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A4e
May 14, 2008 Politics.co.uk
A private company that took charge of education and training in eight Kent
prisons has terminated its contract a year early in the face of a hefty
financial loss. The company, A4e, described on its website as a "market
leader in global public service reform" won the three-year contract to
run Offenders' Learning and Skills Services (OLASS) in Kent, starting from
2006. The company was to work in partnership with the eight prisons to
develop tailored education and training for offenders. But it has now made a
shock announcement that it will be unable to run the service for the third
year of its contract (August 2008 to July 2009) because it stands to make a
loss of £892,000. The company has asked the Learning and Skills Council,
which oversees the OLASS programme, for a financial lifeline but is awaiting
a response. A4e has contracts to run offender learning and training at 24
other prisons in the South West, North West and East of England. Sally Hunt,
UCU General Secretary, said: "Running high-quality prison education and
training with professional staff does not come cheap as A4e has found out. "This sends a strong message to government:
bringing in private providers is not the solution to providing good quality
public services. "Our members are delighted to see the back of this
company although the future for their own employment is not clear. UCU will
do its utmost to protect jobs and terms and conditions for staff."
Altcourse Prison
Group 4 (formerly run by Global Solutions)
November
9, 2010 BBC
A dentist who tricked the NHS out of more than £300,000 by claiming twice for
working in a private jail has been jailed for two and a half years. John
Hudson, 58, admitted two counts of dishonestly retaining wrongful credit from
the NHS, and was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday. Hudson was
paid by HMP Altcourse but also claimed £307,000 over two years. Patients from
his practice at Whitworth near Rochdale, wrote
letters of support for him to the court. 'Blatant dishonesty' -- Judge Graham
Morrow QC said Hudson had been a pillar of the community in Whitworth, but
was guilty of "calculated, blatant and persistent dishonesty" in
taking money which should have gone for patient care. The court heard that
dental services at the privately-run jail near Liverpool were also privately
run. But Hudson exploited a weakness in the NHS system. When the NHS changed
the way it ran prison dental contracts in 2006 Hudson should have ticked a
box which stated he was already being paid privately at Altcourse. Box
ticking -- The prosecution said that when he did not tick the box he was
fully aware of what he was doing - effectively getting paid twice for the
same work. The dentist approached Liverpool Primary Care Trust about a
contract at the jail demanding £247,000 a year but accepting half that
figure. Despite lengthy negotiations Hudson never revealed his private
payments. The court heard he spent some of the money on holidays and
education fees for his three children, but he is also more than £40,000 in
debt and the NHS is suing him for £500,000.
October
5, 2010 Liverpool Echo
A PRISON dentist defrauded the NHS of more than £300,000 – and could now face
jail himself. John Hudson treated inmates at HMP Altcourse, in Fazakerley,
for more than two years. But the 58-year-old, who was paid £130,000 a year by
the private jail, wrongfully billed the NHS for the work. Between May 2006
and July 2008, £306,961 flowed into his NatWest bank account. At Liverpool
crown court yesterday, Hudson pleaded guilty to 27 counts of dishonestly retaining
wrongful credit. Judge Graham Morrow QC granted the dentist unconditional
bail, but warned him he could receive a custodial sentence when he returned
to court on November 9. It was also alleged Hudson cheated East Lancashire
primary care trust out of £32,000 at his private practice in his home town of
Whitworth, Rochdale. Hudson denied those two offences and five further
charges of dishonestly retaining wrongful credit of £65,385 from the NHS over
four months between August and December 2008. Kevin Slack, prosecuting, told
the court he did not think it would be in the public interest to pursue those
charges.
December
17, 2009 Liverpool Daily Post
A LIVERPOOL prison is among five in the country allowing its inmates to
watch satellite television. More than 4,000 prisoners enjoy the privilege in
private jails nationwide. Altcourse Prison, in Fazakerley, is among the
contractor-run prisons allowing access to a “limited number” of satellite
channels. The number of prisoners allowed to watch
satellite varies according to behaviour. But Justice minister and city MP
Maria Eagle revealed the number was currently around 4,070. The Garston MP
was responding to a written question from Tory MP Philip Davies. She said no
inmates in public sector jails have access to satellite in their quarters.
But they do at Altcourse and other GS4-run prisons in South Wales and
Warwickshire. The other private prisons offering satellite television are run
by Serco in Staffordshire and Nottingham. Ms Eagle said: “In these
establishments, satellite television in cells is generally only available to
prisoners on the enhanced or standard level of the incentives and earned
privileges scheme.” There are 84,500 prisoners in England and Wales, meaning
around one in 20 has access to satellite TV.
November
5, 2009 Liverpool Echo
PRISONERS in a Liverpool jail are commanding their organised crime
empires using mobile phones. A damning report into HMP Altcourse slams the
authorities for not investing in jamming technology that would make mobiles
obsolete. Independent inspectors say prison officers at the jail have to
conduct laborious yard searches and intelligence gathering exercises in vain
attempts to crack down on the phones. The Independent Monitoring Board (IMB)
– a national body which inspects prisons for the Government – says buying a
signal deviator is an “urgent requirement”. Its report adds: “This Board is
tired of being fobbed off with excuses from the prison service and ministers
alike concerning the progress as to installation of mobile phone deviators.”
An IMB spokesman also said: “The current situation is having profound
implications, particularly in terms of allowing prisoners the opportunity to
organise both the availability of drugs within the prison and to control
criminal activity outside the prison.” The situation is becoming more
critical as inmates are better connected than ever as handsets get more
high-tech. Altcourse inmates could use web-enabled smartphones to transfer
money, the IMB warns. The category B jail, which has a maximum capacity of
more than 1,320, is run by private outfit G4S. Some of the prison officers
there are represented by the Prison Officers Association (POA). POA spokesman
Glynn Travis told the ECHO: “I believe deviators should be used. There would
be no need for mobile phones within the establishment at all. “It would stop
the drug trafficking, the bullying and the violence that goes with the mobile
phones.” He said they are also used to taunt victims and their families. Mr
Travis said mobiles are hot property inside and are worth up to £200 and can
be rented out for £150. But they are contraband and if a rented mobile is
confiscated owners often dish out harsh punishments and fines – on top of
those handed out by the prison authorities. Mr Travis added: “It’s a real
problem. On average there’s one mobile for every 10 prisoners. “If every cell
was fitted with a phone, would prisoners use it? No – because they want to
use them for illicit activity.” The IMB report also expressed concerns about
the transfer of inmates to Altcourse from the West Midlands. There has been
an influx from HMP Hewell, in Redditch, to ease overcrowding. Around half
have been near the end of their sentence, which the IMB says shows little
regard for their “human care”. Altcourse also houses around 120 foreign
criminals. But some of them are being kept there well over the end of their
sentence as immigration papers are processed. The IMB say they deserve a more
“humanitarian service”. A Prison Service spokesman said: “We thank the IMB at
HMP Altcourse for their report which is being fully considered by ministers.
We will be responding in due course.” A spokeswoman for G4S added: “It’s up
to the Ministry of Justice whether they give deviators to prisons. We just do
the best we can to try to stop mobile phones coming in with searches and the
like.”
April
28, 2008 BBC
A man accused of raping an 18-year-old woman has died after apparently
hanging himself in his cell. Mathew Le Cras, 21, of Newborough on Anglesey,
was taken to hospital on Thursday from Liverpool's Altcourse jail where he
was being held on remand. Doctors are thought to have switched off his
life-support machine. He had been charged with the rape of the woman near
Gaerwen and had been due at Mold Crown Court for a preliminary hearing on
Friday. A spokesman for GSL, which runs the private jail, confirmed Mr Le
Cras had died. He had been held at Altcourse prison for a week He is thought
to have been found by a prison officer.
April
27, 2008 Daily Post
A 21-YEAR-OLD man accused of raping an 18-year-old woman on Anglesey has
died. Matthew James Lecras, of Church Street, Newborough, was rushed to
hospital early on Thursday, hours before he was due in court. A spokeswoman
for Global Solutions Ltd, the private company which runs Altcourse Prison,
Liverpool, where he was being held, said that Lecras had been found in his
cell by a member of staff during a routine check. Lecras was being held on
remand accused of raping a woman at Gaerwen on April 14. The hearing at Mold
Crown court continued in his absence on Friday after the judge heard he was
seriously ill in hospital.
April
26, 2008 Daily Post
A 21-YEAR-OLD man accused of raping an 18-year-old woman on Anglesey was in a
critical condition last night in hospital. Matthew James Lecras, of Church
Street, Newborough, was rushed to hospital early on Thursday, hours before he
was due in court. A spokeswoman for Global Solutions Ltd, the private company
which runs Altcourse Prison, Liverpool, where he was being held, said that
Lecras had been found in his cell by a member of staff during a routine
check. It is unclear why he had to be taken to hospital. The spokeswoman
said: “He is in a life threatening condition in hospital and an investigation
into the circumstances is underway.”
March
26, 2006 Wales on Sunday
A WOMAN whose husband threatened to kill her then committed suicide in jail,
is fighting his corner for the sake of their young daughter. Vowing to sue
the private prison where her mentally ill ex hanged himself in the days
following their divorce, Karen Crabtree wants justice for their four-year-old
girl "who has lost her daddy". The Llandudno mum-of-one was
devastated last summer when Altcourse Prison in Liverpool told her Lee was
dead. The troubled 32-year-old - who believed Karen was the devil - was found
hanging from a bunk bed by a fellow inmate's shoelaces in July.
March
23, 2006 BBC
An inquest has heard of concerns of a prison officer and a cellmate for
the mental health of a remand prisoner, who was later found
hanged in his cell. Lee Crabtree, 32, from Llandudno, had been placed on
suicide watch at Altcourse Prison, Liverpool, last
July. He was seen several times by medical staff during his time in prison.
His cellmate said that he was "depressed to death". The inquest in
Liverpool continues on Thursday. Mr Crabtree was discovered in a cell on
"Beachers Block", the unit which normally holds remand prisoners
and young offenders. The inquest heard how prisoners on suicide watch are
supposed to be placed with cellmates, but Mr Crabtree was alone on the day he
died because his cellmate was in court. In a statement, his cellmate Raymond
Smith said Mr Crabtree was "depressed to death," and "sick in
the head". He added: "He had said the devil was playing games with him
and that he was being tested."
September
23, 2005 BBC
Ten prisoners who rioted after they claimed guards tried to lock them up
early on New Year's Eve have been sentenced by a court. The men caused damage
costing £17,500 after barricading themselves inside a wing at Altcourse
prison in Liverpool. They staged a sit-in protest after guards attempted to
lock them up for the night on 31 December 2004. Mr Davies said the prisoners
took over the wing for more than four hours before a team of 50 officers,
known as the Tornado Team, took back control. The prison wing had descended
into chaos with inmates smashing windows, destroying pool tables and lighting
fires.
September
2, 2005 BBC
An investigation is under way following the death of a remand prisoner in a
hospital, the Prison Service has said. Robin Spavold, 44, from Llandudno,
North Wales, was held at HMP Altcourse in Liverpool on 18 August after being
charged with criminal damage. He was taken to the prison's health centre
because he was suffering from severe bruising. Mr Spavold was transferred to
the nearby Fazakerley Hospital, and died on Thursday. He suffered a cardiac
arrest.
August
16, 2005 Daily Post
PRIVATELY-RUN Altcourse Prison has been named the most overcrowded in the
country with figures showing that last month it held 50% more inmates than it
was designed to hold. According to Home Office statistics, more than 933
prisoners were crammed into the Fazakerley jail, which was built to
accommodate 614. The figures show that Altcourse was full beyond even its
safe over-crowding limit of 903. Anything above that limit is considered a
serious risk to "good order and security" Last night Walton MP
Peter Kilfoyle, who has both Altcourse and Walton prisons in his
constituency, said: "There has to be a suspicion that in a private
prison such as Altcourse, the more prisoners they take in, the more money
they get.
July 13, 2005 BBC
An inquiry has been launched after two men were found hanged in their cells at
a prison in Liverpool. Lee Jason Crabtree, 32, from Llandudno, Conwy, was
found dead on Monday at HM Prison Altcourse. David Oakes, 25, from
Warrington, Cheshire, was found on Tuesday. The two deaths are not thought to
be linked. The privately-run jail has recently been praised by prison
inspectors for its good environment and work with mentally ill inmates. But
the report, by the Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers, also highlighted
bullying among prisoners and criticised procedures for inmates' first night
in jail.
Ashfield Prison
Serco (formerly known as Premier)
February
16, 2012 The Guardian
A huge increase in the use of force to restrain teenage boys at a privately
run young offender institution has been sharply criticised by the chief
inspector of prisons. Nick Hardwick says the nine-fold rise in the use of
force in the past year at the Serco-run Ashfield young offender institution
from an average of 17 times a month to 150 times a month is "extremely
high". The chief inspector has warned the private prison managers at
Ashfield, near Bristol, that force must only be used as a last resort where
there is an immediate risk to life or limb and not simply to obtain
compliance with staff instructions. But when the prison inspectors went into
Ashfield last October they found that more than 40% of the teenage inmates
had been restrained and the most frequent reason given in five out of the six
preceding months was "failure to obey staff instructions". Penal
reformers said the disclosure has "chilling echoes" of the death of
15-year-old Gareth Myatt, who died while being restrained at a
Northamptonshire young offender institution in 2004. The inspection report on
Ashfield published on Friday also says there are serious problems with the
late delivery of offenders from court despite a new private escort company,
GeoAmey, with inmates delivered from court to Ashfield on one recent occasion
between 11pm and 3am. All new arrivals were also strip-searched even though
few items of contraband were ever found. The inspectors say this practice
should stop.
August
10, 2011 Gazette
Police were also called to Ashfield Young Offenders’ Institution in
Pucklechurch following reports of disturbances there. Prison officers dealt
with a "small scale incident of disobedience" involving several
inmates according to a statement from Serco, the company which runs the unit.
A spokesman said: "Some minor damage has been caused, but the situation
has been contained and the centre is secure," a Serco spokesman said.
Avon Fire and Rescue Service were called out at 7.49pm but were stood down as
they were not required to attend the scene.
