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Press releasesREF: PR/14/05 DATE: 7th October 2005 To: ALL POLITICAL PRESS RELEASE Disturbance - Hindley Young Offenders InstitutionThe Young Offenders Institution at Hindley in Lancashire was this morning reeling following a further serious overnight disturbance. Juvenile prisoners at the jail have now destroyed a large amount of cellular accommodation during an apparently systemic campaign of violence and destruction at the establishment, which has continued for a period of days. POA National Vice Chair Steve Gough stated, "I have been to the establishment and have seen at first hand the severe damage which has been caused by these juvenile prisoners. Whilst I am proud to pay a deserved tribute to the many Prison Officers who have managed to contain and control the situation and prevent it from escalating further, the POA believes that a fully independent investigation needs to take place into the actions of members of Prison Service management and their apparent inability to heed intelligence reports from staff that a major disturbance was imminent. The Prison Service should not be able to decide upon its own culpability in the events which have occurred at Hindley." Mr. Gough went onto say, "The authority of Prison Officers, particularly those working in the violent and volatile world of England's young offenders establishments, has been seriously undermined in recent years, by changes in the rules regarding inmates loss of remission and internal prison disciplinary procedures. These facts and an apparent unwillingness by the Prison Service to open it's eyes to the reality of the breakdown in control at Hindley appears to have resulted in the orgy of violence which has erupted at this prison. Authority, in the form of Prison Officers should be fully supported by those empowered to run our jails and it is imperative that appropriate discipline and control is restored in all of our prisons." END.
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