be distinct from
the health and safety coordinator, who has
a management role. |
|
| 25 |
There
are 3 ranks of uniformed officers: principal officer
(2 pips on shoulder), senior officer (one pip
on shoulder) and normal grade prison officers.
Particular disciplines of uniformed staff can
be identified by a letter on their epaulette,
eg W = works, H = health care, A = auxiliary. |
| 26 |
Most
prison officers are members of the Prison Officers
Association (POA), or the Scottish Prison Officers
Association, which are active in the field of
health and safety and will often refer issues
to local inspectors. The Crown, Fire and Police
Unit has met the trade union side of the Prison
Service Health and Safety Committee, including
support staff unions, on several occasions. |
| 27 |
Inspectors
may also meet with operational support grades
(OSG), formerly known as prison auxiliaries and
night patrols. They are uniformed staff with a
minimal amount of prison officer training. They
are mostly used for escort duties, searching,
taking visitors or contractors around the prison,
or gate duties. They may have some contact with
prisoners. |
| 28 |
An
example of a management tree of a typical prison
is given at the appendix. |
| 29 |
Within
a prison, many non-uniformed staff will also be
found. There will be numbers of administrative
staff, catering staff, industrial trades, along
with educational and instructional staff. There
will also be many visitors, both official and
personal. Visitors could include police, probation
officers, priests or other religious officials,
contractors such as builders, teachers, solicitors,
and of course families. |
To
see information on the different kinds of prisoners
within prisons and how they are dealt with, Click
Here
Particular Health and Safety
Issues
The Operational Circular gives advice to inspectors
on a number of specific health and safety issues. These
are set out below
Occupational Health
Violence
to Staff
Microbiological Issues
Cell Searches and Electrical Safety
Fire Precautions and Cell Fire Rescue
Occupational Health
| 35 |
In
Spring 1999, HM Prison Service published the report
of its ad hoc Health Advisory Committee to Home
Office Ministers and the Prison Board into the
provision of occupational health services. While
particular services such as Hepatitis B vaccination,
stress counselling and sickness monitoring were
currently provided for employees, the report accepted
that there was a lack of central coordination
and control, leaving the Prison Service little
information overall on occupational health issues.
The report made a number of recommendations, from
headquarters to prison establishment level, aimed
at achieving the necessary improvements. In response,
an Occupational Health Steering Group was set
up in May 1999, with HSE representation, to develop
a strategy for occupational health and monitor
a 12-month pilot scheme in 8 prisons. |
Violence to Staff
| 36 |
Violence
to staff within the prison service is a major
problem: assaults comprised almost 26% of all
injuries reported under the Reporting of Injuries,
Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations
1995 (RIDDOR) to prison staff in England, Scotland
and Wales in 1998/99. Both prison services put
a lot of effort into reducing the risks arising
from this problem. Policies do exist within the
prison services and the prisons themselves, but
not usually as a distinct safety policy document
on violence to staff. The policies and procedures
are instead to be found in a number of areas,
such as: levels of staffing and supervision, control
of prisoner privileges, separation and movement
of prisoners, and contingency plans. There are
internal systems for reporting violent incidents
(collated nationally), recording noteworthy events
or behaviour on each wing and communicating these
to each new shift or the control room. Further
measures include control and restraint training
(C&R), provision of alarms throughout the
wings, personal alarms and radios, and anger reduction
classes/therapy. |
| 37
|
Levels
of C&R competence are a very important part
of the prison services' approach to controlling
violence from inmates. Two levels of C&R training/competence
exist:
| (1) |
basic
training - breakaway techniques; application
of simple restraint techniques; 3-officer
teams for cell rescue/intervention; and |
| (2) |
advanced
training - public order techniques for riot
control. |
|
| 38 |
All
newly-trained prison officers will have had basic
training. Officers with longer service will usually
have had training in similar techniques in the
past. Each prison is also expected to maintain
a cadre of officers trained to advanced level.
These make up part of a geographical or regional
resource, that can be called on by other prisons
in times of crisis. Advanced-trained officers
are equipped in the same way as police support
units, ie Nato helmet, fire resistant overalls,
boots, shin pads, full length or half length polycarbonate
riot shields, etc. These officers will have periodic
training sessions which can be very realistic,
though in the interests of safety, wooden blocks
are used instead of bricks, and real fire extinguishers
are no longer thrown. |
| 39 |
As
described above, prisons will have large numbers
of staff who are not prison officers, some of
whom will have regular contact with inmates. There
should be procedures in place governing their
access to wings and other areas when inmates are
present; and arrangements for escorts if necessary.
