Latest news with #Feltham
The Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Jail violence falls when Love Island is on TV as lags are hooked, claim prison officers
PRISON officers say they are delighted Love Island is back on telly tonight — because warring inmates put their differences aside to follow the hit ITV dating show. Sources said wings on jails, and particularly young offender institutions, quieten down during the series as young lags are hooked on goings-on at the villa. One insider said you can 'hear a pin drop' at West London's Feltham prison for adult males and juveniles, Britain's most violent jail, at 9pm each night during the programme's run. There are fewer assaults on guards and fellow inmates as prisoners are glued to the show, hosted by Maya Jama. A source said: 'Attacks go down in the summer while Love Island is on. "Gangs put their differences aside. 'Officers are delighted when it starts, as it makes their lives easier and they get some respite. "Prisoners all discuss which girls they fancy — and which boys give them the hump.' The source added: 'The boys at Feltham aren't usually scared of punishments — the only thing that makes them behave is the fear of losing their TV during Love Island. 'They are all banged up by 9pm when it starts and it's the only time you will be able to hear a pin drop on a prison wing. 'Then there's a load of cheering and shouting when they find out which couple are being sent home — no lad wants to miss out on it.' Love Island 'reveals' first bombshell as Maya Jama gets special message from new Islander in surprise twist 1
Telegraph
02-06-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Terrorist moved to NHS unit with board games and film nights
A teenage terrorist who has stabbed 10 prison officers while in custody has been transferred to an NHS mental health unit that offers sports, games and film nights. Nathan Ruth, 18, has been held at Feltham Young Offenders Institute, in west London, since he was jailed for seven years last year after being convicted of plotting an attack at the Isle of Wight Festival. The then 15-year-old had researched weapons, vehicles and stab vests. Prison sources at Feltham have warned that staff at Ruth's new NHS mental health unit are not safe from the Muslim convert extremist, who tried to slice one guard's ear off and stabbed another with a makeshift weapon known as a shank. An intelligence report on Ruth, leaked to the Daily Mail, revealed that he has a history of improvising weapons and attacking staff and intends to kill a prison officer. Between his arrest in July 2022 and sentencing last April, Ruth, who was caught following a tip-off from the FBI, had already attacked prison personnel on 18 occasions. However, he will now be able to take advantage of sports facilities, quizzes, arts and crafts and film nights after being moved to Bluebird House, a secure mental health facility in Hampshire. 'He has 100 per cent manipulated the system' The centre's website states that staff provide 'a friendly, welcoming and therapeutic environment for our young people'. The unit's three wards care for up to 20 young people and include a relaxation room, sports hall, games room, fitness suite and all-weather sports area. Patients are provided with their own 'homely and comfortable' bedroom with an en-suite. Its website said: 'During evenings and weekends, we plan activities such as sports, board games, quizzes, arts and crafts and film nights.' According to the Mail, guards at Feltham have worn full riot gear when they deliver food to Ruth or allow him out to shower or exercise. Prison officers said they were shocked at his move. 'He has stabbed so many officers while in Feltham, and openly boasts to staff that we will see him on the news one day,' a source told the Mail. 'We can't believe they have let him go. He has 100 per cent manipulated the system to get himself sent somewhere more comfortable. What really annoys staff is that he has received no further prison time for all the stabbings against staff. 'They just want to focus on his rehabilitation. Well, tell that to the officer who nearly lost an ear. He is a stone-cold psychopath, the scariest I have ever seen. He will not stop until he has killed someone. Staff at that place do not know what they are letting themselves in for.' A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: 'Prisoners can be transferred for treatment in mental health hospitals, based on assessments by expert clinicians, but will return to prison once they are fit to do so. We do not tolerate violence against our hard-working staff and will always push for the strongest possible punishments for those who break the rules.'
Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Prison officers at youth jails 'warned to NOT take TVs away from disruptive teenagers'
Wardens are having to give back TVs they have confiscated from teens for violence or bad behaviour in a 'decency' drive. Officers in youth jails have been left stunned by the instruction - which sees sets returned to lags, including rapists and murderers. An email from the governor of Fetham Young Offenders Institution, in west London, told staff the removal could lead to 'frustration' among the teenagers. In the year up to March 2024 the facility saw 410 violent incidents - a rate of 488 incidents per 100 children. It is considered to be the most violent in England and Wales, with authorities finding 343 weapons in a year - nearly one a day. A source said confiscating TVs is one of the only ways to punish young offenders. 'Now we have been told we can't take them away even if they assault us. Predictably, since the boys have found out, this the place has gone wild,' a source told The Sun. The order is also reported to be being rolled out at institutions in Werrington in Staffordshire, Wetherby in West Yorkshire and Bridgend in South Wales. Just last month justice secretay Shabana Mahmood authorised the use of pepper spray at young offender institutions at Feltham, Werrington and Wetherby. 'If a TV is to be considered for removal, a case will need to be raised to the Deputy Governor,' the email said, as seen by The Sun. 'Leaving boys without a TV is one of the sources of frustration that leads to instability - so will help to drive to safety through decency.' A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice told the newspaper: 'Staff cannot remove TVs, but they are encouraged to look at other options.' Last year Chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor painted a disturbing picture of conditions inside Feltham A young offender institution (YOI), describing a volatile environment where children aged between 15 and 18 play 'the big man' and have to be kept apart. Housing 84 boys inside a run-down, poorly-insulated building that suffers from frequent leaks, the facility saw a spree of violent incidents in the year to March. Figures suggest six times more violence at the west London site than at HMP Bedford - one of the most violent adult prisons - where a recent inspection found the rate of violence was calculated at 80.6 incidents per 100 prisoners. Over last summer the level of disorder reached such a level that dogs were introduced to Feltham to keep order. One person assaulted 38 members of staff in seven months, according to a separate report published in August 2023. Mr Taylor, who visited in March, said he was 'very concerned' by how the prison had 'deteriorated' since his last inspection, although he praised staff who had 'managed to maintain impressively positive and supportive relationships' with inmates 'despite the violence around them'. A source with knowledge of the jail told MailOnline at the time that Feltham was particularly at risk from violence because it brought together serious young offenders - often with links to gangs - all in one place. In his inspection Mr Taylor found there more than 260 different instructions to prevent children from mixing. Seven inmates had been separated for more than 50 days, while two of them for more than 100. Mr Taylor warned that rather than being placed in lessons with children who had similar abilities and interests, boys were allocated to classes based on with whom they could mix without fighting. In an interview with BBC Radio London, he said many of these orders were to prevent violent gang disputes. 'The danger is, it feeds the sort of grandiosity that some of these kids might have about themselves that 'I'm the big man and I can't mix with anybody',' he said. His inspectors found high levels of violence and rising self-harm when they visited Feltham A in March 2024. Incidents of disorder had 'tripled' since the last inspection, with the latest report detailing the volatile situation the watchdog found behind bars. There had been a 'dramatic increase' in the number of assaults and serious incidents last summer which led to the education block being shut down for several weeks. Reacting to Mr Taylor's report, Mark Fairhurst, chair of the Prison Officers Association, warned 'a tragedy is on its way' and claimed 'brave staff' had been left with 'zero protection'.
