Émeute dans une prison britannique - nuit du 31 décembre au 1er janvier

Une émeute a éclaté durant la nuit de la Saint-Sylvestre dans la prison de Ford, dans le Sussex, en Angleterre, relate samedi le Telegraph. Les prisonniers ont brisé des vitres et déclenché des incendies, initiant une véritable émeute qui a contraint les gardiens à évacuer les lieux.

Ford est une prison dite ouverte, certes entourée d'une clôture, mais sans barreaux aux fenêtres, destinée aux prisonniers non-violents et dont la peine arrive à son terme. 

Leur presse (Europe1.fr), 1er janvier 2011.

Grande-Bretagne : incidents dans une prison

Les forces de police et les pompiers venus en renfort tentaient de maîtriser la situation samedi à la mi-journée dans une prison du sud-est de l'Angleterre où 40 détenus ont mis le feu au nouvel an. Plusieurs bâtiments de cette prison «ouverte» destinée aux détenus condamnés à de courtes peines ou en voie de réinsertion étaient encore la proie des flammes à la mi-journée. Les troubles ont démarré vers minuit, avec les détenus brisant des vitres, activant les sonnettes d'alarme et mettant le feu à des bâtiments, selon le ministère de la justice britannique.

Le personnel a dû faire appel à des renforts pour tenter de reprendre en main les émeutiers de cette prison proche d'Arundel (West Sussex).

Les pompiers ont également été appelés sur les lieux. L'incident n'a pas fait de blessé à ce stade, selon le ministère.

Les violences auraient démarré après un refus des prisonniers de se soumettre à des tests d'alcoolémie, selon Mark Freeman, vice-secrétaire général de l'association des personnels de la prison. De grandes quantités d'alcool circuleraient de longue date dans la prison, selon lui.

Un porte-parole de la prison a précisé que 140 policiers supplémentaires sont arrivés en renfort et qu'une des deux ailes en proie aux troubles était de nouveau «sous contrôle à 10H40» GMT.

Des violences avaient éclaté en novembre dernier dans plusieurs prisons britanniques, avec notamment trois nuits d'émeutes consécutives dans la section des jeunes adultes (18-21 ans) de la centrale de Moorland (nord-est de l'Angleterre).

Leur presse (Agence Faut Payer), 1er janvier.

New Year's riot at Ford Open Prison

Prisoners set fire to their cells, smashed up furniture and broke windows during a New Year's riot at an open prison in Sussex.

Prison warders were forced to abandon HMP Ford as inmates went on the rampage.

Police and firefighters were called to the Category D men's prison, near Arundel, in West Sussex, as the disturbance continued.

The violence broke out around midnight with around 40 prisoners smashing windows and setting off fire alarms.

Trouble intensified as fires were started in parts of the building, forcing prison staff to retreat.

It was not immediately clear what sparked the disturbance, but there was speculation it flared during New Year's Eve celebrations, as staff tried to return the prisoners to their cells.

There were no initial reports of injuries to staff or prison warders.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “At around 12am about 40 prisoners began smashing windows and setting off fire alarms at the establishment and set one building alight.

“Prison staff were forced to retreat and police and the fire brigade have been called. Specialist teams of prison officers have been called in to deal with the incident.

“We have no reports of any injuries to staff or prisoners at this stage.”

A Prison Service spokesman confirmed that fires had been started in a small number of buildings at the site.

The prison specialises in housing non-violent offenders with a low risk of absconding, who are nearing the end of their sentences.

It has been criticised for its lax security, especially after it was revealed that 70 people, including three murderers serving the last three years of their sentences absconded in 2006 alone.

In March 2009, the prison's Independent Monitoring Board issued a report criticising staffing shortages and outdated CCTV security system after it was found burglars had broken into the prison to steal equipment from workshops.

The report also found that drugs, alcohol and mobile phones were being smuggled into the prison for inmates.

Two months later, an inspection report from Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons found that inmates were leaving the prison complex at night to buy alcohol. Inspectors described the prison as being “awash with alcohol”.

Ford was until recently known as a favoured location for the placement of high-profile and celebrity prisoners.

In 1996 Lord Brocket, who was jailed for five years for a £4.5m classic car insurance fraud, was transferred to Ford following an incident in which he was stabbed in a semi-secure prison in Bedfordshire.

Other notable inmates have included George Best — who played for the prison's football team during his Christmas incarceration in 1984; Darius Guppy, who was jailed in February 1993 for staging a faked jewel robbery and claiming £1.8 million from the insurers; and Learco Chindamo, who murdered the London headmaster Philip Lawrence outside his school in December 1995.

Three of the “Guinness Four” — Ernest Saunders, Anthony Parnes and Gerald Ronson — also served time there. 

Leur presse (Patrick Sawer,
The Telegraph), 1er janvier.