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The government has acknowledged that almost one out of six prisons in England and Wales lack trained officers to handle riots, even though there was a significant increase in deployments last year.
According to recent reports from The Independent, the overcrowding issue in prisons, where violence is on the rise, has sparked concerns about potential disorder. Shockingly, the number of officers trained in handling riots, also known as Tornado squads, has decreased by almost 30% in the past five years.
As of February 27th, there were only 1,620 Tornado officers in the entire prison system, a decrease from 2,310 in 2018. Additionally, 17 out of the 120 prisons in England and Wales had no Tornado officers, and 21 prisons had less than 10 of these officers.
Prisons minister Edward Argar agreed to a concession in light of questioning from Labour’s Ruth Cadbury in Parliament.
The labeling of the scenario as “scandalous” was emphasized by Ian Acheson, a former governor of a prison and commander of the Tornado section. He pointed out that this includes prisons where past riots have resulted in significant chaos and destruction, as well as those situated in isolated areas and housing diverse groups of inmates.
“When there is a large-scale disturbance the prison service doesn’t fight fair,” said Mr Acheson. “That means typically a 3:1 ratio of officers to prisoners to contain and manage a riot. There is no prison in the country that has the resources to contain that threat immediately.”
Tornado officers, who are typically organized in large contingents and equipped with batons and shields, were summoned 13 times in 2023 to assist nearby prisons in managing instances of severe upheaval. This marks the highest number of callouts since at least 2018.
Last year, two prisons, named Downview and Wetherby, needed assistance from Tornado personnel. However, there was only one such officer employed in each of these facilities as of February. Similarly, Werrington had a total of six officers, Feltham had 11, Lowdham Grange had 12, Portland had 13, Stocken had 14, and Stoke Heath had 15 officers in total.
The Independent’s analysis revealed that just 25% of prisons had 20 or more officers trained in responding to tornadoes on their staff. This does not take into account staff absences due to sickness, annual leave, or training days.
“Ian Acheson cautions that the ability to handle widespread chaos at multiple locations at the same time may be severely compromised.”
Although the Prison Service has a national unit of expert riot officers who were deployed twice a day last year, a 40% increase from 2022, Mr. Acheson stated that the most capable individuals to handle a disturbance before it escalates into a significant threat are the staff who are readily accessible and familiar with the prison.
“I believe that the ability to handle extensive chaos at multiple locations [simultaneously] may be severely compromised,” Mr Acheson commented. He cautioned that this dire possibility looms “on the [horizon]” due to the overcrowding and understaffing crisis plaguing prisons.
The Prison Officers Union recommends having a contingency of at least 2,100 Tornado staff in all prisons, but Mr Argar stated last month in parliament that the government has not established a minimum staffing rule.
“How is it possible for you to create a contingency plan?” inquired Mr. Acheson. The number of attacks against inmates and employees rose by 20% in the year leading up to September, surpassing 25,000 incidents in one year. There was a dramatic increase in violence in women’s prisons, surpassing that of men’s prisons for the first time.
Unions caution that tornado volunteers do not receive any significant extra compensation for risking their safety.
Although the total number of officers has slightly increased in recent years to surpass 22,000, it is still approximately 2,500 less than the number in 2010. During this same period, the number of prisoners has grown by approximately 3,000. Furthermore, the number of officers with ten or more years of experience has decreased by nearly half in just six years.
Last year, the government reported that 650 officers underwent Tornado training. This year, there are plans for 850 training spots. However, Mr Acheson stated that prisons unable to safely staff the landing for lunch or transportation to work cannot spare employees for the two-week training course or refresher.
According to Tom Wheatley, chief of the Prison Governors Association, the retention rates for staff who serve as Tornado officers are dangerously low.
According to POA general-secretary Steve Gillan, volunteers who help during tornadoes do not receive any significant extra compensation for risking their lives. The rate of pay for Tornado duty is no different from that of bed watch, and these volunteers have been overlooked. Now, the consequences are evident.
According to Mr. Gillan, the Prison Service has put forth a 40% increase in pay for Tornado officers, which suggests that they have been underpaid for their important roles.
Ms. Cadbury, the spokesperson for shadow ministry of prisons, stated: “The justice secretary was compelled to confess last week that the government’s mismanagement of prisons may result in riots. And yet, today we observe a marked number of prisons lacking any designated riot officers – the government must clarify how this situation has been allowed to occur.”
“It is surprising, but it is reflective of the larger issue that highlights the grave state of our prison system. As incidents of violence and attacks on officers continue to escalate, and recidivism rates are on the rise, it is evident that the government does not have a solution to tackle this crisis.”
“The top priority of the Prison Service is the safety of our staff and prisoners. To ensure this, we are strengthening our Tornado teams by providing training to over 800 staff members this year. In addition, we have invested £100 million in strict security measures to reduce violence and enhance safety.”
The mentioned source is The Independent website.