August
20, 2009 Public Finance
Children detained in prisons and young offenders institutions are exposed to
such ‘dire conditions’ that they are living in ‘modern day dungeons’,
according to a hard-hitting report by the Howard League for Penal Reform. The
report, published on August 17, paints a picture of ‘extraordinary squalor
and institutional brutality’, with children regularly denied access to showers,
toilets and outside exercise areas. Detained children are also often subject
to strip searches by adult staff and many institutions fail properly to
undertake required assessments, plans and reviews. Frances Crook, director of
the Howard League, said: ‘We keep children smelly and dirty, idle and
frightened, bored with education and cooped up in modern-day dungeons. And we
expect them miraculously to pupate into responsible citizens. In reality,
these young people leave prison more damaged and more dangerous than when
they first went in. It is frankly shocking that we treat children in this way
in the twenty-first century.’ At Ashfield prison in Gloucestershire, which is
run by Serco, children were routinely given bags to urinate in instead of
being allowed toilets on their journey to the prison, the report found. At
Castington jail in Northumberland, children were allowed showers only twice a
week and seven young people suffered broken wrists after being handcuffed. A
Ministry of Justice spokesman said: ‘Work is continuing on raising the
quality of the services provided and developing new initiatives that will
help further ensure positive outcomes for all the young people.’
April
13, 2009 This Is Bristol
The privately-run Ashfield Young Offenders Institution has more attacks
than any other prison in the country, according to latest figures. The
institution, near Pucklechurch, recorded more than 600 attacks on inmates in
one year – the highest number of all the UK's 142 jails. Ashfield also had
126 assaults on prison officers, latest figures released by the National
Offender Management Service show. But Serco, the firm which runs Ashfield,
said the figures to July 2008 were high because it recorded every incident,
including minor skirmishes, while other prisons only recorded the most
serious attacks.
March
19, 2003
Premier's Ashfield "worst" prison in England and Wales.
(News). Plans to extend the role of private providers in prison
services suffered a setback this month when a PFI jail for young offenders was
described as the worst in the country. An inspection found that
conditions at Ashfield, near Bristol, were so bad that many inmates were
frightened to leave their cells. Under pressure staff relied on inmates to
act as "mini-officers" in the reception wing, and escort van
drivers were used as officers on other wings. Staff delegated
responsibility to inmate orderlies to a worrying extent that went as far as
"role reversal". Martin Narey, the director-general of the Prison
Service, described privately run Ashfield as the worst prison in England and
Wales "by some measure". But he added: "The introduction
of the private sector into the running of prisons has brought immense
benefits. My best prison is probably a private-sector prison."
Ashfield is a 44m [pounds sterling] prison holding up to 400 sentenced young
offenders aged between 15 and 21. It is run by Premier Custodial Services, a
joint venture company owned 50% by Serco Ltd and 50% by Wackenhut Corrections
(UK) Ltd, under a 25-year PFI contract. The criticism came only days
after the chancellor, Gordon Brown, said there should be "no principled
objection" to further extending the private sector's role in prison
management. The failings in Premier's operation of Ashfield were exposed in an
inspection report by Anne Owers, the chief inspector of prisons. Describing
her report as "depressing" she found that bullying was rife and
that many inmates were "afraid to leave their cells". A
spot-check revealed that nearly half of the inmates remained in their cells
during the day, and less than a quarter were in education. Owers said a
central problem was the poor quality and low morale of staff because of the
inadequate salaries paid by the company. She also criticised the
company for its unwillingness to do anything not in the contract. Speaking on
BBC Radio 4's Today programme on 5 February, Narey said that Premier has lost
around 2m [pounds sterling] in revenues so far. It is the second time
that Premier has been warned over its performance at Ashfield in recent
years. In December 2001, the company was issued with an improvement notice
for noncompliance with the PFI contract. At the time it had the most reported
incidents of self-harm in the 15-17-year age group of any young offenders establishment in the UK. Under the terms
of Premier's contract--and normal under PFI deals in the prison sector--the
banks that financed the prison's construction decide whether they choose
another private operator or allow the public sector to take over. Local
Northavon MP Steve Webb (Liberal Democrat) said the private sector had failed
to deliver on even the most basic aspects of the contract. "It is time
that the Prison Service took the management of Ashfield back under its
control," he said.
February
5, 2003
The reputation of the private sector as a manager of prisons suffered a blow
yesterday when the government's Youth Justice Board announced it was
withdrawing all sentenced juveniles from the first privately run young
offenders' institution. The board
announced its phased withdrawal of 172 young offenders after the chief
inspector of prisons published a scathing report on conditions at the
Ashfield young offenders' institution near Bristol . Anne Owers said Premier Prison Services,
Ashfield's operator, failed to provide "the minimum requirements of a
safe environment". Describing her
report as "probably the most depressing" she has issued in the 18
months she has been in post, Ms Owers found that bullying was not addressed
and that many young people were "afraid to leave their cells". A
spot-check during her inspection revealed that nearly half of the young
inmates remained in their cells during the core day, and less than a quarter
were in education. There was no
effective resettlement strategy. Ms
Owers said one of the main underlying problems at Ashfield was the poor
quality and low morale of staff because of inadequate salaries paid by the
operator. Some officers at Ashfield
had not undergone an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check, which is meant
to provide better protection against pedophiles. The Prison Officers' Association, which has
always been opposed to privatisation, called for Ashfield to be taken
immediately into public ownership.
Brian Caton, the union's general secretary, said Ashfield provided evidence
of the "immorality of running private prisons with the emphasis on
making profit rather than running a good service on behalf of
society". Juliet Lyon, director
of the Prison Reform Trust, said the "utterly damning report"
raised questions as to why the Prison Service had allowed such a situation to
develop in the first place. (Social Affairs Correspondent)
BBC
Aramark, Serco
August 22, 2011 Daily Mail
ALL the old jokes about the BBC canteen are true – and it’s no laughing
matter. For years the grub provided cheeky material for stars including
Ronnie Corbett, Peter Sellers, Terry Wogan and Les Dawson. Sellers quipped on
the Goon show in 1954: “Lunch is now being served in the BBC canteen. Doctors
are standing by.” And Wogan regularly refers to his Beeb tea as “the evil
brew”. Now, following a Freedom of Information request, the Mirror can reveal
things seems to be as bad as ever. More than 130
staff have moaned about catering at TV Centre in the
last two years. One claimed to have found animal droppings in a sandwich. He
wrote: “I could have been poisoned.” A colleague said he saw a mouse run
across the serving counter at breakfast. He said: “It fair put me off the
scones.” Another wrote: “Fingers crossed that this time I’d find some meat in
the lamb stew. Alas it was not to be.” Gripes about the canteen and other
cafes in the West London centre included “dust-dry” toast, “undrinkable”
coffee and “shameful” service. And there was an outcry when the Beeb
announced it was closing a popular “greasy spoon” van used by workers at
nearby Shepherd’s Bush. Catering firm Aramark, which serves 4,500 meals a
day, said the complaints represented a tiny percentage. Chief executive
Andrew Main insisted: “Most of the feedback we get is entirely positive.”
May
23, 2010 The Daily Telegraph
Under the scheme, the publicly-funded broadcaster handed over footage to
inmates who earn just £30 a week rather than members of its own 23,000 staff.
Convicts at a privately run Category B jail, the second-highest security
level, transferred tapes of old television shows to computer to save them for
posterity. Senior staff in the BBC’s archives department visited the jail to
watch the work in progress while meetings were held to discuss a landmark
deal for the prisoners to digitise all 1million hours of programmes in its
vaults. Fearful about the controversy the scheme could cause, the BBC never
discussed it publicly and even the broadcasting union, Bectu, was unaware of
it. Details were obtained by this newspaper through a Freedom of Information
request that took more than four months rather than the usual 20 working
days. The BBC insists that it has not given any money to Serco, the private
jail operator, for the secret scheme nor signed any contracts, following the
pilot project last year. However emails disclosed by the corporation show
that it had shown considerable interest in the innovative project proposed by
Serco, which runs four prisons in England. The BBC owns more than 1m hours of
historic content, some of it decades old and at risk of being lost. It
employs 66 people to look after it, at a cost of £5m a year, in its
Information and Archives department. The corporation estimates it would take
10 years to safely copy all 100m items in its collection into longer-lasting
digital formats. In December 2008 it was approached by Serco to become
involved in Artemis – Achieving Rehabilitation Through Establishing a Media
Ingest Service – a new project for prisoners to transfer archive documents to
computers. Serco said it would provide “high-quality employment” and the
chance of an NVQ qualification for inmates and HMP Lowdham Grange, a
628-capacity jail near Nottingham all of whose inmates are serving at least
four years. The firm said this would mean it could provide a “stable work force”.
The BBC was told it would prove a “very cost-effective” way of digitising its
archive, and several meetings were organised to discuss plans. Managers
agreed to hand over 20 hours of old videos, including episodes of Horizon and
Earth Story, so prisoners could transfer them to computer and also add
“meta-data” – typed detailed descriptions of the footage to help producers
search through it more easily. The British Library and National Archives also
provided material for the pilot project. In September last year, five members
of BBC staff visited the jail, where a production workshop had been built,
and were reported to be “pleased” with what they saw of the prisoners’ work
and enthusiasm. However David Crocker, the driving force behind the scheme at
Serco, admitted: “The major concern was around the potential negative
newspaper headlines that the BBC may attract.” The company did discuss the
scheme with one newspaper and one trade magazine but made no reference to the
BBC’s involvement. In November, Mr Crocker told the BBC: “I can’t thank you
enough for finding a project for us to kick-start Artemis.” He said his staff
were drawing up “terms of reference” and would then “cost the project” of a
full-scale digitisation of the BBC’s archive. However no deals have yet been
signed. The BBC said: “The BBC did hold discussions with Serco about their
planned project to digitise archives. As part of this the BBC, alongside
other organisations, provided some material for Serco to use as part of its
feasibility study for the project. “No payment was made to Serco as part of
this, nor was any guarantee or promise of work entered into. “The BBC has no
plans to work with Serco to digitise its programme archive and has not come
to any agreements nor signed any contracts with any firms about utilising the
prison workforce on any project.”
Bicester Detention
Center
Oxford, UK
Group 4
June 11, 2008 Mail on Sunday
The Home Office squandered £29million of taxpayers' money on a flagship giant
asylum centre which was never built - including hiring in a 'financial
advisor' who charged almost £16,000 a month. A scathing report from MPs
exposes a catalogue of costly blunders and lambasts the failing department
for a 'startling absence of common sense' in one of its most embarrassing fiascos
of recent years. Seven years after officials started working on the ambitious
plans to house thousands of asylum seekers on a former RAF station at
Bicester, Oxfordshire, the site remains empty and derelict with 'no benefit'
to the taxpayer. Vast sums were paid to consultants, private advisors and
contractors and when ministers pulled the plug on the entire project in 2005
they were forced to hand over millions more in cancellation fees. Officials
failed to understand how fierce local opposition and legal challenges would
drag out the process, and made no attempt to plan for future uses of the site
or the risk that other immigration policy changes would scupper the scheme.
Last night the Home Office claimed the disaster had led to an 'overall positive
impact for the public' because officials had learned important lessons.
Former Home Secretary David Blunkett announced the scheme in 2001, as part of
a strategy to speed up and streamline the creaking asylum system by housing
applicants in a series of huge accommodation centres across the country.
Thousands were to be placed in the first centre at an isolated site outside
Bicester, but crucially it would not be secure and the immigrants would be
free to come and go as they pleased. The plans brought a storm of protests,
not only from local residents but also from refugee support groups who
claimed leaving so many asylum seekers to languish at a remote site, far from
any local community, was a disastrous plan. Planning inspectors rejected the
plans, but John Prescott used his powers to overturn their decision, further
infuriating locals. Finally ministers realised in 2005 that the centre was
unnecessary and unworkable, but not before almost £30million of public money
had been wasted. The PAC report reveals how the Home Office hired a Financial
advisor at a cost of £15,743 per month, and a procurement advisor who was
paid £15,559 per month, because no civil servants were judged to have the
right expertise. The pair, who have not been named,
were paid more than £1.1million for less than three years work, on top of
£6.3million paid out to consultants. MPs complained that the Home Office was
unable to show whether the highly paid consultants 'added value'. Private
contractors Global Solutions Limited were paid £7.6 for design work, but
claimed almost £8million in termination fees when the Bicester scheme was
axed. PAC chairman Edward Leigh said the project 'embodied lack of foresight,
poor business planning and a startling absence of common sense.' He said the
scheme was 'always going to provoke opposition in the local community' but
the Home Office took no account of that, or of
objections from refugee groups, and made no effort to make contact with local
interest groups or MPs to discuss objections. Nor did the department realise
- until it was too late - that a decline in the number of asylum seekers and
some success in speeding up the system meant the centre was increasingly
pointless. Last month the Home Office announced plans to build a secure
immigration detention centre on the Bicester site, although it will not be
open until 2012 at the earliest and will require planning permission. Shadow
Immigration Minister, Damian Green, attacked the Bicester debacle as 'a
symptom of long-term incompetence by immigration ministers, who failed to
notice that asylum numbers were dropping just when they were planning this
new centre. 'Their latest plan is to turn the derelict site into a detention
centre. I hope they have done their homework better this time.' A Home Office
spokesperson said: 'At the time, we believed accommodation centres to be the
right decision but as circumstances changed and the project was delayed, we
reviewed that decision. 'Our experience with this project has taught us some
important lessons, and this, along with the other improvements put in place,
has led to an overall positive impact for the public.'
November
8, 2007 The Guardian
A Home Office decision to abandon plans for an asylum accommodation centre
near Oxford because of local opposition cost it £28m, including
"termination payments" of £7.9m to the private contractor,
Whitehall's spending watchdog reveals today. The National Audit Office says
that some of the problems faced in trying to open Bicester accommodation
centre could have been foreseen - and money saved - if the Home Office had
worked in a "more coordinated and joined-up way". The report also
discloses that despite a four-year battle by local residents against the
project, it is still being considered whether the site can be used as a detention
centre for failed asylum seekers who face deportation. The plan to set up a
10-strong network of purpose-built accommodation centres holding 3,000 asylum
seekers was announced by the then home secretary, David Blunkett, at a time
when asylum applications were at a record high, as part of a plan to disperse
them from London and the south-east of England. Bicester was earmarked as one
of the first but it met fierce local opposition and planning permission was
not secured until November 2004. By then, the number of asylum seekers coming
to Britain had halved. The Home Office accounting officer advised that it was
no longer economically viable and the project was cancelled in June 2005. The
NAO inquiry found that £33m had been spent in total on the accommodation
centres, including £28m on Bicester alone. The report reveals that the
successful bid by GSL, formerly Group 4, for the contract to build the
750-bed centre for £59.9m was nearly £25m cheaper than the bid from rival
private security company UKDS. After the project was cancelled GSL was handed
"termination payments" of £7.9m. It had already been paid £7.6m for
design work. Edward Leigh, the chairman of the Commons public accounts
committee, said that £28m had been spent on "the asylum centre that never
was". Mr Leigh said: "The Home Office drove ahead with a project to
build a network of asylum accommodation centres without an eye on what was
happening to the numbers of those seeking asylum in the UK.
