Terror detainees given 'good deal'

Warders in the specialist unit for extremist prisoners at Long Lartin jail said they were given a "lot of stick" by other officers because the detainees were given "too good a deal".

A report by the Chief Inspector of Prisons, Anne Owers, also raised fears that a lack of Arabic-speaking officers could be a security risk because "staff could never be certain what was being discussed between detainees".

The document disclosed that eight Muslim detainees in the unit enjoyed unrestricted access to an inner courtyard for up to nine and a half hours a day.

They had begun growing flowers and vegetables in planters in the courtyard, the report said. They had also negotiated access to Arabic channels on satellite TV, and had access to a gym and pool table.

One staff member told inspectors: "Unit staff get a lot of stick from the rest of the prison for the way detainees are treated. Other staff think they get too good a deal.

"For instance, the low roll (or number of detainees in the unit) and the access to the inner yard. It can make staff on the unit feel isolated from the rest of the prison."

Detainees claimed their mental health was deteriorating due to a number of factors. They complained about healthcare, with one claiming that healthcare staff were "corrupt and used by the prison".

Some reacted badly to the noise of jangling keys at night because it recalled "bad memories" of sleep deprivation torture they claimed they had previously endured, the report added.

The chief inspector said the jail, in Worcestershire, should attempt to recruit Muslim staff or train Arabic speakers, as well as educating officers to understand the "signs and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder".