CSC prison safety
Kevan describes a system where danger was allowed to grow inside the Close Supervision Centre
In this 2018 account, Kevan connects violence, racism, prison transfers and isolation inside the CSC. His point is not abstract. He says the conditions and decisions around high-control units created danger for prisoners who were already locked into extreme restriction.
Kevan's account
The warning at the centre of the post
For many years the prison service has been deliberately provoking tensions between racist prisoners and Ethnic Minorities in a divide and rule policy decision. This has been most evident within the Close Supervision Centre (CSC) system where prisoners are most oppressed making them susceptible to manipulation by their captors, or too desperate to consider their actions. The recent murder at HMP Woodhill is a major example of this; a known severely mentally ill racist extremist locked in a cage with three others who he had wound up so much that they had openly voiced intent to kill him.
Sequence described
Violence, transfers and repeated exposure to risk
The post sets out a grim pattern. Kevan describes serious violence at Woodhill, movement through CSC units, racist organising, conflict at Manchester, then a further placement at Full Sutton where another ethnic-minority prisoner was exposed to danger.
- WoodhillKevan describes exercise-cage violence and the attack on Lee Newell.
- Wakefield and ManchesterHe says the same prisoner later moved through units while openly expressing racist views and causing further conflict.
- Full SuttonThe account says Star Hassan then arrived at a more open CSC unit and was attacked after reassurance that there would be no confrontation.
Woodhill and earlier warning signs
Kevan says the warning signs were already visible
This was not the first attack to have occurred in an exercise cage at HMP Woodhill. The one before this, however, was not racially motivated. The culprit had become so desperate for a transfer that he acted on prison officers instructions to take out his rage on a prisoner they did not like. Douglas "Gary" Vinter attempted to murder Lee Newell towards the close of 2014, leaving him with permanent brain damage and disabled from the vicious attack from behind, which took place in full view of officers.
Once on the floor the real damage was done as Vinter repeatedly kicked and stamped on the head of his defenceless victim while shouting to the officer onlookers "I've done it now get me out of here!". What happened next came as no surprise to those of us within the CSC. Once transferred to the CSC's exceptional risk unit where prisoners have no possibility of mixing Vinter became vocal concerning his racist opinions openly declaring them for all to hear in ranting outbursts from his cell window. He became a founding member of a fascist gang calling themselves "Death Before Dishonour" (DBD), along with pals like Russell Oliver and gang boss Clifton 'Yankee' Jeter. With his position now public and after national newspapers picked up the story, Vinter was moved from the Exceptional Risk Unit in HMP Wakefield after just eighteen months there following his attack on Lee Newell. This was sounding alarm bells for anyone with half a brain on the CSC especially since new DBD recruits Jason Gamez and Matthew Tinsley came from Wakefield to Woodhill CSC where they had followed gang orders by attempting to murder Charlie Storey in a hate attack. Vinter made it to HMP Manchester's 'Specialist Intervention Unit (SIU) a part of the CSC system where up to six prisoners can mix at any one time. Within weeks he caused conflict, a serious incident occurred and he did not give up once officers arrived, so had to be beaten with batons and tackled to the ground causing him to drop his weapons.
Full Sutton and Star Hassan
A placement Kevan presents as avoidable danger
Back to Wakefield, but only temporarily this time breaking his own record so that in less than six weeks since his violence at Manchester a move to the most progressive unit was on the cards. HMP Full Sutton has a CSC Unit which allows a maximum of ten prisoners to mix within the restricted environment and so is used as the last step before a rare removal from the CSC occurs. This natural life sentenced prisoner who has a history of assaulting prisoners in every location he has been in since he began serving time for the brutal sexually motivated murder of his ex-wife and a leading member of DBD was somehow deemed more deserving of a place than forty five other CSC prisoners with less violent histories. Shortly after his arrival an ethnic minority prisoner and Muslim named Star Hassan followed him there. Not wanting conflict Star approached Vinter who reassured him that he was a changed man who did not want any confrontation, gave apologies for his previous behaviour and initiated a hand shake. The next day Vinter and Star were locked in an exercise cage without any officers, just as had happened with Lee Newell. At some point an officer called Star to the gate to speak to a nurse thus leaving Vinter with the opportunity he had been waiting for.
Kevan's conclusion
He says the pattern cannot be dismissed as simple incompetence
Too scared to fight Vinter had again got behind his victim but this time all did not go to plan. Vinter called out "What's that, health care here for Star? Good, because he is going to need them." He then screamed "Death Before Dishonour!" as he charged punching Star as he spoke to the nurse. The impact caused Star's head to bounce off the metal gate of the cage but he was able to dodge the second punch receiving only a glancing blow. Star managed to grab hold of Vinter but it wasn't until he slammed him to the ground and looked to be in a position to retaliate that officers entered the cage. Star stood up not wanting to be pounced on by the uniformed gang leaving Vinter curled up in the fetal position calling for help. When he realised that Star had backed off Vinter put on a show of violent gestures and started calling out racist threats while officers separated the two. Due to this latest attack, regardless of the outcome Vinter has been transferred to HMP Whitemoor and held in isolation. A previous victim, Lee Newell is also detained there. It has been claimed that Vinter is to return once more to HMP Wakefield, although there is no guarantee how long for and looking at the past pattern it would not be long before he caused further violence. With this knowledge it cannot come down to total incompetence that, again and again, these incident are facilitated by the decision-making of the CSC Management Committee, it surely can only be from a calculated policy. It is because of cowards like this that it is difficult to argue against the existence of the CSC, however, if the protection of isolation did not follow these acts then it is unlikely they would take place. As things stand it is only a matter of time until the next report of such violence occurs. Maybe, if known racist extremists were not allowed to repeatedly mix with ethnic minorities the frequency of such attacks would reduce. This, however, would take some logical, professional thinking by those responsible for stirring up the conflict in the first place.
Why it matters
For Kevan, prison safety is part of the justice fight
Kevan is fighting a wrongful conviction from inside a prison system he says has repeatedly endangered him and others. This post matters because it gives the reader a concrete account of how CSC decisions can shape risk: who is moved, who is mixed, who is isolated and who is protected after violence.
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