The Sun
20-05-2025
- The Sun
Fury as prison officers at youth jails told NOT to take TVs away from disruptive teens including murderers and rapists
PRISON officers at youth jails have been told not to take TVs away from disruptive teens including murderers and rapists. A 'decency' drive has even seen them have to return sets confiscated for bad behaviour. 1 Staff say they are stunned by the order, which comes amid soaring levels of violence. An email from a governor at Feltham, West London — found by a watchdog to be Britain's most violent prison — insists: 'If a TV is to be considered for removal, a case will need to be raised to the Deputy Governor. 'Leaving boys without a TV is one of the sources of frustration that leads to instability — so will help to drive to safety through decency. A source said: 'One of the only ways left to punish prisoners is to take their TVs away. 'Now we have been told we can't take them away even if they assault us. Predictably, since the boys have found out, this the place has gone wild.' The move will also apply to institutions at Werrington, Staffs, Wetherby, West Yorks, and Bridgend, South Wales. Last summer PAVA pepper spray was approved 'as a last resort' for use in young offender institutions – where the rate of assaults on staff is 14 times higher than adult prisons. A Ministry of Justice source said: 'Staff cannot remove TVs, but they are encouraged to look at other options.'
The Independent
20-05-2025
- The Independent
Legal bid over plans to use pepper spray in young offender institutions
The Government is being threatened with legal action over plans to allow prison officers to use synthetic pepper spray in young offender institutions. Charity Howard League for Penal Reform has sent a letter before claim to Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood urging her to reverse the move set to be rolled out this summer. Pava spray, which is an incapacitant, is due to be made available 'in limited circumstances' to a select number of specialist staff at the three public sector YOIs holding under-18s – YOI Werrington, Wetherby and Feltham A, the Ministry of Justice announced in April. The measure, which seeks to combat rising violence from inmates, was welcomed by union bosses who lobbied for the change for prison officers to be given equipment to protect themselves. The latest figures from the Ministry of Justice show rates of assaults on staff in the YOIs are 14 times higher than within adult prisons. But the plan sparked criticism from the Children's Commissioner and the charity, which warned it was 'a serious escalation in the use of force that is permitted against children'. The spray is set to be rolled out for an initial 12 months before it is reviewed by ministers, while each use of the spray will be reviewed by an independent panel. On Tuesday, charity chief executive Andrea Coomber KC said: 'The Howard League has been preparing to take whatever steps necessary to challenge the roll-out of Pava spray to prisons holding children, including potential legal action. 'We know that Pava spray has been used inappropriately in prisons holding adults; to use it on children would be catastrophic. 'Far from keeping children and staff safe, normalising the use of violence in this way risks making conditions even worse for those living and working in prison.' The national charity is concerned there is a lack of research on the use of the spray in custody, and specifically against children, while existing research in relation to adults shows a 'myriad of potential physiological health impacts'. Ms Coomber added: 'Instead of arming staff, the way to reduce violence is to close failing young offender institutions and ensure that children are accommodated in more appropriate settings – such as secure children's homes – where they can be given the care and support they need. Prison is no place for a child.' The pre-action letter sent by lawyers on behalf of Howard League asks for the Justice Secretary to withdraw the decision and respond within 14 days, it said. The campaigners have also launched a crowd fundraiser to help them fund the challenge, which has currently raised more than £10,000. Announcing the roll-out in April, justice minister Sir Nic Dakin said: 'This Government inherited a criminal justice system in crisis. The unacceptable levels of violence faced by our brave frontline officers in young offender institutions is yet another symptom of that. 'This is not a decision we have made lightly, but our overarching duty is to keep staff and young people in custody safe. This spray is a vital tool to prevent serious violence, helping staff to focus on rehabilitation as part of our Plan for Change.' The rate of assault incidents on staff last year was 170.0 per 100 children and young people at Feltham, 182.9 per 100 at Werrington, and 167.4 per 100 at Wetherby, Ministry of Justice figures show. The rates are around 14 times the equivalent figure in adult prisons in England and Wales, which was 12.2 per 100.
