Press Releases & Updates 1999

The Commission believes that the existing control and restraint procedures are not appropriate for passive resisters.

Further, the Complaints Commission has recommended that Cornton Vale reviews its practice of removing the normal clothing of prisoners located in the back cells and that clothing designed for suicide prevention is issued only to prisoners identified as being at risk of suicide.

Ms Zelter, who was on remand with four other women at Cornton Vale for disarmament activities at the nuclear weapons bases at Faslane and Coulport, had vowed not to speak, eat or leave her cell on 19th September, the launch day of the fourth Trident submarine bound for Scotland. She had notified staff of her intentions and her action was not designed to disrupt the prison regime in any way. However, in the absence of any other strategies to respond to this passivity, prisons officers applied the traditional control and restraint procedures. Three officers handcuffed and dragged her against her will to another room to be disciplined. Despite the extremes of pain and humiliation which this entailed, Ms Zelter remained passive and was then taken, using the same methods, to a back cell where her clothes were forcibly removed.

In response to her complaint the Commission has concluded that more force was used than was necessary. However, it absolves prison staff from any blame, arguing that they are unaccustomed to passive resistance and were constrained by the limitations of their training.

Although welcoming the recommendation for improved training for staff, Ms Zelter argues that the existing control and restraint procedures are in all cases inappropriate. She said:

"The procedures are based on inflicting pain upon any resister and they belong to a prison ethos founded on intimidation rather than the humane management of vulnerable individuals. Unnecessary force is nothing other than assault. However limited their training is, staff have a duty as citizens to avoid assaulting others. My clothes were removed because staff wanted to continue to intimidate and humiliate me, as they did from the beginning of the incident."

Helene Witcher, who co-ordinated the local support for the women prisoners said:

"Disarmament actions will continue at Faslane and Coulport throughout the year. It is likely that further women will be imprisoned at Cornton Vale as a result. They may be amongst the first prisoners to learn whether the recommendations for new training have been taken forward. If so, it would mean that the humane and peaceful actions of imprisoned nuclear disarmers have begun to have an impact on the quality of life for all prisoners."

Printer friendly version

Home | Top