Latest news with #NicDakin
ITV News
25-04-2025
- ITV News
Pepper spray to be introduced at Feltham Young Offenders Institution from this summer
Feltham Young Offender Institution (YOI) will be one of three public sector institutions where synthetic pepper spray is introduced this summer, as part of efforts to combat rising levels of violence against staff. The move comes after new figures released by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) on Thursday showed rates of assaults on staff were 14 times higher than at adult prisons. Pava spray, already used by police and guards in adult prisons, will be rolled out 'in limited circumstances' to specialist staff at Feltham A, Werrington and Wetherby – the three public sector YOIs that hold children under 18. Staff at Feltham will receive 'a really high level' of training and there will be 'a very clear, high threshold' for when the spray can be used, according to a senior youth custody source. Recent incidents have left officers at YOIs with fractures, dislocations and puncture wounds, the MoJ said. Inmates have reportedly used cutlery and screws taken from furniture as weapons. In one case, a female staff member used her body as a human shield to protect a child who was being attacked in a group assault in the courtyard, a senior source said. MoJ data shows Feltham had 170.0 assaults on staff per 100 children and young people last year. This compares to 182.9 at Werrington and 167.4 at Wetherby. Across the whole of the children and young persons secure estate – including other establishments such as secure children's homes – the rate of assaults on staff was 183.6 per 100, a slight drop from 187.2 in 2023. 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 rollout will last 12 months and be reviewed by ministers. Each use of the spray will also be assessed by an independent panel. Youth justice charity the Howard League for Penal Reform has condemned the move. Andrea Coomber KC, the charity's chief executive, said: 'There is too much violence in prisons holding children, but this is a direct consequence of a failing system that keeps boys as young as 15 locked in their cells for up to 23 hours a day without meaningful access to education or social interaction. 'It reflects a profound failure on the part of those responsible for children in custody that they would consider introducing weapons in the name of safety. '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 move was welcomed by the Prison Officers' Association. Steve Gillan, general secretary of the POA, said: 'Young offenders institutions can be a very challenging environment for our members to work in. 'Prison officers must be given the right PPE to protect themselves and prisoners from violence. This is a step in the right direction.'
Times
24-04-2025
- Times
Pepper spray to be used in youth custody after surge in assaults
Synthetic pepper spray may be used on children as young as 14 in youth offender institutions (YOIs) after a decision to issue staff with the incapacitant due to a rising numbers of assaults. The decision to equip specialist staff with Pava spray comes as new figures show the rate of assaults in YOIs is around 14 times higher than in adult prisons. Sir Nic Dakin, the minister for youth justice, said: 'This is not a decision we have made lightly, but our overwhelming duty is to keep staff and young people in custody safe.' While the move has been welcomed by the Prison Officers Association (POA), charities including the Howard League and Action for Race Equality have criticised the decision. Pava will be trialled in
The Independent
24-04-2025
- The Independent
Pepper spray to be used in young offender institutions from this summer
Prison officers in young offender institutions (YOIs) will start using synthetic pepper spray from this summer in a bid to combat rising violence from inmates, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced. The move comes after new figures released by the MoJ on Thursday showed rates of assaults on staff in the estate were 14 times higher than at adult prisons. Pava spray, which is an incapacitant, will 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 MoJ said. They will receive a 'really high level' of training and there will be 'a very clear, high threshold' for when the spray should be used, a senior youth custody source said. It is already used by police officers in the community and by guards at adult prisons. The spray will 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. Recent incidents in YOIs have seen staff suffer fractures, dislocations and puncture wounds as they tried to contain them, the MoJ said. Inmates have been using 'everyday pieces of plastic' as weapons, such as cutlery and screws taken out of furniture, a senior youth custody source said. In one incident, a female staff member resorted to 'using her body as a human shield' to protect an inmate being targeted in a group attack in the courtyard, a separate senior source said. 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.' A charity condemned the introduction of Pava into YOIs as 'a serious escalation in the use of force that is permitted against children', saying the spray can cause severe pain. Andrea Coomber KC, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said the group would consider taking legal action to challenge the decision. She said: 'There is too much violence in prisons holding children, but this is a direct consequence of a failing system that keeps boys as young as 15 locked in their cells for up to 23 hours a day without meaningful access to education or social interaction. 'It reflects a profound failure on the part of those responsible for children in custody that they would consider introducing weapons in the name of safety. '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 announcement comes after several high-profile incidents raised concerns about the levels of protection for officers in adult prisons. Four guards were attacked with hot oil and homemade weapons by Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi at HMP Frankland in County Durham earlier in April, with the inmate subsequently transferred to Belmarsh after the incident. Convicted killer John Mansfield was found dead after suffering a head injury at HMP Whitemoor on April 13, with another inmate arrested on suspicion of his murder. Speaking in the Commons on Tuesday, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced the use of Tasers would be trialled in prisons and confirmed the prison service would conduct a 'snap review' of the use of protective body armour for prison officers.
