The use of wearable body cameras has been rolled out amongst police forces across the world and now the Prison Officers’ Association says they want them too. The only problem is, cameras in prison seem to come with a one hundred percent blind spot.
Prisons are already covered by far more CCTV cameras than your average building in the outside world, and if a prisoner ever does anything wrong against a member of staff the footage is there and ready to use on adjudication the very next day. But if a prisoner enters another person’s cell to wreck it, to steal something, or even to attack them, then we are invariably given the brush off.
As you no Adam I worked in the library at Wakefied HMP, working in the library it’s self I felt quite safe, officers at the library door one behind the counter, security checks in the corridor ect.,but there were no cctv cameras in the library area itself. An inmate caused serious injury to a high profile prisoner a few days after I had kicked him out of the library for attempting to steal empty cd cases, days later the same man slashed the high profile guys face in badly, that is not a good feeling when you work there knowing that you have already alienated yourself with the perpetrator never knowing if the cd cases were to be used as a weapon or not? it does not not feel good when your having to walk that long walk back into work.. but the room beyond the library where the scrabble and chess Friday morning groups took place is even more secluded and more of a risk than the library..I sat in that room every Friday morning with between 10/15 men, some cat A , no cameras, an officer or maybe two somewhere way up the other end of the corridor, one door spragged open, the other door unlocked..I was equipped with a whistle on the end of a chain with a bunch of keys, the chain was long enough to wrap around my neck if anyone in that room had a mind to do so? giving me no chance to blow the whistle if I ever got in a situation were I thought I was at risk….Don’t get me wrong I never ever once felt at risk in the games room; the men that attended I applaud they were polite, friendly, absolute gentlemen..But on the other hand it could have so quickly gone so badly wrong..
You know, Pam, I never realised staff could feel so at risk. I would like to say one thing though. There are very few prisoners who would actually physically attack a member of staff, even fewer who would do that to civilian staff (as opposed to officers) and hardly any who would do it to a woman. However, there are plenty of prisoners who would fight to protect someone like yourself, me included. I have twice faced adjudications for doing exactly that. I also have no fewer than three friends who have done exactly the same. I know far more who have said they would too, but have fortunately never had to. I know that for you it is academic now since you have moved on, but for those who still work in prisons, please remember that most prisoners are more likely to help than to harm you. Not that the mainstream media would ever admit it.