Acacia Prison, Wooroloo, Australia
November 26, 2004 The West Australian
A drug dealer is suing the company that runs WA's only private prison over an injury he sustained while working in the prison workshop. Pasquale "Peter" Mancini has twice been operated on at Hollywood Private Hospital while serving a 10 1/2-year jail term resulting from police operations that netted big amounts of heroin, cocaine and speed. He launched legal proceedings against Australian Integration Management Services this month over the rupturing of his pectoral muscle. His writ alleges he was exposed to danger while working as the leading hand at the Acacia Prison workshop and wasn't given prompt medical treatment, exacerbating the injury. He claims AIMS failed to maintain a safe system of work, required him to lift boards alone, and did not provide mechanical or other assistance.

April 7, 2004
GUARDS at privately run Acacia Prison in Wooroloo remained on strike last night in a stand-off with prison management over the guards' claim of dangerously low numbers of staff and the suspension of a union delegate. About 100 guards on strike claim that Australian Integration Management Services does not put enough staff on each shift to ensure safe working conditions. The union wants at least 32 guards on a shift to supervise about 740 inmates.  Spokesmen for the company did not return phone calls yesterday.  The strike began on Monday when the company suspended a union delegate who had called an Acacia Joint Unions meeting, then escorted from the jail about 40 guards at the meeting and locked them out. Jail guards on the next shift voted not to work.  Community and Public Sector Union branch secretary Toni Walkington said the union wanted the suspended delegate reinstated and an opportunity to discuss staffing and other issues with management. "They just don't appear to be prepared to sit down and discuss in a meaningful way," she said. Before the strike, guards had met at the start of each shift to make sure there were enough staff on it. "Basically, Acacia has paid less than rates payable in public prisons and staffing levels have not met the same standards and we have tried bargaining processes and a whole range of different avenues to meet what are adequate standards, not necessarily the same as public standards, but adequate standards," Ms Walkington said. "We have managed mostly to be able to talk that through but what has become evident is that Acacia need to make savings in their operations.  "Basically, we think that they can't return a profit as a privately operating prison so they're just squeezing their workforce to make the difference between a profitable operation and an operation running at a loss."  The jail was being run by a skeleton staff, mainly of management.  "Without a doubt, the normal activities of the prison cannot occur at the moment so prisoners will have to be spending most of their time locked up in the cells," she said. "There will be no programs addressing issues of why people first offended, no education, their activities, rehabilitation programs won't be happening."  (The West.com)

April 6, 2004
The union representing prison officers at the Acacia Prison east of Perth says workers will continue to press their claim for increased staffing levels.  The Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union says officer numbers at the private prison are simply inadequate.  (ABC.net)

HMP Addiewell, Scotland
February 17, 2010 The Sun
BOSSES at a scandal-hit jail paid cons NOT to riot when tempers flared following a bungle over their phone accounts. Inmates at private Addiewell prison were each given £5 credit to make calls after they threatened to run amok for the second time in a month. Fury erupted when they discovered cash they'd handed over had not been added to accounts they use to phone home. Bosses forked out a total of £3,750 to keep them happy - and recovered the cash when the problem was fixed. An insider said: "We were told the woman who takes cash from prisoners during the day had forgotten to credit it into the system at night. "The cons were going bonkers because they couldn't phone their wives and girlfriends. "They were threatening to riot again - so the bosses called in an IT man. He credited all the accounts with a fiver, so everyone could phone home." Around 100 cons rioted at the nick last month after some were denied heroin substitute methadone. Inmates armed themselves with iron bars and ripped water mains from the walls, flooding a wing and causing thousands of pounds-worth of damage. A warder at the West Lothian nick, which houses around 750 lags, was injured after being battered with a pool cue. One officer described the scenes as "carnage" after inmates trashed furniture and daubed the walls with graffiti. Last night a spokesman for operator Kalyx confirmed lags were given the "temporary" phone credit. They said: "It was taken back once the glitch had been resolved."

February 16, 2010 The Scotsman
A SHERIFF has raised concerns about the "inexperience" of staff at the privately-run Addiewell Prison over an inmate's suicide just weeks after the jail opened. Richard Crompton was serving a five-year sentence for drug offences at the controversial West Lothian prison when he was discovered hanging in his cell. The 41-year-old Livingston man had been assessed on his arrival at jail by a staff member with just one hour's mental health training. His death sparked a fatal accident inquiry to determine whether the prison, run by private company Kalyx, was at fault. Sheriff Mhari Mactaggart concluded there was "nothing to suggest" that the level of training given to Kalyx staff contributed to the death, and ruled that "no reasonable precautions" could have prevented him from taking his life. But she highlighted concerns that the recruitment of "inexperienced staff may have been part of the ethos of Kalyx". And she said many lacked any previous experience of working with inmates. It comes after the West Lothian jail – dubbed "Hotel Addiewell" because prisoners enjoy en-suite facilities and flat-screen TVs – hit the headlines last month after reports of rioting by up to 100 inmates left two guards injured. Since opening in 2008, the jail has been at the centre of repeated reports of violence and high levels of drug abuse among prisoners, leading to concerns over staffing levels. Sheriff Mactaggart said Kalyx had accepted the need to roll out extra training for staff in dealing with prisoners' mental health issues following the suicide. Drugs courier Crompton, who was jailed in October 2008 after police caught him with £320,000 of cocaine, was found dead in his cell on 19 January last year. He had been transferred to the jail ten days before, having previously been an inmate in Barlinnie where he had also been assessed as "no apparent risk". In a report following the fatal accident inquiry, Sheriff Mactaggart said: "There was clear evidence at the inquiry that the majority of staff recruited by Kaylx were inexperienced within the prison service." She added that prison custody officer Emma Dyet, who carried out the risk assessment on Crompton upon his arrival, "expressed concern that she had only received one hour of mental health training" as part of the jail's nine-week training programme. The sheriff wrote that recruiting inexperienced staff "may have been part of the ethos of Kalyx, in an attempt to move away from the old style of prisoner management". But she added that there were "no defects in any system of working" which contributed to the death after reviewing its risk assessment procedures. A Kalyx spokeswoman said: "The report found that there was nothing to suggest that the level of training given to Kalyx staff in any way contributed to the death of Mr Crompton."

February 16, 2010 The Scotsman
TODAY is not the first time that the spotlight has been shone on the quality of staffing at Addiewell Prison. Following recent disturbances at Scotland's second private jail, questions were raised over manning levels and the training standards required of officers who worked there. Today, following the tragic suicide of a young prisoner a sheriff has concluded that staff could have nothing to prevent his death. But she too has expressed concerns that the company that runs the jail appear to have hired inexperienced staff , some of whom have little knowledge of mental health issues. It is to be hoped that Kaylix take heed of this further warning and take steps to remedy the situation.

February 8, 2010 Edinburgh Evening News
TWO inmates at Addiewell prison were taken to hospital yesterday after an outbreak of violence. There were reports that one had been stabbed, and a prison officer had been punched, suffering bruising and a black eye. A police spokesman said: "We were notified yesterday at about 2:15pm to say that two prisoners had been injured and required hospital treatment. The incident had happened at about 11am." Private firm Kalyx, which runs the West Lothian jail, said that it was only aware of one injured prisoner. A spokesman said: "We can confirm an altercation took place at HMP Addiewell. One prisoner has been treated for injuries. The situation was brought under control quickly." The violence comes just two weeks after more than 100 inmates went on the rampage at Addiewell, barricading themselves into wings B and C and attacking a warder with a pool cue, leaving him in need of hospital treatment.

January 28, 2010 Edinburgh Evening News
IT WAS hailed as a jail of the future. But just a year after opening and rocked by a series of controversies, HMP Addiewell has only served to reignite the debate about whether prisons should be privately run at all. The West Lothian jail – dubbed "Hotel Addiewell" because prisoners enjoy en-suite facilities and flat-screen TVs – hit the headlines again this week after reports of rioting by up to 100 inmates left two guards injured. Since opening in 2008, the jail, run by private firm Kalyx, has been at the centre of repeated reports of violence and high levels of drug abuse among prisoners. Today, in the wake of the latest incident, concerns have been raised over whether the problems are a result of low staffing levels. David Melrose, the chairman of the Scottish National Committee of the Prison Officers Association, said the POA were always "saddened and disappointed" to hear that a member of staff has been injured. He added: "It is our opinion that these incidents and assaults are solely attributed to the low levels of staff operating in the private prisons. "We are afraid that these types of incident will continue unless there is a substantial increase to the staff complements in recognition of the dangers associated with the category of prisoners held in custody." The £130 million prison was opened in December 2008 and was hailed as the country's first "learning prison", with 120 computers allowing inmates to take a huge variety of training courses. The en-suite cells ensured there would be no slopping out and gave prisoners privacy to shower, although the inclusion of flat-screen TVs – some with access to satellite sports channels – did raise more than a few eyebrows. Early teething problems included the sacking of 12 staff last January after it emerged they had criminal records and, just a month later, up to 40 prisoners were involved in a three-hour riot. Just five months after opening, the prison emerged as one of the worst in Scotland for violent attacks, with 32 prisoner-on-prisoner assaults and 19 assaults by inmates on staff recorded. In October, rioting broke out again, with the violence this time leading to four members of staff being injured in a five-hour stand-off that saw prisoners attack guards with mop handles. The problems are similar to those encountered in the first few years of operation at Scotland's first private prison, HMP Kilmarnock. Opened in 1999, it suffered numerous riots and concerns about the number of violent attacks among prisoners, the level of drug use and the time inmates spent in their cells. The Chief Inspector of Prisons at the time was Sir Clive Fairweather, who attributed many problems to low levels of inexperienced staff, with 91 per cent of staff initially employed having never worked in a prison before. While he has never visited the West Lothian prison, he agreed that the problems faced at Addiewell were similar to those he saw at HMP Kilmarnock. Sir Clive, pictured left, said: "What you get with private prisons are very good facilities and these are generally far above what you would get in an older prison – things like medical facilities and cells, as well as the security of the prison themselves. So there are benefits. "Unfortunately, private prisons are run to make a profit. Ultimately, the company in charge of them has to deliver for their shareholders and so they have to find ways to make money. "The way to do this is by having fewer staff, paying low wages, investing less money in training and pensions, and this impacts on the running of the prison. "For a prison to run properly, you need the guards and the prisoners to understand each other and work with each other, and that requires experienced guards. "That takes an investment in training and keeping staff, which can be at odds with the need to deliver a profit." HMP Addiewell currently houses 701 low, medium and high-security convicts – it has the capacity to house 796 – and while Kalyx yesterday refused to give details on how many guards are employed, it stated before the prison opened that it would employ 350 staff, including 160 prison officers. The Scottish Government is known to be opposed to private prisons, with justice secretary Kenny MacAskill abandoning plans for a private firm to build and run a £100m jail at Low Moss, near Glasgow, in 2007, saying prisons "are for public safety, not private profit". The Scottish Prisons Service said the contract agreed with Kalyx over the running of HMP Addiewell required it to "run the prison effectively" but that Kalyx ultimately could decide what the level of staffing needed to be. It also said there were financial penalties in place for the company if it failed to comply with the terms of the contract. "In terms of training, all guards are required to be trained to deal effectively with situations such as the one at HMP Addiewell, and we would expect privately-run prisons to give their staff the same level of training," a spokesman said. "The incident at HMP Addiewell was contained by staff, to minimise damage, and was brought under control within five hours, which a lot of professionals within the service would agree suggests it was handled in an extremely professional manner." A Kalyx spokesman said: "The staffing levels at HMP Addiewell are appropriate for the prisoner mix and environment according to a risk assessment of each block. "All prison officers at HMP Addiewell are trained in control and restraint as part of a nine-week programme which they have to complete before starting work. "The Scottish Prison Service monitors and certifies all staff and training for HMP Addiewell and, like all other prisons in Scotland, Kalyx invests heavily in training staff to deal with circumstances such as Monday's incident." A turbulent 13 months 15 December, 2008: HMP Addiewell opens to inmates. The £130 million prison boasts en-suite cells with flat-screen TVs, prompting some criticism about the level of comfort. -- 3 January, 2009: Twelve members of staff are sacked after disclosure checks reveal they have criminal records. -- 10 February, 2009: Up to 40 prisoners are involved in a three-hour riot in the Douglas Hall section on the ground floor. Claims that the riot was sparked by prisoners being denied food are flatly denied. -- 5 May, 2009: Figures show the jail has one of the worst records for violent attacks in Scotland, with 32 prisoner-on-prisoner assaults and 19 assaults by inmates on staff recorded in just five months. -- 12 October, 2009: Four staff are injured after rioting again breaks out at the prison, with inmates claiming the violence was a response to brutality towards inmates. -- 1 December, 2009: The prison is criticised after figures show it has one of the worst records for drug seizures in the country. Over the first 12 months of its operation there were 206 suspected drug finds. -- 25 January, 2010: Violence erupts once more at the prison, with reports that more than 100 inmates barricaded themselves into Douglas B and C wings.

