Staff accused of ‘preventive’ attacks on jail inmates

PRISON staff use “preventive strikes” against inmates where they punch them without provocation because they may pose a future threat, a Council of Europe investigation has claimed.

The council’s committee for the prevention of torture (CPT) said it had uncovered a “new and deeply concerning” practice of “unjustified” violence at two of three men’s jails it visited in 2019 – Wormwood Scrubs and Liverpool.

“Of utmost concern was the evolution of an informal practice of ‘preventive strikes’ (that is ‘preventively’ punching compliant prisoners whom staff perceived might, at some point in the future, become a threat),” said its report, published today.

It urged UK authorities to explicitly prohibit the “reprehensible” practice and investigate alleged ill-treatment.

‘That is ‘preventively’ punching compliant prisoners staff perceived might become a threat’

The CPT investigated at least three incidents. In one, an unnamed prisoner claimed he was told he would “get a beating” by officers before being punched in the face and kicked in the ribs the following morning.

In another, an officer walking an inmate to his cell struck him on the back of the head and slammed his head on the floor, an incident partially recorded on CCTV and seen by the CPT.

The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) said any provocation or unlawful force against a prisoner was unacceptable. It said every use of physical force was reviewed and that it would “not hesitate to instigate disciplinary proceedings for any inappropriate use” and would refer cases to the police.

The Council of Europe’s report said the prison system was “in deep crisis” with adult male jails “fundamentally unsafe”. It said jails and young offender institutions it visited were “violent, unsafe and overcrowded” with many inmates segregated or isolated for long periods.

Levels of inter-prisoner violence, prisoner-on-staff assaults and staff-on-prisoner violence had reached “record highs” in the male adult prisons visited.

An MOJ spokesman said: “This Government has made its commitment to safe, secure and decent prisons very clear … that’s why we are creating 10,000 new places and investing in security measures to tackle the drugs and contraband that undermine safety.”