Berwyn Prison: Restraint Techniques

(asked on 15th January 2019) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many use of force incidents have been recorded at HMP Berwyn in each month since the prison opened.


Answered by
 Portrait
Rory Stewart
This question was answered on 24th January 2019

In the Prison Service, staff use personal safety techniques when it is lawful and necessary, to prevent harm to themselves or a third party. At HMP Berwyn, front line Prison Staff are taught through their Prison Officer Entry Level Training (POELT) how to apply correct Control and Restraint techniques (C&R) when dealing with a violent or recalcitrant prisoners. Alongside the national rollout of key worker and training such as ‘Five minute Intervention (FMI), front line operational staff are taught that the use of C&R techniques should be a last resort after all other means of de-escalation. The decision to use force should take into account the type of harm that the member of staff is trying to prevent, this will help to determine whether force is necessary in the particular circumstances they are faced with. ‘Harm’ may cover all of the following risks; risk to life, risk to limb, risk to property or risk to the good order of the establishment.

Since opening in spring 2017 through to December 2018, the prison population has increased significantly at HMP Berwyn.

There have been a number of incidents per month that have resulted in the requirement of force being used. Table one below presents the figures per month:

Table One: The number of incidents per month whereby force has been used at HMP Berwyn:

March – December 2017

January – December 2018

Mar-17

8

Jan-18

115

Apr-17

11

Feb-18

97

May-17

41

Mar-18

75

Jun-17

22

Apr-18

87

Jul-17

35

May-18

88

Aug-17

47

Jun-18

83

Sep-17

32

Jul-18

98

Oct-17

53

Aug-182

131

Nov-17

70

Sep-18

108

Dec-171

64

Oct-18

101

Nov-18

110

Dec-183

78

1 In December 2017 there were 64 (7.2%) Use of Force incidents against a population of 887.

2 In August 2018 there were 131 (11.5%) Use of Force incidents against a population of 1139.

3 In December 2018 there were 78 (6.1%) Use of Force incidents against a population of 1287.

Alongside Control and Restraint techniques, we’re equipping staff with the tools to do their job safely - rolling out PAVA incapacitant spray and body-worn cameras.

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