January 26, 2010 Deadline
OFFICIALS have denied reports of a full-scale riot at what has been branded Scotland’s plushest prison. Two prison guards were taken to hospital after inmates went on the rampage at HMP Addiewell in West Lothian at around 7pm on Monday night. But last night it emerged that prison staff lost control even after their riot team charged into the building. Ambulance crews reported that staff lost control of the situation for a second time after their riot team had gone in. They also confirmed that they took a 29-year-old warden to hospital with a cut to the back of his head and a “burst mouth”. A spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance Service said: “We had our first response car at the prison by around 8pm. Riot -- “Our crews reported a 29-year-old male with a cut to the back of the head and a burst mouth, who we transported to St John’s Hospital in Livingston. “The crew advised that there was an ongoing riot and we mobilised our special operations team, which provides care in difficult situations. “By 9.30pm the crew reported that the prison was going into lockdown. “The prison’s own riot team went in at 9.45pm, but it seems that the trouble flared up against at around 11pm. “Our crews stayed on the scene until 1.10am.” It is understood that a second warden was taken to hospital by prison staff later on. However, Kalyx, the firm who run the private jail and Lothian and Borders Police insisted that only a small number of prisoners were involved and said that staff were in control at all times. Damage -- A spokesman for Kalyx, said: “We can confirm that a contained incident, involving a small number of prisoners, took place in one of the wings at HMP Addiewell on the evening of Monday 25th January and was brought under control. “There has been minor damage caused, mainly as a result of burst pipes. “Two prison officers were injured during the incident and were treated at hospital but have now been discharged.” A police spokesman said that around 10 cons had been involved in the disturbance, which saw police on standby outside the prison for around five hours. He said: “Lothian and Borders Police attended at Addiewell Prison last night to assist staff following a disturbance within. The prison staff remained in control of the prison throughout. Violence -- “A prison officer was taken to St John’s hospital for treatment to minor injuries and later discharged. “Enquiries are now ongoing to identify those responsible for this incident.” Kalyx will now have to carry out an investigation into the disturbance at the prison, which has been rocked by violence and riots in the past year. The report will then be reviewed by the Scottish Prison Service, who oversee all of Scotland’s jails. A spokeswoman for the Scottish Prison Service added: “I can confirm that there was an incident which started at 6.45pm on Monday and was concluded before midnight. Mops -- “There is an ongoing police investigation and we cannot comment any further.” HMP Addiewell is a 750-prisoner facility with ensuite cells and flat screen TVs. It opened in December 2008 and has been plagued by problems ever since.

January 26, 2010 BBC
A prison officer was taken to hospital with head and facial injuries after a disturbance broke out at Scotland's newest prison. Emergency services were called to Addiewell Prison in West Lothian after up to 10 prisoners rioted on Monday. The 29-year-old officer was taken to St John's Hospital in Livingston at about 1950 GMT. His injuries are not thought to have been serious. The incident was brought under control a short time later. It is understood the disturbance was sparked by an inmate being told his methadone was to be reduced. A spokesman for private company Kalyx, which manages HMP Addiewell for the Scottish Prison Service, said: "We can confirm there was an incident in one of the wings. "It was brought under control last night. One prison officer was injured." Two ambulance special operations response teams stood by outside the jail from 2030 GMT until 0100 GMT following reports of an ongoing riot in the prison. Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service also waited outside until shortly after midnight after a fire alarm inside the jail was set off at about 1930 GMT. A former chief inspector of prisons in Scotland told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme that he believed some prisoners were taking advantage of lower staffing levels in privately-run jails. Clive Fairweather, who has previously inspected the private prison at Kilmarnock, said they had to make a profit, which can put pressure on staff numbers and training. He added: "The difference between a privately-run prison and the rest of the prison estate is that first and foremost it's innovative and really has cutting-edge systems, but it comes with a bit of a problem which the governor always has to overcome, which is it's got to make a profit. "To make a profit the only place you can cut corners is on staffing. "Therefore you have the minimum number of staff, you have the minimum amount of training and it's certainly my experience with Kilmarnock that violence and the like was a problem until eventually staffing levels got to a slightly better stage." Segregation unit -- Mr Fairweather said prisoners in jails such as Addiewell and Kilmarnock have "never had it so good". But he added: "They didn't want to go anywhere else, but they are taking advantage of the fact there aren't the same staffing levels as there are in other major prisons. "Indeed, were there to be major riots in somewhere like Addiewell or Kilmarnock, I'm pretty certain the riot shields and those to deal with it would actually have to come from the rest of the SPS."

January 22, 2010 The Daily Record
A PRISON officer has been sacked for smuggling in a mobile phone for a killer. Cara Wright was caught after prison bosses were tipped off she was supplying banned items to pal David Allan. The 25-year-old thug - jailed for life for the murder of Scott McNeil - had boasted to other cons what Wright had done. Furious bosses at privately run Addiewell prison near West Calder, West Lothian, searched Allan's cell and found the phone hidden in a drawer. Wright was fired on the spot after she confessed to smuggling it in. Her bosses reported the incident to the police and she could face criminal charges. A source said last night: "The word is Allan was close to her. She was always talking to him and sneaking into his cell. "Smuggling prohibited items into a prison is serious enough in itself but she got caught smuggling a prohibited article for a con, so she was in deep trouble. "The powers made her tell them the name of the con she was smuggling the phone in for. "Cara got her marching orders and David Allan was taken back to the solitary confinement block. "Everyone had been suspicious for a while something shifty was going on between the two of them. "Allan's not too bright and the two of them were talking on Bebo and Allan was posting photos of his shower and flat-screen telly. "Cara did seem a bit naive and, to be honest, it was only a matter of time before some greasy snake got their hooks into her because she was too nice to work in this place. "Allan's turned on the charm and got her running little errands for him. "Now it's lost her her job and could end up with a criminal record." Allan was jailed for life with pal Shaun McGrath, 22, for kicking dad-of-one Scott to death as he walked home from a birthday party in Cambuslang, near Glasgow. The pair were jailed in May 2006 and ordered to serve at least 12 years. Addiewell is run by private firm Kalyx.

January 10, 2010 Sunday Mail
PRISON chiefs have ordered a major probe after a killer was caught drunk with bottles of vodka. John McAvoy, 49, was found paralytic by officers at £65million private jail Addiewell in West Lothinan. Wardens were stunned to discover several empty and full litre bottles of Smirnoff in the canteen where he works. Furious bosses believe they must have been smuggled inside by a staff member. A prison source said: "Litre bottles of spirits aren't the sort of thing you can send in with a letter or hand over at a visit. "He must be having them brought in by someone working at the prison. "McAvoy worked in the canteen preparing food and serving fellow inmates. "His free run of the kitchen allowed him to plank bottles when they were given to him. "When he was caught, staff also found empties which he hadn't been able to get rid of." McAvoy admitted the bottles were his and was sent to the segregation block. He is serving 15 years for murdering trainee maritime engineer Tony Blair, 23, and attempting to murder Veronica Miller, 28. He was found guilty of starting a fire at ex-partner Veronica's home in Airdrie. The pregnant woman had to leap for her life from a first floor window. The 2006 blaze killed her new partner Tony. Since opening 13 months ago, Addiewell has been criticised for pampering inmates. who have en-suite loos and flat-screen TVs. Operators Kalyx said: "Due to the ongoing investigation, we are unable to comment."

January 6, 2010 The Sun
JAIL bosses have been forced to raise an 18ft fence by another 10ft - to stop drugs being hurled into the prison. Troubled Addiewell nick has redesigned its perimeter near the exercise yard, where lags could pick up packages from the outside. Bosses at the West Lothian facility acted after criminals were cashing in by nabbing drugs lobbed over the fence. A source said last night: "It was a major design flaw. "It seemed every time cons went out for exercise a package was hurled over. Addiewell is rife with drugs and this was only making the problem worse for everyone. "Now an extra 10ft has been added to the top of the fence - and you would need to be a champion shot-putter to get anything in." Last year the privately-run jail had one of Scotland's worst records for illegal substance seizures, with 206 suspected finds. The 750-prisoner facility - which has en-suite cells with individual flat screen TVs showing Sky Sports - was also dubbed the country's most violent adult jail. And last February rioting lags went on the rampage because they hadn't been fed for TWO DAYS. A spokesman for Kalyx, which runs the private prison, said: "This is a further enhancement to what is an already secure perimeter."

January 2, 2010 Daily Record
INMATES at Scotland's cushiest jail have turned their cells into DIY saunas. Prisoners at Addiewell are using plastic bags to seal in the steam created by running the showers in their cells' en-suite bathrooms at full blast. The privately run jail has been nicknamed the Addisson - after the swish Radisson hotels. A prison source said: "There are no extractor fans or vents in the toilet area to let the steam escape. "Once the hot water is blasting out the shower all you have to do is sit on the toilet and enjoy the steam opening up your pores. "Some smart guy came up with the idea one night and by the time he had bragged about it the next day to a couple of people, everyone ended up knowing about it and trying it out. "Soon everyone in here will have lovely soft skin and great complexions." Each cell at the jail has its own shower unit and toilet pan - where prisoners sit to enjoy the steam. The loo can be sealed off from the rest of the cell by a frosted perspex door. The plastic bags are used to block up the gap under the toilet door - keeping the steam in. The insider said: "Almost everyone is stripping off and getting into it." Cons then open their cell window to let the steam out. Inmates at the £65million complex also enjoy flatscreen TVs, computers and extra visits from relatives and friends. They were even offered a gift-wrapping service before Christmas. The 750-prisoner prison in West Lothian was recently hailed a success just a year after opening, despite a catalogue of riots, brutal assaults and drug finds. Owners Kalyx were contacted for comment yesterday but did not give a response.

December 15, 2009 Daily Record
INMATES at Scotland's cushiest jail are being offered handmade cards, a gift-wrapping service and cash bonuses this Christmas. Cons at Addiewell Prison will also be treated to selection boxes and a turkey dinner with all the trimmings. And to add to the festive fun, there will be "cash and surprise packs" handed out to winners of games including pool, bingo, quizzes, Monopoly and Scrabble. Over the Christmas period, inmates at the private jail will be allowed to spend £30 a week - double their usual allowance - on tobacco, sweets and other treats in the prison canteen. Every inmate at the 769-place jail, near Livingston, West Lothian, will also get a £5 bonus at Christmas and again at New Year. And there's free tea, coffee, mince pies and treats for visitors. A prison insider said: "Nothing like this has ever been seen before. No one could believe how generous the top brass are being. "In other prisons, you are lucky if you get a bit of turkey roll and a shot on the pool table. "This is to try and keep everyone happy. None of the guards want to see a riot over the coming weeks." A spokeswoman for Kalyx, who run the prison, said: "What we do at Christmas is very similar to other prisons in Scotland. "It can be a difficult time for prisoners' families and we try and make it more pleasant for everyone." Addiewell's cushy facilities have made headlines before. Inmates have en-suite cells, with individual flatscreen TVs, showing Sky Sports. But the luxuries haven't stopped trouble at the jail. In October, a warder needed hospital treatment after he was assaulted by rioting inmates. And in August the Record revealed how drugs were being smuggled into the prison inside dead seagulls which were being lobbed over the wall.

December 1, 2009 The Scotsman
SCOTLAND'S newest jail already has one of the worst records for drugs seizures, new figures have revealed. Addiewell prison in West Lothian, which opened just 12 months ago, has recorded 206 suspected drugs finds since the start of this year. Only Glasgow's Barlinnie jail and Edinburgh's Saughton prison had a higher total. Today, one opposition politician said the failure to stop drugs getting into Addiewell was a missed opportunity to tackle the problem. The figures, revealed in an answer to a parliamentary question from Tory MSP John Lamont, showed suspected drugs finds at Scottish jails total 1,705 so far this year, including 225 at Saughton and 256 at Barlinnie. Mr Lamont said that meant there was now an average of more than one find every five hours. He said: "The figures show the problem of drugs in prison is even blighting our newest prison. "One would have hoped a new prison would have systems in place better able to stop drugs coming in. "It is disappointing the government has not taken the opportunity to implement one of our key policies, drug-free prisons or wings." He said the policy would allow prisoners who want to come off drugs to be removed from the availability and the temptation. "If they stay clean, they should be given privileges. If they test positive, then they are removed from the drugs-free wing and the privileges are withdrawn." Addiewell, which can house up to 700 prisoners and is run by private firm Kalyx, opened last December amid criticism over the "luxury" facilities for inmates. Earlier this year, figures showed Addiewell had one of the worst levels of violence among Scotland's prisons. In February, up to 40 inmates took part in a riot.

November 16, 2009 The Sun
FRIGHTENED warders are begging a crisis-hit jail's toughest CONS for protection - because they are bullied. Staff at privately-run Addiewell jail are grovelling to feared lags and handing out favours in return for their safety. Now bosses at the £65million prison, in West Lothian, admit they're struggling to keep guards - with up to 10 quitting last month. Last night a source said: "Addiewell has become such a soft touch for cons that the hardest are being asked for protection by guards. "The warders are sick of inmates screaming abuse at them and they're too inexperienced to deal with it." Hardened cons including Joe Henderson - who strangled his teenage fiancée - and Paul Steadward - who stabbed a bakery workmate through the heart in a row over tea breaks - are said to run the prison. They make sure other lags stay in line at the facility, which holds 700 cons, and in return their lives inside become much easier. The source added: "One day Henderson decided he wanted a Kit Kat Caramel, which had just gone on sale in the shops. "We couldn't pick it up in the jail yet. He told one of the guards that he was after it and, sure enough, the next day he had one. "That's the kind of relationship that's built up in Addiewell now. "It's unhealthy for anyone and the managers just don't know what to do." In its first six months since it opened in December last year, 19 assaults on staff were recorded at Addiewell.

October 12, 2009 Deadline Press & Picture Agency
PRISON bosses are facing a double probe into a riot that left a jail guard in hospital. Chiefs at HMP Addiewell in West Lothian are piecing together just what sparked trouble there on Sunday. But they now face a police probe into assault claims at the high security prison. And a second internal inquiry which must be presented to Scottish Prison Service bosses. More than 20 lags rioted at the high security prison for six hours before on-site officers took control of the situation.Lothian & Borders Police were called out to the West Lothian high-security facility to support prison staff, but prison officers on-site dealt with the riot. Damage -- A spokesman for Kalyx said: “We can confirm that an incident took place in one area of one hall at HMP Addiewell, yesterday 11th October 2009. “The incident, which began about 11am, was concluded at approximately 5.30 pm. “It was dealt with by staff locally and was subject to minimal superficial damage of property. “Incidents of this type regrettably occur in all prisons, but there are robust procedures in place to deal with them should they arise. “This incident is now subject to a Police investigation and so it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time. “A member of staff was taken to hospital and kept overnight as a precautionary measure and was released this morning.” Luxury -- The incident is the second time this year that prisoners at the facility have rioted. In February inmates trashed more than 60 LCD televisions and other luxury goods that the jail is fitted with after claiming they had not received any food for two days. The maximum-security prison is home to many of Scotland’s worst murderers and rapists. The leader of the rioting prisoners has claimed that they attacked staff because of bad treatment at the hands of guards -- A spokesman for the Scottish Prison Service said: “We’ve had an incident report from Kalyx but any investigation would have to wait until the police have carried out their investigation. “We have procedures with our contractors and we have a team that monitor the contract. Contained -- “But the most important report is the police report which is to come. “It was a concerted peace of indiscipline and while it’s not a mild incident we shouldn’t get carried away, it started at 11 and was resolved by 5.30 and it was all contained within the prison. “The important thing is that staff are trained properly to deal with this situation.” In May Addiewell was exposed as having the second worst record for inmates attacking each other and inmate attacks on staff. In the jail’s first six months 32 inmate on inmate attacks occurred, with only Polmont young offenders’ institute ranking higher, with 56 in the same time period. 19 attacks on staff were recorded, second to Cornton Vale women’s prison, which experienced 20 attacks on staff in six months.

October 12, 2009 Edinburgh Evening News
FOUR staff were injured and a woman guard rushed to hospital when rioting broke out at West Lothian's Addiewell prison. Sources claimed the incident at Scotland's newest jail had been sparked by claims of brutality towards inmates. The female guard was taken to St John's Hospital in Livingston with a head injury after the melee involving 20 prisoners. By the time police attended to assist at the £65 million privately-run jail, the situation had been brought under control. Special negotiators were also brought in to bring an end to the five-hour stand-off. It is the second major riot there this year, following on from a similar event in February involving 40 inmates amid claims they had not been fed for two days. On this occasion sources said the riot was a direct result of inmates standing against "beatings" from prison guards. Those allegations are in contrast to the widely held view that the jail is relatively luxurious, with en suite cells, flat-screen televisions and satellite channels, which bosses said would help the rehabilitation of offenders. It is understood the riot broke out in the Lomond B Hall when prisoners barricaded themselves in and fought with staff. One prisoner, who contacted the Press straight after the incident, said the guards were struck with mops as part of the attack. He said: "We just decided to fight back this time. "A short-term inmate was hit by a member of staff and we all got involved. We attacked five of the staff with mop poles and drove them out of the hall. "Staff are lifting their hands to the boys who are then moved to another prison and nothing is ever done about it. Enough is enough. "Everyone reckons the Addiewell is cushy, but lads are getting doings in here. It's got to stop." Recent figures have exposed Addiewell as the second worst in Scotland for inmate-on-inmate attacks, with only the Polmont young offenders facility having more recorded flashpoints. In its first six months of operation, it also notched 19 assaults on staff. A spokesman for prison operators Kalyx said: "We can confirm there has been an incident involving around 20 people which has been brought under control and is now being managed. "This has taken place in one area of the hall. The rest of the prison is operating normally. At this stage however, we cannot really go into any more detail."

October 12, 2009 STV
At least 20 inmates went on a rampage at HMP Addiewell on Sunday. Inmates at Scotland's newest prison rioted for six hours on Sunday. At least 20 prisoners were involved in the incident, which is reported to have left four staff members injured. The disturbance at Addiewell Prison in West Lothian began at around 11am on Sunday. It was handled internally by staff and concluded at around 5.30pm. Lothian and Borders Police said they had been made aware of the incident but had not been called on to respond. A spokesman for the prison's operators, Kalyx, said: "We can confirm that an incident took place at HMP Addiewell yesterday which was managed by staff at the prison. We are unable to give any more details at present." A spokesperson for the Scottish Prison Service said: “The incident at HMP Addiewell was concluded around 1730 hours last night. It included a number of prisoners and was managed in house by staff. "Damage has been superficial and the incident will be subject to a police investigation. The SPS take a very dim view of people behaving in this manner” It is the latest in a series of incidents at the privately-run facility. In February, up to 40 inmates were involved in a riot which caused thousands of pounds worth of damage. Opposition politicians have also hit out at the level of comfort provided by the purpose-built facility, saying it doesn't act as a strong enough deterrent to reoffending.

August 20, 2009 Edinburgh Evening News
A DRUG trafficker who was freed early from jail was caught throwing cannabis over a wall into Scotland's newest private prison. Stephen Dickson was originally jailed for 42 months in August 2006 after he was caught with heroin worth about £52,000 on the streets. Dickson, 27, of Magdalene Gardens, Edinburgh, was allowed early release from the sentence on licence. But, on 29 July this year, he threw a package containing cannabis over a wall into Addiewell Prison, West Lothian. Dickson later admitted a contravention of Scottish prison legislation by introducing or attempting to introduce a drug into the jail, when he appeared at Linlithgow Sheriff Court.

