tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623255227619374869.post3887227521976177718..comments2024-03-19T08:48:37.047+00:00Comments on Prison UK: An Insider's View: Prison Regimes: Where the Cracks are ShowingPrisonUKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060870139110580938noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623255227619374869.post-10659806249639254022016-08-28T17:42:18.787+01:002016-08-28T17:42:18.787+01:00Hi, thanks for your comments. Not sure what the re...Hi, thanks for your comments. Not sure what the reference to June 2015 is about. Three blog posts in August 2016 alone (including two guest posts).<br /><br />Pretty much every prison is in crisis at the moment and you are right that the situation is getting worse by the day. The main problem seems to be that toxic combination of overcrowding, understaffing and underfunding. Prison reform doesn't win votes for any major political party as few people really care about prisoners unless they, or a loved one, get sent down and experience the horrors at first-hand. Sad, but true. All we can do is try to spread the word.PrisonUKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05060870139110580938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623255227619374869.post-10253079173734559652016-08-26T09:37:49.214+01:002016-08-26T09:37:49.214+01:00Is this site still up and running?? nothing more ...Is this site still up and running?? nothing more since June 2015? Because the situation is even worse<br />a year on... although I can only speak re HMP Cardiff.<br />Permanenntly in lock down, one hour a day out of cells. lack of staff...<br /><br />Whole Penal System is such rubbish and medieval words fail me.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623255227619374869.post-75971065435829273832015-06-27T13:37:28.415+01:002015-06-27T13:37:28.415+01:00Risley prison is also notorious for this and their...Risley prison is also notorious for this and their lucky to get 2 hours a day without work even though it's meant to be a training prison and for vulnerable persons they let the be locked up all day and night even after haveing years of bad inspections nothing seems to have been done Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623255227619374869.post-74569488053573970022014-09-11T13:58:57.015+01:002014-09-11T13:58:57.015+01:00Today, there was an advert in the Metro for around...Today, there was an advert in the Metro for around 1600 new Prison Officers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623255227619374869.post-56948623235005138952014-09-11T12:07:23.421+01:002014-09-11T12:07:23.421+01:00Norway is solving its overcrowded detainee centres...Norway is solving its overcrowded detainee centres/prisons problem by renting prison space in Holland.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623255227619374869.post-18847628651790387912014-09-11T11:33:08.961+01:002014-09-11T11:33:08.961+01:00Thanks for your interesting observation, John. It&...Thanks for your interesting observation, John. It's good to get an alternative view on this issue!PrisonUKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05060870139110580938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623255227619374869.post-26718235432543276132014-09-11T11:31:15.206+01:002014-09-11T11:31:15.206+01:00Thanks for your comment and observations. My under...Thanks for your comment and observations. My understanding is that are restrictions on strikes by prison officers. However, the most recent strike (for five hours) took place in May 2012 over government plans to raise the PO retirement age to 68 - I remember that myself, so clearly strikes do still happen, even if of short duration.<br /><br />There is an interesting comment above from John MacPhee about this issue. His view is that the soldiers brought in to provide emergency cover actually behaved well and were respected, so I suppose there are two sides to every story.<br /><br />However, I do think that if there were to be a long lockdown, then tensions would rise, regardless of whether those running the wings were screws or soldiers. This risk obviously rises given that prison are so overcrowded at the moment such as Swansea (+186 percent capacity) and Lincoln (+174 percent). PrisonUKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05060870139110580938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623255227619374869.post-22568865466571288302014-09-11T06:44:35.800+01:002014-09-11T06:44:35.800+01:00When the army took over prisons for a time...it wa...When the army took over prisons for a time...it wasn't a matter of prisoners not "squeaking"...the army treated prisoners humanely....and were better respected by the cons'. john b.macpheeAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18323115531418567911noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623255227619374869.post-20726482297119045582014-09-11T00:36:15.515+01:002014-09-11T00:36:15.515+01:00Please correct me if I'm wrong but I believe p...Please correct me if I'm wrong but I believe prison officers are no longer allowed to go on strike.