Prison Governor Suffers Skull Fracture in Inmate Attack

A prison governor remains in hospital nearly three weeks after suffering a fractured skull in a violent assault by an inmate at HMP Ranby in Nottinghamshire, highlighting growing concerns over violence in Britain's overcrowded prisons.

The attack occurred on May 16 during a celebratory event held on one of the prison's wings. The incident is considered highly unusual, as it is rare for a governor to be targeted so severely. The governor's injuries were so serious that he has yet to be discharged from hospital.

In the wake of the attack, Tom Wheatley, chair of the Prison Governors' Association, has urged the Government to consider introducing US-style "supermax" regimes for the most dangerous inmates. These high-security units keep prisoners in solitary confinement for most of the day in fortified cells, with limited privileges and constant surveillance.

Wheatley's call comes amid a surge in violence behind bars. Last month, Hashem Abedi, a co-conspirator in the Manchester Arena bombing, attacked three officers at HMP Frankland by dousing them in hot oil and stabbing them with improvised weapons made from baking trays.

Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has since launched a review into the use of separation centres for Islamist extremists and announced that officers staffing these high-risk units in top-security prisons will be issued with stab vests.

However, Wheatley warned that serious violence is not confined to high-security jails. "This attack at a Category C training prison shows that intent to harm staff can be found at all levels of the prison estate," he told The Telegraph. "We need to change the environment to address that intent more effectively."

The Johnson Partnership, Derby