August 19, 2009 Daily Record
SCOTLAND'S cushiest jail is getting Sky Sports - so pampered prisoners can keep up with Scottish Premier League action. Inmates at Addiewell jail, West Lothian, had threatened a revolt because they feared they wouldn't see any SPL games. But on Saturday, hundreds of inmates enjoyed the first televised match of the new SPL season - which saw Celtic beat Aberdeen 3-1 at Pittodrie - after bosses arranged a Sky Sports satellite package. A prison insider said: "With the coverage moving to Sky, everyone was facing the prospect of not seeing a single goal. "Some of the lags were infuriated and had made noises about starting trouble, so the decision was taken to get Sky Sports 3 in." Live matches last season were screened in the prison through satellite firm Setanta. But the Irish broadcasters lost the rights earlier this year, leaving the prison without football coverage.

August 18, 2009 Daily Record
A WARDEN has been brutally beaten at a "powderkeg" private jail. Steven Johnstone needed hospital treatment after being set upon by a lifer at HMP Addiewell. The Record told yesterday how whistleblowers had branded the prison "unsafe" and "drug-ridden". We have been inundated with calls from friends and relatives of prisoners backing our story - and voicing their concern over the lax regime at the jail. The latest incident saw warden Steven Johnstone attacked by a convicted murderer serving a life sentence. The assault happened around 6pm on Saturday in the jail's Forth C Hall. A source said: "It all kicked off just after 6pm and the poor man was given a ferocious beating. "He was punched repeatedly about the head and ended up with injuries to his face and jaw. "He's a relatively inexperienced member of staff and it is horrible. Bosses are trying to work out what happened. Although the guy is a convicted prisoner, he's actually a relatively trusted inmate in terms of the Addiewell system - which speaks volumes for the system. "There was only one other warden there. She's only been in the door a week and didn't see a thing." A spokesman for Addiewell operators Kalyx said yesterday: "Whilst we cannot comment on individual members of staff or prisoners, we can confirm there was an altercation on Saturday evening which resulted in a member of staff going to hospital as a precautionary measure. "The matter is now being investigated by the police." The Record told yesterday how whistleblowers at the jail say "scandalous" staff shortages and a shoddy anti-drugs regime have turned the brand new jail into a "powder keg" where cons and guards alike were at risk. Our insiders told how drugs are being smuggled in after they're chucked over the walls inside dead gulls and old socks. It's claimed more drugs flood in at visiting times, with just one or two wardens sometimes left to watch scores of inmates and their friends and families. One source said: "The bottom line is the place is totally unsafe - for staff and prisoners. "Addiewell has 12 wings with about 60 prisoners each and there should be several staff per wing. "The other day, there were one or two per wing, which is scandalously low." Addiewell is a private prison and Kalyx signed a contract with the Scottish Executive in 2006 to design, build and manage the jail. Kalyx insisted that there were intensive anti-drugs efforts and rejected claims of inadequate staffing and training.

August 17, 2009 Daily Record
DEAD seagulls stuffed with drugs are being thrown over the wall to cons at Scotland's showpiece private jail. Drugs are also being chucked over the walls inside tennis balls and old socks. And bigoted lags at £65million Addiewell prison in West Lothian are being sent flutes through the post so they can play The Sash in their cells. Whistleblowers at the jail say "scandalous" staff shortages and a shoddy anti-drugs regime have turned the brand new jail into a "powder keg" where cons and guards alike are at risk. One source said: "There are so many problems with drugs and staffing and so on that it would take all day to go through them. It's shambolic. "The bottom line is the place is totally unsafe - for staff and prisoners." Last night, the private company who run the phone, Kalyx, insisted that there were intensive anti-drugs efforts and rejected claims of inadequate staffing and training. Sources at Addiewell told Record investigators that prisoners at the jail, which opened last December, use a bizarre range of methods to get drugs into the jail. An insider claimed: "There are giant skylights in the roof within throwing distance of the perimeter. "The prisoners ring in drug orders on mobiles, then tell the staff to open the skylight because they're feeling hot. "Dead seagulls have been launched in stuffed with drugs. The prisoners just lift them. "Drugs are also being stuffed inside tennis balls or socks. "It's an easy throw through the skylight - the package can land right on one of the pool tables in the hall. "If the throw misses, the stuff will land in the exercise hall outside, where it's picked up later easily enough. "A builder's ladder was found the other day against the wall at the back of one of the halls where stuff was being tossed over the wall." The source said cons were also collecting drug shipments in their cells by getting pals to throw packages over the wall in knotted socks and hooking them with the cables of their PlayStation consoles. It is claimed that even more drugs flood into Addiewell at visiting times, with just one or two warders sometimes left to watch scores of inmates and their friends and families. One source said drugs were passed across the counter at the visiting room snack bar, which is staffed by prisoners instead of WRVS volunteers. And the whistleblower claimed the CCTV system installed to monitor visits had never been used. The "main man" in Addiewell's drug trade is said to be a well-known "international player" who is "running the show" inside the jail. One insider claimed: "Intelligence reports on him are flying about. "An obvious start would be to move the guy to another prison to at least break the chain. But he is being given free rein - he has even had his two bodyguards moved into cells on either side of his. "The guy walks about the prison with these goons on either side of him. "One used to be in the French Foreign Legion and the other is a convicted Polish killer whose speciality is biting his victims' ears off." And drugs are not the only items which are finding their way into Addiewell. One of the whistleblowers claimed: "There is a big sectarian culture in the prison and several prisoners have had their flutes sent in. One guy went to collect his using a property request marked "musical instrument". The warden couldn't believe it . "Some of the prisoners will demand no Catholics next to them and belt out The Sash and such like on their flutes as soon as their cell doors are shut." Illegal mobile phones are also a major problem at Addiewell, with cons even phoning the Record from their cells to try to sell us stories. One violent offender called us last week to tell how he and his pals were given ice lollies when they got the "munchies" after smoking cannabis. "This place is brilliant," he bragged. An insider said: "The bosses are recruiting some staff straight from school." Our source added: "Addiewell has 12 wings with about 60 prisoners each and there should be several staff per wing. The other day, there were one or two per wing, which is scandalously low. Another whistleblower said prisoners are rarely drug-tested, claiming: "It costs about £120 a pop and it's only likely to return a positive result anyway. "It's only used on prisoners about to be moved to open jails, as they know that a negative result is a condition of their transfer." It is also alleged that even when Addiewell's staff find drugs, they struggle to cope. A source said: "Last week, drugs were posted in to a prisoner doing time for robbery. "The warden delivering the mail opened it to check it and when the prisoner saw his hash had been spotted, he grabbed it off the guy. "The warden hit his alarm button, which means a guard from each of the 12 wings is supposed to rush to his aid. Just three officers arrived. "All they could do was get the prisoners, who were milling around watching, back in their cells. "In Scottish Prison Service prisons, dozens of staff would have been on the scene in seconds. The guy's cell would have been searched and he would have been drug-tested." Addiewell is a private prison and Kalyx signed a contract with the Scottish Executive in 2006 to design, build and manage the jail. The company's website calls Addiewell "an operationally designed prison within which it will be possible to address offending behaviour and contribute to a safer Scotland". The website adds: "A custodial environment can have positive outcomes. Everyone should be given a second chance." But the inside sources claim that the majority of guards have no previous experience in jails. A Kalyx spokesman said: "HMP Addiewell, like all other prisons, concentrates its efforts on stopping illicit items from entering the prison. "All officers are aware of the policies and procedures when illicit items are discovered in the prison. "There have been no complaints about prisoners playing sectarian tunes submitted to the director. If this is found to be happening then appropriate action will be taken." The spokesman added: "All new officers employed by Kalyx, regardless of their previous experience, undergo an extensive nine-week training course, approved by the Scottish Prison Service, before they start work at the prison."

August 5, 2009 The Sun
A DISGUSTED mum told last night how she was robbed of more than £250 in valuables - while visiting her partner in JAIL. Nicola Ringrose, 22, had put her possessions into a visitors' locker at private Addiewell nick as she went to see boyfriend Sean Higgins, 27. But when she returned, brazen thieves had snatched £120 cash, a £130 mobile phone, her bank card, house keys and even her two-year-old daughter Mikaela's NAPPIES. Last night Nicola said: "I can't believe I was robbed in a prison. The place seems to be a shambles." Nicola of Airdrie, told how Mikaela lost the locker key in the visiting room - but guards were quickly informed. She said: "When I got back the door was open and the key in the lock. Everything except a receipt was gone." Plush Addiewell, in West Lothian, is dubbed the "Addieson Hotel" by lags. Last night a spokesman for its operator Kalyx said: "The matter is being investigated by police."

July 7, 2009 The Sun
A MONSTER serving life for the torture and murder of a 91-year-old woman is using internet site Bebo to boast about his easy life in jail. Patrick Docherty, 45 — who left victim Margaret Irvine with a duster stuffed in her mouth — brags about his plush cell and his “working day” in sickening posts. He showers praise on Addiewell jail, dubbed Scotland’s cushiest, on the social networking site. Cons at the West Lothian jail enjoy ensuite bathrooms and flatscreen TVs. Docherty crows:“It’s great being able to jump out of bed straight into a shower to freshen up before staff even start to unlock at 8am.” He reveals he gets paid to cut other cons’ hair, and “passes the time” drawing pictures as an art teacher. Docherty and pal Brendan Dixon, 43, were caged for at least 25 years in 2005 for murdering Margaret at her home in Galson, Ayrshire. She was found with her hands tied in an apparent botched robbery. But despite his comforts, dad Docherty, who has always protested his innocence. also tells that he contemplates suicide. He adds on the Bebo page: “Many a night I lay awake thinking how easy it would be to take my own life. “It may release me from this pitiful existence that is my so called life, but it won’t get justice for Mrs Irvine if I am dead.” Docherty wed second wife Elizabeth, 44, in Shotts jail in 2007. He has 54 convictions, 14 for violence, and has been in Addiewell four months. In 2006 he and Dixon were given the go-ahead to challenge their convictions, claiming there was no DNA or fingerprint evidence. But last night Margaret’s nephew Charles Keers, 56, blasted Docherty’s cushy life. He said: “The justice system in this country is a joke.” Addiewell is run by private firm Kalyx. An insider claimed the lag most likely had “someone on the outside” to use Bebo for him. Kalyx said: “Prisoners do not have access to the internet.”

