PPSS Group Appoints Mark Freeman As Global Brand Ambassador

One of PPSS Group’s mission is to significantly improve the personal safety of prison and correctional officers worldwide.

For this reason, we have today appointed Mark Freeman as Global Brand Ambassador. Mark has amassed a huge knowledge of both internal and external security matters from his service in the Royal Marines and The UK Prison Service. He has held senior managerial positions in both the Prison Service and within the Trade Unions.

As a former Control and Restraints instructor and Unit Commander in a riot control unit, he has experienced situations of extreme violence against prison staff and has been an advocate of personal protection equipment for many years.

From his tenure as President of the European Trades Council for Justice, Mark has been at the forefront of the drive towards safer working practices for Prison Staff right across Europe and Globally.  His knowledge and expertise in these fields is undeniable.

For us to effectively help improve the personal safety of prison officers we must first remind ourselves that we cannot change the aggressive behaviour of some prisoners. There is simply no doubt that a prisoner consuming drugs, illegal substances or self-made alcohol can become hostile and violent within a split second, regardless of the prison or correctional officer’s excellent communication skill, calm personality and willingness to empathise with the prisoner.

At the end of the story an officer in such institution can be, and often is, the bearer of bad news. He might be required to inform the prisoner of any disciplinary, restriction of privileges, bad family news, cancellation of visits, or of the news that his/her cell will be searched, all of which can of course create all sorts of physical reactions.

We also need to remind ourselves that prisoners have got plenty of time on hand to develop tools and vicious weapon to carry out acts of aggression.  The ideas to create make shift weapons, e.g. sharpened table and bed frame legs, shanks made out of plastic, shanks made our of porcelain, sharpened wood or pieces of mirror, and the idea of melting razor blades into tooth brushes and turning pens, pencils and nails into ‘spike weapon’ have not been developed out of five minutes of simple boredom.  These ideas have been developed following hours and sometimes days, weeks and months of malicious thought processes, and even the very best prison or correctional officer can one day be on the receiving end of such malicious thought process.

PPSS Group has designed the SlashPRO® Slash Resistant Clothing brand, as well as high performance stab proof vests in order to improve he personal safety of prison and correctional officers.

PPSS Group will soon release an ‘ULTRA COVERT’ model of their globally respected stab resistant vest model.

The following is a video clip featuring our current model: