Written questions, answers and statements

Prisons: Civil Disorder

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Question for Ministry of Justice

UIN 22415, tabled on 13 January 2016

Question

Andy Slaughter
Labour
Hammersmith
Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on how many occasions, in which prisons and for what incidents the (a) Tornado Team called into prisons, (b) Gold Command was opened and (c) National Tactical Response Group was called in each year since 2010.

Answer

Andrew Selous
Conservative
South West Bedfordshire
Commons

Answered on

1 March 2016

Violence in prisons has increased in recent years. The nature of offenders currently in custody and the widespread availability of new psychoactive substances have both contributed to making prisons less safe. There is no single, simple solution to the problems we face but we are making progress.

We have launched a two year Violence Reduction project to help us to gain a better understanding of the causes and characteristics of violence in prisons and to strengthen the handling of this. We are also trialling the use of body worn cameras in prisons, training sniffer dogs to detect new psychoactive substances and have made it an offence to smuggle new psychoactive substances into prison. However, ultimately the only way to reduce violence in our prisons is to give governors and those who work in prisons the tools necessary to more effectively reform and rehabilitate offenders, which we are determined to see through.

The safety of staff and prisoners is a priority. Gold Command is opened in order to deal with incidents as quickly and safely as possible. Not all incidents turn out to be serious, but Gold Command is opened as a precaution when incidents are regarded as potentially serious.

Table 1: Tornado Team Callouts (by Establishment and Incident Type)

Establishment and Type of Incident

Number of Incidents by Year

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

Aylesbury

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Brinsford

Hostage

1

Bristol

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Buckley Hall

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Channings Wood

Concerted Indiscipline

2

Cookham Wood

Concerted Indiscipline

2

Deerbolt

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Doncaster

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Featherstone

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Ford

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Garth

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Gartree

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Glen Parva

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Harmondsworth

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Haverigg

Concerted Indiscipline

1

1

Hewell

Concerted Indiscipline

1

High Down

Concerted Indiscipline

1

1

Humber

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Isis

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Leicester

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Lindholme

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Littlehey

Concerted Indiscipline

1

1

Long Lartin

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Maidstone

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Manchester

Incident At Height

1

Moorland

Concerted Indiscipline

2

Morton Hall IRC

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Northallerton

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Northumberland

Concerted Indiscipline

2

Nottingham

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Oakwood

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Portland

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Ranby

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Rye Hill

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Stocken

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Swinfen Hall

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Wandsworth

Concerted Indiscipline

2

Warren Hill

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Wayland

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Table 2: NTRG Callouts per year (by Establishment and Incident Type)

Establishment and Type of Incident

Number of Incidents per Year (By Type)

