Damning Report On Gartree Reveals Attacks On Prison Officers Have Doubled

A big rise in assaults on Prison Officers and self-harm incidents among prisoners at Gartree is being blamed on ‘damaging’ staff shortages.

Attacks on workers have doubled in the past year – with 53 reported – and self-harm incidents have gone up by 53%, from 283 to 434.

Watchdog – the Independent Monitoring Board – say not enough guards means the 706 inmates are spending too much time locked in their cells because of wing lockdowns – leading to boredom and frustration, resulting in more disorder, self-harm and unpredictable behaviour – also fueled by the availability of psychoactive drug Spice.

Violent incidents increased from 87 to 134.

Its report also raises serious concerns about the high number of prisoners missing healthcare appointments because a lack of staff are available to escort them.

A Prison Service spokesperson said: “Since January this year, HMP Gartree have recruited nearly 40 new staff who are expected to be on the landings by the end of the year.

“More widely across the prison estate, over the last 18 months we have recruited more than 3,000 additional prison officers to help turn offenders’ lives around.

“We are giving prison officers tools like body worn cameras to help improve safety, and are working closely with governors to improve staff retention based on the needs of each individual prison.”