June 13, 2009 The Sun
BOSSES at Scotland’s cushiest jail splashed out on hundreds of electric fans — after pampered cons moaned they were too hot. Addiewell prison chiefs sent guards out to buy scores of the desk devices to keep whingeing inmates happy. Lags at the West Lothian pokey already enjoy flat-screen tellies and en-suite showers. And last night an insider said: “It’s getting ridiculous — the things must have cost a fortune. “The prisoners are in there to be punished, but seem to get everything they want. “Some of them were moaning the jail was too warm for them during the hot weather we’ve been having. “The guards then ran out and bought fans for them to cool down. It’s getting to the stage where the inmates are running the jail and telling the guards what to do.” Snooze -- Tory justice spokesman Bill Aitken blasted the easy ride inmates are getting at the country’s newest nick. He said: “Many law-abiding people cannot afford fans. “If the cons find it too hot in jail then they have an easy solution — stop committing crime and getting sent there. On Thursday we told how lazy prisoners in Scotland are being allowed to snooze through their sentences Outgoing chief prisons inspector Dr Andrew McLellan said Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill was right to brand life in our jails “a skoosh”. In his final report the jail watchdog said: “They spend most of their time lying in bed.” Dr McLellan also said his seven years in the job had seen living conditions “transformed” with cons enjoying “first-class” prison buildings. Plush £130million Addiewell — operated by private company Kalyx — opened in December last year. And last month it was branded “a dangerous place for staff and inmates” — as it was revealed to be Scotland’s most violent adult jail. Attacks -- Kalyx’s facility has already seen 32 prisoner-on-prisoner assaults — an average of two every week — and 19 attacks on staff this year. Last night a spokeswoman for Kalyx said: “Due to the hot weather we have been experiencing, we used the profit generated from the prison shop to purchase fans for prisoners to use in their cells.”

May 5, 2009 The Scotsman
SCOTLAND'S newest jail already has one of the worst records for violent attacks, new figures have revealed. Addiewell prison in West Lothian is second in the league tables both for assaults by prisoners on each other and for attacks by prisoners on staff. The 700-capacity jail, which is run by private firm Kalyx, opened last December amid criticism over the "luxury" facilities for inmates. Prison bosses argued the conditions – including cells with en-suite toilets and TVs – would help in the rehabilitation of offenders. But new figures show that so far this year, Addiewell has seen 32 prisoner-on-prisoner assaults – second only to Polmont young offenders institution, where there have been 56 such incidents. The jail has also recorded 19 assaults by inmates on staff. Only Cornton Vale women's prison is worse, with 20 prisoner-on-staff attacks. Politicians claimed at the time that the "level of comfort" at the jail would not provide a deterrent to re-offending. Today, Tory justice spokesman Bill Aitken said the figures were disgraceful. He said: "The more we pander to prisoners the less well they behave. We cannot tolerate the situation where prison staff find themselves victims of assaults. It is essential that the most serious possible view is taken of this type of behaviour." A spokeswoman from Kalyx was not available for comment. Earlier this year, a sacked prison guard claimed prisoners at Addiewell were "running the jail". Paula Gardner, 36, from Livingston, was dismissed after prison bosses discovered she had a minor conviction 20 years ago. She claimed prisoners were smoking heroin and using banned mobile phones as under-trained staff struggle to keep order. In February, up to 40 inmates took part in a riot at the jail. Inmates in the Douglas Hall section on the ground floor of the jail barricaded themselves into the wing and smashed up equipment during the three-hour stand-off. It was initially reported prisoners went on the rampage as they had not been fed for two days but Kalyx insisted it was triggered by one inmate's personal issue.

February 22, 2009 Sunday Mail
A BLUNDERING prison guard who lost a bunch of cell keys has been promoted - as a boss at riot-hit Addiewell jail. Ivan Millar's mistake forced all the locks at Arbroath Sheriff Court to be changed in case cons found his keys. Now he is a unit manager at the private prison in West Calder, West Lothian. A spokesman there said: "We have a stringent recruitment process." Last month five prisoners mounted barricades, lit a fire and staged a three hour riot at the £80million jail.

February 11, 2009 The Herald
Five prisoners at Scotland's only jail dedicated to tackling recidivism faced the threat of new sentences yesterday after riots which are believed to have followed a complaint about sweets. The five were among a group of around 40 inmates at Addiewell Prison in West Lothian when trouble flared, forcing prison staff to lock down the jail while order was restored. All five have been isolated and reported to the procurator- fiscal over the incident on Monday night. The disturbance will be an embarrassment given the jail's status as Scotland's first "learning prison" with a remit to reduce repeat offending by inmates. Initial reports that prisoners were protesting because they had not been fed for two days were flatly denied yesterday by the Scottish Prisons Service (SPS) and Kalyx, the private firm that runs Addiewell. But while the SPS stressed that the matter was currently being investigated, it said it was thought that the disturbance may have come about after an inmate complained about a lack of sweets at the jail's canteen. A spokeswoman for the SPS said: "It was over canteen facilities, not the kitchen. It was definitely not about food. They had had all their meals." While it was originally claimed that dozens of television sets were wrecked during the rioting, the spokeswoman described the damage as "minor and superficial". She admitted that "some" TVs may have been damaged during the incident, which she said took place in a wing holding "about 40" prisoners. Most were not involved, the SPS said. Kalyx issued its own firm denial that the trouble broke out over concerns about food shortages and said that it was caused by a single inmate. A spokesman for Kalyx said: "We can categorically confirm that there has been no issue regarding the provision of meals and all prisoners have been receiving their meals as normal. "On the evening of Monday February 9, one prisoner instigated a disturbance over a personal matter in one wing of HMP Addiewell." Prison staff imposed a lockdown at the prison between around 8.30pm and 11pm while the rioting was brought under control. There were no injuries to staff or prisoners and both Kalyx and the SPS said proper procedures were followed. The £130m jail on the outskirts of Addiewell, near West Calder, only opened in December. It has a dedicated academy for "flexible learning" to offer the 700 prisoners it is designed to hold a greater chance to prepare themselves for getting paid work when they are released from jail. A Kalyx spokesman added: "The police are investigating the circumstances around the disturbance at HMP Addiewell and therefore it is not appropriate for us to comment any further."

February 10, 2009 Scotsman
A disturbance has taken place at Scotland's newest private prison, authorities said today. Dozens of inmates went on the rampage at Addiewell Prison in West Lothian last night. Up to 48 prisoners were involved in the disturbance at the privately run jail. Trouble flared when inmates took control of a hall in one wing of the prison, the paper said, using pool tables and furniture to make barricades. Police, the fire service and ambulances rushed to the scene as violence erupted, a fire service spokeswoman said today. The disturbance is said to have gone on for several hours until prison staff negotiated an end to the trouble. No-one is thought to have been injured in the incident and no inmates are believed to have escaped. An SPS spokeswoman said: "There was an incident at the jail last night but it is over now." A spokeswoman for Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service said: "All three emergency services attended. "We didn't do very much, we were just standing by." HMP Addiewell, near Livingston, is a 700-capacity prison run by private firm Kalyx. It opened in December.

December 4, 2007 Press Association
Taxpayers face being "ripped off" by many flagship projects funded through the private sector, justice secretary Kenny MacAskill has told MSPs. Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and the new private prison planned for Addiewell in West Lothian, both had their value called into question by Mr MacAskill. He was giving evidence to Holyrood's Justice Committee on the impact of of next year's budget on his justice portfolio. The SNP has always opposed the used of public private partnerships to help fund the construction of projects like schools, hospitals and prisons. The issue is not just ideological, but also a matter for the public purse, Mr MacAskill told Labour's Paul Martin. "I believe and this government believes, that our people have frankly received poor value, if not been ripped off, in many instances, by many flagship projects. "And they're as inappropriate in prisons as they are in health." Mr MacAskill told the committee that the new prison being built at Addiewell, agreed by the last administration, is likely to cost about £24-25 million annually over the next 25 years. This is more than £600 million in total. "I have to say that 25 times 25 is significantly more than what a prison costs in construction, something in the region of £120-140 million," he said. "The fact of the matter is we can build a prison for significantly less than we will end up paying in annualised payments. I think the taxpayers of Scotland are entitled to ask why we signed that off in the first place," he said.

May 20, 2007 Scotsman
PLANS to build two new prisons using private money are set to be scrapped by the SNP, in the first major change of policy since it gained power at Holyrood. Labour insiders claim the plans will cost as much as £750m over the next 20 years, and will lead to lengthy delays in easing the current overcrowding crisis. The move to bring two jail projects back into public control will place the SNP in direct conflict with prison chiefs and civil servants who have already started signing off the deals with private firms to construct the desperately needed institutions. The row centres on two 700-capacity prisons at Low Moss near Bishopbriggs and in Addiewell in West Lothian. Construction work has already begun at Addiewell, with a private consortium having been given the contract to start. A bid to construct Low Moss in the public sector was knocked back by prison chiefs earlier this month, paving the way for another private deal. The SNP insists that moving the two jails into the public sector will bring an end to firms profiteering from imprisonment and - in the long term - benefit the public purse. The decision by the new SNP government to challenge the move is set to be one of the first major flashpoints of its period in office.

October 1, 2006 Sunday Herald
PLANS by ministers to extend the use of private jails in Scotland have been condemned as “mistaken” and “short-sighted” by a leading expert on penal systems. Baroness Vivien Stern, a cross-bench peer in the House of Lords and a senior research fellow at the International Centre for Prison Studies at King’s College London, also revealed that when the country’s second private jail – Addiewell – opens in 2009, Scotland will have, proportionately, more inmates housed in private prisons than any other country in the world. The new £65 million jail is being built on a 35-acre site in West Lothian. It is to be run by Royal Bank Project Investments, Sodexho Investment Services and Interserve PFI 2005 under the name Addiewell Prison Ltd. But Stern predicted that further privatising the jail system would drive down wages, waste taxpayers’ money and hamper efforts to reduce re-offending. She said: “My view is that this is a mistaken route. The point is that the contract ties you in for 25 years, which means that any new ideas about penal policy that develop in the next 25 years will come up against a contract that’s been signed and has to run.

