Buzzfeed News have claimed to have found evidence of widespread corruption within UK prisons, including the high security prison HMP Pentonville.

 

Their accusations, which they claim are based on internal reports, suggest that corrupt prison officers have smuggled guns and ammunition, as well as drugs and mobile phones into several prisons. One prison officer claimed that accusations of corruption against their colleagues were never investigated, despite some officers being accused of helping prisoners to escape.

 

The UK government refused to provide the total number of internal corruption reports. Former prison officers claimed that whenever they raised concerns or reported colleagues, accusations of corruption were not properly investigated, or that officials tasked with investigating allegations were themselves corrupt.

 

https://www.buzzfeed.com/richholmes/the-prison-corruption-cover-up?utm_term=.iyAYMZj2K#.xjVV145xg

 

I doubt the low salaries are helping, but there also seems to be very limited protection for prison guards from threats. At least one of the prison officers who has been convicted claimed that they were being threatened by people outside the prison.

 

Is this level of corruption a surprise for anybody, or is this roughly what you expected?

Surprised about the guns being smuggled in. Everything else is not a surprise for me. There is such low morale among prison officers that I really doubt they are very good at doing their job. 

1 hour ago, qwertyK said:

Surprised about the guns being smuggled in. Everything else is not a surprise for me. There is such low morale among prison officers that I really doubt they are very good at doing their job. 

 

Low pay, poor conditions, little to no public recognition (and lots of people think you're probably taking bribes anyway). It's just sad that it's got to this stage :/

10 minutes ago, sek510i said:

 

Low pay, poor conditions, little to no public recognition (and lots of people think you're probably taking bribes anyway). It's just sad that it's got to this stage :/

 

Worst part is, it's not even limited to the UK.  It's like this in the US as well.  Most people don't even think twice about COs and the sometimes literal shit they have to deal with on a daily basis.  I recently was on a prison documentary binge, and one of the prisons just had one CO for genpop.  One to try and wrangle all the inmates.  That is absurd!

5 hours ago, Kallus Rourke said:

 

Worst part is, it's not even limited to the UK.  It's like this in the US as well.  Most people don't even think twice about COs and the sometimes literal shit they have to deal with on a daily basis.  I recently was on a prison documentary binge, and one of the prisons just had one CO for genpop.  One to try and wrangle all the inmates.  That is absurd!

It's probably why prisoners are violent when they are allowed out of their cells. They've been stuck there for so long, they must have a lot of frustration and energy built up.

 

Also, how are they meant to be rehabilitating people?

4 minutes ago, sek510i said:

It's probably why prisoners are violent when they are allowed out of their cells. They've been stuck there for so long, they must have a lot of frustration and energy built up.

 

Also, how are they meant to be rehabilitating people?

 

A lot of prisons offer various programs that are designed to help the person.  Still, there are some that will not ever change and don't want to.

On 7/31/2017 at 7:04 AM, sek510i said:

 

Is this level of corruption a surprise for anybody, or is this roughly what you expected?

In Russia corrections is probably one of the worst fields to work in. Prison chiefs are gods in their domain, but the rank and file soldiers work in awful conditions for such low pay they almost forced to engage in something on the side to make ends meet. Most wardens know that and demand their cut, so corruption flourishes. Law enforcement is aware of it, of course, but most prisons are far away so they don't care. 

 

Worst thing is that the actual bad guys -- gang leaders, corrupt officials and multimillion thieves -- can buy themselves whatever they want, while regular guys go through hell.

Edited August 6, 20178 yr by Hastings

33 minutes ago, Hastings said:

In Russia corrections is probably one of the worst fields to work in. Prison chiefs are gods in their domain, but the rank and file soldiers work in awful conditions for such low pay they almost forced to engage in something on the side to make ends meet. Most wardens know that and demand their cut, so corruption flourishes. Law enforcement is aware of it, of course, but most prisons are far away so they don't care. 

 

Worst thing is that the actual bad guys -- gang leaders, corrupt officials and multimillion thieves -- can buy themselves whatever they want, while regular guys go through hell.

 

I can't imagine what correction officers in Russia have to deal with, but I can imagine how bad the prison itself would be.  Though, to be fair, I am imagining an old, crappy building, which might not be accurate at all.