HMP Full Sutton was built in 1987 and is one of the five dedicated men’s high security prisons for England and Wales which hold only Category A and B prisoners. The others are Wakefield, Long Lartin, Frankland and Whitemoor. Three other prisons (Belmarsh, Woodhill and Manchester) serve a number of different functions as well as holding prisoners in the higher security categories.
Life in any of these establishments is harsh, and that within the segregation unit or punishment block harsher still. FRFI first reported in detail on abuses in the Full Sutton segregation unit in 1994 when we supported prisoners who had compiled a dossier chronicling ‘attempted suicides, a series of serious assaults and a general regime of continuous petty harassment and negligence’ (FRFI 121 October/November 1994), by helping stage a solidarity demonstration at the prison.
Twenty-five years later there has been no improvement in the situation. Recently we have published on our website two long accounts* of current conditions in the Full Sutton segregation unit sent to us by prisoner George Black. In them, George describes in detail a catalogue of horrific scenarios, commenting that ‘More worrying is the dawning realisation that every person in this seg unit, inmates and staff alike, is being seriously desensitised to the daily ravages of war… and are now so deeply entrenched that they are just accepted and expected and anything less than an inferno hardly gets any attention or even raises an eyebrow in response.’
Lack of health care
George has also told us about problems in relation to prison health care – which since 2016, has been provided by private company Spectrum Community Health (SPC) – and has asked us to publish his request for any prisoners who have had complaints or bad experiences with SPC at HMP Full Sutton, or any other prison where SPC is the health provider, to contact his solicitor: Jeremy Bingham, Kesar and Co, Market Square, Bromley BR1 1NA.
In particular they are looking for examples of:
- Unsatisfactory responses to complaints about health care or treatment.
- False allegations and entries being added to the medical files of prisoners who have complained.
- Negligent treatment, such as medication going missing, repeat prescriptions not being issued or medically confidential conversations being listened into by non-medical staff.
- Medical treatment being withdrawn on non-medical grounds as a punishment or for reasons unrelated to health care, such as failing a drug test, being on Basic regime or arguing with staff.
- Having appointments cancelled and not being informed, or being blamed for missing appointments when you were not at fault, for reasons such as prison lock downs, visits or not being notified.
- Any complaints about mental health treatment, lack of Mental Health In-Reach Services Team or related problems.
- Details of any complaints which have been advanced to SPC head office or civil actions taken against SPC.
* See The brutal inside story of Full Sutton prison segregation unit and Abuse and negligence at Full Sutton segregation unit.
FIGHT RACISM! FIGHT IMPERIALISM! 272 October/November 2019
