HMP Wandsworth strikes 40 inmates out of jail after Daniel Khalife escape

Around 40 inmates have been moved out of HMP Wandsworth to different services after the escape and recapture of ex-soldier and suspected terrorist Daniel Khalife.

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk was requested by the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg if he might verify whether or not quite a lot of prisoners had been moved following the escape. He agreed, telling her: “Approximately.”

He mentioned: “It is all operational, so there is probably not much more I can usefully add at this stage because it is a matter for HMP PPS [HM Prison and Probation Service].”

In the identical interview, the Tory Justice Minister has appeared to degree blame for Daniel Khalife’s escape on HMP employees working at Wandsworth.

Chalk mentioned safety protocols had been in place when Mr Khalife made his audacious escape, and there have been an satisfactory variety of employees.

While saying he didn’t wish to prejudice the forthcoming inquiry, Mr Chalk left Ms Kuenssberg beneath the impression he was blaming human error for the safety blunder.

Mr Chalk mentioned it’s now clear that related safety protocols have been in place, together with the headcount that should be made after items are unloaded from a lorry, and the searches that should happen to a automobile when it’s within the ‘airlock’.

He additionally mentioned “the relevant security staff were in place”.

Asked if the employees truly adopted the principles regarded searches, Mr Chalk mentioned that’s “the real question”.

“Were the relevant protocols followed to the extend that they should be. And that is precisely what we need this investigation – indeed the independent investigation – to get to the bottom of.”

The Justice Secretary mentioned the tools to look beneath a automobile because it left the jail was in place, and the employees have been additionally in place on the gate.

Asked by Ms Kuenssberg whether or not he was subsequently blaming “human error” for the breakout, Mr Chalk mentioned “it would be quite wrong for me to prejudice the outcome of [the investigation].”

He added that whereas the escape was very critical, breakouts are “very rare and much rarer, incidentally, than 20 years ago”.

Mr Chalk pledged to “got to the bottom” of the circumstances surrounding Khalife’s escape.

The Government is beneath immense strain to show that Mr Khalife’s escape wasn’t right down to insufficient staffing brought on by Tory cuts to the justice funds over the past 13 years.

Charlie Taylor, chief inspector of prisons, has mentioned: “There are too many prisoners in Wandsworth for the amount of staff”.

“This is very concerning because Wandsworth had a previous escape in 2019 as well… Obviously any prisoner getting out of the jail is extremely rare event. But particularly a prisoner who’s accused of a terrorist offence makes it all worse.

“But to some extent, our concerns about Wandsworth over a number of years make it a jail that’s more likely for this sort of thing to happen. Particularly the lack of staffing which has dogged the prison. I think when we last inspected at the end of 2021. They were 30% short of staff.”

The Government will probably be hoping that the unbiased investigation into Mr Khalif’s escape absolves them from these political assaults.