A “serious disturbance” has been reported at HMP Oakwood Prison on Sunday night Featherstone, Wolverhampton in Staffordshire, England.
But a A G4S spokesperson said in a statement that “The situation is contained and we are applying standard procedures to manage the incident.”
“It would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage,” the spokesperson added.
Mark White of Sky News reported that “It may still be going on in the wing. But as far as the wider prison is concerned, the disorder has been contained to that wing.”
Zoe Williams, a writer in London, noted via Twitter about G4S: “They have always been very secretive, website has no information, journalists not allowed anywhere near, family.”
The news comes just days after a report by the chief inspector of prisons condemned HMP Oakwood, saying that inmates there find it easier to get hold of illicit drugs than soap.
Sadiq Khan, the shadow justice secretary, recently railed against the privately-run prisons in the wake of the report, accusing Justice Secretary Chris Grayling of a “catastrophic misjudgment” after Grayling praised HMP Oakwood as his favorite prison, reported the Guardian.
“It’s clearly not working at Oakwood. I can’t remember a week going by without a disturbance, or a damning inspection,” said Khan. “I’ve actually been and seen at first hand the problems in the prison and I came away really worried about conditions for prisoners and staff. As things stand, it’s not delivering what the public should expect of the millions being paid to G4S to run it.”
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