January 30, 2004 OBJECTIONS to a new jail in West Lothian are more than just "nimbyism", SNP Lothians MSP Fiona Hyslop has told the Scottish Parliament.  And she appealed for communities close to the proposed site for the 700-inmate prison near Addiewell to be told whether it would be privately-built and run.  Ms Hyslop said the issue of whether the new jail was public or private was a matter of concern for locals, 300 of whom had attended a public meeting about the plans.  "The majority wanted to express they were not just interested in nimby arguments. They are interested in whether it’s to be a private prison. Is it right that private profits should be made as a result of the state’s decision to incarcerate someone?"  (Scotsman)

May 30, 2003 A SITE in central Scotland has been identified as the preferred location for a 700-inmate high security jail and could become Scotland's second privately-run prison. Danny Russell, Addiewell community council secretary, said: "The survey we carried out was only just against the prison, but a lot of people didn't take part because they thought it wouldn't materialise. Personally, I am against it. I just can't see it bringing in as many jobs and money as they say. I wonder what would have happened had the community known the plan was at this stage before the election." News of the privately financed project prompted an angry reaction from the Prison Officers Association of Scotland (POAS), which pointed to problems experienced at Kilmarnock, Scotland's sole privately run prison. Last year it was revealed two inmates were released incorrectly and in another incident a prisoner went missing inside the jail, run by Premier Prisons. A spokesman for POAS said the union was against private funding of prisons, adding: "We are outraged that another privately-run, privately-built prison has been given the go-ahead, given the performance at Kilmarnock." (The Herald)

March 6, 2009 Staines News
The 'underhand' expansion of Bronzefield prison in Ashford has angered neighbours who say they were promised it would never grow any bigger. Cranes are towering over the women's jail in Woodthorpe Road and prefabricated cells are being brought in daily as a new block is built to house 77 extra inmates. But residents who live close to the high-security prison - which has been home to serial killer Rose West - claim they were told it would never house more than the 450 prisoners it was built for in 2004. John Hitchins, of Woodthorpe Road, said: "All we need is another 70-odd Rose Wests across the road. It was bad enough when they built it in the first place but to be fed this rubbish that they weren't going to make it any bigger and then see the prefabricated cells carted past my front door is just a joke. They have been so sneaky and underhanded." The two-storey block is being built within the existing perimeter wall, along with a new all weather sports pitch. Permission for the development was granted in 2007 but residents say they have no recollection of being told about the proposals. Penny Vincent, who has lived opposite the prison for more than 15 years, said: "I don't remember hearing anything about it. It wasn't advertised in the newspapers and I think we should have had some sort of notification. "I am sure it's growing faster than ever anticipated. It's not an expansion of their land but it's still far bigger then they ever said it would be." A spokesman for Kalyx, the private company that runs Bronzefield, said: "Additional prisoner accommodation is being built at HMP Bronzefield which will be within the current prison boundaries.

March 2, 2006 The Sun
A LIVE bullet has been found in the jail holding House of Horrors killer Rose West. It was the second security scare at all-women Bronzefield Prison in Ashford, West London, which earlier freed a jailbird by mistake. The jail was locked down for eight hours after the bullet discovery and all 450 prisoners were confined to their cells. Explosives experts and sniffer dogs helped to scour the £200million private prison from top to bottom, but nothing more was found.

February 27, 2006 The Sun
THE private jail holding serial killer Rose West freed a prisoner by mistake, it was revealed yesterday. The woman, who was facing drugs charges, was on the loose for four days after the blunder. Livid Home Office chiefs have ordered a major probe into the first “escape” from state-of-the-art Bronzefield women’s prison in Ashford, West London. The £200million jail run by UKDS opened two years ago. West, 52, moved there from Durham jail last year. She is locked up forever for the Gloucestershire murders of ten girls, including her daughter Heather, 16. The freed lag was released after being told to gather her belongings. A source yesterday said: “This is the first time a con has escaped from Bronzefield and it was all the prison’s fault. “It wasn’t a case of mistaken identity. It was either rank incompetence or a paperwork error. “It would be catastrophic if Rose West was released by mistake. “She has changed her appearance dramatically by shedding three stone and ditching her thick specs for contact lenses.” The freed 40-year-old lag, being held on remand, was returned to Bronzefield earlier this month. UKDS last night declined to comment.

Forest Bank Prison, Agecroft, UK
April 29, 2008 Manchester.com
The inquiry into why a man wrongly released from Forest Bank jail in Salford was able to murder a man on a double-decker bus has criticised the criminal justice system. Anthony Joseph was released from the private prison in Agecroft despite an outstanding warrant for his immediate arrest from Liverpool crown court over a burglary offence. Anthony Joseph, 23, stabbed Richard Whelan several times on the top deck of a bus in London in July 2005 only hours after he was released. The report, which was commissioned by the Home Office last December, criticises the "lackadaisical" and "nonchalant approach" of the criminal justice system when it comes to some offenders. Officials at Forest Bank jail in Manchester have said they were not aware there was an outstanding arrest warrant for Mr Joseph. The report also criticises the lack of communication between law enforcement bodies. Earlier this month, government figures revealed that a tenth of the prison drug finds in England and Wales during 2007 were in Forest Bank. But the prison governor claims this reflects the jail's high detection rate.

August 14, 2006 BBC
A prison officer from a private jail has been arrested over claims he made nuisance calls to inmates' relatives. The 41-year-old man, who works at Forest Bank Prison, in Salford, Greater Manchester, was arrested after prisoners and families complained. The officer was held on 2 August and later bailed until 30 August. A Greater Manchester Police spokeswoman said a man had been arrested on suspicion of misuse of telecommunications systems. Forest Bank, which opened in 2000, is run by United Kingdom Detention Services (UKDS). A spokesman for UKDS said it had nothing to add to the police statement.

December 21, 2005 The Guardian
Inmates threw a bucket of excrement over prison staff as government inspectors toured a privately-run jail, it emerged today. The chief inspector of prisons, Anne Owers, revealed the incident - known in jail lingo as "potting" - as she raised concerns about falling safety standards at Forest Bank jail, Greater Manchester. The 800-inmate men's jail, which is run by UK Detention Services, suffered 25 prisoner assaults a month and there had been 2,500 disciplinary hearings in just six months, she said. Drugs were "rife" with four out of 10 compulsory drug tests coming back positive, her inspection team found. The director of the Prison Reform Trust charity, Juliet Lyon said: "This damning report reveals a prison that has become all too comfortable with violence, drugs and bullying. When a bucket of excrement is thrown at staff, during the inspection itself, you have to ask whether anyone is in control at Forest Bank. "This is the latest in a series of worrying reports suggesting that high staff turnover and lack of control in some private prisons is creating a 'Lord of the Flies' environment that is dangerous for prisoners and staff, and almost guaranteed to increase the chances of re-offending on release."

December 21, 2005 The Times
A PRIVATELY run jail is out of control, with high levels of assaults and a culture on the wings of drug abuse, according to a highly critical report published today. Prison officers were covered with a bucket of excrement by inmates at Forest Bank jail as inspectors toured the building. The incident known in prison slang as "potting" was the latest in a number of similar attacks on prison staff. Anne Owers, the Chief Inspector of Prisons, criticised the culture at the jail which was "steeped in serious drug abuse". In one month alone, more than 2kg of cannabis, 60g of heroin and 4.6g of cocaine were found at the jail, run by United Kingdom Detention Services. Ms Owers was so alarmed by the prison in Salford, Greater Manchester, that she immediately alerted senior Prison Service officials to the extent of the failings. "There had been a significant deterioration in safety so that urgent management attention and remedial action was required to rebuild staff confidence and properly regain control of the prison," the inspection report said. A surprise inspection in July at the jail, run by UKDS, a subsidiary of Sodexho Alliance which runs three prisons, found routine intimidation of staff, prisoner assaults on other prisoners running at 25 a month and staff turnover of 25 per cent a year. There had been 2,500 prisoner discipline hearings in six months and 40 per cent of compulsory drug tests were positive. Ms Owers said: "There were a series of assaults against staff, including one unsavoury incident when a bucket of excrement was thrown into an office and over two staff who were there, while we were at the prison. This was by no means the first such 'potting' incident in the prison's recent history. We were told there were two or three others in the previous couple of months." The report depicts a prison where drugs are rife and that a high level of staff turnover meant custody officers were unable to tackle problems. It is the second report in less than six months in which Ms Owers has found serious problems of control at a privately run jail. In July she found that staff at Rye Hill jail near Rugby had little confidence in controlling prisoners and the premises were "almost out of control". Staff turnover at the prison, operated by GSL, formerly part of the Group 4, was running at 40 per cent a year. Private sector involvement in the prison system has helped to spur the public sector to improve its performance and introduced innovation into the jail system. But staff turnover at private jails is higher than State-run jails - reflecting lower pay for officers compared with those in State prisons. It is also difficult to get information about what goes on in private jails with "commercial confidentiality" used as a reason not to disclose details. One prison watchdog said: "The private sector do not like anyone knowing too much about what goes on in their prisons. If they could get away with giving out no information at all, they would."

March 3, 2005 BBC
Police are searching for a "dangerous" prisoner who escaped while he was being taken to hospital in a taxi. Convicted robber Neil Brennan, 21, was handcuffed to two prison officers as they travelled from HMP Forest Bank to Hope Hospital, Salford, on Wednesday. The taxi was stopped by two men who threatened the guards with a gun, forcing them to unlock the handcuffs. Brennan escaped with the men. Greater Manchester Police said Brennan "may pose a danger to the public". Det Ch Insp Sam Hawarth said the hijacking had been well-planned and that he believed Brennan may have injured himself deliberately as part of the plot. He said he expected the Prison Service to review its means of transporting prisoners in the wake of the escape. "It would appear that using taxis in this manner is a regular practice, but it is not one we were aware of," he said. The prison guards who were taking Brennan from the privately-run HMP Forest Bank were not injured but were left "shocked".

August 18, 2004
A GREATER Manchester prison is at breaking point - according to an officer who has admitted trying to smuggle drugs into it. Norman Edgerton, 40, appeared at Manchester Crown Court last week after pleading guilty to possession of heroin with intent to supply. Now the contents of a letter the former prison officer wrote to the judge, Recorder Cross, have been revealed. In it, Edgerton criticises management at the prison, which is privately run by UK Detention Services (UKDS). The company has rejected the allegations. "It's not good enough to give officers keys, a badge and no radio, and expect two of them to unlock 86 inmates, run the wing, and hope all goes well. "If officers are to have any chance of doing their job effectively and within company regulations, they need and deserve the support and back-up systems that are there on paper only." He claims that officers ring in sick and quit their jobs because they feel "helpless, stressed and can no longer cope". He also alleges that inmates are becoming stressed at the lack of organisation on the wings. In February, up to seven prison staff suffered memory blackouts after their drinks were spiked during a night out. Last year, there was a security alert after allegations that an officer supplied mobile phones to inmates; and in 2002, an early Christmas party for prison officers ended in a brawl with police being called. (Manchester)

Harmondsworh Detention Centre, UK
March 17, 2009 Worthing Herald
The Government was wrong not to order an independent inquiry into allegations of mistreatment at Harmondsworth immigration detention centre in west London 2006, the Court of Appeal has ruled. But the appeal judges held it was now too late to hold an effective investigation and the question of whether the state had breached the human rights of detainees fell to be decided by way of pending civil damages claims. Human rights group Liberty brought the case against the Home Office and the managers of the centre, Kalyx Ltd, on behalf of three detainees who claimed they were subjected to "inhuman or degrading treatment" during disturbances caused by other detainees at the centre near Heathrow Airport on November 28 2006. Referred to only as "AM and others", the detainees allege they were denied food and water for up to 40 hours; locked in overcrowded, pitch-black rooms flooded with water for more than 24 hours; forced to urinate and defecate in front of each other; and strip searched in front of several officers. Their appeal, in which lawyers argued that their alleged treatment was sufficient to trigger the UK's legal obligation to hold an official investigation, was upheld by Lord Justices Sedley and Elias, with Lord Justice Longmore dissenting. Anna Fairclough, legal officer at Liberty, said after the judgment: "With so many people languishing in immigration detention, it is shameful that the Home Secretary refused to investigate these very serious allegations of mistreatment. "The judgment leaves the Government nowhere to hide should anything of this nature happen again."

