An armed convict who escaped from an open prison forced a nurse to drive him to a cash machine using a makeshift weapon.
The inmate, who was due to attend a working party at Standford Hill open prison on the Isle of Sheppy in Kent, failed to show up for his duties.
Instead, the offender approached the healthcare worker in a nearby car park, threatening her with what was described as a makeshift weapon. He ordered the nurse to take him to the nearest village where he demanded she withdraw money before fleeing the scene.
The incident took place near Swaleside prison, where the convict confronted the nurse in a car park.
HM Prison Standford Hill in Kent
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Following the incident, the individual was arrested on suspicion of kidnap and robbery, according to senior prison sources.
A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “This prisoner is back behind bars and police are investigating.”
“We take violence against our hard-working staff incredibly seriously and, if found guilty, he will be punished,” the spokesman added.
The incident comes as rules on sending criminals to open jails could be relaxed, with proposals to extend the permitted stay from three to five years before release. Open prisons have lower security measures, allowing inmates to leave during the day for work and education.
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HM Prison Swaleside
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It is estimated that around 60 incidents of absconding from open prisons occur annually.
Between January 2022 and March last year, 143 criminals absconded from the lowest security jails in England and Wales, with additional escapes reported over the Christmas period. Mark Fairhurst, national chairman of the Prison Officers’ Association, warned that relaxing open prison criteria would lead to increased problems.
“The open estate is supposed to be trusted conditions. Putting people with five years left into that world is going to destabilise it even further,” he said.
He added: “We’ve got people refusing to work, people who are high on spice, people who are just walking out – we had absconds over Christmas. You can just walk out, but you can also walk back in with loads of drugs and alcohol on you because there’s no searches.”
An MoJ spokesperson said: “Only less-serious offenders who meet strict criteria are eligible for moves to open conditions.”
“The Prison Service can exclude anyone who can’t be managed safely in a Category D prison,” they added.
The spokesperson emphasised that those who abscond face serious consequences, including being returned to closed conditions and serving an additional two years.
Former Cabinet minister David Gauke, now leading Labour’s sentencing review, has suggested Britain should make greater use of open prisons to tackle overcrowding and reduce reoffending.
