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8 July 2008 : Column 1534W—continued

Table 2 provides details of when the police have been informed following an assault on prison staff (as recorded on the NOMS Incident Recording System). There are a variety of reasons why assaults on staff may not be reported to the police, including consideration of internal sanctions and wishes of individuals.

On 18 February, an announcement was made that Her Majesty’s Prison Service had made joint commitment with the Prison Officers Association to ‘Zero Tolerance’, and that I would be pursuing with my right hon. Friends the Attorney-General (Baroness Scotland) and Home Secretary (Jacqui Smith) the role of the police and the Crown Prosecution Service in a more vigorous approach to prosecuting alleged assaults on staff.

Current guidance is that alleged assaults should be referred to the police if a weapon causing, or likely to cause, serious injury was used, if serious injury occurred by any means, if serious violence intended or likely to cause more than minor injury was used, or where there has been personal sexual violation other than rape of an especially vulnerable victim or threats of violence. Any alleged assault amounting to unlawful imprisonment (hostage-taking) should also be referred. If the Governor decides not to refer the case to the police, or if no prosecution follows, the Governor will consider referring the charge to an independent adjudicator (District Judge), who is empowered to impose punishments of additional days, as well as any of the punishments available to Governors under the Prison Rules. Serious assaults (based on the level of injury, pre-planning, or a previous history of violence) will normally be referred to the independent adjudicator. Other assaults will be dealt with by the Governor through the adjudication process.


8 July 2008 : Column 1535W

8 July 2008 : Column 1536W

8 July 2008 : Column 1537W

8 July 2008 : Column 1538W
Table 2: Assaults on staff reported to the police
Prison name 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007( 1)

Acklington

—

—

1

1

1

Albany

—

—

—

2

n/a

Altcourse

2

—

5

2

3

Ashfield

2

—

—

12

6

Ashwell

—

—

—

1

—

Aylesbury

3

—

—

—

1

Bedford

2

3

3

3

—

Belmarsh

—

—

1

2

1

Birmingham

3

4

4

—

4

Blakenhurst

4

6

4

9

9

Blundeston

—

1

3

2

—

Brinsford

4

2

9

4

—

Bristol

4

10

8

6

7

Brixton

1

3

4

—

7

Brockhill

1

3

9

2

2

Bronzefield

—

5

4

2

2

Buckley Hall

3

3

1

1

1

Bullingdon

2

4

3

2

1

Bullwood Hall

1

—

3

3

—

Camphill

3

6

1

1

n/a

Canterbury

—

1

—

—

—

Cardiff

1

1

2

2

—

Castington

2

3

3

1

3

Channings Wood

1

1

5

1

4

Chelmsford

—

2

5

7

4

Coldingley

1

—

1

—

2

Cookham Wood

2

—

1

1

—

Dartmoor

5

2'

2

1

6

Deerbolt

1

7

6

5

1

Doncaster

1

1

1

—

—

Dorchester

2

—

1

4

2

Dovegate

8

9

2

6

10

Downview

1

1

1

1

4

Durham

4

4

—

—

5

Eastwood Park

1

1

3

1

1

Edmunds Hill

—

3

1

1

1

Elmley

6

3

1

1

4

Erlestoke

—

1

2

—

5

Everthorpe

1

1

1

4

1

Exeter

3

2

4

6

2

Featherstone

2

4

3

1

1

Feltham

11

5

1

4

1

Ford

—

6

3

—

3

Forest Bank

9

10

8

7

3

Foston Hall

—

—

2

4

2

Frankland

3

6

2

—

5

Full Sutton

6

5

9

4

2

Garth

1

—

3

4

3

Gartree

—

1

2

1

—

Glen Parva

—

4

2

5

7

Gloucester

3

4

5

2

2

Grendon/Spring Hill

—

—

—

—

1

Guys Marsh

2

1

2

3

4

Haverigg

5

1

—

1

6

Hewell Grange

—

—

2

—

1

High Down

1

1

4

5

—

Highpoint

3

4

2

8

5

Hindley

2

3

3

1

5

Hollesley Bay

—

2

—

1

—

Holloway

7

5

2

3

4

Holme House

1

2

3

1

3

Hull

4

2

2

3

6

Huntercombe

3

—

4

7

4

Kirkham

—

—

—

—

1

Lancaster

—

1

—

2

—

Lancaster Farms

2

8

I

1

4

Leeds

4

1

1

—

2

Leicester

—

2

—

8

2

Lewes

—

3

6

1

3

Lincoln

—

3

2

1

3

Lindholme

2

3

1

3

2

Littlehey

2

1

1

—

2

Liverpool

1

2

5

—

5

Long Lartin

5

5

10

12

13

Low Newton

3

1

3

1

2

Lowdham Grange

—

2

6

2

1

Maidstone

2

2

1

—

2

Manchester

5

1

—

3

2

Moorland

1

—

1

1

3

Mount

4

1

—

1

4

New Hall

1

2

1

2

2

North Sea Camp

—

1

—

—

—

Northallerton

—

4

—

1

1

Norwich

7

6

9

6

1

Nottingham

1

2

2

2

5

Onley

6

1

2

2

1

Parc

1

3

7

1

2

Parkhurst

4

2

3

1

n/a

Pentonville

1

2

7

3

4

Peterborough

—

—

6

12

11

Portland

3

1

2

3

6

Preston

4

2

4

7

5

Ranby

2

2

1

3

8

Reading

1

—

—

1

—

Risley

4

1

11

8

10

Rochester

1

5

3

Rye Hill

2

4

2

4

1

Send

2

—

1

—

—

Shepton Mallet

—

—

1

—

—

Shrewsbury

1

1

1

2

—

Stafford

10

1

2

8

3

Stocken

—

2

2

2

—

Stoke Heath

8

1

2

3

1

Styal

2

—

1

5

3

Sudbury

—

—

1

—

—

Swaleside

4

6

2

7

4

Swansea

3

1

1

—

—

Swinfen Hall

—

1

2

2

3

Thorn Cross

2

—

1

—

—

Usk/Prescoed

—

—

—

—

1

Verne

—

4

1

—

—

Wakefield

3

—

2

1

2

Wandsworth

4

5

10

1

—

Warren Hill

1

—

3

1

1

Wayland

5

3

2

1

5

Wealstun

1

—

—

—

—

Weare

3

2

1

—

—

Wellingborough

1

—

5

2

—

Werrington

9

3

6

1

1

Wetherby

6

7

10

1

4

Whatton

—

—

—

—

—

Whitemoor

1

1

2

1

2

Winchester

2

5

4

1

1

Wolds

1

—

—

—

—

Woodhill

1

—

3

—

—

Wormwood Scrubs

7

3

6

3

4

Wymott

—

—

1

1

1

Total

284

279

340

297

312

(1) The 2007 figures do not include the three prisons (Albany, Camphill and Parkhurst where the incident recording has transferred to the NOMIS system.
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