<br /><br />As an inmate I would be absolutely terrified if the Army were brought in during a strike. <br /><br />Not because I would expect them to be particularly harsh, they would be inept at the job and cause many issues on the wing. Having soldiers on the wing would result in almost 24 hour lock-down, inmates only being allowed out to collect meals - maybe they would even be delivered to their door to avoid conflict.<br /><br />As Alex has mentioned previously screws come in all shapes and sizes and with wildly varying attitudes and abilities. It's the humorous and humane screws that actually get to know you a little bit that keep a lid on any trouble.<br /><br />If that were lost in a normal situation then there would be trouble amongst the inmates. Lock-down with Army screws would just build massive tensions and the proverbial would really hit the fan eventually.<br /><br />Thankfully I never experienced soldiers on the wings (even the police won't go on them) I dread to think what would happen.<br /><br />I wouldn't wish it upon anybody who's inside but so see soldiers on wings under the current 'leadership' would be a perfect indictment of how grim prisons have become. I'd love to see that happen, with Grayling still smiling to the cameras and denying that there's any crisis.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623255227619374869.post-15777929307137647112014-09-10T23:00:12.673+01:002014-09-10T23:00:12.673+01:00Thanks for your comment. I think that times have c...Thanks for your comment. I think that times have changed a lot since then, although prison staff sometimes work to rule and this results in more bang up in the closed prisons.<br /><br />The Army has also changed a lot. Since a few serving soldiers have been prosecuted for actions in war zones such as Afghanistan, I think squaddies would be very reluctant to get involved in prisons these days. If they did get deployed, I think they could face all kinds of risks of legal action if anything did kick off inside.PrisonUKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05060870139110580938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623255227619374869.post-5717840235351881452014-09-10T22:55:56.850+01:002014-09-10T22:55:56.850+01:00Thanks for your question. In many B and C-cat pris...Thanks for your question. In many B and C-cat prisons weekends are the most boring time because the amount of time out of cell is usually so limited. At one B-cat we had about two hours out of cell on Saturdays and Sundays. The other 22 hours we were just locked in the cell watching TV or reading. If you wanted to go to the chapel, that was one hour gone.<br /><br />D-cats (open prisons) don't have bang-up, so over the weekends you are pretty free to do what you like from about 8.00 am until midnight, as long as you stay within the prison grounds during daylight hours and are back on your unit or wing after dark. You could go to the chapel, visit the library, run around the sports field, use the CV equipment in the gym etc. Some cons have to work over weekends (kitchens mainly), so they get time off during the week.PrisonUKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05060870139110580938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623255227619374869.post-4540890232847486232014-09-10T20:43:32.100+01:002014-09-10T20:43:32.100+01:00I read the army supervised cons during the Prison ...I read the army supervised cons during the Prison Officer strikes of the 70s and 80s. Obviously the cons were on best behaviour and didn't make a squeak!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623255227619374869.post-70965877586815567222014-09-10T19:27:51.121+01:002014-09-10T19:27:51.121+01:00So what happens on weekendsSo what happens on weekendsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623255227619374869.post-35982744640965326982014-09-10T17:34:51.320+01:002014-09-10T17:34:51.320+01:00Thanks for your comment. The problem will be Minis...Thanks for your comment. The problem will be Ministry benchmarking and how many frontline staff they will be allowed to recruit. Also, what is needed are experienced officers who know how to run wings and defuse tensions. Inexperienced staff could prove more of a liability in the present situation.<br /><br />No doubt that is why the MOJ is trying to contract ex-screws who have recently taken early retirement or redundancy. However, I gather from insiders that the take up thus far has been very disappointing.PrisonUKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05060870139110580938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623255227619374869.post-83669228520961503682014-09-10T17:06:39.572+01:002014-09-10T17:06:39.572+01:00I've noticed a fair bit of recruitment appears...I've noticed a fair bit of recruitment appears to be going on at the moment (& last few months) so maybe the powers that be have realised they need more prison officers. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com