Staffordshire prison locked down after third violent incident in weeks

Five prison officers treated for minor injuries at Swinfen Hall where last month an inmate was stabbed

Staff wearing riot gear have had to intervene after a third outbreak of violence within weeks at the same English category C prison for young men.

Five prison officers were treated for minor injuries after the incident on Tuesday at HMP Swinfen Hall near Lichfield, Staffordshire, a Ministry of Justice spokesperson said. One of the officers was taken to hospital.

The prison, which holds men aged from 18 to 28 serving sentences of four years to life, was put on lockdown and inmates were confined to their cells, sources said.

Emergency services reportedly attended the same prison on 28 March after an inmate was stabbed. On 21 March, an inmate was taken to hospital after receiving trauma care for serious injuries.

Concerns have been growing about violence across the prison estate, particularly among young men. Last week the justice secretary, Shabana Mahmood, authorised the use of synthetic pepper spray, or Pava, against 15- to 18-year-olds after a rise in violence in young offender institutions.

In April 2001, HMP Swinfen Hall was a young offender institution and was named as a centre of excellence by the then prison watchdog for its anti-bullying policies and programmes.

The prison now specialises in taking young offenders who are serving between four years and life. A quarter of the inmates have committed serious sexual offences, and many others have been involved in gang-related violence.

As a category C prison, it is supposed to offer education and training to prisoners. In December, the prison watchdog, Charlie Taylor, said the prison regime “lacked purpose”, with nearly a third of the 600 prisoners locked in their cells and nearly half (45%) taking illegal drugs.

Use of force, including Pava, had increased, the prisons inspector’s report said, “but the lack of body-worn video footage undermined leaders’ efforts to scrutinise incidents to make sure responses were legitimate and proportionate.

“On some wings, officers failed to enforce basic rules or maintain standards of cleanliness, and while violence had been reducing, disciplinary procedures, use of force and segregation had all increased and self-isolating prisoners needed more support to reintegrate into the main prison population,” it said.

Assaults in prisons have been rising, with an average of 74 a day recorded in England and Wales last year, including 25 assaults a day inflicted on staff, House of Commons library research has shown.

There are now 88,084 people in prison in England and Wales. Under the Ministry of Justice’s own definition of safety and decency, the prison estate should not hold more than 79,340 people.

A Prison Service spokesperson said: “Five prison officers have been treated for minor injuries following an incident at HMP Swinfen Hall yesterday, which was quickly resolved by staff. Violence in prison will not be tolerated and we will always push for the strongest punishment for attacks on our hard-working staff.”