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Press releasesREF: PR/05/07 DATE: 18th January 2007 To: ALL POLITICAL PRESS RELEASE Prison Service Place Public at RiskThe National Executive Committee of the POA continues to express grave concerns over the management of the Prison Service, the prison population and reports that there were no police cells available in the London area last weekend. This follows the problems which have been highlighted in the open prison estate recently. Due to the crisis over the lack of spaces in police cells, cellular accommodation at Pentonville prison is now being brought back on stream, under the guise of an operational emergency by the Prison Service in a bid to stave off another embarrassing crisis for the Service and Home Office. The POA Executive are aware that there are in excess of 300 prisoners in police cells however, according to statistics produced by NOMS on 12th January 2007 there were no prisoners in police cells under operation safeguard. Who is reporting the accurate statistics? Is this a way of misleading the public and Parliament? Recent information regarding the risk management of prisoners in the open prison estate continues to fuel speculation that the public is being placed at risk. This speculation and concerns must lead to a root and branch review of the categorisation of prisoners and use of prison accommodation. Colin Moses national Chairman of the POA said: “The POA have and continue to try and discuss ways to maximise the use of prisons within England and Wales providing they are safe and adequately resourced to achieve the aims of the Service. To date meetings with the Prison Service, prisons Minister and Home Secretary have not been forthcoming. To this end we intend to meet the Shadow Home Secretary David Davis on Wednesday 24th January 2007 to discuss the crisis the Service currently faces”. Brian Caton General Secretary of the POA said: “The management of the Prison Service cannot continue to hide behind inept policies which our members recognise as being inappropriate and leading establishments being unsafe and the public placed at risk. A public inquiry into the Prison Service is fundamental to public safety. The problems of the Prison Service and risk to the public have all too well been documented within the press recently and changes are required immediately”.
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