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

Acklington

Incident At Height

1

Altcourse

Hostage

1

Incident At Height

1

1

1

2

4

Ashfield

Barricade

1

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Incident At Height

1

Aylesbury

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Incident At Height

6

3

1

1

Hostage

1

4

1

1

Bedford

Hostage

2

Incident At Height

1

2

Belmarsh

Incident At Height

2

2

2

Birmingham

Barricade

1

Incident At Height

2

1

3

Blunderston

Incident At Height

2

1

Brinsford

Hostage

1

1

Bristol

Barricade

1

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Incident At Height

2

1

1

4

Hostage

1

Brixton

Barricade

2

Incident At Height

1

1

2

Buckley Hall

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Incident At Height

1

2

1

2

Bullingdon

Explosive Threat

1

Incident At Height

4

Hostage

3

Camp Hill

Incident At Height

4

1

1

Canterbury

Barricade

1

Cardiff

Barricade

2

Incident At Height

1

1

4

1

Hostage

1

1

Castington

Incident At Height

2

Channings Wood

Barricade

1

Incident At Height

5

6

1

1

2

3

Hostage

1

Chelmsford

Hostage

1

Incident At Height

2

1

1

2

Coldingley

Barricade

1

Incident At Height

2

1

2

2

Hostage

1

Colnbrook

Incident At Height

1

Cookham Wood

Barricade

1

Concerted Indiscipline

2

1

1

1

Hostage

1

Incident At Height

1

Dartmoor

Incident At Height

1

1

Deerbolt

Concerted Indiscipline

1

1

Incident At Height

1

1

1

1

1

Hostage

1

2

3

1

Doncaster

Barricade

1

Concerted Indiscipline

2

1

Incident At Height

6

Hostage

2

2

Dorchester

Incident At Height

1

1

Dovegate

Barricade

1

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Incident At Height

2

1

Dover

Incident At Height

1

2

Downview

Incident At Height

1

Barricade

1

Durham

Incident At Height

1

2

5

Hostage

1

1

Eastwood Park

Incident At Height

1

Elmley

Barricade

1

1

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Incident At Height

2

6

1

1

Erlestoke

Incident At Height

2

1

1

1

1

Everthorpe

Barricade

1

Incident At Height

1

1

Hostage

1

Exeter

Incident At Height

3

2

Featherstone

Barricade

1

3

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Incident At Height

1

3

2

2

Prisoner in Crisis

1

Feltham

Barricade

1

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Incident At Height

1

3

2

2

Ford

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Forest Bank

Incident At Height

1

1

Foston Hall

Hostage

1

Frankland

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Full Sutton

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Hostage

1

1

Incident At Height

2

1

1

Garth

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Hostage

1

2

Incident At Height

1

3

2

Gartree

Barricade

1

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Incident At Height

1

1

Glen Parva

Concerted Indiscipline

2

Incident At Height

1

2

7

Hostage

1

2

3

2

Gloucester

Incident At Height

1

1

Guys Marsh

Incident At Height

1

3

3

1

Harmondsworth

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Haverigg

Concerted Indiscipline

1

1

Incident At Height

2

2

3

5

1

Hostage

1

Hewell

Barricade

1

Concerted Indiscipline

1

1

Incident At Height

1

1

8

2

Hostage

1

1

High Down

Barricade

1

1

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Incident At Height

1

1

3

5

4

Highpoint

Barricade

1

2

Incident At Height

2

2

1

1

3

Hostage

2

Highpoint South

Incident At Height

1

Hindley

Barricade

1

Incident At Height

1

7

3

10

6

2

Concerted Indiscipline/Barricade

1

Holloway

Hostage

1

Holme House

Hostage

1

1

Incident At Height

2

1

1

Hull

Barricade

1

Hostage

1

3

1

Incident At Height

1

1

1

Humber

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Hostage

1

3

Incident At Height

3

8

Isis

Barricade

1

Hostage

1

2

Incident At Height

1

1

2

1

7

Self-Harm

1

Kennett

Barricade

1

Lancaster Farms

Barricade

1

1

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Hostage

2

1

Hostage/Barricade

1

Incident At Height

2

2

1

3

1

Leeds

Barricade

1

1

1

Concerted Indiscipline

1

1

Hostage

1

1

1

1

Incident At Height

3

2

2

1

10

Leicester

Barricade

1

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Hostage

2

1

Incident At Height

1

1

2

3

10

Lewes

Barricade

1

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Incident At Height

2

1

1

3

Lincoln

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Hostage

2

1

1

Hostage

Incident At Height

1

5

3

1

4

Lindholme

Barricade

2

1

2

Concerted Indiscipline

1

2

2

Incident At Height

4

5

4

7

5

8

Hostage

2

2

1

3

Littlehey

Barricade

1

