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Post by Big Lin on Jan 27, 2012 1:19:52 GMT
uk.news.yahoo.com/bullied-prisoners-self-harming-000529850.htmlPrison bullying victims are deliberately self-harming to be transferred out of a jail, inspectors have warned. Inmates at Wealstun prison in West Yorkshire felt unsafe and were often bullied over debts caused by drugs or tobacco, the report said. Chief inspector of prisons Nick Hardwick said there were examples to support the "disturbing perception among prisoners and staff" that inmates were self-harming to try to persuade authorities to move them to another jail. "Staff and prisoners alike described a culture of managing bullying by removing the victim to the segregation unit and, in many cases, subsequent transfer out of the prison," he said. "There was little active engagement with prisoners identified as bullies, and no support available for victims beyond an assertiveness course in the education department." The inspectors found many prisoners felt unsafe. A survey carried out by the prison last February found almost one in four prisoners saw bullying as an issue, with four in five saying the most common reason was drug debts, and three in four citing tobacco debts. One prisoner said parcels of drugs were constantly "coming over the fence". Another added: "One of the worst jails I've been in for getting into debt - for drugs and alcohol, for example." (Click on link for rest of story)
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