Additionally we are calling for the Ministry of Justice to publish any safeguarding or training procedures relating to the use of the Section 5 weapon.
PAVA Spray-a chemically concentrated version of pepper spray has been a controversial deterrent due to its £2m rollout expense and its proven misuse in pilot trials. An analysis by the Prison Reform Trust (PRT) found that:
24% of case studies involved unsafe use of PAVA
34% of cases PAVA was used without justification
24% involved use where alternative methods were available. Not as a “last resort” - which is the only acceptable time to be used according to the Ministry of Justice.