Concerted Indiscipline

2

Hostage

1

Incident At Height

1

1

1

Liverpool

Incident At Height

5

2

6

4

Hostage

1

Long Lartin

Concerted Indiscipline

1

3

Incident At Height

1

2

Hostage

1

2

2

Lowdham Grange

Concerted Indiscipline

1

2

Incident At Height

1

6

4

6

Hostage

1

Maidstone

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Manchester

Incident At Height

1

1

9

Moorland

Barricade

1

1

2

2

Concerted Indiscipline

3

1

2

Incident At Height

2

4

2

3

Hostage

1

2

1

1

Morton Hall

Concerted Indiscipline

1

1

Detainee Removal

1

Incident At Height

3

1

1

Northallerton

Concerted Indiscipline

1

1

Incident At Height

1

Northumberland

Barricade

1

1

1

Concerted Indiscipline

2

1

Incident At Height

1

2

1

4

Hostage

1

Norwich

Incident At Height

1

1

Nottingham

Barricade

1

Concerted Indiscipline

1

1

1

Hostage

1

2

Incident At Height

1

1

3

2

12

3

Oakington

Concerted Indiscipline

3

Oakwood

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Incident At Height

4

1

1

Hostage

1

Onley

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Incident At Height

2

2

2

2

1

Hostage

1

Parc

Barricade

1

Incident At Height

5

6

5

1

5

10

Parkhurst

Incident At Height

1

Pentonville

Barricade

1

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Incident At Height

1

2

5

4

Hostage

1

Peterborough

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Hostage

1

Incident At Height

2

Peterbrough

Concerted Indiscipline

2

Portland

Barricade

1

Incident At Height

1

1

3

2

Hostage

1

Preston

Hostage

2

Incident At Height

1

1

1

3

Ranby

Barricade

1

1

2

1

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Incident At Height

3

1

6

2

Hostage

1

2

2

Reading

Incident At Height

1

1

Risley

Barricade

1

Incident At Height

1

1

4

1

Risley

Incident At Height

2

Rochester

Barricade

1

Incident At Height

2

3

1

1

4

Hostage

1

Rye Hill

Barricade

1

Incident At Height

1

1

3

6

2

1

Send

Barricade

1

Stafford

Incident At Height

1

4

1

1

Stocken

Concerted Indiscipline

2

Incident At Height

3

3

Hostage

2

2

Stoke Heath

Concerted Indiscipline

2

1

Incident At Height

5

1

1

1

Styal

Barricade

1

Incident At Height

1

1

1

1

Swaleside

Attempted Escape / Firearm

1

Barricade

1

Incident At Height

3

1

2

2

Hostage

1

1

4

Swansea

Incident At Height

2

1

1

Swinfen Hall

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Incident At Height

2

3

1

2

Hostage

1

6

3

Thameside

Incident At Height

4

The Mount

Barricade

1

Incident At Height

1

2

9

Hostage

1

The Verne

Incident At Height

1

Wakefield

Barricade

2

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Incident At Height

1

1

Wandsworth

Concerted Indiscipline

2

Incident At Height

1

2

3

12

Hostage

1

Self-Harm

1

Waren Hill

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Wayland

Barricade

4

Concerted Indiscipline

1

1

Incident At Height

3

1

2

2

Hostage

2

2

Wealstun

Hostage

1

Incident At Height

1

1

1

1

Wellingborough

Incident At Height

2

2

Werrington

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Incident At Height

1

1

5

1

5

Hostage

1

Wetherby

Hostage

1

Incident At Height

1

1

1

6

3

7

Whatton

Hostage

1

Whitemoor

Hostage

1

Incident At Height

1

2

1

Winchester

Barricade

1

Incident At Height

1

1

3

4

4

2

Hostage

2

Wolds

Hostage

1

Incident At Height

5

1

Woodhill

Barricade Cell

1

Incident At Height

5

8

7

1

4

Hostage

1

1

1

Wormwood Scrubs

Barricade

1

Hostage

1

Incident At Height

1

2

2

3

Wymott

Hostage

1

Incident At Height

1

2

Yarl’s Wood IRC

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Huntercombe

Incident At Height

1

Table 3: Gold Command Suite openings per year (by Establishment and Incident Type)

Please Note: ‘Civil Disturbances’ refers to the England Riots that took place in 2011. Further, where ‘NOMS’ is listed as the establishment, this is referring to industrial action taken by members of prison staff.

*IRC = Immigration Removal Centre

Establishment

Incident Type

Number of Incidents per Year (By Type)

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

Altcourse

Hostage

2

Aylesbury

Hostage

4

1

1

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Bedford

Hostage

2

Belmarsh

Hostage

1

Brinsford

Hostage

1

1

Bristol

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Buckley Hall

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Bullingdon

Hostage

3

Bullwood Hall

Barricade

1

Camp Hill

Incident at Height

1

Cardiff

Hostage

1

1

Channings Wood

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Fire

1

Chelmsford

Hostage

1

Civil Disturbances (London Riots)

