Reform UK's new prisons tsar backs US-style ‘Supermax’ jails as Britain's 'very dangerous’ inmates will 'never change'
The UK needs US-style ‘Supermax’ prisons as the ‘very dangerous’ inmates in Britain’s jails 'are never going to change', Reform UK's new justice advisor has told LBC.
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Speaking to LBC's Henry Riley hours after her new role was unveiled, Vanessa Frake said there is "no reason why part of the high security (estate) could not be converted to Supermax".
She added: "We have very dangerous prisoners within our prison system at the moment going back to the London bombings.
"These prisoners have ideals that they are never going to change. No amount of rehab will ever change their ideals."
In the US, Supermax prisons see inmates spend most of the day confined to single cells with facilities made of poured, reinforced concrete to deter self-harm.
They are under 24-hour supervision with high staff–inmate ratios, while the cells are built with poured, reinforced concrete to prevent self-harm.
A string of assaults on prison officials have prompted calls for the Government to consider the US' 'Supermax-style' jails for the country's most violent and dangerous criminals.
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“For me the most important thing is the protection of our staff and the appeasement that has gone on over the last few years,” Ms Frake said.
She added: “Someone had to write off that it was acceptable for somebody who blew 20-odd people into smithereens at the Manchester Arena ... to cook their own food.
“There are Cat C prisoners who haven’t murdered anybody who would love to do that. To my mind something has gone wrong there.
“I am not saying it is going to be cheap because you need more staff…. We had ten and a half thousand assaults up until September last year.
“I don't think we can dilly-dally now, until one day, God forbid, a member of prison staff is murdered.”
It comes after a string of attacks on prison officials.
In June, a prison governor has suffered a fractured skull after having his head bashed in by an inmate at HMP Ranby in Retford, Nottinghamshire.
Mark Fairhurst, National Chair of the Prison Officers’ Association, previously told LBC prison officers are in potential danger whenever they are on the job.
He spoke to LBC News' Charlotte Lynch, after an officer was stabbed in May by an inmate at HMP Long Lartin prison in Worcestershire.
Mr Fairhurst said: "It is extremely sad news and it just highlights how dangerous our job is.
"Every single shift we face this type of risk and we need protections in place and we need severe punishments for offenders who commit these atrocious crimes."
He suggested that officers should be provided with stab-proof vests, but added that more needs to be done to both help protect officers and prevent weapons from getting in the hands of inmates.