Prisons: Organised Crime

(asked on 22nd October 2014) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to increase gang-related intelligence for prison officers prior to prisoner arrivals in order to prevent mixed gang wings.


Answered by
Andrew Selous Portrait
Andrew Selous
Second Church Estates Commissioner
This question was answered on 29th October 2014

On arrival in an establishment, the risk a prisoner presents to others and themselves, and their risk of harm from other prisoners will be assessed. Where appropriate, this will include a Cell Sharing Risk Assessment to assess a prisoner’s suitability to share accommodation. The risk assessment will consider information and intelligence from a number of sources, including known gang affiliations and conflicts if appropriate.

In April 2014, NOMS completed the implementation of a nationally networked intelligence system - ‘Mercury’. Through the Mercury system staff are able to access intelligence linked to prisoners where a prisoner has previously been held in custody, on or in advance of a prisoner’s arrival (where a prisoner is being sent from another establishment). In addition where a prisoner has previously been held in custody, the National Offender Management Information System (NOMIS) will hold warnings to alert staff to particular risks and behaviours.

A number of law enforcement agencies, including the police, regularly share information about prisoners to support the identification of risk. This includes prisoners with gang affiliations and conflicts.

To ensure that prisoners are held in safe, decent and secure conditions, the risks to and from prisoners remain constantly under review. Where risks become known, establishments take appropriate steps to mitigate these risks, which may include relocating a prisoner to another wing or establishment.

Reticulating Splines