Violence in court

Prisoner escort services have come under scrutiny

The attack on an Old Bailey judge has put the spotlight on security within courts.

A review has been launched at the London court after Ann Goddard QC was punched by a man accused of murder, who leapt out of the dock despite being flanked by three Securicor officers.

Malcolm Fowler, chairman of the Law Society's criminal law committee, criticised the shifting of responsibility for guarding prisoners in court from the police and prison service to private contractors.

But the Prison Service defended the prisoner escort service, saying there was no evidence of more escapes or incidents since contractors took over eight years ago.

Escort services ... often don't have enough vehicles and it is more like delivering milk than prisoners

Malcolm Fowler

Mr Fowler said Monday's attack had been "an incident waiting to happen" and argued there was inadequate training of security officers.

"Prison officers and police officers who used to run these exercises have a wealth of experience in dealing with prisoners.," he told BBC News Online.

"Just the sort of thing that happened today would have been less likely to happen had they been in charge.

"We have been saying for some time that the cracks in these contracts were beginning to show."

'Lack of training'

"Escort services are seriously understaffed, under-resourced. They often don't have enough vehicles and it is more like delivering milk than prisoners."

He accepted there was a conflict between increasing security within courts while abiding by prisoners' human rights and ensuring public courts remained public.

"The Law Society would be appalled if security was given priority over common decency," said Mr Fowler.

The private sector took over in 1993

"The key is not to panic and over-react. It is more to do with the training, or rather lack of training and the woeful way the contracts were set up in the first place."

However the Prison Service, which oversees the work of the contractors providing the prisoner escort services, said it had not received any complaint from the Law Society.

It said it would be happy to investigate the matter fully if it was provided with any evidence of a decline in standards.

A spokesman said: "We don't accept that courts are understaffed.

"There are many incidences where more staff than required are provided by contractors.

Penalty powers

"If there are any difficulties we will investigate and have the power to penalise."

Since the new arrangements had been phased in from 1993 there had been a reduction in escapes and incidences.

Figures show the number of escapes from the eight different areas dropped from between 44 per cent and 87 per cent and there was no evidence that the number of incidents had increased.

Staff are trained like never before and are certificated by the Home Office

Group 4

The contractors also defended the service they deliver.

A Securicor spokeswoman said: "The training of our staff is very thorough and is the benchmark used by the Prison Service."

The company was already investigating Monday's incident at the Old Bailey.

Securicor would welcome any improvements in courtroom security such as secure docks and the ability to handcuff prisoners, she said.

'Wide praise'

A spokesman for Group 4 added: "Since private contractors were first introduced in 1993 Group 4 has been widely praised by users across the country to courts, prisons and the police service.

"Staff are trained like never before and are certificated by the Home Office.

"The involvement of Group 4 prisoner custody officers have allowed police and prison officers to return to their normal duties."

A Court Service spokesman said: "Security is an issue taken extremely seriously."

Of the Judge Goddard incident, he said: "There is going to be a full review of security in the light of this."

Issues raised

The escape of two prisoners in an armed raid on Slough Magistrates' Court in Berkshire in August last year raised wider concerns about court security.

A report in May last year by the Magistrates' Courts Inspectorate also raised questions about security, highlighting the lack of communication between agencies involved in the transport and treatment of prisoners.

The Court Service spokesman said that the Lord Chancellor's Department supported the issue of guidance to the Magistrates' Court Committee to prevent violence in courts.

And bids were considered for improved security, such as secure docks.