Birmingham Prison
Birmingham, UK
Group 4
Jan 9 2013 Birmingham Post
A new report into Birmingham Prison says staff morale has plunged since
privatisation – with guards also struggling to deal with rising numbers of
sex offenders. The Independent Monitoring Board released its first full
annual report since the 1,450 capacity HMP BIrmingham, in Winson Green, was
taken over by security firm G4S in October 2011. Major recommendations
include the need for extra capacity to deal with a ‘big increase’ in sex
offenders, the need to replace hospital beds first promised in 2008 and the
reduction of category D prisoners at the category B prison. The report, which
covers the period between July 2011 and June 2012, says: “The changes
(privatisation) have proved part of a difficult adjustment in culture, and it
is undoubtedly the case that some staff have not yet
fully accepted them. “The effect on staff morale across the prison has been
severe.” The report goes on to say that staffing problems have been
exacerbated by time owed and long and short-term sickness, which has averaged
at 40 and 24 days respectively. The Board said the Secretary of State needed
to “give urgent consideration to extra places in the system to accommodate
the growing number of sex offenders that are coming into the establishment
through the resolution of historical sex offence cases, growth of internet
pornography and more cases of rape being prosecuted. “Suitable numbers of
prison places need to be provided at establishments which can offer
appropriate rehabilitatory programmes for these offenders.” The report also
said the number of Category D prisoners is too high for the Category B
prison, which is an ‘inappropriate’ place to hold them. In June 2012 the
prison had 40 Category D prisoners. Other findings included poor use of the
library because of a lack of available staff to escort prisoners. The report
also highlighted problems with vermin, including rats, mice and cockroaches,
most noticeably in the kitchen, offices and on the wings. Yet the Board did
highlight some positive areas, including the conversion of J Wing to use as
the older prisoner and social care unit, a move which could be seen as a
‘model’ for other prisons. Pete Small, G4S, Director of HMP Birmingham, said:
“As the first prison to transfer from public to private management, HMP
Birmingham has faced many challenges and we are pleased that the Board has
recognised the efforts we have made to make the transition as smooth as
possible. “The Board’s report covers a 12-month period up to last summer, and
since that time action has taken to address many of the issues raised in the
report. ‘‘We have introduced effective and robust pest control measures;
ageing catering and kitchen equipment that we inherited has been replaced and
repaired; and with the provision of new all-weather pitches we have improved
the sporting facilities available to prisoners. “There are undoubtedly
challenges to overcome at Birmingham. “We continue to work closely with our
staff and their representatives to work through issues.”
January
23, 2012 BBC
A prison officer has been arrested by police investigating missing keys at
the privatised HMP Birmingham. Inmates were locked in their cells for almost
24 hours after a master set of keys went missing in October. West Midlands
Police confirmed that a man in his 30s was arrested in December and has been
released on bail while investigations continue. G4S, which runs the
privatised prison, said it was aware a member of staff was helping police
with their enquiries. The company said it would not comment further while the
matter was subject to an investigation. HMP Birmingham, in Winson Green, is
the first jail in the country to be transferred to the private sector.
October
21, 2011 BBC
Birmingham Prison inmates were locked in their cells for almost a full day
after a set of keys fitting every cell door went missing. Keys to the jail,
which was taken over earlier this month by private security firm G4S,
disappeared on Tuesday. The firm said all prisons had established contingency
plans for incidents of this nature and there was no risk to public safety.
The jail is the first in the UK to be transferred to the private sector. It
is not known if the keys have since been found or what action is now being
taken at the prison.
Bronzefield
Women's Prison
Ashford, West London
Kalyx (Sodexho)
September
22, 2009 The Sun
STAFF at a jail blasted for lax security were sent on a training day to learn
how to lock cells and gates. Bronzefield, Britain's largest private female prison, was fined an estimated £250,000 in the last two
years for more than 100 security breaches. The latest saw blueprints for an
extension at the Category A jail in Ashford, Middlesex, floating in the wind
after a bin bag burst. The crisis got so bad, employees were sent on a
training course in the nick - as some of the 465 cons chanted: "You
don't know what you're doing." Internal documents seen by The Sun
revealed blunders, including leaving cells and gates unlocked and escorting
the wrong prisoner to court. Prison director Helga Swidenbank called the level
of security breaches "unacceptably high" in one memo to staff. In
another, deputy director Charlotte Pattison-Rideout told officers:
"Failing to secure gates and doors increases the possibility of staff
assaults, hostage incidents and escapes." Shadow justice secretary
Dominic Grieve said: "It is an utter shambles." Kalyx, which runs
Bronzefield, said: "We have strict procedures and training in place to
ensure security measures are followed."
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.
Brook House
Sussex, UK
Group 4
July
12, 2010 The Guardian
Conditions at the privately run immigration deportation centre at Gatwick
airport are fundamentally unsafe, according to a damning report by the chief
inspector of prisons published today. Dame Anne Owers says that a year after the
opening of G4S-run Brook House immigration removal centre she and her
inspection team were disturbed to find one of the least safe immigration
detention facilities that had been inspected. Her report says bullying and
violence were serious problems at the time of their inspection in March and –
unusually for immigration detention centres – drugs were also a serious
problem. Those who were about to be deported or had been recalcitrant were
placed in two oppressive holding rooms, which are windowless and seatless. Owers says they should be decommissioned immediately. Many
of the 400 male detainees held at Brook House are ex-prisoners facing
deportation. A number of them told the inspectors their experience at the
removal centre was worse than their time in prison. "Our surveys,
interviews and observations all evidenced a degree of despair amongst
detainees about safety at Brook House which we have rarely encountered. At
the time of the inspection, Brook House was an unsafe place," says
Owers's report. Although the centre – which is built to the same standards as
a category B prison – is designed to hold detainees for no more than 72
hours, the report says the average time spent in Brook House is three months,
with one man having been there for 10 months. Its design as a short-term
holding centre meant there was insufficient activity or
education facilities. A significant number of staff left after an
outbreak of serious disorder in June last year when detainees started fires
and damaged one wing. "While many staff tried hard to maintain order and
control, many felt embattled and some lacked the confidence to manage bad
behaviour," says the report. "A number of staff reported feeling
unsupported by managers, detainees claimed that some
staff were bullied by more difficult detainees." The result was a
confrontational approach in the treatment of detainees with a high use of
force, separation often used as punishment, – which is against detention
centre rules – and restrictions on freedom of movement in an attempt to
combat violence. The report says force had been used to restrain detainees by
staff 78 times in the previous six months. The chief inspector said force was
generally used in line with approved techniques. However on one recent
occasion a detainee was moved to temporary confinement after urinating
through his door. The report says: "The officer's own record read: 'I
entered first with the shield. A was standing up by the table and I hit him
with the shield.' Another officer in the team had recorded that (officer N)
used the shield to hold the detainee against the table in the room. Detainee
folded his arms behind the shield." In a later incident in the same the
same officer N is recorded having used his shield to pin a detainee to his
bed. The chief inspector also details the use of the separation unit and
cites the case of a detainee who was taken to a psychiatric institution after
more than 80 days in separation for disturbed and disruptive behaviour.
"The challenges of opening a new immigration removal centre should not
be underestimated, particularly with inexperienced staff and challenging
detainees, many of them ex-prisoners," said Owers. "But none of
this can excuse the fundamentally unsafe state of Brook House, which must be
urgently addressed by G4S and United Kingdom border agency."
June
13, 2009 BBC
A fire was started and "disorder" broke out at a wing of an
immigration removal centre near Gatwick Airport, Sussex police said. Officers
said there were reports of minor damage and a blaze in the exercise yard at
Brook House, which houses 312 people awaiting deportation. No-one is believed
to be hurt and the fire is said to have burnt itself out. The force said
"disorder" involving 30 detainees started at about 2250 BST and was
confined to one wing. Officers were called in to support security firm G4S.
'No risk' -- G4S, with the help of HM Prison Service, currently manages the
welfare of detainees inside the centre, the police said. Ch Insp Ed Henriet,
of Gatwick Police, said: "Sussex Police is supporting the security
arrangements. All detainees are accounted for and there is no risk to the
wider community." A second fire, that was unrelated to the first,
according to a spokesperson for G4S, was also started by "one of the
detainees setting fire to his bedding" on Saturday afternoon. It was
extinguished using sprinklers and fire extinguishers. The spokesperson added
that a detainee who assisted in putting out the fire was "slightly
injured" and the fire had delayed some detainees being fed. The then
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith opened Brook House, which can house up to 426
people, in March. It is situated next to Tinsley House, a 136-bed detention
centre.
Brixton Prison
Securicor
June
11, 2003
Companies like Securicor and Group 4 were first awarded contracts to carry
prisoners between jails and courts 10 years ago. Since then, several of
their charges have escaped either from courts or from vans en route.
(BBC News)
June 10, 2003
Three prisoners are on the run after escaping from a security van during an
armed hijack in south London. Armed men reportedly disguised as postmen
stopped the Securicor van, shooting the driver in the knee and hitting a
guard with a gun. A Prison Service spokesman said: "The driver was
threatened by a man with a shotgun who proceeded to shoot the driver in the
knee through the door of the van. "The other security staff on
board, the passenger, was pistol-whipped. (BBC News)
Castle Crown Court
Global
Solutions Limited
August
5, 2004
A WORKINGTON man who admitted a series of sex offences against a teenage girl
slashed his forearm moments later in the cells at Carlisle Crown Court, it
has emerged. But just minutes after the judge presiding over the case
warned the 35-year-old that a prison sentence was inevitable, Carruthers used
a prison razor blade to cut his arm. (News and Star)
Campsfield
Immigration Removal Centre
Oxford, England
GEO Group (formerly run by Group 4, Global Solutions)
October
5, 2011 Oxford Mail
EFFORTS to improve conditions for detainees at Campsfield House immigration
removal centre have stalled, according to inspectors. Chief Inspector of
Prisons Nick Hardwick said not enough had been done to deal with problems –
particularly in healthcare and education – raised by his predecessor Dame
Anne Owers after an inspection of the UK Borders Agency centre in Kidlington
two years ago. His officials made an unannounced three-day inspection in May,
shortly before operation of the centre – which houses about 200 people –
passed from Geo Group to Mitie on May 30. The inspectors praised the way
newly-arrived detainees were supported, said detainees felt safe and there
was little bullying or use of force, noted relationships between staff and
detainees were satisfactory, work placement arrangements had improved and
access to phones and email was good. But they said there were “significant
weaknesses in healthcare services”, education provision had not improved,
decisions to place detainees in the separation unit were not always properly
authorised and better interpreting services were needed, along with more
notices in foreign languages.
August
5, 2011 The Guardian
Separate investigations into three deaths in immigration removal centres
(IRC) in the past month have been launched by the police, amid growing
concern about the treatment of detainees. The spate of deaths has caused
alarm among critics of the government's detention policy, who warn that the
system is at "breaking point" with poor healthcare putting people's
lives at risk. Two men died from suspected heart attacks at Colnbrook near
Heathrow airport and the third killed himself at the Campsfield House
detention centre in Oxfordshire on Tuesday. John McDonnell, Labour MP for
Hayes and Harlington, who has two detention centres including Colnbrook in
his constituency, said he feared there would be more deaths as the system
struggled to cope with the number of people being detained. "The
government is now detaining people on such a scale that the existing services
are swamped," he said. "It is inevitable if we put the services
under such relentless strain that there will be more deaths as a result … we
are dealing with people who are extremely stressed and extremely vulnerable
and the services are not able to cope and not able to guarantee their
safety." The first man who died was Muhammad Shukat, 47, a Pakistani
immigration detainee who collapsed at around 6am on 2 July. His roommate
Abdul Khan says that in the hours before he died Shukat was groaning in
agony, had very bad chest pains and was sweating profusely. Khan, 19, from
Afghanistan, said he began raising the alarm around 6am and pressed the
emergency button in the room 10 times in a frantic effort to get help. Khan
claimed that on three occasions members of the centre's nursing team entered
the room and found Shukat on the floor where he had collapsed. Khan said they
put him back into bed, took his temperature and some medicine was
administered, but did not call emergency assistance immediately. According to
Khan, the nurses initially said that Shukat could go to see the centre's
doctor at 8am. According to the London Ambulance Service, Colnbrook staff
called an ambulance just before 7.20am. Attempts were made to resuscitate
Shukat, but he was pronounced dead on arrival at Hillingdon Hospital. A
postmortem found the provisional cause of death to be coronary heart disease.
Shukat's body has been returned to Pakistan and his family
are understood to have no concerns about the medical treatment he
received. The second man to die at Colnbrook has not yet been named. According
to the Metropolitan police he was 35 and was found dead in his cell at
10.30am last Sunday. London Ambulance Service officials pronounced him dead
at the scene. "A postmortem held on 1 August found the cause of death to
be a ruptured aorta. The death is being treated as unexplained," said a
police spokesman. Colnbrook IRC is managed by Serco. In a statement to
detainees about Shukat's death, deputy director at Colnbrook, Jenni Halliday,
described her "deep regret" and extended her condolences. In a statement
to detainees about the second Colnbrook death, Serco's contract manager,
Michael Guy, informed detainees that a resident in the short-term holding
facility had died and that the death was thought to be from natural causes.
