PR 296: POA WELCOME COURT RULING ON PAVA SPRAY IN YCS ESTATE

Today a Ruling was published which retains the use of PAVA incapacitant spray within the Youth Custody Prisons in England and Wales.

The Howard League for penal reform went to Court to challenge a decision announced by the former Secretary of State for Justice, Shabana Mahmood, to authorise the use of PAVA spray in three Prisons in England, Feltham A, Werrington and Wetherby.

YCS Prisons have witnessed unprecedented levels of violence and since succeeding in a campaign by the POA to issue PAVA to staff in the YCS Estate a Judicial Review by the Howard League failed in all its arguments and the case was dismissed.

The Judgement concluded that;

“The nature of this violence presents a high risk of life-changing injury and trauma for staff and the young people in custody experiencing this violence”.

 

Mark Fairhurst National Chair of the POA stated;

“This Judgement is a victory for staff, for prisoner safety and for common sense. The people who wish to remove any form of protection from staff who deal with the most violent cohort of incarcerated prisoners should hang their heads in shame. 

They will never have the courage to don the King's uniform and tackle the extreme levels of violence my members face on a daily basis. Age is no excuse for violent behaviour. The nature of this violence presents a high risk of life-changing injury and trauma for staff and the young people in custody experiencing this violence. The POA commends the judiciary for this Ruling”.

 

Steve Gillan General Secretary of the POA stated:

“The POA have campaigned long and hard on this issue on behalf of our members and the safety of young people and I recognise that there are some groups who are opposed to the usage of PAVA who brought a legal challenge which ultimately failed. I am pleased that the Labour Government have listened to the POA and the Court has now dismissed the legal challenge.  This is a victory for common sense that may assist our members in keeping order in our establishments and also keeping young people safe from violent attacks”. 

 

 

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For further information, contact:

POA Press Office                                                020 8803 0255 Option 7