Prison officers in England and Wales could be allowed to use pepper spray to incapacitate children under plans to curb a sharp increase in violence at young offender institutions, the Guardian has learned.
Squirted from a canister, Pava spray, or pelargonic acid vanillylamide, causes searing pain and discomfort in the eyes for about 40 minutes and a burning sensation to skin.
One prison officer said violence in the youth estate was “off the scale”, citing a “mass brawl” at Feltham YOI in west London this month.
The request also revealed that in May 2023, two children were treated for minor burns “after the deployment of pyrotechnics at Werrington YOI [in Staffordshire] on to an exercise yard as part of an emergency intervention”.
Evidence of rising violence in YOIs, which hold boys and young men between the ages of 15 and 21, has emerged in recent reports from the prisons watchdog.
An MoJ spokesperson said: “The number of children in custody has fallen by 77% in the last decade meaning those who are in our care have often committed violent offences and pose a significant challenge to staff working in the youth justice system.
The original article contains 971 words, the summary contains 193 words. Saved 80%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
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Prison officers in England and Wales could be allowed to use pepper spray to incapacitate children under plans to curb a sharp increase in violence at young offender institutions, the Guardian has learned.
Squirted from a canister, Pava spray, or pelargonic acid vanillylamide, causes searing pain and discomfort in the eyes for about 40 minutes and a burning sensation to skin.
One prison officer said violence in the youth estate was “off the scale”, citing a “mass brawl” at Feltham YOI in west London this month.
The request also revealed that in May 2023, two children were treated for minor burns “after the deployment of pyrotechnics at Werrington YOI [in Staffordshire] on to an exercise yard as part of an emergency intervention”.
Evidence of rising violence in YOIs, which hold boys and young men between the ages of 15 and 21, has emerged in recent reports from the prisons watchdog.
An MoJ spokesperson said: “The number of children in custody has fallen by 77% in the last decade meaning those who are in our care have often committed violent offences and pose a significant challenge to staff working in the youth justice system.
The original article contains 971 words, the summary contains 193 words. Saved 80%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!