On Tuesday, a 35-year-old man hanged himself in the toilet block at
Campsfield House detention centre in Oxfordshire. A fellow detainee, who
refused to give his name, said the man had been hours away from being
deported and had become very anxious. "He was normally a very quiet person
… but the pressure is too much for people in here." It is understood the
man had only been at the centre for a few days before he died. The Home
Office refused to give any more details saying his extended family had yet to
be informed. Emma Ginn, from the campaign group Medical Justice, said the
deaths had heightened concern about the poor healthcare on offer to those
being kept in UK detention centres. "Based on medical evidence from many
hundreds of detainees, Medical Justice has documented the disturbingly
inadequate healthcare provision that often vulnerable immigration detainees
are subjected to in Colnbrook and other immigration removal centres... [this] combined with the perilous and frightening
conditions of detention, is a lethal cocktail, a disaster waiting to
happen." The UK Border Agency declined to comment on the specific
circumstances of each case. It said the police and the Prisons and Probation
Ombudsman always investigated deaths in immigration detention centres and it
would be inappropriate to comment until these were complete. David Wood,
director of criminality and detention at the UK Border Agency, said all
detainees at immigration removal centres have access to health services seven
days a week. "All detainees are seen by a nurse within two hours of
arrival and are given an opportunity to see a GP within 24 hours," he
added. "The health of all detainees is monitored closely, and the
healthcare professionals are required to report cases where it is considered
that a person's health is being affected by continued detention. "The UK takes its responsibilities seriously, which
is why we consider every case on its individual merits and will continue to
offer protection to those who need it. However, detention is an essential
part of our controls on immigration in the UK." A groundbreaking ruling
-- A man with severe mental illness was unlawfully locked up in a UK
detention centre for five months and subjected to inhuman or degrading
treatment, according to a high court ruling. The man, a 34-year-old Indian
national, was detained in Harmondsworth immigration removal centre between
April and September last year. On Friday a judge ruled that his treatment
amounted to a breach of article 3 of the European convention human rights.
The man's lawyer said the ruling – thought to be the first of its kind –
raised wider questions about how the government treats people with mental
illnesses in the immigration and detention system. "The court's decision
that my client suffered inhuman or degrading treatment at a UK detention
facility sends a very loud and clear message to the authorities," said.
"We would urge the minister to conduct a fundamental review into how
people suffering from mental illness are treated in the immigration detention
estate." The man, referred to as "S" in the ruling, had a
history of serious ill treatment and abuse before arriving in the UK. He
served time in prison for wounding and assault before being transferred to a
secure psychiatric hospital until his discharge in April 2010. Following his
release the UK Border Agency said there was "no evidence" he was
mentally ill and he was detained in Harmondsworth where his health
deteriorated and he began to have psychotic episodes and self harm. The high
court intervened and he was released on bail. His lawyers said he had been
living with his family since then and had fully complied with the conditions
of bail set by the court. In the ruling judge David Elvin said: "S's
pre-existing mental condition was both triggered and exacerbated by detention
and that involved both a debasement and humiliation of S since it showed a
serious lack of respect for his human dignity. It created a state in S's mind
of real anguish and fear, through his hallucinations, which led him to
self-harm frequently and to behave in a manner which was humiliating…" A
UK Border Agency spokesperson said: "We regularly review our detention
policies and will look at the findings in this case to ensure lessons are
learned. Detention is an essential part of our immigration control but we
recognise the importance of ensuring it remains appropriate on a case by case
basis."
August
3, 2011 BBC
A man has died whilst being held at the Campsfield House Immigration Removal
Centre in Oxfordshire. The BBC received a call from a fellow detainee
claiming an Asian man had hanged himself in the showers on 2 August. A
spokesperson from the UK Border Agency confirmed a man had died at the
privately run centre and was in the process of contacting his family. The
Police and Prisons and Probation Ombudsman are investigating the death.
August
3, 2010 Daily Mail Reporter
More than 100 men being held at an immigration centre are on hunger strike
today. The detainees last night refused their evening meal at the Campsfield
House immigration removal centre in Kidlington, Oxfordshire. Officials at the
UK Border Agency confirmed they were 'monitoring' the situation. Jonathan
Sedgwick, UKBA deputy chief executive, said: 'We can confirm 108 detainees
have refused prepared meals from staff yesterday evening. 'However they still
have access to food from the on-site shop and vending machines. 'Staff are
monitoring the situation closely and listening to the detainees' concerns.
'All detainees have access to legal representation and 24-hour medical care.'
Earlier this year a report by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers found
that the average lengths of stay for detainees at Campsfield appeared to be
increasing. It also found that some detainees were effectively being held
indefinitely because there was little prospect of removal, while education
provision was poor, particularly for the significant numbers of long-stay
detainees and those with little English. Campsfield is 'a long-term centre
where detainees are accommodated, pending their case resolutions and subsequent
removal from the United Kingdom.' The site has 216 beds for male detainees
and is run by contractor The GEO Group Ltd.
March
10, 2010 BBC
Some detainees held at Campsfield House immigration centre in Oxfordshire
are being detained for "excessive periods", according to an
inspector's report. Dame Anne Owers, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (HMCIP),
said the centre near Kidlington was making progress. But the inspector
expressed concern that average lengths of stay appeared to be increasing and
a lack of data obscured the scale of the problem. The UK Borders Agency
(UKBA) said it reviewed detention frequently. Campsfield House, run by GEO
Group Ltd, has had an unsettled recent history, with a number of high-profile
incidents and escapes.
May
18, 2009 Oxford Mail
DISTURBANCES at Campsfield House Immigration Removal Centre could be
reduced if detainees were given more to do, an independent body has claimed.
Campsfield’s Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) has just published its 2008 annual
report on the controversial Kidlington centre, which has a history of escape
attempts and violent incidents. IMB chairman Lieutenant Colonel Freddie
Cantrell said: “We believe that activities and education should be increased
to fully occupy the detainees. “There is nothing worse than boredom with a
detainee who really doesn’t know what his future is going to be. “This can
cause stress, and stress can lead to trouble and disturbances.” Lt Col
Cantrell — one of 10 IMB volunteers who check on treatment of inmates at the
centre — said detainees currently had 30 hours of formal education a week,
including lessons in English, art and computing, which was insufficient.] He
recommended the UK Border Agency review its contract for education provision
at the centre, which holds up to 216 detainees. The 61-page report also shed
new light on two major incidents which occured within days of each other in
June last year. On June 16, friends of a Jamaican man who was due to be
deported started fires in an education block, detainees’ rooms and in a
fitness suite. The education block was destroyed and a shop was looted. Three
days later, seven detainees escaped through a ground-floor window. Three of
those who went on the run are still at large. Referring to the escape, Lt Col
Cantrell said: “Of course it shouldn’t happen. “It means there is a weakness
in the security. Of course that has been rectified.” But he added: I don’t
think any establishment in the world is completely secure.” Other findings
included a plan to put televisions in each detainee’s room within months, and
the fact that paid work for inmates had doubled since the 2007 report was
published. The report said force was used by staff 34 times in 2008, up from
31 in 2007, but the occupancy was higher and as such there was a reduction in
the proportion of incidents where force was used. Handcuffs were used 11
times in 2008, the lowest level at the centre since 2005. The IMB also
recommended ensuring detainees’ property travelled with them when they were
transferred from police custody to the centre, and reviewing the way racial
complaints were investigated. A UK Border Agency spokesman said detainees had
access to a range of activities, and added the agency awaited recommendations
from a review of education provision. No-one at GEO Group UK Ltd, which runs
the centre, was available for comment.
December
3, 2008 Oxford Mail
Failed asylum seekers at Campsfield House Immigration Removal Centre used
the Internet to access “inappropriate content” on the web, it has emerged. A
report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) revealed the centre’s
200 plus detainees were accessing the worldwide web for up to an hour a day,
but “despite controls, arrangements to block access to inappropriate content
were not always effective”. Last night, a spokesman for HMIP could not detail
the nature of the inappropriate content, and chief inspector of prisons Anne
Owers was unavailable for interview. However, Ms Owers released a statement
which read: “Email and Internet access is an important, and cheap, way for
detainees to keep in contact with the outside world and relatives overseas.
It is, however, important to ensure that access is controlled. “The point of
the comment in the report is that there was a system of visual and spot
checks at Campsfield, but the most effective way of ensuring that access is
consistently controlled, which we have observed in other centres, is either
to have a filtering system, or for staff to have a monitoring screen on which
they can see exactly what all detainees are accessing.” Detainees first began
surfing the web in December last year and there were plans to create an
Internet cafe, HMIP revealed. Inspectors compiled the report after an
unannounced four-day inspection of Campsfield House, near Kidlington, in May
this year. The centre had “returned to normal” following a series of “major
disturbances” in 2007, which included two riots and a breakout by 26
detainees, the report said. However, the inspection took place a month before
another outbreak of violence and the escape of seven more detainees, and
those incidents were not mentioned. Inspectors also found detainees were
given pay-as-you go mobile phones on arrival at the centre, which the Home
Office said were returned whenever a detainee was removed. The report found
there was little evidence of bullying. The report also showed that the
average length of detention had more than tripled, from 14 days in December
2006 to 46 days. Bill McKeith, of the Campaign to Close Campsfield, said:
“The overall flavour of the report is quite critical. The Government claim it is a removal centre. A removal centre is a place
where people are placed briefly before they are removed — and 46 days is not
a brief stay.” A spokesman for the UK Border Agency would not be drawn on Mr
McKeith’s claims, and did not issue a reaction to the report. Nobody was
available for comment at GEO Group UK Ltd, which runs the centre. The
inspectors also recommended an investigation as to why there had been a 37
per cent turnover of custody officers in 12 months. The report also gave a
detailed breakdown of the nationalities and ages of the 202 detainees.
August
14, 2008 BBC
Thirteen Iraqi Kurds began fasting on Saturday in protest against
deportation and reports an Iraqi man killed himself after being deported from
the UK. The Home Office said the situation was "under control" and
no-one had collapsed from lack of food. The BBC has learned about 46 people
refused their evening meal on Wednesday. Some of the hunger-strikers are also
protesting against conditions at the centre. Earlier, Algerian detainee and
Aston University student, Redouane Messaoudi, 32, told BBC News he would
starve for as long as it took. He said he came to the UK nearly 10 years ago
and is married to a British woman, and lives with her and two young children
in Birmingham. "I am at university, I've paid so much money, I have been
working so hard to manage my life between the family and studies," he
said. Dashty Jamal, general secretary of the International Federation of
Iraqi Refugees, said the detainees were "victims of war and
violence" in Iraq. "They are not a criminal, they are
civilians," he said. "They arrived in this country because they
didn't have any other choice." Campsfield House, which holds some 200 asylum
seekers and foreign prisoners, has been the subject of a campaign to close
it. The Campaign to Close Campsfield group said other detainees joined the
strike in protest over conditions at the centre, where they said they were
being "treated like animals". The GEO Group, which runs the site
for the government, declined to comment.
June
19, 2008 Telegraph
Four detainees are on the run after escaping from a controversial
immigration centre that has been the scene of much unrest. Seven people
initially broke out of the facility although three were recaptured by police
shortly after the alarm was raised at 4 am. The break-out happened just five
days after a fire at the Campsfield immigration detention centre in
Oxfordshire. The blaze was in a communal room at the centre on Saturday
afternoon and around 20 detainees staged a rooftop protest. At the time,
detainees said tensions began simmering among Jamaican inmates at the 215-man
detention centre when staff brought dogs into their accommodation. In August
last year 26 detainees escaped from the centre in a mass break-out. A Thames
Valley police spokesman said that officers remained on the scene supporting
the Home Office in their efforts to bring the situation under control.
Superintendent Howard Stone said police were also working with the GEO Group
UK Ltd, which controls the privately run centre on behalf of the Immigration
and Nationality Directorate. "We are working with GEO as well as the UK
Border Agency to ensure everything is done to locate the missing detainees as
quickly as possible," he said. "However, I would ask that if
members of the public see anyone acting suspiciously and believes they may
have been involved in this incident to contact the police immediately."
GEO signed a three year contract with the Home Office to run the centre in
March 2006 with an option to extend it until 2011. A GEO spokesman said:
"Yes, it is correct there has been another outbreak at the detention
centre. We know who the escaped detainees are and the police are now working
to recapture them."
June
14, 2008 Daily Mail
A special prison service riot unit known as the Tornado Team was sent into a
controversial detention centre yesterday to quell a violent stand-off between
staff and illegal immigrants awaiting deportation. The 50 elite officers –
dressed in Robocop-style black boiler suits and helmets and carrying batons
and shields – marched into the Campsfield centre near Kidlington,
Oxfordshire, after an initial disturbance when several fires were started.
Crews from 15 fire engines tackled the blazes which caused thick black smoke
to billow from one of the detention buildings. The Tornado Team was supported
by about 50 police officers – some, equipped with riot gear and dogs, entered the camp while others secured the perimeter
as a police helicopter hovered overhead. All the 200 inmates were herded into
the camp’s exercise yard while fire crews took two hours to put out the
blazes and make the area safe. But the detainees, all men, then refused to
return to their buildings – creating another stand-off. At one point the
illegal immigrants could be heard violently hammering on the 25ft high steel
fence that surrounds the yard. A senior prison officer said outside: ‘No one
in there is going anywhere.’ The Home Office said last night: ‘The UK Border
Agency asked police for assistance and officers have secured the perimeter,
which has not been breached. 'Specially trained prison officers known as a
Tornado Team have been sent to the site in riot gear.’ Last August, 26
detainees escaped from Campsfield after a fire was started. But last night
all the men were believed to have been accounted for. Tornado Team members
are picked from serving prison officers and undergo four months of specialist
training. Their boiler suits are fire-resistant, as are their padded gloves
and steel-capped Army-style boots. Extra protection comes from plastic
protectors on their forearms and shins. Every officer carries an
American-style PR-24 sidearms baton. It can be used for defence, held along
the forearm, or to attack by using a protruding metal attachment which can be
spun round in confined spaces such as cells or corridors to keep assailants
at bay. As an additional precaution, squad members wear face protectors to
stop flames spreading under their protective suit. They use personal radios
to contact their head at the scene, who is known as
Silver Commander. He in turn takes orders from a Gold Commander, in charge of
the overall operation and based at the Prison Service headquarters in London.
Campsfield has been dogged with controversy since it was converted from a
youth detention centre to handle illegal immigrants in 1993. Last year alone,
there were two other disturbances not including the breakout. It is run by
the UK subsidiary of American company the GEO Group, which signed a five-year
contract in March, 2006. The Home Office said all the detainees were being
escorted back to their accommodation blocks by 7.30pm. A spokesman added:
‘The situation has calmed down. There has been no resistance from the
detainees to going back to their rooms. The operation is being wound down at
the site.’ A GEO spokesman was unavailable for comment last night.
June
14, 2008 The Times
Inmate disturbances and fires broke out this afternoon at a troubled
immigrant detention centre that has previously suffered riots, blazes and
escapes. Two plumes of smoke rose from the centre in Kidlington, Oxfordshire.
