'Major concerns' about open jails

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk/6265517.stm

Version 0 of 1.

The Prison Officers' Association has called for urgent talks with John Reid about what it calls the "serious problems" in open prisons.

POA general secretary Brian Caton said he was "extremely concerned" at the number of prisoners with violent records being managed in open jails.

Earlier, Mr Caton visited Sudbury Open Prison, where five convicted killers have absconded since October.

The Prison Service said the criminal assessment policy had not changed.

It is clear that the use of drugs and alcohol and recent absconds identify serious failings within the system POA general secretary Brian Caton

"I am appalled to learn of the problems within open and resettlement prisons," Mr Caton said.

"It is clear that the use of drugs and alcohol and recent absconds identify serious failings within the system.

"The procedures for categorising prisoners has changed significantly in recent times resulting in staff having to adopt a 'tick box' procedure which can only result in security breaches and prisoners absconding."

Mr Caton's visit to the Derbyshire category D jail on Monday followed a visit made by the POA national chairman Colin Moses to Ford open prison last week.

Both men have expressed continuing concern over the problems within open prisons in England and Wales, and have now announced intentions to invite local branch committees from open prisons to a forum to discuss these issues.

A Prison Service spokeswoman said: "Absconds are at a 10-year low per head of prison population.

"The POA has not raised their concerns about the categorisation and allocation process with Phil Wheatley, the director general of the prison service."

'Security barriers'

Earlier, POA spokesman Glyn Travis spoke out about claims that prostitutes broke into Sudbury prison, and said security should be tighter.

"There should be security barriers there to prevent that. What we don't want is prostitutes - if that's what they were - or ladies just going in to visit," he told BBC News.

Two convicted murderers Duncan MacNeil, 41, and Paul Michael Neale, 50, were reported missing from Sudbury Open Prison on Wednesday.

On the previous Sunday, Gary Smith, 41, from Liverpool, convicted of manslaughter in 2002, failed to return to the prison after temporary release.

Murderers Jason Croft and Michael Nixon, were thought to have fled to Manchester after disappearing from Sudbury more than two months ago.

They were jailed for life in 1996 for two separate murders.