Prison Officers in the UK Call for Tasers Following Assault on Guards by Terror Convict Using Hot Oil and Improvised Weapons

Following convicted terrorist Hashem Abedi’s use of hot oil and homemade weapons to attack guards at HMP Frankland, UK prison officials want tasers.

The tactical deployment of electric stun guns is being demanded by prison guards around the United Kingdom as part of urgent appeals for enhanced security measures in the nation’s most dangerous prisons. The demand is made in the wake of convicted terrorist Hashem Abedi’s savage attack at HMP Frankland on Wednesday, just before a crucial meeting with Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood.

Abedi, who was found guilty of his involvement in the 2017 Manchester Arena explosion that claimed 22 lives, used makeshift weapons and burning oil to attack jail guards. The event has raised fresh questions over the security of present security measures and the safety of prison staff. It happened in the kitchen area of an isolation unit at the County Durham institution.

The national chair of the Prison Officers’ Association (POA), Mark Fairhurst, stated that the extended batons and Pava spray that officers now have at their disposal are insufficient to handle the increasing risks that the most dangerous inmates represent.

According to Fairhurst, “my concerns are that we no longer have tactical options when we face life-threatening situations,” she stated in a BBC Breakfast interview. We are left with no other choices if incapacitant spray and extendable batons don’t function as intended. We are advocating for the tactical application of tasers because of this.

In order to neutralize significant threats before they worsen, he underlined the necessity of having tasers on properly trained response teams.
The POA is urging the implementation of American “Supermax”-style regulations for the most violent inmates in addition to tasers and the provision of stab vests to all prison employees. Under such a system, a number of officers would shackle and escort selected high-risk offenders, who would be held in extreme isolation with few privileges and no interaction with other prisoners.

Justice Secretary Mahmood said in a statement that “we must do better to protect our prison officers in the future,” acknowledging the gravity of the situation. In addition to a separate internal inquiry into the suitability of protective body armor for personnel, she announced a comprehensive, independent investigation into the event at HMP Frankland.

Electric stun guns were not mentioned in her speech, though, which raises questions about whether the POA’s main demand is being met.

Access to the culinary sections of the separation center at Frankland, the scene of Abedi’s most recent attack, has subsequently been suspended by the Ministry of Justice. The evaluation will look into whether adjustments are required in Frankland as well as throughout the UK’s High Security Estate.

Hashem Abedi, who assisted his brother Salman in organizing the Manchester Arena bombing, is presently incarcerated for life with a minimum of 55 years. After a violent incident at Belmarsh Prison in 2020, he was relocated to Frankland, but after the most recent attack, he was returned to Belmarsh.

Survivors and relatives of the dead have criticized the episode, questioning how a high-risk prisoner like Abedi was given access to potentially hazardous areas like kitchens to begin with.

Prison employees throughout the UK will be closely monitoring the POA’s preparations for its meeting with the Justice Secretary to see if the government takes decisive action to improve safety in one of the most vulnerable sectors of the criminal justice system.