Emeute à la prison d’Ashwell avril 2009
Officers bid to control prison riot
A prison where a riot broke out is still out of control, the Prisons Officers Association has said.
HMP Ashwell, near Oakham, Rutland, was cordoned off by specialist prison officers after an incident of « concerted indiscipline », according to the Ministry of Justice.
But POA general secretary Brian Caton said the prison is still out of control and it may take some time to sort out the problems.
He said around 80 inmates who either surrendered or had been captured were taken away to two separate prisons and five or six different fires had been started around the low-category C institution.
Mr Caton said: « The prison is still in a state of being retaken back at this stage.
« It’s very very tactically done so that you are clearing and accounting for all the prisoners as you put them away. It does take a bit of time before you totally regain control. »
Mr Caton said the fact specialist teams, known as Tornado teams, were called in indicated there was a riot at the prison. Many prison vans were seen coming in and out of the prison. Many leaving the site had loud banging coming from inside.
People who lived nearby described helicopters hovering overhead around 2am, and a police helicopter remained over the prison, while fire engines, police riot vans and an ambulance could all be spotted near the scene.
The fire service said crews are still at the scene but would not confirm whether a fire was still burning at the prison.
A POA spokesman said it is believed all 400 inmates were engaged in acts of indiscipline and the police had surrounded the site to protect the public.
Smoke rises after disturbance at E.Midlands prison
LONDON (AFP) — Specialist officers were sent in to deal with a disturbance at a prison in the East Midlands on Saturday, as a plume of smoke rose from the jail.
All 400 inmates inside Ashwell prison, near the town of Oakham in Rutland, were thought to be engaging in acts of indiscipline, while police have ringed off area around the facility to protect the public, the Prison Officers Association (POA) said.
The jail holds low-risk « Category C » prisoners.
Television pictures showed black smoke rising from the prison, while fire engines, police riot vans, and an ambulance could be seen near the front entrance.
The Ministry of Justice said specialist prison officers had been called to Ashwell to deal with an incident of « concerted indiscipline ».
POA national chairman Colin Moses said: « We have been warning of this type of disturbance for many months, but no one wants to listen.
« The drive for savings has led to fewer staff, a reduction in regime and offending behaviour programmes being cancelled. End result unhappy and bored prisoners. »
The Easter holiday long weekend « appears to have sparked the trouble but the root cause is lack of investment in our prisons. If this is not addressed we believe this will be the first of many disturbances of 2009. »
Ashwell Prison: Stand-off continues
11 April 2009
PRISON chiefs say they are still dealing with a serious incident at HMP Ashwell.
Specialist prison officers were called out to the jail after a incident of « concerted indiscipline » involving a number of inmates, which is believed to have kicked off at about 2am.
Glyn Travis from the Prison Officers Association told the BBC: « We have still got a serious number of disturbances within the prison that haven’t been brought under control. »
Mr Travis said: « We’re not quite sure what these prisoners have armed themselves with because they’ve had access to the works department and the healthcare centre.
« We don’t know if they’re under the influence of drugs and whether they’ve made some serious weapons, so we’ve got to be extremely careful.
« We’ve also got to make sure that prisoners who may have been hiding within buildings are safe. »
He said a decision to remove privileges from some prisoners had led to the incident.
« One of those prisoners was not happy with that decision and around midnight he decided to incite other prisoners to react and that’s what started the riot.
« It moved on from there to a situation which became extremely dangerous and violent. »
A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman confirmed there had been « concerted indiscipline » from a number of prisoners at the jail.
Colin Moses, national chairman of the POA, said the association had warned that this type of disturbance might occur.
He said: « The current prison population and lack of appropriate prison places has resulted in prisoners being transferred away from their homes and put in lower category prisons resulting in more drugs, violence and gang cultures in our prisons.
« The drive for savings has led to fewer staff, a reduction in regime and offending behaviour programmes being cancelled. End result unhappy and bored prisoners. »
Leicestershire Police have locked down the area surrounding the prison and all entrances, including a nearby housing estate of Burley Crescent.
