Decisive Leadership - Part 1

In this series of articles I intend to look at decisive leadership and defensible decision making in various organisations and situations, but as a first reference point I will be focusing on a model used in HMPPS and developed as part of managing serious incidents.

The Strangeways riot, one of the longest and most destructive prison disturbances in British history, lasted 25 days.  A key factor in its escalation was a reluctance to make critical decisions early on.  The fear of repercussions and the complexity of the situation led to hesitation, which allowed the situation to spiral out of control.  This event, and the fallout that followed, had a lasting impact on the way the prison service manages critical incidents and the process in place to ensure decisive leadership and defensible decision making remains in place.

The lessons learned from Strangeways, along with the commissioned Woolf Report (1991) into Strangeways and the subsequent wider prison disturbances that took place, helped to shape a new way of managing critical incidents and the development of a decision making model that would guide the services response to incidents moving forward.

I will be looking at each element of this model in more detail over the coming weeks.  The first is Gather Information and Intelligence. 

1.           Gather Information and Intelligence

Lessons from the Strangeways Riot

The Strangeways prison riot which took place on Sunday 1 April 1990 stands as one of the most significant incidents in the history of the British prison system.  The gathering of intelligence and information leading up to the disturbance raises important questions about how small pieces of data, when properly utilised, could prevent large-scale unrest.

Pre-Disturbance Information Gaps

One of the key issues before the riot was a lack of actionable intelligence.  Reports suggest that various small signs of prisoner frustration were overlooked or dismissed by staff at all levels.  Complaints regarding lack of regime, overcrowding, poor living conditions, and unfair treatment were frequent.  However, rather than investigating these grievances or perceiving them as precursors to larger problems, prison staff categorised them as routine prisoner complaints.  This minor yet significant failure to gather and interpret information contributed to an escalation of tensions.

Furthermore, prisoner communications and behaviour, which could have indicated growing unrest, were ignored.  There were whispers and minor actions that might have hinted at an impending situation, yet these were not seen as a serious threat.  This failure to gather this seemingly inconsequential intelligence and understand the prisoners collective unhappiness was a contributing factor to the disturbances explosion. 

Improper Channels of Information Sharing

Intelligence was not efficiently shared between different levels of the prison hierarchy.  Staff on the ground level, including officers who interacted with prisoners daily, were in a position to notice rising tensions. Yet, their observations were either not communicated to the decision makers or were not considered significant enough to warrant action.

Proactive Information Gathering

The Woolf Report, which reviewed the events leading up to the riot, highlights the importance of proactive intelligence gathering.  Had prison staff engaged in more robust intelligence gathering strategies, such as encouraging prisoners to share concerns in an organised manner or implementing regular feedback systems, they might have identified the root causes of discontent earlier.  Small details such as shifts in prisoner group dynamics, changes in behaviour, and subtle forms of protest can provide valuable information, but only if noticed and acted upon.

Conclusion

The failure to gather sufficient intelligence and interpret small yet vital pieces of information created a blind spot for prison management.  Lessons from the Strangeways riot demonstrate that even seemingly inconsequential data can be critical.  Ensuring effective communication between frontline staff and decision makers is essential in preventing future unrest. This is as true for this incident as it is for businesses and organisations across the globe.

What’s next:

The next article will focus on Assessing Risk and Developing a Working Strategy using the Strangeways disturbance as a reference point. I welcome feedback, comments, and engagement from those interested in exploring this subject further with me.  Please feel free share with your connections as im keen to generate as wide a discussion as possible.

Working with me:

Please contact me if you would like to discuss how these principles can be applied in your organisation and how to make these alive within your leadership teams.

References

Prison Reform Trust.  The WOOLF report - a summary of the main findings and recommendations of the inquiry into prison disturbances (1991).  

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