They will have been trained in prison security
procedures - use of alarms and keys - and breakaway
techniques. All staff are usually offered training
in dealing with hostage taking situations: there
are set procedures to be followed in such situations,
until a trained negotiator can attend. Equally,
there should be set procedures for non-prison
service visitors, including inspectors (ref FOD
Health and Safety Policy Supplement 02). Some
will need to be escorted; some who visit regularly,
such as clergy, teachers, etc may need little
assistance. The procedures and precautions required
will ultimately depend on the individual, the
area to be visited and the profile of the inmate(s).
They should be the subject of appropriate risk
assessments. |
Microbiological Issues
| 40 |
Risks
arising from microbiological hazards are a major
issue within prisons. The most significant risk
arises from contact with blood and body fluids/products,
but prison farms and certain other work activities
can also expose prison staff and inmates to harmful
biological agents. The conditions associated with
blood include HIV and Hepatitis B, whilst the
body fluids and products are sources of a wide
range of organisms.
[Exempted Material] |
| 41 |
Blood
and body fluids/products can be encountered in
a number of ways. These include blood spills from
accidents, assaults and suicides; human bites;
needle stick injuries from drug taking equipment;
dirty protests; faeces or urine thrown from cells
(less of a problem with increasing in-cell sanitation);
as well as normal maintenance work. Assessments
made under COSHH should be produced for any activity
where there is potential for infection or contact
with infected/potentially infected materials.
Any such assessments should be made with reference
to the COSHH Biological Agents ACOP and COSHH
schedule 9 (both in file 273). Assessments have
been found wanting in a number of areas, particularly
the cleaning up of major blood spillages, ‘dirty
protests’ where a cell may need to be cleaned
with a pressure washer and routine maintenance
work in areas where faeces have been deposited
or thrown. As a result, a number of Crown improvement
notices have been issued. |
| 42 |
The
prison services have extensive policies on both
HIV and Hepatitis B: copies of Prison Service
Order Blood borne and related communicable diseases
are available to inspectors from the Crown, Fire
and Police Unit. This provides information on
how to deal with infected prisoners.
[Exempted Material]
Universal precautions should be used when handling
any blood or body fluid/product spill, and many
prison officers carry a pouch on their belts with
gloves, resusci-aid, etc. Spill packs are also
normally kept on wings to soak up and sterilise
blood/fluid spills. |
| 43 |
Both
HIV and Hepatitis B are Group 3 organisms under
the Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens
(ACDP) classification. Hepatitis B is also one
of the pathogens where records of last exposure
must be kept for 40 years. Further guidance on
work with these organisms can be found in the
ACDP guidance on categorisation of biological
agents, and protection against blood borne infection
in the workplace. Prison Service policy is that
free vaccine on request is available to all prison
staff who come into contact with inmates, normally
administered by the individual's own general practitioner,
but prisons will vary in their ability to keep
proper records of those vaccinated and their immune
status. Vaccination is regarded by the Prison
Service as an additional safeguard, not a control
measure. |
| 44 |
Tuberculosis
(TB) is a matter of concern in prisons, not least
because the emergence of antibiotic resistant
strains and the susceptibility of prisoners already
infected with HIV. Tuberculosis is usually spread
by inhalation of water droplets contaminated with
the bacteria. Prisoners known to be infected with
TB must be isolated until the infectious stage
of the disease has passed. HM Prison Service policy
is that staff who have not previously been given
a BCG vaccination and who show, when tested, a
negative reaction to tuberculin (indicating no
past tuberculous infection) are advised to receive
the vaccine. |
| 45 |
The
Prison Service recognises the potential risk of
legionellosis arising from hot and cold water
systems. Their stated policy is that these water
systems should be tested regularly. |
Cell
Searches and Electrical Safety
| 46 |
Cells
will be regularly searched by prison officers.
They look for drugs, other contraband, weapons,
etc. There are set policies on how and when such
searches are to be conducted. Carrying out cell
searches can give rise to a number of risks, in
particular potentially infectious needles/sharps
used in drug taking (referred to as ‘works’)
and unsafe electrical equipment or wiring. |
| 47 |
There
have been considerable problems in the past with
the ‘illegal abstraction’ of electricity
(a potential breach of prison disciplinary rules)
by prisoners in their cells. This basically involves
the prisoner breaking in to the mains electrical
supply within the cell via the light fitting or
switch. This can be done for a number of reasons:
to run radios and other equipment, stills, or
to electrify the door or another part of the cell
so as to cause injury. These installations were
usually found by prison officers searching the
cells, sometimes with the result that the officer
received an electric shock. |
| 48 |
The
extent of the problem varies greatly between prisons.
