The Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) inspectors said the County Durham facility is “generally safe” in their latest report – just over a month after officers were “doused in hot oil and stabbed”.
Manchester Arena plotter Hashem Abedi, who was behind the attack, targeted staff with boiling oil and homemade weapons in a planned ambush on April 12.
Violent attacks, in that period, were noted to be lower than other prisons by inspectors. The total number of violent incidents in that period was 160 – 101 incidents were prisoner-on-prisoner assaults and 59 being prisoner on staff assaults.
However, one former officer, Claire Lewis, has questioned the level of violence in prisons including Frankland and a level of “appeasement” to avoid conflict that she believes exists.
Claire, 50, said: “In regards to the level of violence, they say that the figures are down and obviously this is the 2023/24 report but since then assaults on officers have increased.
“When you are on a wing for 12 hours a day, you can sense if something is going to happen.
“There has been escalation in assaults since the Frankland attack, and although the report shows they have a great rapport with prisoners, new prisoners who are brought in from other facilities can disrupt the regime.
“This is what the IMB don’t see.”
Claire and a colleague were slashed by killer Kevan Thakrar at HMP Frankland on March 13, 2010, in which she suffered a career-ending injury.
Thakrar – who was 23 at the time – was serving a life sentence for a triple murder and had barricaded himself inside his cell for nearly 24 hours before the attack.
As Claire and Craig Wylde prepared to open his door, Thakrar armed himself with the broken end of a 285ml glass bottle of hot pepper sauce he had hidden in his cell.
When the officers turned and ran, Thakrar followed Claire along the prison landing shouting: “I’m going to kill her” – and resulted in her being stabbed in the back.
Since her attack, Claire has used her story to shed a light on violence towards prison officers but more recently pushing for the use of stab vests at work.
All of this, combined with Claire’s petition that has gained over 32,000 signatures for stab vests, has led her to wonder whether the prison is “generally safe”.
She said: “The report itself does paint Frankland in a good light. It is a very good prison. But, I think there is too much appeasement.
“Generally safe? They are going to say that because they haven’t been in situations where they are dealing with confrontations.
“They have brought the report out, but I think there should be a mention of the ongoing situation.
“By putting this report out and praising Frankland is a bit of a hard pill to swallow – because is it ‘generally safe’ when this attack has just happened?”
City of Durham MP Mary Kelly Foy, has previously joined Claire’s calls – urging them to move quickly in considering the routine issuing of stab-proof vests across the high-security estate.
Now, following this latest IMB inspection, she has said some findings “should act as a wake up call”.
She told The Northern Echo: “While it is welcome that HMP Frankland has been found to be ‘generally safe’, there are elements of the IMB’s report that should act as a wake up call for the Government and HM Prison Service.
“It’s clear that there needs to be investment in the estate, with the report highlighting issues with leaks, and regular problems occurring with heating and equipment in the kitchen.
“Even more concerning is the increased prevalence of illicit substances in the prison, the growth in the number of drones seen over the prison and a steady increase in violent incidents in the prison.
“It is clear that swift action is needed to invest in the appropriate technology, prison staff and staff safety equipment to ensure that HMP Frankland, and other high security prisons, remain as safe as possible for staff and prisoners.
“I will be writing to the Prisons Minister highlighting the urgent need to support our prison officers, and for investment into the prison estate.”
Mark Fairhurst, national chairman of the Prison Officers’ Association (POA), reacted to the report.
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He said he recognised the “difficulties” the prison faces and praised the staff’s resilience.
He told The Northern Echo: “I would not class a prison as generally safe if there are more than one staff assault each week as highlighted in this report.
“Despite the difficulties staff face it is clear they are performing commendably to keep the public safe from some of the most violent and dangerous individuals in the system.”
