Type 2 Violence: Prisoner / staff
The role of prison medical staff in this kind of violence will often be restricted to that of providing immediate assistance to injured staff before the patient is moved to an external resource. It is important, however, to bear in mind the need, if consistent with the medical condition of the patient, to protect any evidence which might be useful in subsequent criminal proceedings.
Medical staff should also be aware that the immediate aftermath of such incidents can be fraught occasions, especially if there was more than one prisoner involved in the incident. There is always the possibility of staff seeking revenge on prisoners, or of prisoners engaging in "celebrations". It will commonly be the case that the prisoner(s) thought to be responsible for the attack will have been restrained by other staff and moved to a segregation facility.
In these circumstances, the medical examination required under our first heading will be required and must, of course, be conducted with conspicuous professionalism. Medical factors should determine which patient is first to receive attention in the event of limited resources being available in the immediate aftermath of such an incident.