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26/01/2010
Warden Injured In Jail Disturbance
A Scottish prison warden has been treated for head and facial injuries after being hurt during a disturbance at the country's newest prison.
Around 10 inmates at Addiewell Prison in West Lothian began rioting yesterday evening.
Emergency crews intervened and took the stricken 29-year-old guard to hospital.
His injuries are not thought to be serious. Staff brought the incident under control a short time later.
Trouble reportedly flared when a disgruntled inmate discovered his methadone was to be reduced.
Kalyx, the private company which runs HMP Addiewell for the Scottish Prison Service, said: "We can confirm there was an incident in one of the wings.
"It was brought under control last night. One prison officer was injured."
Two ambulance special operations response teams were dispatched to the scene, and remained in position until early this morning.
Fire service personnel also responded to an emergency call at the prison, and kept watch.
Clive Fairweather, a former chief inspector of prisons in Scotland, told the BBC inmates had possibly exploited low staffing levels, which is common within privately managed jails.
"To make a profit the only place you can cut corners is on staffing," he said.
"Therefore you have the minimum number of staff, you have the minimum amount of training and it's certainly my experience with Kilmarnock that violence and the like was a problem until eventually staffing levels got to a slightly better stage."
HMP Addiewell opened in December 2008 and holds up to 700 prisoners.
(PR/GK)
Around 10 inmates at Addiewell Prison in West Lothian began rioting yesterday evening.
Emergency crews intervened and took the stricken 29-year-old guard to hospital.
His injuries are not thought to be serious. Staff brought the incident under control a short time later.
Trouble reportedly flared when a disgruntled inmate discovered his methadone was to be reduced.
Kalyx, the private company which runs HMP Addiewell for the Scottish Prison Service, said: "We can confirm there was an incident in one of the wings.
"It was brought under control last night. One prison officer was injured."
Two ambulance special operations response teams were dispatched to the scene, and remained in position until early this morning.
Fire service personnel also responded to an emergency call at the prison, and kept watch.
Clive Fairweather, a former chief inspector of prisons in Scotland, told the BBC inmates had possibly exploited low staffing levels, which is common within privately managed jails.
"To make a profit the only place you can cut corners is on staffing," he said.
"Therefore you have the minimum number of staff, you have the minimum amount of training and it's certainly my experience with Kilmarnock that violence and the like was a problem until eventually staffing levels got to a slightly better stage."
HMP Addiewell opened in December 2008 and holds up to 700 prisoners.
(PR/GK)
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