Civil Disturbances

1

Coldingley

Hostage

1

Incident at Height

1

Cookham Wood

Concerted Indiscipline

3

1

Hostage

1

Deerbolt

Hostage

1

2

3

3

2

Barricade

1

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Doncaster

Hostage

2

2

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Dovegate

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Durham

Hostage

1

1

1

Elmley

Incident at Height

1

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Hostage

1

Everthorpe

Incident at Height

1

Hostage

1

Featherstone

Barricade

1

Incident at Height

1

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Feltham

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Ford

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Foston Hall

Hostage

1

Full Sutton

Hostage

1

1

1

Garth

Hostage

1

2

Concerted Indiscipline

1

1

Gartree

Hostage

1

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Glen Parva

Hostage

1

4

7

1

Concerted Indiscipline

2

Guys Marsh

Fire

1

Harmondsworth

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Haslar

Hostage

1

Haverigg

Hostage

1

2

2

1

Incident at Height

1

1

Concerted Indiscipline

1

1

Hewell

Hostage

1

1

Concerted Indiscipline

2

1

High Down

Hostage

1

1

Concerted Indiscipline

1

1

Highpoint

Hostage

1

2

Hindley

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Holme House

Hostage

1

1

Hull

Hostage

1

3

1

Humber

Hostage

3

2

Humber

Concerted Indiscipline

1

1

Isis

Hostage

1

2

Incident at Height

1

1

Barricade

1

Isle of Wight

Incident at Height

1

Lancaster Farms

Hostage

2

1

1

Leeds

Barricade

1

Hostage

1

1

1

Incident at Height

1

1

Leicester

Hostage

2

2

Incident at Height

2

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Lewes

Incident at Height

1

1

Lincoln

Hostage

1

1

1

1

Incident at Height

1

1

Lindholme

Incident at Height

1

1

1

Concerted Indiscipline

2

1

Hostage

3

3

1

3

Littlehey

Hostage

1

1

Concerted Indiscipline

1

1

Liverpool

Hostage

1

Incident at Height

1

Long Lartin

Hostage

1

1

2

1

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Incident at Height

1

Lowdham Grange

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Maidstone

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Manchester

Incident at Height

1

Moorland

Concerted Indiscipline

3

1

1

Hostage

3

2

Incident at Height

1

Morton Hall

Concerted Indiscipline

1

1

1

1

Incident at Height

1

NOMS

Industrial Action

2

3

1

1

Northallerton

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Barricade

1

Northumberland

Barricade

1

Concerted Indiscipline

2

Norwich

Hostage

1

Nottingham

Hostage

1

4

Oakington IRC

Concerted Indiscipline

3

Oakwood

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Onley

Concerted Indiscipline

1

1

Hostage

1

1

Incident at Height

1

Parkhurst

Hostage

1

Pentonville

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Hostage

1

1

Incident at Height

1

Peterborough

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Hostage

1

Portland

Hostage

1

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Preston

Hostage

2

1

2

Ranby

Concerted Indiscipline

1

1

Hostage

1

1

2

1

Risley

Hostage

2

Rochester

Hostage

1

1

Barricade

1

Incident at Height

1

1

Rye Hill

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Hostage

1

Sheppey

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Stafford

Hostage

1

Stocken

Hostage

2

2

Incident at Height

1

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Stoke Heath

Incident at Height

1

Barricade

1

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Swaleside

Miscellaneous

1

Hostage

2

4

Incident at Height

1

1

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Swansea

Hostage

1

Swinfen Hall

Hostage

1

1

6

3

1

Concerted Indiscipline

1

The Mount

Incident at Height

1

Hostage

1

Wandsworth

Miscellaneous

1

Concerted Indiscipline

2

Incident at Height

2

Warren Hill

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Hostage

1

Wayland

Hostage

1

2

3

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Wealstun

Hostage

1

Incident at Height

1

Werrington

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Hostage

1

Wetherby

Escape

1

Incident at Height

1

3

Hostage

1

Whatton

Hostage

1

Whitemoor

Hostage

1

Winchester

Hostage

2

Wolds

Hostage

1

Woodhill

Hostage

1

1

1

Wormwood Scrubs

Hostage

1

Wymott

Hostage

1

Yarl’s Wood IRC

Concerted Indiscipline

1

Answered by

Ministry of Justice
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