999 calls to jail total 128 in a year
Police were called out to a jail which serves Shropshire more than 120 times in the 12 months leading up to a riot at the prison, it was revealed today.
Emergency calls were made to the police from HMP Oakwood in Featherstone, near the Shropshire border, with complaints including rape, fire, drugs and fraud. In total 128 calls made from the £150 million prison to Staffordshire Police. On January 6 around 40 prisoners in D wing rioted at the site with claims prisoners used pool tables to barricade the wing.
Staffordshire Police are still investigating the disorder at the prison, which is run privately by G4S.
The figures were obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request which also reveals that 76 calls were made by HMP Featherstone and 43 from HMYOI Brinsford.
A G4S spokeswoman said: "The number of occasions on which police were called out is what we would expect for a prison of Oakwood's size. We have made significant investment in measures to keep drugs and other contraband out of prison and we have a zero tolerance policy."