Various programmes have been put into place to
attempt to control/reduce it, including the provision
of protected 240 V supplies to cells, 12 V supplies
and the provision of rechargeable batteries. Implementation
of these programmes has sometimes been compromised
by the cost of the necessary modifications, so
a variety of systems may be found in practice. |
Fire
Precautions and Cell Fire Rescue
| 55 |
Fires
are not uncommon in prisons and often between
50 and 70% are cell fires. In 1995 the Prison
Service in England and Wales recorded 612 incidents,
of which 48% were malicious and 70% were cell
fires. Prisoners are allowed to have smoking materials
in their cells and unsafe electrical systems have
already been referred to at para 47. As far as
possible, items of furniture, bedding and clothing
are made of fire retardant materials, although
this does not extend to the inmates' clothing
and private effects. |
| 56 |
General fire precautions in Crown premises are
enforced by the Crown Premises Inspection Group
(CPIG) of the Home Office's Fire Service Inspectorate.
However, prisons were exempted from the requirement
for fire certification under the Fire Precautions
Act 1971, and CPIG took the view that it did not
have an enforcement role in prisons under the
Act. In practice, the Prison Services' own fire
safety advisors assumed that role. However, prisons
are included within the scope of the Fire Precautions
(Workplace) Regulations 1997 (FP(W) Regulations),
and CPIG is the nominated enforcing authority.
The prison ship, HMP the Weare is subject to the
FP(W) Regulations, again enforced by CPIG. |
| 57 |
Cell
fires may be started for a number of reasons:
as a suicide attempt, as an attack on someone
else or their property, or as an attempt to get
attention. Prisoners will often barricade the
door to their cell or threaten prison officers,
making it difficult to enter the cell to fight
the fire. To make it easier to extinguish cell
fires, many modern cell doors are fitted with
inundation points that allow the entry of a hose
nozzle. |
| 58 |
Frequently,
where cells are on fire and someone may be trapped
or being held inside, the cells may need to be
searched or entered by prison officers. In the
past this had to be done without PPE or with smoke
hoods (approved and used for escape from a smoke
logged area, not entry into one), resulting in
officers suffering from smoke inhalation. This
matter was taken up by both prison services and
has resulted in a policy that only allows entry
into cells when a team is available and equipped
with short duration breathing apparatus (SDBA).
SDBA is a waistcoat- mounted breathing apparatus
set, with short duration cylinder giving 10 minutes
working time and a small reserve. To be able to
use SDBA, an officer requires training to an accepted
standard and periodic follow up/refresher training.
Use of the SDBA for cell entry requires a team
of 3 people: 2 trained users in SDBA and a third
person trained in its use, but not necessarily
able to wear it, who will act as a monitor. SDBA
is solely for cell searching and snatch rescue,
not for any kind of fire fighting or work alongside
the fire services. |
| 59 |
[Exempted
Material] |
| 60 |
A
further problem arising out of fires at prisons
is the need to protect fire service personnel,
prison officers and inmates in riot situations,
and inmates where they have to be evacuated. The
plans for evacuation will fall within the requirements
of the FP(W) Regulations; but the risk to the
staff and firefighters arising from contact with
evacuated inmates, is an HSW Act issue. Particular
problems can arise when a prison contains numbers
of vulnerable prisoners, who are liable to abuse
and attack if mixed with other inmates. Fire services
serving prisons normally liaise closely with the
establishment over access and personal safety.
All these matters should be covered by the prison's
fire precautions and contingency plans.
|
Other
inspection and investigation bodies
There are three bodies with inspection or investigation
responsibilities other than the HSE.
HM Inspectorate of Prisons: The current HMIP
was set up under the the Prison Act …. In response
to a committee of inquiry in the UK prison services
(the May Committee)
In England and Wales HMIP report to the Home Secretary
and in Scotlan to the Scottish Secretary.
Their terms of reference are to insepct and report
on prison service establsihments, in particular on
conditions of those establsihments, the treatment
of prisoners and other inmates the the faciltiies
available to them, and other such matters as the Secretary
of State may direct
This is done by periodic inspections of individual
establishments and the investigation of particular
incidents or situations, the findings being publishedin
report.
The Police Act does not provide the HMIP with any
specific enforcement powers.
HMIP concentrate on major issues. They will not investigate
individual complaints or grievances from prisoners
but will draw attention in their reports to any general
pattern of complaint if it highlights some inadequacy
in the management of the establishment.
According to HSE’s ‘Operational Circular:
"HSE
insecptors shold therfore not refer individual complaints
from prisoner to HMIP, but could bring to their
attention matters that affect entire wings, departments
or the prisonas a whole. An exmple would be informating
them of a lack of hearing or some fault in the maintenance
of an entire wing as opposed to an individual cell.
Individual complaints on welfare matters should
be directed to the local prison management; Home
Office (HSS) to Scottish Prsion Service safety advisors;
or to the prison board of prison visitors."
To
link to HMIP’s website, click
here:
Board of Visitors: Board of Visitors have some
similar functions to HMIP but are concerned with an
individual establishment and its well-being on a day
to day basis. The boards are made up on members of
the local community appointed by the Home Secretary.
Accoding to the HSE:
"[Board
of Visitors] have complained to HSE in the past,
in particular concerning cell sizes and the Workplace
(Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulatoins 1992. They
are one of the bodies to whom HSE inspectors can
refer complaints from prisoners regarding their
individual welfare."
Prisons’
Ombudsman: The Prisons’ Ombudsamn, who is
appointed by the Home Secretary, is independent of
the Prison Service and reports to the Home Secretary.
The Ombudmans will investigate complaints which are
submitted by individual prisoners who have failed
to obtain satisfaction from the Prison Service requests
and complains system and which are eligivble in all
other respects. He cannot act on the basis of complaints
from other individual (including family members) or
organisation, and it follows from that, at present,
he isunable to investigate individual complaints about
deaths in custody. The ombudman’s tersm of reference
include contracted out prisons, contracted out services
and theaction of people working in prisons but not
employed by the Prison Service
Prisoner
Categorisation
Ecerpt from OC334/2
| 3 |
Sentenced
adult male prisoners are divided into 4 security
categories that determine the type of prisons
in which they can be held:
| 1 |
category A - prisoners whose escape would
be highly dangerous to the public or the
police or the security of the state, no
matter how unlikely that escape might be,
and for whom the aim must be to make escape
impossible; |
| 2 |
category
B - prisoners for whom the very highest
conditions of security are not necessary,
but for whom escape must be made very difficult; |
| 3 |
category
C - prisoners who cannot be trusted in open
conditions, but who do not have the resources
and will to make a determined escape attempt;
and |
| 4 |
category
D - prisoners who can be reasonably trusted
in open conditions |
|
| 4 |
Many
prisons will contain prisoners with a range of
categorisations. Local prisons serving nearby
courts may well have category C, category D (prisons
will often have a few prisoners of a lower categorisation,
to carry out a variety of tasks), prisoners on
remand, young offenders, and perhaps female prisoners,
all within one establishment. |
| 5 |
Some
prisons will also contain special secure units
(SSUs). These are effectively miniature prisons
within the main prison. They have separate facilities
and staff and are used to hold the most dangerous
prisoners, eg terrorists. There are 3 special
units within the Scottish Prison Service; these
are not all SSUs in the sense described above. |
| 6 |
Remand
prisoners are unconvicted prisoners held on remand
on the order of the courts. They are detained
with a view to subsequently presenting them at
court, but not to punish them. Remand prisoners
make up some 20% of the prison population in England
and Wales.
|
| 7 |
Young
male offenders are normally held apart from adult
offenders, in separate wings or different establishments.
Female offenders make up around 4% of the prison
population in England and Wales. Young female
offenders are held with adult female offenders
in women's prisons. |
| 8 |
Prisons
will also have their own segregation unit, where
prisoners are held in what used to be referred
to as ‘solitary confinement’. Prisoners
can be segregated in this way either as a punishment,
for reasons of good order and discipline or for
their own protection. Examples of the latter would
be where the prisoner is a known sex offender,
or where they have transgressed some ‘rule’
of the inmate population, eg informed on someone,
owe money, etc. If the prisoner cannot be reintegrated
into the general prison population, they may be
moved to a prison with a large ‘vulnerable
prisoner’ population. A prison such as Winchester
has a wing for vulnerable prisoners, while at
Albany on the Isle of Wight, they make up two-thirds
of the prison population. Wherever they are housed,
they are kept separate from the rest of the prisoners,
to prevent them being intimidated or attacked. |
| 9 |
The
segregation unit will also contain a quiet cell
for holding prisoners whose behaviour has become
too violent or uncontrollable. The cell usually
contains nothing other than a bed-area on the
floor and has vision ports built in to it to allow
the inmate to be observed safely. |
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9
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