Up to 20 prison officers were injured in a series of attacks by inmates at Feltham young offenders institution (YOI) over the weekend, it has emerged.
According to the BBC, 13 members of staff were rushed to hospital following the outbreak of violence at the west London prison, which can hold up to 540 young offenders.
One officer “suffered a broken nose and another was concussed after being repeatedly punched”, says the broadcaster.
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The Guardian reports that Feltham YOI is made up of two parts - “Feltham A, which holds 15 to 18-year-olds, and Feltham B, which holds young adults aged 18 to 21”. It is unclear in which unit the rioting occurred.
The ringleaders will reportedly face adjudication hearings over the next few days and could face prosecution by police, says The Daily Telegraph.
The chair of the Prison Officers’ Association, Mark Fairhurst, said that the organisation would “support staff and push for prosecutions”.
Calling the assaults “completely unacceptable”, a Prison Service spokesperson added: “We will never tolerate violence against our staff and will push for the strongest possible punishment, which could lead to them spending more time behind bars.”
Feltham YOI was long viewed as unsafe, with high levels of violence fuelled by postcode rivalries between gang members.
However, prison inspectors last year found that disicipline had improved “quite dramatically”, following the introduction of new measures “that included the teenagers being rewarded for good behaviour - including being given sweets and chocolate”, reports the London Evening Standard.