The problems at Campsfield House detention centre, which holds more than 200
foreign criminals and illegal immigrants, have prompted calls for its
closure. Thames Valley police were called in this afternoon to help the
security teams at the privately-run centre. A police helicopter hovered above
the centre, and the riot squad was put on standby. More than a dozen fire engines
have been attending the fire, and one detainee is said to have been
hospitalised with smoke inhalation. There have been no other injuries
reported at this stage. Campsfield House is managed by the Reading-based GEO
Group UK Ltd, on behalf of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate. It
has been beset with problems since it opened, and detainees rioted twice last
year. In March, fires were started and CCTV cameras smashed, after a detainee
was removed for deportation. Seven staff and two inmates were injured. A fire
in August allowed 26 inmates to escape - eight of them were still at large at
last report. All the escapees were foreign criminals, awaiting deportation.
In December, staff were forced to evacuate a block,
again after a detainee was removed. Other inmates wrongly believed that the
man, Davis Osagie from Benin in West Africa, had been murdered by prison
officers. Authorities moved 128 inmates to other detention centres after
December’s riot. David Pitman, who lives down the street from Campsfield,
said he saw smoke coming from the detention centre and heard the inmates
shouting. “This seems to happen more and more often,” he said. “Last time
there was trouble and the police hadn’t arrived on the scene so I had to
chase one of the escapees with a torch. “I have a young daughter and I worry
for her safety with these criminals running around free. Something needs to
be done about the security in there.” The centre’s independent monitoring
board criticised GEO for failing to prevent the rioting, despite being warned
after the first clash that the rioting could happen again. An audit report
this year, commissioned by the Border and Immigration Agency, disclosed
racism and tension in some of the country’s 10 immigration detention centres.
It found that officers at several centres had taunted detainees - describing
them as “black bastards” in one case - and found “turbulent” atmosphere in
some units. At Campsfield, it said, there was a “tense” environment
atmosphere where staff were afraid of detainees. One
member of staff said: “If this was white British people in here we would be a
lot stricter, it is because they are black people that we are afraid.”
November
26, 2007 Oxford Mail
Detainees at an immigration detention centre near Oxford have warned the
atmosphere is on a knife-edge as campaigners marked its 14th anniversary.
While protesters rallied outside Campsfield House, detainees spoke of a tense
atmosphere and warned of a new riot. Speaking to the Oxford Mail from inside
the centre in Kidlington, detainee Michael Sinclair said: "People are
not getting any justice in here. They have been talking about a riot.
"People have been plotting. I am frightened because you never know what
will happen - it is very dangerous." Father-of-five Mr Sinclair, whose
mother lives in Blackbird Leys, came to Oxford from Jamaica in 1999. He met
his wife, who lives in East Oxford with three of his children, in 2003 but
was unsuccessful in securing a spouse's visa and returned to Jamaica to
re-apply. His visa was refused again, and desperate to see his wife and
children, he returned to Britain on a false passport but was caught and
jailed in March. The 41-year-old has been detained in Campsfield House since
October and is currently facing deportation. Fellow detainee Rohan Walker,
27, said: "People are not getting any justice." When asked if he
thought another riot was likely, he said: "People have been talking
about that. You never know when it could happen." Around 50
demonstrators from the Campaign to Close Campsfield staged a two hour protest
outside the centre on Saturday afternoon. The group chanted and listened to
speeches. Member Bob Hughes, 60, said the centre was on the verge of serious
unrest. The university lecturer, from St Clements, Oxford, said: "It is
continuously on the boil. As far as we know the conditions are
dreadful." Mr Hughes said the anniversary of the centre, which opened on
November 23, 1993, made the current situation particularly troubling. Neither
The GEO Group UK, which runs the centre, or the Home Office, were available
for comment.
August
7, 2007 The Times
Ministers were warned less than two weeks ago that an immigration centre from
which 14 men are on the run was unsuitable for holding them. They were also
told that the policy of putting foreign prisoners in immigration centres
“bursting at the seams” presented a high risk that could trigger disorder.
Fourteen foreign prisoners are on the run after fleeing from Campsfield House
immigration removal centre during the second outbreak of rioting on the
premises in five months. The convicted prisoners, who were among 26 who
escaped from the centre run by GEO Group UK, had served sentences in jails
but were being held in the centre near Oxford while awaiting deportation. It
emerged yesterday that officials from the Home Office had met detainees at
the centre last Wednesday and Friday to discuss their grievances, including
overcrowded and squalid conditions, a high rejection rate for bail
applications and delays in repatriating migrants who wish to go home. But at
10.30pm on Saturday a fire broke out in a portable building at the centre
where food is prepared. The detainees took advantage of the disorder to break
out of the centre but 12 were recaptured soon afterwards, including a
Bangladeshi who approached the home of a prison officer and asked to be
hidden. Explaining that the search for the missing men has been scaled down,
a Thames Valley Police spokesman said: “We have not got large numbers of
officers on the ground searching for them any more. [But] we are still
looking for them and their identities have been circulated to all forces.” A
report into the earlier disturbance at the centre highlighted the risk that
the Home Office was running by placing prisoners in immigration centres,
which have much lower security than prisons. “The impact of foreign national
prisoners is the biggest external issue affecting Campsfield House. It is
putting the centre under great strain,” the report by Bob Whalley, a former
Home Office senior civil servant, said. At the end of May more than 50 per
cent of the 198 detainees in the centre were foreign prisoners. The inquiry
report cautioned: “The fabric is not suitable for foreign national prisoners.
It has none of the strength of a prison, nor does it offer any flexibility
for dealing with difficult incidents or detainees.” Staff had complained of
the large influx of foreign prisoners, “many with serious criminal
backgrounds and ‘streetwise’ in their experience of prison”, the report said.
It added that little was known about many foreign prisoners who arrived at
immigration centres. After serving time in jail many of the prisoners found
the more relaxed regime at Campsfield House disorientating. The report said
that some became manipulative or bullying. It cautioned: “Some will find the
dual pressure of further time in custody and uncertain date of release
frustrating, to the extent that, ‘with nothing to lose’, the temptation to
join in gratuitous disorder may prove too much. A concentration of
discontented detainees may prove so volatile that an otherwise innocuous
event may prove a trigger point for concerted disturbance.” The report said:
“There are several groups of foreign national prisoners presenting high risk
in terms of potential for disorder. There is little to inhibit them if an
opportunity to engage in wanton disorder presents itself. The greater their
frustration at the position, the greater the risk of disorder.” Damian Green,
the Tory immigration spokesman, attacked the Government for putting foreign
prisoners who were awaiting deportation into immigration removal centres. “We
need immigration detention centres as part of the process of removing people
who have no right to be here, but what we shouldn’t be doing is mixing up
immigration offenders with other criminals, and that’s where the big failure
lies.” Lin Homer, chief executive of the Border and Immigration Agency, said:
“We have recently looked at the regime in Campsfield and we are putting in
place a number of improvements with the centre operator.” Troublespot -- 1993
Campsfield centre opens
1997 50 detainees
take part in disturbance
2001 90 go on
hunger strike
2002 David
Blunkett, then Home Secretary, announces its closure
2003 Decision reversed after riot at
another detention centre
2004 Local council
rejects plans to expand Campsfield to hold 300
2006 GEO Group wins five-year contract to run Campsfield
March 2007 Disturbance as staff try to
remove Algerian for deportation. Sixty detainees transferred out because of
the damage
August 2007
Disturbances and 26 detainees flee. Twelve recaptured and 14 still on the run
Source: Times database
August
3, 2007 BBC
Detainees at an Oxfordshire detention centre are suspending their ongoing
hunger strike while they wait for a response from the Home Office. More than
150 detainees at Campsfield House Immigration Centre near Kidlington in
Oxford have been refusing to eat since Tuesday night. They have complained to
officials about the overcrowded conditions and claimed they are being held illegally.
The Home Office said it would respond to concerns by Friday afternoon.
Campsfield was rife with scabies, but only staff were
issued with gloves. Campaign to Close Campsfield -- In a statement, the
Campaign to Close Campsfield also said the centre "is a health hazard
with 70% of people infected with flu". "Paracetamol is the only
medicine made available and two weeks ago even this ran out.
"Campsfield was rife with scabies, but only staff
were issued with gloves. "Although detainees are held as civil
detainees, not convicted prisoners or prisoners on remand, food, toilets and
showers are a lot worse than in prisons." It said some detainees were
being held even though they had won appeals against deportation or had agreed
to go back to their countries of origin. Troubled history -- On Wednesday,
the Home Office promised it would respond to the concerns within 48 hours.
Formerly a Young Offenders Institute, Campsfield was converted into an
immigration detention centre in 1993 amid a storm of protest from local
residents. Run by the American company GEO, which specialises in operating
detention facilities, Campsfield holds up to 200 male asylum seekers at a
time. Within six months of opening the centre experienced a major problem
when six asylum seekers escaped following a rooftop protest. A number of
low-level disturbances inside the centre and regular public protests outside
its gates has since occurred at Campsfield.
April
3, 2007 The Guardian
A private prison was criticised by its staff and a judge yesterday
following the collapse of a manslaughter trial over the death of a prisoner
on suicide watch. Four officers from Rye Hill prison, near Rugby, run by
Global Solutions Ltd, were cleared of all charges in connection with the
death of Michael Bailey, from Birmingham, who was serving a four year
sentence for cocaine dealing. He was found in March 2005 hanged by his
shoelace from the door to his cell in the segregation block. Daniel Daymond,
23, of Rugby, Paul Smith, 39, of Warrington, and Samantha Prime, 29, also of
Rugby, were acquitted at Northampton crown court of charges of manslaughter
by gross negligence in connection with Bailey's death. Ben King, 21, of
Southbrook, Daventry, along with Mr Daymond, was cleared of perverting the
course of justice by doctoring log books for suicide watches. All were
cleared on the direction of the judge, Mr Justice Grigson. He said: "No
one who has heard the evidence in this court can have any doubt that the
death of Michael Bailey was a tragedy, not least because it was
avoidable." Outside the court Bailey's mother, Caroline, said:
"This case clearly shows there were failures in Rye Hill prison and GSL
... I hope the outcome of this case brings changes." Paul Smith, manager
of the segregation unit where Mr Bailey killed himself, resigned from GSL
before the court case. He said after his acquittal. "Straight from the
start I had expressed concern about the level of support and training. I told
senior management about it and they didn't do anything." In a statement
released through his solicitor, Mr Daymond said: "[Michael Bailey's]
death was a tragedy that was wholly avoidable. I hope that today's decision
will focus attention on the way in which Rye Hill Prison is run." A
spokesman for GSL said: "This whole matter will be looked at very
carefully. Self-harm is an issue that prisons work very hard to avoid."
The jail was the subject of criticism by the chief inspector of prisons, Anne
Owers, who found the staff were inexperienced.
March
16, 2007 Oxford Mail
Staff are counting up the costs at Campsfield House immigration detention
centre after detainees ran riot and started a fire. About 60 detainees were
moved to other detention centres, including Yarl's Wood in Bedfordshire, on
Wednesday night. Anti-Campsfield campaigners claim the revolt at the centre,
in Kidlington, was sparked when an Algerian detainee was removed from his
room for deportation. Police are investigating the fire as suspected arson. A
former member of staff, in his 20s, who asked not to be named, praised former
colleagues who he said tried to tackle the fire at the centre at 6.30am on
Wednesday, before firefighters arrived. He said: "They kicked windows
out and tried to tackle the fire themselves. "I
spoke to one of the seven members of staff who needed hospital treatment and
he told me that there has been serious damage to blue block and yellow block
and the library has been destroyed. "Only about 30 detainees kicked off,
but it will cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to put the damage right. "The ironic thing is that the GEO group that runs
the site has been getting detainees to paint internal areas and blue block
has only just been painted." The former worker claimed that more than
190 detainees were housed in an area which mean for 130 and that it was not
'fit for purpose'. Oxford West and Abingdon MP Evan Harris said: "There
will need to be an investigation of why there has been yet another serious
disturbance at Campsfield House, which has been a subject of a number of
critical reports by successive chief inspectors of prisons." Dr Harris,
a member of the House of Commons select committee on human rights, added:
"My select committee is already conducting an inquiry into detention of
failed asylum seekers, following concerns about physical abuse during removals. "The Home Secretary himself a few years ago
declared that Campsfield House was not appropriate for the 21st century, but
then of course the Government decided to keep it open anyway. They will need
to look at that question again."
March
14, 2007 BBC
Seven staff and two inmates have been injured in a fire after a riot
broke out at an immigration removal centre. Emergency services were called to
deal with the incident at Campsfield removal centre near Kidlington, in
Oxfordshire, early on Wednesday. A BBC reporter saw a dozen riot officers
carrying shields enter the centre to join about 35 police officers who were
dealing with the incident. The nine injured people are thought to be
suffering from smoke inhalation. The seven immigration staff at the centre
and two detainees have been taken to hospital. A
Home Office spokesman said the riot teams were working to get the centre
completely under control as soon as possible. "The perimeter of
Campsfield has not been breached and all detainees have been accounted
for," he added. They used force to drag the person from the bed and
after that everything kicked off. Campsfield detainee: In a statement Thames
Valley Police said: "The detainees were evacuated and nine people have
been taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation. No serious injuries
have been reported. "The fire has now been extinguished. Five fire
engines and 30 firefighters attended the incident. The fire was relatively
small and mainly generated a lot of smoke." 'Fighting stopped': A detainee,
who did not want to be named, told BBC News 24: "This place is falling
apart - computers are getting smashed. "They've
stopped fighting now but they're destroying every bit of equipment they can
find - computers getting smashed, shops are getting broken into, they're
stealing everything." "They used force to drag the person from the
bed and after that everything kicked off," he said. Sarah Cutler from
Bail for Immigration Detainees, which provides workshops at Campsfield
offering legal advice to detainees, said she was not surprised by the
disturbance. "There are big problems at the moment," she said,
adding that many people were being held for months. Riot gear: Those included
"people who want to go back to their country of origin, have told the
Home Office they want to go back, but are still detained because they can't
get it together to remove them". A Home Office spokeswoman said the
continuing incident began at 0630 GMT. BBC reporter Rajesh Mirchandani,
speaking outside the centre, said he had seen members of a prison service
fast response team enter the site. "They're riot trained and they went
in carrying riot gear." He said he could see a helicopter hovering
overhead and police dog units and mounted police were now patrolling the
perimeter of the centre. The Home Office spokeswoman said: "Police, fire
and ambulance teams are on the scene and a number of Tornado units from the
Prison Service have been deployed to the centre." Campsfield can hold
196 adult male detainees, but it is not known how many are currently being
held there.