July 26, 2007 The Daily Mail
Rioting foreign criminals and failed asylum seekers were fed McDonald's takeaway meals by prison staff during a £60million orgy of destruction which wrecked an immigration detention centre. Fearful that the human rights of inmates would be breached, staff ferried sackfuls of Big Mac meals with fries and soft drinks from a nearby branch of the fast-food chain. The revelation came in a damning official report into the riot at Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre near Heathrow Airport last November. More than 500 inmates awaiting deportation wrecked and burned down much of the site, and it took riot squads almost two days to regain control. The report also reveals: • Walls and doors in the centre were so flimsy that inmates kicked them down with ease, especially after they were soaked by the sprinkler system; • The fire brigade got lost because there were no signposts to the centre; • CCTV cameras were easy for rioters to destroy - meaning control room staff had no idea what was going on; • Increasingly desperate calls to the Prison Service headquarters begging for help were ignored for an hour. The official Home Office investigation blames the riot partly on the huge pressure on the centre after last summer's foreign prisoners scandal. Hundreds of foreign national criminals were rounded up after being released from Britain's jails without being considered for deportation. Of the 501 men in the detention centre at the time 177 were foreign prisoners awaiting deportation - a volatile group who had 'nothing to lose'. The riot was triggered by inmates watching a TV news bulletin reporting criticisms of Harmondsworth from prison watchdogs. Fires were started and inmates began smashing CCTV cameras and attacking staff, who were unable to contain the violence. As control room managers lost their grip, staff were ordered to retreat and seal the gates, as police arrived to guard the perimeter. Thirteen riot squads entered the centre next morning but took more than 24 hours to regain control. During the day a row broke out between senior officials over whether to send food in for rioters. Those who favoured starving inmates into submission were overruled, as managers ordered that 'minimum needs of food and drink' must be supplied. "In the early stages food came from McDonald's," according to the report by senior civil servant Robert Whalley. Yesterday the Daily Mail tracked down a worker at the West Drayton branch of McDonald's who recalled Harmondsworth staff placing a huge order for £3.59 burger meals. He said: "I remember prison officers turning up and ordering around 100 Big Mac meals with fries and fizzy drinks. For a couple of hours they kept turning up with big bags, filling them up with meals and then ferrying them off in Securicor vans and then they'd return for more." The Home Office was last night unable to provide details of the cost of the emergency supplies. The cost of dealing with the riot and rebuilding large parts of Harmondsworth is expected to top £65million. Tory immigration spokesman Damian Green said: "This situation required a fast response, and all they got was fast food. "We now know that this dangerous incident happened because the Government was forced to mix foreign prisoners with failed asylum seekers. Because of prison overcrowding, this is still going on."

May 20, 2007 Observer
Hunger strikes, rioting and self-harm are now endemic in Britain's biggest detention centres as detainees become increasingly desperate about living in what they claim are deteriorating conditions. At Yarl's Wood in Bedfordshire, more than 100 women are refusing to eat, and there have been recent reports of major disturbances at Lindholme, South Yorkshire, and at Colnbrook in Middlesex. Self-harm is particularly acute at Yarl's Wood, which reopened in September 2003 after half of it was gutted by fire during rioting in February 2002. It now houses hundreds of women, many of whom have attempted to claim asylum in Britain after fleeing war zones. Amid growing concern over Britain's overstretched asylum system, the campaign group Liberty will call tomorrow for the Home Secretary, John Reid, to order a public inquiry into the large-scale riot at Harmondsworth detention centre in west London last November. If Reid refuses, the group says that it intends to seek a judicial review of his decision on behalf of seven detainees it is representing - an unprecedented move that would see Britain's immigration system placed under scrutiny in the courts. 'Well-documented abuses at Harmondsworth detention centre sparked the disturbance in November,' said Liberty's legal officer, Alex Gask. 'These men deserve a public inquiry into the ill-treatment they faced; anything less could result in legal action.' The deteriorating situation in the detention centres has sparked a surge in self-harm, according to campaigners. Every other day detainees harm themselves to such a serious degree that they require medical treatment, according to the National Coalition of Anti Deportation Campaigns. Between April 2006 and March 2007 there were 199 attempts to self-harm that required medical treatment. An investigation last year into conditions at Yarl's Wood found 70 per cent of women at the centre had reported rape, nearly half had been detained for more than three months and 57 per cent had no legal representation. Conditions have not improved, according to campaigners. Assaults are said to be commonplace. One woman was stripped and thrown naked into a van taking her to the airport for deportation only for the pilot to refuse to allow her to fly as she had no clothes. The women also allege staff regularly refer to them as 'black monkey', 'nigger' and 'bitch'. They claim vital faxes from solicitors are going missing and information on basic legal rights is being withheld. Detainees also complain they are given days-old reheated food in which they have found hair, dirt and maggots. Campaigners are also concerned about conditions at Harmondsworth, where detainees rioted after being banned from watching news coverage of a damning report on the centre. The Liberty report, to be published tomorrow, contains a clutch of testimonies from detainees about the conditions in Harmondsworth before the riots. One man interviewed for the study told how he was taken to the centre's medical clinic suffering from a bad back. 'They just abandoned me,' the man said. 'There was no doctor and, when I asked where the doctor was, the detention officers laughed at me ... One of them stepped on the hem of my trousers to make me fall over. He then started laughing and called me a "fucking negro".' Solitary confinement as a punishment for speaking out at Harmondsworth is common, according to Liberty. 'If we made a complaint we would be given a warning,' one man known as 'K' told Liberty. 'If we were given three warnings, we would be put in an isolated cell. We were scared of making complaints against officers because we expected to be treated badly if we did. We were treated like pigs and very unfairly, as if we were serious criminals.' A spokesman for Kalyx, which runs Harmondsworth, declined to comment. Serco, which took over Yarl's Wood on 26 April, denied conditions had deteriorated and said that many of the detainees' original concerns had been addressed. A Serco spokesman said staff had been praised by the prisons inspector for their good relationship with detainees. 'We take any complaints seriously,' he said.

December 10, 2006 The Guardian
The company running the detention centre at which hundreds of asylum seekers rioted last month is to be forced to pay the government more than £5m for a series of performance failures. The huge amount, believed to be a record sum for a private contractor to have to return to the public coffers, is likely to be seized upon by critics of Britain's asylum system, who have long campaigned for better conditions at the Harmondsworth detention centre, near Heathrow. The payout comes soon after a damning report by the chief inspector of prisons slated conditions at the detention centre. Anne Owers said her report was the 'poorest' she had ever delivered on an immigration centre. It highlighted a number of areas where there were causes for concern, including the poor relations between staff and detainees and the fact that staff were unable to recognise torture victims. Over 60 per cent of detainees said they had felt unsafe, while 44 per cent said they had been victimised by staff. The news that Kalyx, the US security and services giant that runs a number of private prisons in the UK, is to return £5,096,000 to the government was revealed in a House of Lords debate last week by the Home Office minister, Baroness Scotland. Neither Kalyx nor the Home Office would be drawn on why the company has had to pay such a sizeable sum. But Scotland suggested it was at least partly to do with the company's failure to manage the centre properly. She told the Lords that 'rigorous attempts to manage the situation in Harmondsworth' had now been put in place. 'That was the basis of the concerns expressed and of the disagreement... between management,' Scotland said. The payout is a significant blow to the reputation of Kalyx. Last month, in an attempt to improve its image, the controversial company changed its name from UK Detention Services. The company claims on its website that it provides 'nationally recognised standards of service, delivered by high-calibre staff' and provides 'protection and care associated with the growth of the individual and strength'. It makes no reference to the recent Owers report. There have been three suicides at Harmondsworth. The latest was Bereket Yohannes, 26, who was found hanging in January. Since Owers' damning report, a new centre manager has been introduced and the government has pledged to act on its recommendations. Nicholas Hopkins, a spokesman for Kalyx, said he would 'not be drawn' into commenting on the matter. A Home Office spokeswoman confirmed Kalyx would soon be paying out. 'The Immigration and Nationality Directorate has been in dispute with HDSL (a subsidiary of Kalyx) over its contractual performance at Harmondsworth,' the spokeswoman said. 'The dispute reached mediation point in summer 2006 and reached an agreed settlement; the details of this are being finalised by lawyers with full completion anticipated by the end of this month.' The impending payout comes as the government fears it could lose a crucial Commons vote tomorrow over plans to introduce more competition into the prisons and probation sector. Prisons Minister Gerry Sutcliffe is so worried he has taken the highly unusual step of emailing Conservative MPs offering them a private briefing in a last-ditch attempt to get them onside. The move has inflamed Labour MPs, between 25 and 30 of whom have signalled that they will vote against the bill.

November 29, 2006 BBC
A mutiny inside the UK's largest immigration centre has been contained, the Home Office has said. Detainees at the 500-capacity Harmondsworth centre in west London staged a protest about living conditions in the early hours. Fires were started and about 50 asylum seekers spelt out "help" and "SOS" with bed sheets in the courtyard. The Home office said the situation was contained but some of the detainees would be moved from Harmondsworth. Lin Homer, head of the immigration and nationality directorate, said: "The perimeter remains secure, and no-one has escaped. There has been no risk to the public. No injuries to staff or detainees have been reported." Repeated disturbances: She said 150 immigration offenders at centres across the UK would be bailed to make space for the detainees that were moved from Harmondsworth. "These are people who have been detained in order to better enforce their removal. We will priorities the cases according to risk. No foreign national prisoners will be released," Ms Homer added. The disturbance erupted following the publication of a prisons' watchdog report which criticised the centre's regime after repeated disturbances there.

November 28, 2006 BBC
An immigration detention centre with a violent history including a death and repeated disturbances is getting worse, the prisons watchdog has warned. Chief inspector of prisons Anne Owers said Harmondsworth in west London was hard to run - but her report was the poorest ever on a removal centre. Detainees said they feared bullying, and staff were unaware of a special plan to prevent suicides. The Home Office said it would draw up a plan to improve the centre. The centre near Heathrow Airport is the largest in the country, handling thousands of people facing deportation every year. In 2004 a detainee committed suicide, sparking a major disturbance that led to its temporary closure. Since then, Harmondsworth has been at the centre of ongoing campaigns against detention of failed asylum seekers. In 2005, some 50 Zimbabweans held at the centre launched a hunger strike to try to force their cases back into the courts, saying they had been unfairly treated. In their July inspection, inspectors found: More than 60% of detainees felt unsafe Almost half (44%) said they had been victimised by staff Detainees described custody officers as aggressive, intimidating and unhelpful The report also criticised the management's over-emphasis on physical security and their strict control of all movements. These measures went as far as banning detainees from keeping nail clippers. At the same time, actions to prevent self-harm and suicide were weak, despite the commitment of one co-ordinator.