Telegraph
24-04-2025
- Telegraph
Prison officers will use pepper spray against teenage offenders
Prison officers will be given new powers to use pepper spray against teenage offenders in a crackdown on violence in youth custody. Young offenders' institution staff will be trained to use PAVA, a synthetic pepper spray, against inmates in cases of serious violence towards prisoners and staff. Figures revealed the rate of assaults in public youth offender institutions is around 14 times higher than in adult prisons. More than 500 assaults took place in young offenders' institutions, secure schools and training centres between October and December last year, an increase of 23 per cent compared to the same period in 2023. According to the new figures released by the Ministry of Justice on Thursday, more than 370 different children and teenagers were involved in these incidents as assailants or fighters. It emerged that staff had been assaulted 248 times in the course of their work over the same period, a jump of almost a quarter compared to the same three months the previous year. A criminal justice source warned that a young person in custody could be killed if staff were not given additional tools to tackle the rising violence. A 'vital tool' against 'serious violence' Prison officers in adult jails have also made demands to help them tackle violent prisoners as they requested Tasers and stab vests. The calls came in the wake of the 28-year-old terrorist Hashem Abedi's assault on four prison officers at HMP Frankland in County Durham. He used two homemade knives and hot oil in the attack in a prison kitchen on April 12. PAVA is a synthetic pepper spray currently used in adult jails and by police officers that can temporarily incapacitate individuals. Staff will be selected for specialist training on how to use the spray from this summer, and will be required to report when it is deployed. It is expected that it will be used in cases of serious violence, for example when inmates are using improvised weapons, several teenagers are involved, or there is an imminent risk of violence. Each incident will be reviewed and data made available to ministers, who will decide in 12 months whether to continue its use in young offenders' institutions. Sir Nic Dakin, the minister for youth justice, said the spray was a 'vital tool to prevent serious violence' and that the violence faced by staff had reached 'unacceptable levels'. 'Vicious cycle of conflict' The average age of incarcerated young offenders in England and Wales has increased, with the majority of those in custody being teenage boys between 16 and 18. Over two-thirds of all young people in jails are serving sentences for violent offences, such as murder, attempted murder and grievous bodily harm. Last year, a report by Charlie Taylor, the Chief Inspector of Prisons, said most young offender institutions 'were unable to break out of a vicious cycle of conflict leading to children being locked in their cells for long periods of time'. A criminal justice source admitted the young offenders' estate needed 'change' and that improvements were being made, but that it would take time. They said: 'It doesn't happen overnight, and overnight, we could have that serious incident that manifests in somebody losing their life, and that's why we have to take this action. 'This is not a panacea solution. This is part of us mitigating the risk whilst making effective change to improve the system overall.' PAVA is currently authorised for use in the most severe incidents within young offenders' institutions. However, its deployment is restricted to nationally based tactical response officers, which can result in response times of up to one hour. Sir Nic 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.'
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Yahoo
Pepper spray to be used in young offender institutions as violence rises
Pepper spray will now be used in young offender institutions - where the rate of assaults on staff is 14 times higher than in adult prisons. Specially trained prison officers in England will be allowed to use PAVA, a synthetic pepper spray, "as a last resort" to help de-escalate and diffuse violent situations from this summer. They will only be allowed to use the spray in limited circumstances where there is serious violence or an imminent risk of it taking place, and ministers will review its use after 12 months. Read more: New figures show the rate of assaults in the UK's three youth offender institutions is around 14 times higher than in adult prisons. Assaults by children and young people on staff at HYOI Feltham A, HMYOI Werrington and HMYOI Wetherby increased by nearly 25% in 2024 compared with the previous year. The Ministry of Justice hopes allowing officers to use pepper spray will keep young people in custody safe so they can focus on rehabilitation and reduce reoffending. Minister for youth justice 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." Pepper spray is already used on children and adults in the community, and in adult prisons. It can be used during the most serious incidents in youth offender institutions, but only by national tactical response officers, who are nationally based and have to be authorised to go into an institution by a prison gold commander. Deploying officers can take more than an hour, and because altercations often arise rapidly and with little warning, they can rarely arrive in time to respond to the violence. The number of young people in custody has fallen significantly in recent years, however, the majority are older teenage boys, aged 16 to 18 years old. More than two-thirds are there for violent offences such as murder, attempted murder and grievous bodily harm. Safety concerns have been rising, with recent incidents seeing young offenders seriously injured and staff experiencing fractures, dislocations, puncture wounds and lacerations. Staff acting as body shields A senior Ministry of Justice source told Sky News many of the boys are the same size as adults. They said a recent example includes a boy being attacked by five others boys who stamped on his head and he was stabbed with a weapon. "I've got staff here that are putting their bodies in the way to defend and try and prevent injuries happening to young people and as a result of that they're being injured themselves," they said. "I think that's a prime example of where if we've got an incapacitant spray like PAVA it could be utilised effectively to defuse the situation and not only cause significant harm to my staff but also to young people." Like rubbing chillies in your eyes The source explained the pepper spray has the same effect as if you rub chillies in your eye while cooking, with eyes experiencing a burning sensation, eyes close up, produce tears and snot - "but it passes". They said when they tested the spray on themselves it took 45 minutes to an hour to pass and people have different levels of discomfort and irritation. "It means you physically can't respond in the way you normally do, so that ability to then ask the staff to step in because that person is impacted by it is the crucial stuff," they added.