July
22, 2006 The Independent
A Kurdish teenager killed himself after spending more than four months in
an immigration detention centre, an inquest has heard. Ramazan Kumluca, 18,
is the youngest asylum-seeker to have committed suicide while facing
deportation from Britain. Campaign groups yesterday called for the closure of
all detention centres, comparing them to Victorian workhouses. Mr Kumluca is
one of more than 30 asylum-seekers who have killed themselves in the past five
years after being told their applications had failed. He had travelled from
his home in Turkey to Italy and then on to Britain where he claimed asylum
last year, saying that his life was in danger over a £20,000 debt owed by his
father. He also claimed that if he was sent back to Italy (under rules that
asylum must be claimed in the first safe country reached) he was at risk of
exploitation. Mr Kumluca was refused asylum and denied bail because there
were fears he would not report back for deportation. He was sent to
Campsfield House in Oxfordshire, an immigration removal centre that holds
around 100 men at any time. The average stay for detainees at the centre is
14 days, but because the teenager was fighting his deportation order he was
held for four and a half months. An inquest at Oxford Old Assizes heard he
had been plunged into despair during his incarceration and had complained of
insomnia, headaches and anxiety. A fellow inmate, Abdulwase Kamali, told the
court Mr Kumluca had appeared "sad" the day before he killed
himself. He said: "Ramazan said he had been told by immigration he would
be sent back to Italy, and he said if he was sent back to Italy he would be
used in sex films. He said he would slash himself or hang himself." On
27 June last year, Mr Kamali and other Muslim detainees alerted warders after
calling Mr Kumluca for morning prayers and finding his door would not open.
He was found hanging from the door closing mechanism. After investigating his
death, a Prison and Probation ombudsman cleared staff of any wrongdoing. The
jury returned a verdict of suicide. Outside the court, Bob Hughes, of the
pressure group Campaign to Close Campsfield, said: "Here we have an
institution full of people being driven deliberately to despair by government
policy." "He added: "We believe these people should be allowed
to get on with their own lives. Centres like Campsfield are a huge national
scandal and shame. Campsfield House has been a removal centre since 1993 and
is privately run by the company Global Solutions Limited. In 2002, the then
Home Secretary David Blunkett pledged that the centre would be closed, but a
year later it was decided to keep it open and expand the number of places.
Since 2000, at least 25 asylum-seekers have killed themselves while living in
the community after being told they would be deported. Mr Kumluca was the
seventh to have committed suicide in a detention centre. More than 2,600
adults and children are being held in detention centres prior to deportation.
In January this year another asylum-seeker Bereket Yohannes, from Eritrea,
was found hanging at Harmondsworth Removal Centre. An inquest will be held
into his death.
June
17, 2006 Indy Media
On Monday 12th of this week a Somalian man went onto a roof at
Campsfield; he had been detained for four months (probably illegally, since
the government cannot deport people to Somalia) and took a rope and a plastic
bag with him. GEO, the new management at Campsfield, asked the police to
leave and said they would deal with the matter themselves; we do not know
whether they used violence against the Somalian detainee; he has been removed
from Campsfield, no doubt to somewhere even worse as is usual in these cases.
There have been 12 suicides in immigration detention, and several hundred attempted
suicides and cases of self harm requiring medical treatment. GSL lost the
contract to run Campsfield to GEO (Global Expertise on Outsourcing),
presumably on cost grounds. GEO took over at the beginning of the month. They
have changed their name from Wackenhut, and have a discreditable history of
running penal institutions in the USA and Australia. GSL's manager, Andy
Clark, who had been more willing than his predecessors to allow volunteers
and education classes in Campsfield, decided he could not work with GEO; at
least two of the people who ran education classes and workshops have been
sacked or left, and GEO apparently intends to provide much reduced hours of
education (as required under the contract), run by its own officers. But of
course the most serious problem is not the conditions inside the centre, but
the fact that people are detained there who have committed no crime, been
charged or suspected of no crime, with no judicial process and no time limit,
often with no access to lawyers, and always with great uncertainty about what
is happening to them or about to happen to them.
May
23, 2001
The global private security firm Group 4, is an "Investor in
People." This may come as a surprise. For since Campsfield
opened, almost unnoticed, in the bleary period just before Christmas in 1993,
this improvised brick compound has become to many the unacceptable face of
the British government's asylum system. Within weeks, the country's
first specialized facility for confining them while their cases were decided
was provoking hunger strikes. Within months, detainees were climbing on
to its roofs to protest at the conditions. Still in its first year of
operation, there was a mass escape over its 20ft perimeter fence, and a
"disturbance" - involving fires and smashed furniture - which
resulted in the deployment of riot police and injuries to detainees, who
needed several ambulances and hospital treatment. Official reports on
Campsfield in 1995 and 1998 by two different chief inspectors of prisons found
fear, boredom and stress among inmates. Among the Group 4 staff, the
inspections found inexperience, poor pay and exhausting shift work.
This cycle of protest and disorder and repressive countermeasures continued
unabated during the late 1990s. (Guardian Newspapers)
May
14, 2002
As many as 15 asylum seeker accomadation centres could be built across the UK
despite an angry response from residents in the locations chosen for the
three pilot "villages". The government plans to build the
centres at Throckmorton, near Pershore on Worcestershire, RAF Newton, in
Nottinghamshire, and at Bicester, Oxfordshire. More than 3,000
villagers have signed a petition objecting to a development in their
area. Some local people are anxious about plans to house large numbers of
asylum seekers near them, particularly following the riot and fire which
destroyed the $100m Yari's Wood centre. Steve Mitchell, chairman of
Pinvin Parish Council, promised to fight the plans "every step of the
way". (BBC News)
Colnbrook
Immigration Removal Center
Colnbrook, UK
Serco
August 5, 2011 The Guardian
Separate investigations into three deaths in immigration removal centres
(IRC) in the past month have been launched by the police, amid growing
concern about the treatment of detainees. The spate of deaths has caused
alarm among critics of the government's detention policy, who warn that the
system is at "breaking point" with poor healthcare putting people's
lives at risk. Two men died from suspected heart attacks at Colnbrook near Heathrow
airport and the third killed himself at the Campsfield House detention centre
in Oxfordshire on Tuesday. John McDonnell, Labour MP for Hayes and
Harlington, who has two detention centres including Colnbrook in his
constituency, said he feared there would be more deaths as the system
struggled to cope with the number of people being detained. "The
government is now detaining people on such a scale that the existing services
are swamped," he said. "It is inevitable if we put the services
under such relentless strain that there will be more deaths as a result … we
are dealing with people who are extremely stressed and extremely vulnerable
and the services are not able to cope and not able to guarantee their
safety." The first man who died was Muhammad Shukat, 47, a Pakistani
immigration detainee who collapsed at around 6am on 2 July. His roommate
Abdul Khan says that in the hours before he died Shukat was groaning in
agony, had very bad chest pains and was sweating profusely. Khan, 19, from
Afghanistan, said he began raising the alarm around 6am and pressed the
emergency button in the room 10 times in a frantic effort to get help. Khan
claimed that on three occasions members of the centre's nursing team entered
the room and found Shukat on the floor where he had collapsed. Khan said they
put him back into bed, took his temperature and some medicine was
administered, but did not call emergency assistance immediately. According to
Khan, the nurses initially said that Shukat could go to see the centre's
doctor at 8am. According to the London Ambulance Service, Colnbrook staff
called an ambulance just before 7.20am. Attempts were made to resuscitate
Shukat, but he was pronounced dead on arrival at Hillingdon Hospital. A
postmortem found the provisional cause of death to be coronary heart disease.
Shukat's body has been returned to Pakistan and his family
are understood to have no concerns about the medical treatment he
received. The second man to die at Colnbrook has not yet been named.
According to the Metropolitan police he was 35 and was found dead in his cell
at 10.30am last Sunday. London Ambulance Service officials pronounced him
dead at the scene. "A postmortem held on 1 August found the cause of
death to be a ruptured aorta. The death is being treated as unexplained,"
said a police spokesman. Colnbrook IRC is managed by Serco. In a statement to
detainees about Shukat's death, deputy director at Colnbrook, Jenni Halliday,
described her "deep regret" and extended her condolences. In a
statement to detainees about the second Colnbrook death, Serco's contract
manager, Michael Guy, informed detainees that a resident in the short-term
holding facility had died and that the death was thought to be from natural
causes. On Tuesday, a 35-year-old man hanged himself in the toilet block at
Campsfield House detention centre in Oxfordshire. A fellow detainee, who
refused to give his name, said the man had been hours away from being
deported and had become very anxious. "He was normally a very quiet
person … but the pressure is too much for people in here." It is
understood the man had only been at the centre for a few days before he died.
The Home Office refused to give any more details saying his extended family
had yet to be informed. Emma Ginn, from the campaign group Medical Justice,
said the deaths had heightened concern about the poor healthcare on offer to
those being kept in UK detention centres. "Based on medical evidence
from many hundreds of detainees, Medical Justice has documented the
disturbingly inadequate healthcare provision that often vulnerable
immigration detainees are subjected to in Colnbrook and other immigration
removal centres... [this] combined with the perilous
and frightening conditions of detention, is a lethal cocktail, a disaster
waiting to happen." The UK Border Agency declined to comment on the
specific circumstances of each case. It said the police and the Prisons and
Probation Ombudsman always investigated deaths in immigration detention
centres and it would be inappropriate to comment until these were complete.
David Wood, director of criminality and detention at the UK Border Agency,
said all detainees at immigration removal centres have access to health
services seven days a week. "All detainees are seen by a nurse within
two hours of arrival and are given an opportunity to see a GP within 24
hours," he added. "The health of all detainees is monitored
closely, and the healthcare professionals are required to report cases where
it is considered that a person's health is being affected by continued detention. "The UK takes its responsibilities seriously, which
is why we consider every case on its individual merits and will continue to
offer protection to those who need it. However, detention is an essential
part of our controls on immigration in the UK." A groundbreaking ruling
-- A man with severe mental illness was unlawfully locked up in a UK
detention centre for five months and subjected to inhuman or degrading
treatment, according to a high court ruling. The man, a 34-year-old Indian
national, was detained in Harmondsworth immigration removal centre between
April and September last year. On Friday a judge ruled that his treatment
amounted to a breach of article 3 of the European convention human rights.
The man's lawyer said the ruling – thought to be the first of its kind –
raised wider questions about how the government treats people with mental
illnesses in the immigration and detention system. "The court's decision
that my client suffered inhuman or degrading treatment at a UK detention
facility sends a very loud and clear message to the authorities," said.
"We would urge the minister to conduct a fundamental review into how
people suffering from mental illness are treated in the immigration detention
estate." The man, referred to as "S" in the ruling, had a
history of serious ill treatment and abuse before arriving in the UK. He
served time in prison for wounding and assault before being transferred to a
secure psychiatric hospital until his discharge in April 2010. Following his
release the UK Border Agency said there was "no evidence" he was
mentally ill and he was detained in Harmondsworth where his health
deteriorated and he began to have psychotic episodes and self harm. The high
court intervened and he was released on bail. His lawyers said he had been
living with his family since then and had fully complied with the conditions
of bail set by the court. In the ruling judge David Elvin said: "S's
pre-existing mental condition was both triggered and exacerbated by detention
and that involved both a debasement and humiliation of S since it showed a
serious lack of respect for his human dignity. It created a state in S's mind
of real anguish and fear, through his hallucinations, which led him to
self-harm frequently and to behave in a manner which was humiliating…" A
UK Border Agency spokesperson said: "We regularly review our detention
policies and will look at the findings in this case to ensure lessons are
learned. Detention is an essential part of our immigration control but we
recognise the importance of ensuring it remains appropriate on a case by case
basis."
June
22, 2009 Thaindian
The news that foreign criminals, including rapists and terrorists, are
being treated to lavish cuisine as they wait to be deported, has not gone
down with the taxpayers in Britain. There is an outrage among residents over
money being spent on the preparation of mouthwatering dishes for 383 inmates,
who are currently staying at a luxurious 47 million pounds Colnbrook
Immigration Removal Centre in Berkshire. The menu that these detainees are
being offered includes oriental poached fish parcels, beef goulash and mint
lamb stew. Each detainee is offered four choices for lunch and dinner, plus
three vegetable options and a dessert. “The idea that these people should
enjoy hotel-style standards of service and food is preposterous. Given the
recession we’re living in, most people will think this type of arrangement is
outrageous,” the Sun quoted Matthew Elliott, a local resident, as saying.
Other delicacies offered to them include chicken chasseur, fish gumbo and
beef and onion pie. They are handed a menu at the start of the week and asked
to mark their choices for the next seven days - with food cooked to order.
“Some of the dishes are so exotic they put Gordon Ramsay to shame. The grub’s
certainly better than the local hotels. Now every foreign con wants to come
here because the food is so good,” an official said. The scandal is the
latest to hit the Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centre in Berkshire, which is
run by a private firm ‘Serco’. Earlier it was reported how the detainees had
access to Nintendo Wiis and plasma TVs.
June
2, 2009 The Independent
Allegations that asylum seekers are being
bullied by immigration staff are not being properly investigated, a report
into Britain's flagship immigration removal centre has found. The use of
reasonable force to control detainees at Colnbrook Immigration Removal
Centre, near Heathrow Airport, had increased and was not always well managed,
Anne Owers, the Chief Inspector of Prisons also found in a report published
today. In the three months before the inspection, there had been 179
complaints ranging from bullying to poor food. Dame Anne said: "...we
found little improvement at Colnbrook since our last visit... there was
evidence of the centre taking inappropriate steps to manage some of the
challenges; there were examples of separation being misused and the
vulnerable persons unit was not fit for purpose." The centre, run by
Serco, holds male detainees in the most secure facility in the detention
estate. Dame Anne said: "A significant number of complaints, including
allegations of staff bullying, were not adequately investigated and replies
lacked detail." Dave Woods, head of criminality and detention at the UK
Border Agency, said: "In the six months since HMCIP visited, safety,
security and purposeful activity for detainees have improved
significantly."
January
16, 2007 IC Coventry
Conditions in holding centres for immigration offenders awaiting
deportation still need to be improved, the jails watchdog has said. Chief
Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers published reports on four immigration
short-term holding facilities at Colnbrook near Heathrow Airport, Sandford
House in Solihull, and Liverpool's Reliance House and John Lennon Airport. Inspectors
found that detainees at Colnbrook spent unacceptably long periods locked in
single rooms, and there was a lack of information and independent advice for
people facing removal. But it had avoided some of the problems seen in other
facilities because it was managed by the Immigration Removal Centre, offering
access to healthcare facilities, welfare and race relations support, Ms Owers
said. Staff at the three centres in Liverpool and Solihull - all run by Group
4 Securicor - needed more training in the care and protection of children,
her report found. The facilities also required reorganising for a mixed
population, it added. Ms Owers said: "Accommodation still remains
inadequate in many centres and the needs of detainees in relation to healthcare,
information and advice, and preparations for release are not yet sufficiently
met." Home Office Minister Liam Byrne said: "I take very seriously
the recommendations, and action plans responding in detail are currently
being drawn up to ensure further improvements are made.
