Prison wardens must be armed with Tasers, stun grenades and ‘baton rounds’ that fire rubber bullets to protect themselves against violent criminals, Conservative MPs have said.
Armouries should also be built in high-security jails, holding lethal weapons as a last resort against violent prisoners, according to proposals to get tough in jails after a spate of attacks.
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick also wants solitary confinement introduced for gang leaders who are radicalising other inmates to tackle Islamist threats in British jails.
Violent prisoners should also have no access to kitchens and appliances, he said.
It comes after a series of attacks in prisons, including Southport killer Axel Rudakubana, who allegedly injured a prison officer with boiling water from a kettle.
The calls follow a Tory-backed review by former prison governor Ian Acheson.
Mr Jenrick said: ‘Islamist gangs and violent prisoners in our jails are out of control. It’s a national security emergency but the government is dithering.
‘If they don’t act soon, there is a very real risk a prison officer is kidnapped or murdered in the line of duty, or that a terrorist attack is directed from inside prison.’
It comes after a series of attacks in prisons, including Southport killer Axel Rudakubana, who allegedly injured a prison officer with boiling water from a kettle
Hashem Abedi, the brother of the Manchester Arena bomber, in Belmarsh Prison also recently attacked a prison officer
Robert Jenrick said there is a ‘very real risk a prison officer is kidnapped or murdered in the line of duty’
He added: ‘We have to stop pussy-footing around Islamist extremists and violent offenders in jails.
‘That means arming specialist prison officer teams with Tasers and stun grenades, as well as giving them access to lethal weapons in exceptional circumstances.’
Mr Acheson said: ‘The threat to officer safety is now intolerable and must be met decisively by the Government.’
A Ministry of Justice source said: ‘The last Government added just 500 cells to our prison estate and left our jails in total crisis.
‘In 14 years, they closed 1,600 cells in the high-security estate, staff assaults soared and experienced officers left in droves. Now the arsonists are pretending to be firefighters.
‘We are building new prisons, with 2,400 new cells opened since we took office.
‘And we take a zero-tolerance approach to violence and extremism inside.’
