Prisons: Pepper Spray

(asked on 12th March 2020) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many times has PAVA been deployed in each prison in each of the last 12 months.


Answered by
Lucy Frazer Portrait
Lucy Frazer
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
This question was answered on 19th March 2020

PAVA spray is being provided to all band 3-5 staff in the adult male estate and it is currently being rolled out across the estate. Staff need appropriate training to use PAVA and only prisons who have the key worker scheme – which is vital in building relationships between offenders and staff – will receive it.

The following uses of PAVA have been recorded in the last 12 months;

4 pilot sites were live: March 2019*

PAVA Drawn OR Used*

Hull

2

Wealstun

1

Risley

2

Preston

0

Live: April 2019 - Feb 2020

Drawn (not used)

Used

Hull

0

10

Wealstun

1

6

Risley

7

20

Preston

6

13

Live: October 2019 - Feb 2020

Brinsford

0

1

Live: December 2019 - Feb 2020

Hindley

1

2**

*pre-April 2019 the collection system did not ask staff to distinguish between PAVA being drawn and/or being used.

**accidental uses by staff with no prisoners present.

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