"It is important to remember that non-residential short-term
holding facilities are intended to accommodate people for very brief periods
of time." Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg said:
"The inspector's report confirms what has been apparent for some time:
that, for the Government, these people are out of sight and out of mind. "Any society should be ashamed when people are
treated like this just because they are to be deported."
Docklands Light
Railway
London, England
Serco
May
13, 2010 London Evening Standard
Docklands Light Railway operator Serco has been fined £450,000 after it
failed to stop a train which hit and killed a man who had fallen off a
platform. Robert Carter, 34, stumbled on to the lines at All Saints station
following a late-night argument with another passenger, Paul Green. Mr Green
telephoned police to say Mr Carter had a knife and had fallen on to the
track. Officers asked the DLR control room to check if someone was on the
lines, but this was treated as an “informal request” rather than an actual
report, Southwark Crown Court was told. A control room operator failed to see
Mr Carter on the track and did not halt the trains, which are automatic and
do not have an actual driver. Shortly afterwards another member of the
control room staff saw a police officer on All Saints station's CCTV waving
his arms above his head. This operator immediately pressed an emergency
plunger to halt an oncoming train but it was too late. The wheels struck Mr
Carter, who suffered serious injuries and died in hospital. Serco was also
ordered to pay £43,773 costs. It was found guilty last month, under health
and safety regulations, of failing to ensure its automatic trains did not hit
people who were on the tracks. Judge Deborah Taylor, passing sentence
yesterday, said: “Serco fell considerably below what was required of it.”
Procedures were “not robust or comprehensive enough” in dealing with
incidents of human error. But the judge said it was clear that Serco “took
safety seriously “ and there was “no suggestion
profit was put before safety”. David Travers, QC, prosecuting for the Office
of Rail Regulation, said Mr Carter was involved in an altercation with
another passenger at All Saints. “After he fell, it would appear that Mr Carter
was unable or unwilling to move — whether through injuries from the fall,
intoxication or for some other reason is unknown,” said Mr Travers. “DLR
staff looked at the station on their CCTV monitors, which are not suitable
for seeing if anyone is on the track, and failed to see Mr Carter. The train
which killed Mr Carter could have been stopped before reaching the station.”
Jurors were played a recording of the British Transport Police call to the
DLR control centre, in which line controller Paul Day was heard to say:
“There's certainly no one on the track.” Stephen Moody, for Serco, said it
had made several changes since the incident and improved safety procedures.
It denied one count of failing to comply with its health and safety duties.
Doncaster Prison
South Yorkshire, UK
Serco (formerly known as Premier)
November 3, 2010 The Star
A DISGRACED prison officer who was handed a suicide note by an inmate put it
in his manager's 'in tray' to be dealt with the next morning. By that time
Shaun Flanagan, aged 26, was dead - just three days after being locked-up on
a charge of driving while disqualified. An inquest at Doncaster Coroner's
Court was told prison officer Russell Calladine admitted he was too
frightened to enter the cell where Mr Flanagan hanged himself in June 2006.
Instead, he waited until colleagues at HMP Doncaster arrived a few minutes
later before helping to cut the prisoner's noose. It has taken more than four
years for evidence about Mr Flanagan's last hours to be heard in public, by a
jury of four women and three men. Mr Flanagan, of South Street, Highfields,
was supposed to be checked in his cell every 30 minutes because he was
detoxifying from drug addiction. But questions have been raised about the
checks carried out by Mr Calladine, who has since been sacked.
July
23, 2010 The Star
PRISONER-on-prisoner violence has more than doubled in Doncaster Prison last
year after bosses put all the young offenders together. The figures for
assaults reported at the Marshgate jail soared to 412 in 2009, compared to
192 in 2008. The figure was more than three time the 2007 figure of 127. The
revelation comes as figures obtained by The Star under the Freedom of
Information Act revealed there were 1,149 attacks on prisoners by other
inmates over the last three years. Lindholme Prison saw the fewest, with 156
over three years, with 47 in 2009, 57 in 2008 and 52 in 2007. Moorland
recorded 262, with 85 last year, 86 in 2008 and 91 in 2007. A Ministry of
Justice Spokesman said: "The rise on prisoner-on-prisoner assaults
recorded at HMP Doncaster in 2009 was due to restructuring in the prison
whereby its young offender population was relocated to a single block, rather
than dispersed among the adult population. This resulted in a temporary spike
in assaults and particularly fights among young offenders.
April
23, 2006 24 DASH
Prison officers are calling for all jail wardens to be better armed claiming
they should be given metal batons in order to defend themselves from assault.
The Prison Officers Association (POA) conference next month will vote on
whether the extendable baton should be allowed in many more prisons. The
union's national general secretary Brian Caton said he supported the
proposals and predicted the motions would be passed. Currently, staff at private prisons such as Doncaster do not carry
batons. "We would say that's wrong," Mr Caton said. "Prisoners
in private prisons are no less violent, they're no less difficult. "You are twice as likely to be attacked in a
private prison as in a public prison." Last July the Chief Inspector of
Prisons warned that staff at a privately-run prison were
being bullied by inmates. Anne Owers demanded urgent action after discovering
unsafe conditions at Rye Hill jail, near Rugby in Warwickshire, which is run
by GSL UK Ltd. Inexperienced officers were ignoring misbehaviour and evidence
of contraband in order to "survive" on the wings, the report said.
April
12, 2006 Politics.Co.UK
The government has been forced to defend its use of private contractors
to run Britain's prisons in the wake of a critical report from the chief
inspector. Anne Owers says that while Doncaster is "by no means a bad
local prison", where relationships with staff and inmates are generally
good, physical conditions are "sometimes squalid". Many prisoners
lack basics such as pillows, toilet seats and working televisions, some cells
are dirty and covered in graffiti, and she highlights "institutional
meanness" in making prisoners pay to change their account number which
allows them to call home. In her report, Ms Owers notes the prison has good
points, in particular in its resettlement of offenders and community re-entry
facilities, but warns the problems were all in areas "not specifically
mandated by the contract under which the prison is run". "There
remains a concern that, in focusing on meeting their contractual obligations,
prison managers had allowed important areas to slip below what was safe and
decent; and indeed may have sought savings in precisely those areas,"
she said. Frances Crook, director of the Howard League for Penal Reform,
seized upon today's report as an example of the "manifest failings of
private prisons". "It exposes the fallacy promulgated by the Home
Office that private prisons have helped to improve prison conditions, raised
standards or fostered advances in the decent treatment of prisoners and
staff. Doncaster shows that this is not the case," she said.
"Unsurprisingly, the chief inspector draws attention to the fact that
those areas in which the prison is failing are those in which it was not
contractually obliged by the Home Office to meet particular standards."
April
12, 2006 The Mirror
DONCASTER prison has been described as "squalid" and showing
signs of "institutional meanness" in a damning report by the jails'
watchdog. Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers expressed concern that prison
chiefs had let standards slip at the 800-inmate jail and made savings to meet
Home Office contract targets. She claims the medium security jail, which is
run by private company Serco - formerly known as Premier Prison Services -
had deteriorated since it was last inspected in 2003. Her report said one
example of "meanness" was charging inmates 50 pence to change
family telephone numbers on the automated phone system, which was branded
"particularly unfair" because of the shortage of paying jobs in the
jail. The chief inspector said: "Respect was seriously undermined by the
physical conditions in which many prisoners lived, which in some cases were
squalid. Many prisoners lacked pillows, adequate mattresses, toilet seats,
working televisions, notice-boards and places to store belongings. "Some
cells, especially on the young prisoners' wing, were dirty and festooned with
graffiti." First night cells were "squalid" with no hot water,
"lumps of foam" as mattresses and "dirty" bedding, said
the report. In other areas, bedding was "heavily soiled". Ms Owers
also pointed out bullying problems were not properly addressed at the prison
and only 29 per cent of young ethnic minority prisoners reported that staff
treated them well. In 2003, Ms Owers said Doncaster was a good jail which
needed to increase the amount of purposeful activities available - such as
work or education - and improve first night facilities. On her return last
November, she found it had not tackled these problems and had slipped back in
a number of other areas. But, overall, she said Doncaster was "by no
means a bad prison". Making 156 recommendations for improvement, Ms
Owers said: "Our main concern was not only that managers had failed to
tackle problems we pointed out in our last inspection, but that the prison
had deteriorated in some important respects - all in areas not mandated in
the prison's contract. Yorkshire and Humberside regional offender manager,
Paul Wilson, said: "I am satisfied that Serco has responded quickly and
appropriately to the inspectorate's recommendations and that the director and
his staff are committed to continuous improvement of standards of offender
management."
May
6, 2005 The Mirror
VALENTINE'S Day killer Paul Dyson slit his wrists and scrawled
"Sorry" on his jail cell wall before admitting responsibility for
his girlfriend Joanne Nelson's death. The former bouncer, charged earlier
this week, smuggled a small blade into his prison. A guard found him slumped
on the floor of his cell in the early hours. Doncaster Prison, where Dyson is
being held, opened nine years ago and was Britain's first private jail. It is
run by Premier Prisons, which is partly American owned. The jail has been hit
by controversy in the past, with allegations of bullying and high numbers of
suicides.
Dovegate Prison
Staffordshire, United Kingdom
Serco (formerly Premier)
August
14, 2010 The Sun
ONE of Damilola Taylor's killers is claiming £100,000 from prison bosses for
failing to stop a lag from slicing off one of his ears. Evil Ricky Preddie,
23, was lured into his attacker's cell and hacked with a home-made knife
after a row over a game of pool. Doctors could not sew the lug back on.
Preddie is suing private firm Serco, which runs Dovecote Prison, Staffs. Last
night Damilola's dad called the claim "outrageous". Richard, 62,
said: "He doesn't deserve a penny. Ricky was attacked in prison because
he remains as arrogant as ever. "If he had been sentenced properly - and
by that I mean the death penalty - then he could only launch his claim in
hell." A Serco spokesman said: "Mr Preddie made a complaint that we
believe has no substance and have refuted."
January 26, 2010 Derby Telegraph
A FORMER prison officer has appeared in court accused of helping an inmate to
escape from a Derbyshire jail. Andrea Clarke is also charged with harbouring
an escaped prisoner and leaving a prohibited article for importation into
prison. Clarke had been employed at the privately-run Dovegate Prison. But
the charges relate to the escape of an inmate from Sudbury Prison, three
miles away. The 36-year-old, of Burton, appeared at Southern Derbyshire
Magistrates' Court yesterday but entered no plea. The case was committed to
Derby Crown Court. Dovegate Prison, in Marchington, near Uttoxeter, is a
category B prison run by Serco. A spokesman for HMP Dovegate said: "The
individual concerned no longer works for Serco. We continue to fully
co-operate with the police."
December 17, 2009 Liverpool Daily Post
A LIVERPOOL prison is among five in the country allowing its inmates to
watch satellite television. More than 4,000 prisoners enjoy the privilege in
private jails nationwide. Altcourse Prison, in Fazakerley, is among the
contractor-run prisons allowing access to a “limited number” of satellite
channels. The number of prisoners allowed to watch
satellite varies according to behaviour. But Justice minister and city MP
Maria Eagle revealed the number was currently around 4,070. The Garston MP
was responding to a written question from Tory MP Philip Davies. She said no
inmates in public sector jails have access to satellite in their quarters.
But they do at Altcourse and other GS4-run prisons in South Wales and
Warwickshire. The other private prisons offering satellite television are run
by Serco in Staffordshire and Nottingham. Ms Eagle said: “In these
establishments, satellite television in cells is generally only available to
prisoners on the enhanced or standard level of the incentives and earned
privileges scheme.” There are 84,500 prisoners in England and Wales, meaning
around one in 20 has access to satellite TV.
December 8, 2009 Yorkshire Post
A JUDGE has urged a thorough investigation into how a dangerous criminal was
able to use a mobile phone in prison to organise the punishment shooting of
another man who might now lose a leg. Leyon Randall was in Dovegate Prison,
Staffordshire, serving an indeterminate jail sentence for robbery, kidnap and
firearms offences, at the time he arranged the shooting of Geovannie Meade in
Leeds in May this year. Yesterday Randall and his brother Lloyd were both
jailed for life at Leeds Crown Court after being convicted by a jury of
conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm with intent to Mr Meade. Judge Scott
Wolstenholme said: "It is a very serious situation." It appeared
Leyon Randall was able not only to communicate regularly via a mobile phone
but to organise the "ruthless shooting from the comfort of his jail cell
using a mobile phone he had had for weeks if not months". It was also
suggested during the case that had been done with the connivance of officers
at the jail. "That may be an outrageous lie but it is something I would
have thought needs thoroughly investigating," the judge added. He said
the shooting was carried out by Lloyd Randall because his brother believed Mr
Meade was spending too much time with his girlfriend Amy Farnhill. The fact
he was prepared to arrange such lethal violence to settle "petty
scores" confirmed the view he was dangerous. It also showed a mobile
phone in the wrong hands in prison could be a very dangerous weapon.
Sentencing both to life, the judge ordered Leyon Randall, 29, to serve a
minimum of eight years and Lloyd Randall, 29 of Recreation Street, Holbeck,
Leeds to a minimum of seven years in jail. Both denied any involvement in the
shooting. Susanna Holdsworth, 26, a care assistant, found guilty by the jury
of perverting the course of justice, was jailed for two years. She gave Lloyd
Randall an alibi for the time of the shooting. Farnhill, 18, was cleared of
conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. The jury heard from David Dixon,
prosecuting, that on May 9 Mr Meade was invited to Farnhill's address in
Lingfield Gate, Moortown, Leeds, but as he arrived in the early hours he was
approached by Lloyd Randall and another man, and was shot in the leg by
Randall. He had surgery in hospital and further operations since but may
still lose his leg. A spokesman for Serco which operates HMP Dovegate said they
had worked with West Yorkshire Police in the case: "HMP Dovegate has a
leading reputation for reducing and preventing the use of illicit mobile
phones. This year alone we have confiscated 46 illegal phones from prisoners
or visitors."
