Dealing with a captive audience
The current UK prison population exceeds 80,000 men and women. Whilst over 85% of the 123 prisons in England and Wales are run by the Prison Service there is an increasing trend in the sector for services to be outsourced to private contractors.
The Ministry of Justice has reported that nearly 14,000 payments have been made to inmates in a twelve month period with the costs of litigation reaching £29m.
Inherently a high risk environment will carry exposure to a range of claims being brought. Our aim is to tackle these claims as robustly as possible whilst appreciating the sensitivities that often surround proceedings.
We have an experienced team who are attuned to the unique circumstances and culture(s) of dealing with prison related claims and can guide you through the intricacies of each case. Typical instructions received include:
- Injury during transportation
- Assaults on prison and custodial staff
- Death or injury whilst in custody
- Abuse
- Inquests
Litigation should always be the last resort and we particularly advocate adoption of a preventative strategy. Training and risk assessments are at the core of this approach.
Public Sector
