Hundreds of prisoners at HMP The Mount, Hertfordshire, have had screws and cops on the run last night after they rioted, taking over two wings in the prison just a week after another riot at HMP Newell. ‘Tornado’ riot squads were called in to take back control after furious prisoners had been on lockdown for two weeks without being let out their cells at all which is commonly accepted as a form of torture! Some prisoners say the authorities have not let them have showers, change clothes, make phone calls and have only been given cold food through their doors by screws for a fortnight. Other services such as religious services and education/work sessions had also been cancelled for the weeks of isolation.
As a text from someone inside the prison claims ‘we had the screws running scared’ and promising further trouble today. A video online shows the extent of the riot as it took hundreds of riot cops to enter the prison to put down the disorder. Further footage shows prisoners rampaging through the prison wings, smashing barred windows and setting fires in the chaos that erupted about 2am. A woman who said her son is an inmate explains: “My son is at The Mount he has been on 24 hour lock down for weeks.” The riot began when prisoners where finally let out after weeks of isolation, they refused (not surprisingly!) to re enter their cells after the exercise period of two hours, they then took over the two wings by force. Continue reading
