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Press releasesREF: PR/03/07 DATE: 10th January 2007 To: ALL POLITICAL PRESS RELEASE Gang Warfare Within PrisonsThe Prison Service has recently acknowledged through the Prison Service News that the rise in violence and increase in gang warfare across the entire prison estate is a growing problem. Gill Brigden from Safer Custody group (Violence Reduction) stated: “Gangs are an important area that prisons have to handle. It more often than not goes hand in hand with crime and anti social behaviour, drug and violence and so prisons are left managing these imported difficulties” She goes on to say: “Just because a gang leader is in prison doesn’t necessarily mean that they can’t still be trying to manage their business outside, which is why they need to be carefully monitored”. She also says: “There is no evidence to suggest that gangs are formed from scratch among serving prisoners with the roots of gangs being set in the communities they have come from with most big cities including Nottingham, Manchester, Liverpool and London having their own proportion of groups”. A governor from Full Sutton high security prison near York said: “A lot of prisoners attempt to carry makeshift weapons, which is unacceptable. They will often try a conditioning tactic to minimise the seriousness of this by saying, ‘I carry a weapon, it’s a cultural thing’.” Colin Moses National Chairman said: “The POA are pleased that the Prison Service have identified these problems, but the real test is yet to come. With the increase in the prison population and tougher sentencing policies, prisons are becoming more and more of a business opportunity to gang leaders in and out of prisons and violence goes hand in hand with drugs. The use of home made weapons and violence to achieve a prisoner’s aim is not new and something prison staff have dealt with for many years. At present on average 8 staff per day are assaulted in prisons in England and Wales with significant numbers of prisoner on prisoner assaults also being reported. This is unacceptable. The POA have and would continue to press for zero tolerance to violence within our prisons, something the Prison Service will not accept. Why?” Brian Caton General Secretary said: “The constant efficiency programme led by the government and implemented by the Prison Service is taking away prison officers from their most effective duty of work dealing face to face with prisoners on a daily basis. The POA are concerned that the categorisation of prisoners to accommodate the ever increasing prison population in placing staff, prisoners and the public at risk across all sections of the community. This problem is not contained to the high security estate it is a problem across all prisons. The POA call on the government to invest in prisons to ensure public confidence and public safety is maintained”. END.
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