Plumes of smoke were seen billowing from the prison, near Oakham, and although the smoke cleared before lunchtime it has reappeared in the past 30 minutes. Firefighters are still at the scene.
Prisoners have been heard banging on the walls of security vans as they are transported out of the site and at least one ambulance has been seen leaving.
Both Leicestershire Police and the Fire and Rescue service are refusing to comment but the Ministry of Justice has released just one statement this morning.
A prison service spokesperson said: « Specialist prison officers are dealing with an incident of concerted indiscipline at HMP Ashwell involving a number of prisoners.
« The perimeter is secure and police are in attendance outside the prison.’
Town crier Lewis Carlin, 78, of Burley Cresecent, Ashwell, has been watching the drama unfold since being woken up by helicopter at 2am.
He said: « They have been rioting, I have been sat on my bed watching riot squads and police.
« I have seen everything, 100 police cars and vans and riot squads.
« I saw two policemen with guns. They won’t take any chances, there are 600 prisoners in there. »
Beverly Cardell, who lives near the prison, told the Mercury that she was woken up about 1am by her son telling her there was lots of police about.
She said: « We could hear lots of noise, shouting, banging and general noise from the prison.
« In 23 years we’ve had incidents like when some lads where on the roof, but nothing ever this bad. It was like a war. »
Shadow minister for Justice and MP for Market Harborough Edward Garnier said that the incident had been running since 2am and that prisoners have been transported to neighbouring prisons to allow Ashwell to be brought back into order.
He said that the site housed a mixture of category C and D prisoners, who are predominantly less dangerous and less likely to escape.
Mr Garnier had visited the prison 18 months ago and described it a well run and peaceful place.
He said: « What we need to do is break the back of overcrowding.
« At the moment we have 83,000 prisoners in a prison state which does not have enough room to accommodate 83,000 people.
« Now they need to increase the prison capacity so that prisoners and prison officers can live and work in a safe environment. »
April 11, 2009
Prisoners riot as fire breaks out in jail
11 avril 2009
AROUND 400 prisoners are involved in a major disturbance at a prison in Rutland, according to the Prison Officers Association (POA).
Riot-trained officers have been called in to bring the situation under control.
Trouble at Ashwell prison, near Oakham, Rutland, in Leicestershire, is thought to have flared in the early hours of Saturday morning as residents near to the jail reported seeing flames coming out of the prison.
A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said there had been “concerted indiscipline at HMP Ashwell involving a number of prisoners”.
Today a plume of smoke was seen rising from the Category C jail as a police helicopter circled overhead. Fire engines remained outside the prison.
A three mile cordon has been set up around the 619-inmate capacity jail.
As a Catergory C prison inmates are allowed keys to their own cells.
The POA confirmed riot officers were called in as part of Operation Tornado.
Colin Moses, national chairman of the POA, said the association had warned that this type of disturbance might occur as lack of prison space led to prisoners needing higher category jails being sent to lower category institutions.
He said: « The current prison population and lack of appropriate prison places has resulted in prisoners being transferred away from their homes and put in lower category prisons resulting in more drugs, violence and gang cultures in our prisons.
« The drive for savings has led to fewer staff, a reduction in regime and offending behaviour programmes being cancelled. End result unhappy and bored prisoners. »
Local resident Beverly Cardell, 55, said she was awoken last night due to the disturbance at Ashwell prison.
She said: “My son woke me at 1am and said there were loads of police about. We could hear lots of noise, shouting, banging and general noise from the prison.
“You could see flames and there’s smoke over the prison now. In 23 years we’ve had incidents like when some lads where on the roof, but nothing ever this bad. It was like a war.”
Built on a former Army camp Ashwell started life as an open prison in 1955 and was converted to a category C jail in 1987.
The Prison Service has described Ashwell as being “best suited to prisoners who are able to display the maturity and self-control to live reasonably in a regime where there is a high expectancy of good behaviour.”
Inmates have unsupervised free movement, unsupervised access to the prison grounds and keys to their own room.
anthropologie du présent 