On her second visit to the Isle of Wight since taking up office, Police and Crime Commissioner, Donna Jones, heard how prison officers feel they are not being treated fairly when assaulted at work.
Ministry of Justice data shows there were 7,479 assaults on prison staff nationally in the 12 months to March 2021.
Commissioner Jones said:
“Attacks on prison staff are totally unacceptable. As the Police and Crime Commissioner for the Isle of Wight it is my responsibility to ensure crimes committed against prison staff are dealt with correctly. Staff have advised me of lenient sentences being handed out and on a concurrent rather than consecutive basis and cases being NFA’d by the CPS, with advice that the prison should deal with the issue internally. Victims come in all forms and offences against a prison officer must be sentenced fairly, as they would be if it were a member of the public."
During her visit, the Commissioner met with Governor Dougie Graham, had a tour of the prison estate, and learned about the challenges the staff at the prison have been facing and the impact the pandemic has had.
The prison was originally three prisons, Parkhurst, Albany and Camp Hill before merging and later the closure of the Camphill site. Camphill was a low security prison but the others were both high security prisons holding category B sex Offenders, and HMP Isle Wight remains a high security prison across both sites holding around 1,000 prisoners.
The Police and Crime Commissioner provides a Restorative Justice Service that any victim of crime can access to gain answers to their questions and help recovery. In recognition of the issues in prisons, the service is currently additionally grant funded to provide a bespoke course to deal with prisoner-on-prisoner and prisoner-on-staff threats and assaults within HMP Isle of Wight and HMP Winchester.
HMP Isle of Wight has volunteered to be involved in this Restorative Justice initiative to help support and reduce levels of violence within the prisoner population. Joint meetings have taken place and there are currently three violent prisoners on the scheme. This will be reviewed in September with a view to expanding the initiative to the wider prison population.
The aims of the course are:
- Tackle and reduce violent crime and create a safer environment for both prison staff and prisoners within HMP Winchester and the HMP Isle of Wight.
- Provide continuing support and opportunity for victims to engage in a restorative processes.
- Manage offenders and hold them to account providing them with an opportunity to understand the impact of their actions and prevent re-offending.
HMP Isle of Wight has been approached for a comment.
Four Men Arrested Following Rogue Trader Activities In East Cowes
Rugby Players Set To Scale Great Heights For Teddy
Drug Driving, Domestic Abuse And Stalking Among Arrests Made As Police Target Isle Of Wight Criminals
Work Begins On ‘Monumental’ Mural Project At Historic Columbine Building
More Acts Added To Isle Of Wight Festival Line-Up
St Mary’s Vaccination Hub Gets Ready For Spring Covid-19 Vaccinations
Twenty Isle Of Wight Pubs Under Threat As Stonegate Issues Profit Warning
Fundraiser Launched As Kezi's Kindness Founder Diagnosed With Incurable Cancer
Bon Voyage — White-Tailed Eagle Soars To France
Goddards Brewery Scoops Four Top Industry Awards At International Competition
Briddlesford Road Crash Results In Two Injured
Isle Of Wight MP Extolls Virtues Of Joint Emergency Service Officers For Isle Of Wight
Island Labour Announces Parliamentary Candidates As Quigley Vows To 'Take Fight' To Bob Seely
Can You Help Police To Identify Man Linked To Waitrose Theft?
Ryde Town Council In Crackdown On Dog Fouling
Former Patient Opens New Intensive Care Unit
Isle Of Wight Primary School Place Allocations Announced For September
The Rules Islanders Need To Know For Police And Crime Commissioner Election Postal Voting
Family Pays Tribute To Paul Hart Following Fatal Newport Collision
Teenager Sentenced For Planning Isle Of Wight Festival Terrorist Attack