Campaigners against the detention of asylum seekers have begun a series of protests around the country.  The demonstrations came after two apparent suicides in removal centres, one of which led to disturbances.  Organisations backing the protests say they want to see an end to detention of people who have not been convicted of any crimes.  The demonstrations are taking place outside five institutions which have been used to hold asylum seekers.  On Monday 19 July, a Ukrainian asylum seeker was found hanged at Harmondsworth Removal centre, near Heathrow Airport. The man had been waiting a date for deportation.  The death sparked significant disturbances in the centre which detainees protesting against conditions.  (BBC, July 31, 2004)

The authorities finally regained full control of a detention centre today where a “significant disturbance” was sparked by the death of a detainee.  Up to 100 asylum seekers at Harmondsworth, near Heathrow, surrendered rather than face the power of specialist “tornado” teams of trained prison officers.  Fires were set and windows broken as trouble erupted at 11pm yesterday, just hours after a 31-year-old detainee was found hanged.  Harmondsworth was expected to be empty by later this evening as the detainees were moved to other immigration sites and prisons.  In a report last September, Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers said it was “failing to provide a safe and stable environment” for detainees.  (Scotsman, July 21, 2004)

Hundreds of detainees at an asylum centre, where a man's death sparked a serious disturbance are to be moved.  The trouble at Harmondsworth Detention Centre, which included fires being lit, started after the man was found hanging at 2000 BST on Monday.  The situation has "quietened right down" but a number of detainees are yet to be brought under control. Earlier, staff had to leave for their own safety.  In September last year Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers said the centre was an unsafe place for staff and detainees, despite hard work by staff.  And in May, at least 20 detainees staged a five-day hunger strike in protest against alleged abuses, including the physical treatment of those facing deportation, according to BBC sources.  (BBC, July 19, 2004)

McGill University, Montreal, Canada
November 26, 2007 The McGill Daily
At Macdonald campus’s Centennial Centre cafeteria, students can purchase a classic two-egg breakfast all day for just $4.20, taxes included. Though the cafeteria is a relatively small operation, it is run by Sodexho Inc., a massive multinational food services company that also operates private, for-profit prisons and detention centres. Sodexho’s presence at McGill is minimal compared to that of well-known food-service giant Chartwells, but with revenues exceeding $17.6-billion in 2005-2006, Sodexho is one of the largest food-provision companies in the world. Last year, “Correctional Services” accounted for two per cent of its total revenue. In an interview with Vancouver-based Stark Raven radio last month, Alex Friedmann, Associate Editor of the magazine Prison Legal News, explained that the nature of for-profit detention centres facilitates poor-quality meals and services for inmates. “[Companies’ that run private prisons] sole interest is to bolster their bottom line and to make profit for their shareholders,” Friedmann said. “If you have to do that by cutting corners, or by reducing benefits and wages paid to your staff…or by skimping on food portions or quality, then that’s what you do.” Sodexho has faced student boycotts since 2000, and recent reports reveal overcrowding and hunger strikes at its Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre in London, England. Friedmann said that professional corrections officials, like guards and wardens, understand the importance of food in prisons and the consequences it has on prison life, but that food-service companies like Sodexho – which make huge profits from corrections facilities – are not interested in the public good. “Their interest is not in the welfare or benefit of the public, the prisoners, or even their employees, really,” he said. Incidentally, the 2006 Corporate Responsibility Report from Sodexho’s U.K. and Ireland faction stated that just 54 per cent of its employees actually enjoy going to work. Similar reports from the last two years are filled with idyllic pictures, quotes from various executives championing Sodexho’s efforts toward sustainability and a greater diversity of employees, including affirmative actions plans. In April of 2005, however, Sodexho paid out an $80-million settlement after thousands of its African-American employees sued the company on charges of racial discrimination, citing the company’s utter lack of African Americans in high-ranking management positions. Boycott Sodexho -- Two years ago, students at Laval University started a “Boycott Sodexho” campaign in protest of the school’s decision to award a large food contract to the company instead of accepting the student union’s offer. Boycott Sodexho is still active, although according to member Fadi Maalouf, it now focuses on encouraging students to frequent the 14 student-run coffee shops as opposed to one of the eight larger Sodexho-run cafeterias. Maalouf explained that students were against the multinational corporation for reasons ranging from its high prices for mediocre food to its involvement in the U.S. military. “When the campaign was on campus, we were just giving information about Sodexho’s involvement in the [Iraq] warzone, and that was frustrating for students to learn,” Maalouf said. “They make millions of dollars and they cannot offer a good service to students?” In 2000-2002, students from 60 campuses across the United States and Canada formed the “Not With Our Money” campaign. They succeeded in prompting Sodexho to divest its eight per cent stock holdings from Correctional Corporations of America, which runs private prisons in the U.S. But Sodexho still owns private for-profit prisons, primarily in the U.K. – recent announcements on its web site boasts 20 and 25-year contracts to run prisons in Chile and Scotland, respectively – and it provides food and ancillary services for prisons around the world, including more than 450 in the United States alone, according to Friedmann. Prison atmosphere -- Rebecca Godderis, a PhD student at the University of Calgary who interviewed 16 prisoners as part of her research on food in prisons, echoed Friedmann’s comment about the significance of food, which can calm or excite inmates. She explained that food has a large impact on a prison’s atmosphere. “Food is a constant reminder of the lack of control that these prisoners have over their lives,” Godderis said, adding that one participant told her simply, “If the guys are well-fed, they’re more manageable.” Godderis did not comment about any specific corporations who run private prisons, but she maintained that because prisoners have very little recourse to take on mechanisms that control them, the general public should be concerned about what goes on inside the institutions. “[Prisoners] are very marginalized, very controlled, and that means we should be more attentive to them,” Godderis said. Representatives from Sodexho Inc. declined to comment for this piece.

Petersborough, Cambridgeshire
July 11, 2008 The Sun
THE most dangerous prison in Britain was last night revealed as Peterborough jail. There were 115 assaults on its warders and staff last year – more than two a week. The prison is run by private firm Kalyx, with an official capacity of 840 lags but currently housing 983. The Cambridgeshire nick is the country’s only purpose-built jail which holds both men and women. The disclosure came in official figures uncovered by Tories which show attacks on prison staff have rocketed as jails struggle to cope with record overcrowding. Inmates launched 2,916 assaults on warders last year – up 15 per cent in just four years. A total of 312 attacks were so bad they were reported to police. Of the ten jails with the most assaults, seven are seriously overcrowded. They include Birmingham which has a 1,121 capacity yet houses 1,451. Feltham Young Offenders Institution in Middlesex was second most dangerous with 107 assaults on staff. Shadow Justice Minister Edward Garnier said yesterday: “It is significant the highest levels of attacks on officers are in the most overcrowded prisons. “These figures clearly show the Government has both failed to provide enough room for prisoners – and failed to protect their staff.”

January 18, 2008 BBC
Privately-run prisons perform worse than those run by the public sector, a document leaked to the BBC suggests. The Prison Service papers include an internal "league table", which ranks all jails in England and Wales. It shows that most privately-managed prisons score badly on security and maintaining order and control. Prison governors want the government to re-think private management of prisons. But the Prison Service says private and public sector jails cannot be compared. BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said the report would re-open the debate about private sector involvement in prisons, at a time when private companies were bidding to fund and operate a series of new jails. A national table, ranking performance in six categories, showed that 10 of the 11 privately-run prisons in England and Wales were in the bottom quarter. Assessments 'subjective' -- Peterborough Prison, managed by a private firm for three years, came last out of 132 prisons and prison clusters, with low marks for reducing re-offending, organisational effectiveness and decency. The Prison Governors Association has called on the government to re-think its policy of involving private firms in the management of prisons. But sources within the private security industry said the findings shown in the documents were based on subjective assessments. The Prison Service said direct comparisons between the private and public sectors were "not appropriate" because some figures were counted differently. Privately-managed prisons, which were introduced to the UK in the 1990s, are assessed by HM Inspectorate of Prisons in the same way as public sector prisons.

January 31, 2007 BBC
A demonstration has taken place outside a privately-run jail in Cambridgeshire over the death of a female inmate. Lucy Wood, 28, died on 15 January 2007 at HMP Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. Bouquets of flowers were laid by protest organiser Pauline Campbell whose 18-year-old daughter Sarah died in Styal Prison in January 2003. Ms Campbell said the number of women committing suicide was unacceptable. A prison spokesman said any death in custody was a matter of deep regret. "We naturally offer our commiserations to Lucy Wood's family and friends. Used bedding: "The inquest has yet to take place and we are therefore unable to make any further comment," he said. Lucy Wood, serving two years for threatening to kill, was said to have used bedding to take her own life. "HMP Peterborough prisoner Lucy Wood was found in her cell apparently having attempted self-strangulation," a prison spokeswoman said. The demonstration on Wednesday at Peterborough prison was the 21st demonstration organised by Ms Campbell since protests began in 2004. Ms Campbell said she has been arrested 14 times on previous demonstrations and on Wednesday attempted to stop a prison van. "I am saddened and angry that yet another woman prisoner has died in the 'care' of the State'," she said. "It is of particular concern that Ms Wood lost her life while locked up by a private company, and her death also raises very serious issues about the dubious ethics of making profit out of punishment." "Thirty-four women prisoners have died [self-inflicted deaths] since my daughter's death in January 2003." HMP Peterborough which is run by Kalyx Ltd opened in 2005, and is a private jail accommodating both women and men.

June 1, 2005 BBC
Inmates at a new mixed prison in Cambridgeshire are to be offered massages and relaxation treatments. Operators of the 840-place Category B prison at Peterborough, United Kingdom Detention Services (UKDS), want to recruit two holistic therapists. Reflexology, aromatherapy and Indian head massage would be offered. Peterborough MP Stewart Jackson has accused the prison of pampering inmates and sending out the wrong message to hard-working families. Mr Jackson said: "It is wrong prisoners are treated in this way. Are they using it as a Butlins holiday camp? "Inmates should be taught the basic skills, such as reading and writing, to aid their rehabilitation."

February 20, 2003
Interserve PLC said it has closed a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract with the UK prison service to create and operate a new prison in Peterborough , Cambridgeshire.  Opening in early 2005, it will be the first purpose-built facility in the UK to accommodate both male and female inmates, it added.  It said Interserve Project Services will be responsible for the design and construction, beginning immediately, while partner United Kingdom Detention Services (UKDS) will operate the prison for 25 years from opening.  Interserve and other consortium members Sodexho Alliance (UKDS's parent company) and Royal Bank of Scotland are taking equity stakes in the project through their respective investment subsidiaries.   (AFX News)