Offenders kept in the units will face tougher conditions inspired by supermax prisons in the United States. The move comes after Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi allegedly carried out a “terrorist” attack on prison officers at a maximum security jail with hot cooking oil and makeshift weapons. Mr Lammy said a review into the alleged attack on three prison guards at HMP Frankland in 2025 showed improvements were needed.
Speaking on Tuesday, the Labour stalwart said separation centres, special units inside prisons to house Islamic extremists, would be transformed with a new tiered system.
Separation centres were created in 2017 to isolate extremist offenders from the mainstream prison population.
However, ex-prison officers have said the freedom prisoners receive is at the centre of the issue and the changes fail to address this.
One ex-guard, who worked at several of the UK’s maximum security jails, told the Metro: “Nothing can stop prisoners from making weapons out of toilet brushes and toothbrushes.
“They are already on separation wings, but many of them still have the same freedoms as the regular prison population – just separately.”
He added: “It is usually high risk Islamic extremists who are placed in the separation wings, but it just means they are able to communicate with each other more.
“And the supermax prisons will intensify this because the units will be bigger.”
The former guard, speaking anonymously, said “the whole thing just feels like a vanity move” and called for “stricter conditions” and greater investment in officers.
Abedi denied attacking three prison officers when he appeared at the Old Bailey last year.
Mr Lammy said the Government had accepted all 13 recommendations made in the review into the alleged attack.
He told MPs that “a clear need to transform the way that separation centres are governed and operated” was identified.
Mr Lammy continued: “That is why we will explore all available options to overhaul the system, including at the next spending review, the creation of new tougher supermax-style units for the most violent, disruptive prisoners.
“This will be a tiered system, with movement between tiers only permitted following rigorous new risk assessments.
“We will begin designing this system immediately.”
The announcement was welcomed by the Prison Officers’ Association, which said dedicated supermax facilities will “better protect our members and allow officers to carry out their duties without facing the constant threat posed by these offenders”.
