UK Prison Riot Squads Shrink as Violence Explodes
The UK prison system is in chaos, struggling with a sharp drop in ‘Tornado’ riot officers — the specialised squads that tackle violent outbreaks behind bars. New data reveals a staff crunch coinciding with a worrying surge in prison violence.
Riot Squads Slashed Amid Rising Attacks
Violence in UK prisons has soared by 20% in just one year to September, with more than 25,000 incidents recorded. Shocking figures show assaults on both prisoners and staff are spiralling out of control. For the first time ever, violence in women’s prisons topped that in men’s.
Meanwhile, the number of Tornado officers available has plummeted by nearly 700 since 2018. Despite their vital role — being deployed 13 times last year alone, the most since at least 2018 — their ranks keep shrinking.
Prison SAS Called Out More Than Twice Daily
Adding to the strain, the elite National Tactical Response Group, often dubbed the prison system’s SAS, were scrambled 794 times in 2023. Armed with pepper spray, smoke bombs, and batons, these units responded to crises more than twice a day — a 40% increase on the previous year.
Unions Sound the Alarm
Shadow Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood slammed the government for ignoring the crisis. “There’s a critical shortage of specialist officers to manage riots and dangerous incidents,” she said.
Steve Gillan, head of the Prison Officers Association, warned: “The drop in Tornado volunteers is a wake-up call for everyone. Overcrowding, violence, and lack of resources are pushing the prison service to breaking point.”
Unions argue a minimum of 2,100 Tornado volunteers is needed. But numbers dipped as low as 1,592 in November, barely rising to 1,620 last month.
Government Promises Action, But Pressure Mounts
The Justice Secretary recently announced sweeping moves to release some prisoners up to 60 days early — a desperate bid to ease pressure before riots erupt. Gillan called for an “adult conversation” about incarceration rates and demanded a full royal commission into the justice system’s collapse.
A Prison Service spokesperson vowed to boost Tornado teams and invest in tighter security to protect staff and inmates alike. But with violence rising and specialist officers depleted, the prison service faces an urgent, uphill battle to avoid disaster.