September 11, 2009 Burton Mail
A PRIVATE prison near Burton says it has taken action on failings surrounding
the death of a prisoner last year. The inquest of Simon Coutts, who was found
hanged in his cell at HMP Dovegate, in Marchington, in June last year,
concluded yesterday at Stafford Coroner’s Court. The 29-year-old, originally
from Manchester, was discovered by prison officers with a ligature around his
neck, days after receiving a ‘dear John’ letter from his wife ending their
relationship. Details of Coutts’ conviction or how long he was serving were
not disclosed at the hearing. The inquest heard from DC Dave Johnstone, the
investigating officer from Burton police, that Coutts used a sheet and a
towel, wrapped together using electric cable as a ligature. This was fixed to
a ligature point — consisting of a hook attached to a small wooden block
stuck to the wall using a powerful adhesive glue —
with shoe laces. DC Johnstone told the hearing that as well as the hook on
the cell wall, there were also makeshift shelves attached, and a bird cage
holding a budgerigar, which was permitted in the ‘therapeutic community’ (TC)
which houses 200 of the prison’s 700 inmates. Eric Pearson, the investigating
officer for prison owner Serco, had told the hearing the previous day that there
had been ‘failings’ by prison staff, whom he believed had not carried out
cell checks on the night of Coutts’ death. He said both the ligature point
and toilet roll used to block the cell door’s glass window should have been
spotted and removed if correct checks had been performed.
September 4, 2003
Staff at a private jail were so inexperienced they
were unwilling or unable to confront inmates, the chief inspector of prisons
said today. Faults at Dovegate prison in Staffordshire included a
"cumbersome" system to deal with insubordination, which allowed
prisoners to "exploit the situation" and avoid punishment, Anne
Owers said. Operator Premier Custodial Group was also accused of
maintaining a "policy facade" disguising a lack of effective
systems. The report, though praising the jail for its facilities and
innovations, was seized on by prison reformers and trades unionists who have
long claimed privatised jails were inadequately staffed. The 800-inmate
category B jail near Uttoxeter held sophisticated offenders who were
"capable of exploiting any weaknesses or naivety in the staff who
supervise them," said Ms Owers. "There was a worrying lack of
experience and confidence among a young, locally recruited staff, few of whom
had any previous prison experience and who were operating with low staffing
levels and high staff turnover," the report said. "We
observed an inability or unwillingness to confront prisoners
appropriately." Few prisoners had privileges taken away even if they misbehaved,
leading to the whole system being "seriously undermined".
Inspectors said in their report: "Drug use appeared prevalent, yet drug
reduction measures were given low priority." They also found that
a so-called "personal officer" scheme designed to build a personal
relationship between staff and inmates existed "in name
only". A survey by Ms Owers' team found that 17 per cent of
inmates reported being kicked, punched or assaulted by another
prisoner. But there was reluctance to stop bullying even though an
anti-bullying strategy had supposedly been put in place. Premier has a
15-year contract with the Home Office to run Dovegate, which opened in July
2001, although how much it is paid remains secret. (Birmingham Post)
September 3, 2003
Homemade weapons and illicit hooch have been found at a privately run prison
where staff were so inexperienced that they were unable to confront the
inmates, according to a report by the chief inspector of prisons. The
inspection at the 800-inmate Dovegate prison, near Uttoxeter, Staffordshire,
was carried out in April and found that in contrast to the staff, the
prisoners were so sophisticated that they were able to exploit any weakness
among the staff. Anne Owers, the chief inspector of prisons, said
Dovegate, with its young staff recruited locally, provided further evidence
for the critics of the private prison sector. The company, Premier Custodial
Group, operated the prison with low staffing levels and a high
turnover. But she said the prison, which opened in July 2001, also provided
evidence of good relations between staff and prisoners. The prison was
praised for its cleanliness and the time spent out of cell by inmates in
useful activities. It was to the credit of the prison that the
potentially dangerous mix of sophisticated inmates and inexperienced staff
had resulted in a mostly safe prison based on mutual respect, Ms Owers said.
But she criticised the "cumbersome" system for dealing with
insubordination which allowed prisoners to avoid punishment. A search
carried out the week before the inspection uncovered the weapons and alcohol,
suggesting that regular cell searches were not thorough. Kevin Rogers,
Dovegate's director, defended the prison's staffing policies and said it
managed with fewer staff than most state-run prisons because of the
"open minds of the new recruits" and union agreements which allowed
it to run a more flexible working system. (The Guardian)
Dover Asylum Screening Centre
London City Airport
Group 4 (formerly run by Global Solutions)
September 12, 2005 BBC
Immigration detainees have been forced to sleep on tables or plastic chairs
because of sub-standard provisions, the prisons watchdog has revealed.
Facilities at Gatwick Airport, London City Airport and Dover Asylum Centre
were inappropriate for overnight stays, the chief inspector of prisons said.
City Airport was "unsuitable" for holding children, the report
said. The government said it takes detainees' welfare seriously but that
facilities may need independent monitoring. Holding centres at ports and
airports hold foreign travellers whose permission to be in the country needs
to be examined by immigration officers. But none of the centres inspected,
all run by private company GSL UK Limited, had
adequate child protection arrangements, according to the report. Inspectors
found detainees were sleeping in inadequate conditions, there were no regular
healthcare visits and suicide-prevention measures were not good enough.
August 16, 2005 BBC
Facilities at four short-term immigrant holding centres have been condemned
as "inadequate" by the prisons watchdog. Dover Asylum Screening
Centre, a centre at London City Airport and two at Gatwick Airport are not
suitable for overnight stays, its report says. Detainees
were found to have slept on tables or plastic chairs, it adds. Immigrants are only supposed to be detained for a few
hours, but Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers said people were sometimes
held overnight, and occasionally for up to 36 hours. Ms Owers said none of the centres had adequate child protection
arrangements.
A spokesman for GSL UK Limited, which was in charge of the centres at the
time of the inspections, said it was inappropriate to comment as the company
no longer ran them. The centres have since been taken
over by Group 4 Securicor.
Downview Women's Prison
Banstead, UK
Aramark
March
27, 2007 IC Surrey
REPLACING prison food with over-priced outside catering fare is a recipe for
disaster in a women's jail. This is the opinion of prison visitors whose
latest report says inmates much preferred 'porridge' the way it is. Aramark,
the company which has taken over the canteen at Downview Women's Prison, is
typical of the caterers who have taken over the food at many jails. And the
report by the Independent Monitoring Board claims the new system is not being
welcomed anywhere. The report says: "We were warned in advance by other
independent monitoring boards who had experienced a similar change to expect
a disastrous transfer - and it has been. "The
decision to privatise the canteen may bring cash benefit to the Treasury but
the introduction of Aramark to run the prison canteen has so far been a
disaster. "For prisoners the canteen is one of the most important facets
of their lives but prices have risen sharply,the
inventory has shrunk, revisions take ages to implement and the administration
is poor. "In contrast the old prison-run canteen at least understood the
needs of the prisoners and charged prices that matched their wages. "It
worked and this seems to be the same story repeated throughout as prison
after prison has lost control of its canteens." In a report which
praises "committed and dedicated" staff, the board said all the
faults it found with Downview were beyond their control.
Dungavel
Detention Centre
Lanarkshire, Britain
Wackenhut
September
21, 2003
Campaigners have reacted angrily to reports that the Dungavel asylum centre's
capacity is to be increased . The Home Office has
confirmed that it is looking at a £3m project to increase capacity by a
quarter to 194. This would involve new pre-fabricated buildings with bars on
the windows being built at the centre in south Lanarkshire. The Scottish
National Party accused the Scottish Executive of "dishonesty" and
of hiding the plans. This is one of a number of plans to increase the size of
detention of state Home Office spokesman MSPs have clashed over who is
responsible for Dungavel as the UK Government is currently in charge of
immigration and asylum, but education in Scotland is a devolved matter. An
executive spokesman said again on Sunday that immigration and the operation
of Dungavel is reserved to Westminster and the Home
Office. Collusion claim A Home Office spokesman said: "This is one of a
number of plans to increase the size of detention of state.
"If it goes ahead the capacity will increase to 194. But the
extra space will not be used for families and instead will house single
males." Linda Fabiani, SNP MSP for Central Scotland, accused the
executive of colluding with the Home Office. She said: "Ministers are
being very dishonest about this. They should be deeply ashamed at what they
are allowing the Home Office to do. "They're going to have to take
notice of the people in Scotland who know that they are breaching human
rights." The MSP claimed the plans were prove that Dungavel was being
used like a prison. She said: "They (the executive) have chosen to make
this place a prison and are actually building prison facilities with bars on
the windows. "They are locking children up in
that environment." Labour MSP Elaine Smith, the member for Coatbridge
and Chryston, said the plans should have been revealed months ago. Labour MP
Michael Connarty, a campaigner against the detention of children at the
centre, said he was concerned. He said: "We need to move away from this
type of facility. "I'm concerned we seem to be
consolidating Dungavel's role. It is a prison establishment and unsuitable
for children." (BBC News)
September
11, 2003
Westminster has effectively ruled out educating children held at the Dungavel
asylum centre in local schools. Immigration Minister Beverley Hughes
said she wanted the "best possible education" provided for children
inside the centre. In a special debate in the Scottish Parliament,
Scottish National Party leader John Swinney appealed to MSPs to follow their
consciences and end the policy of detaining children. The privately-run
centre in South Lanarkshire, which can hold up to 150 asylum seekers, has
caused controversy by holding children in the former prison for long periods
with their parents. An SNP motion in parliament called for "an end
to the detention of children" at the Dungavel Immigration and Removal
centre. It also sought an end to "a system of detention of
children at Dungavel which denies them access to social contact and to educational
and other services in the local community". In an impassioned
speech, Scottish Socialist MSP Rosie Kane made clear her opposition to
Dungavel. She said: "Detention of innocent people is wrong.
Dungavel and other detention centres all over the UK are wrong. (BBC
News)
September
6, 2003
About a thousand people have joined a human rights demonstration outside the
controversial Dungavel Detention Centre in Lanarkshire. The event was
planned to coincide with the second anniversary of the centre's
opening. Organisers the Scottish Trades Unions Congress (STUC) said the
protest reflected growing public concern over the treatment of asylum seekers
there. A spokesman said it was outrageous that asylum seekers and their
families had been detained in Scotland over the past two years, having
committed no crime and with no charges against them. (BBC News)
August 15, 2003
The
long-term detention of children in immigration removal centres should stop,
the chief inspector of prisons has said. Anne Owers' call is made in a
report on the Dungavel detention centre in Lanarkshire, the only such centre
in Britain where children are regularly held for long periods.
Opposition politicians and churches in Scotland have demanded the closure of
the 62-bed family unit at Dungavel. The privately-run centre holds up
to 148 failed asylum seekers and other immigration detainees. (BBC
News)
Elmley Prison
Kent, UK
Serco
May 24, 2010 Kent News
Four people, including a prison guard, have been sentenced for conspiracy to
supply drugs and mobile phones to convicts. The drugs had a prison ‘street
value’ of around £17,000 in HMP Elmley prison, and the judge described the
crimes as "very serious offences, as drugs and mobile phones are a form
of currency within prisons which can destroy prison life". Prisoner
Darren Byrne, 30, of HMP Elmley, received eight years imprisonment for his
role as ringleader in the conspiracy. At Maidstone Crown Court Judge Gold
said: "You were at the hub of this conspiracy, orchestrating it all from
within the prison walls". The court heard how officers had found a
mobile phone and Sim card in Byrne's cell and the phone revealed a series of
text messages between him and Carly Morris revealing key information about
the smuggling operation. Morris, 25, from Dover, formerly a Serco court
security employee working at Canterbury Crown Court, was given a total of
five years imprisonment for her role in the conspiracy. Judge Gold said
Morris "had a responsibility to transport and guard prisoners and that
she had abused her position of trust" by passing over drugs and mobile
phones to prisoners to smuggle back into HMP Elmley.
June
3, 2009 Little Hampton Gazette
A former prison worker has been remanded on bail after appearing in court
charged with trying to smuggle drugs into a Kent prison. Carly Joanne Morris,
24, who has left her post at Serco, was charged with conspiracy to supply
drugs into Elmley Prison on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, along with three
other people. Prison inmate Darren Paul Byrne, 29, Dino Lewis Gillet, 37,
unemployed, of Canterbury Road, Westgate-on-Sea, and his wife, Sahra Naomi
Gillet, 35, also unemployed and of the same address, also appeared at Medway
Magistrates' Court for a preliminary hearing. All four are also charged with
conveying prohibited articles into the prison. Morris, from Dover, and Mrs
Gillet were remanded on bail. Mr Gillet and Byrne were remanded in custody
until their next appearance at Maidstone Crown Court on June 15. Officers
from the serious and organised crime unit within Kent Police's specialist
operations directorate made the arrests following a joint investigation
between Kent Police and HMP Elmley security department. More than 18 police
officers were involved in the investigation and arrests and properties in
Grange Road, Ramsgate, and Canterbury Road, Westgate-on-Sea, were searched.
The arrests come after another former Serco worker was charged with trying to
smuggle drugs into the jail last month.
May
14, 2009 BBC
A former prison worker has been charged with trying to smuggle drugs into
a Kent jail. Kent Police charged Zoe Spenser-Campbell, 25, with conspiracy to
supply controlled drugs into Elmley Prison on the Isle of Sheppey. The former
Serco employee was charged alongside labourer Jason Howsam, 26, who lives at
the same address in High Street, Herne Bay. A second man who was also
arrested on Tuesday was released without charge. The arrests followed a joint
investigation between the serious and organised crime unit within Kent
Police's specialist operations directorate and HMP Elmley security
department.
Forest
Bank Prison
Agecroft, UK
Sodexho (Kalyx)
September
30, 2011 Manchester Evening News
A prison manager demoted over the dramatic escape of a gangster has been
found hanged at his home. Tony Purslow was part of an escort taking criminal
Michael O'Donnell to hospital in an ambulance when it was subjected to a
'terrifying' attack by a gang of bat-wielding masked men in Salford.
O'Donnell, who had been awaiting sentence for conspiracy to rob and commit
burglary, was sprung by the gang and spent nearly a month at large. Mr
Purslow – who worked at Forest Bank in Salford - was hauled before a
disciplinary committee and demoted to the rank of senior custody officer,
cutting his salary by £10,000 a year. Three other prison officers who were in
the ambulance at the time of the escape were sacked. Mr Purslow, 50, was
found dead at his home in Leigh last Thursday. He was immaculately dressed in
a suit and had a picture of his family in his top pocket.
February
11, 2011 BBC
A former prison nurse who smuggled a mobile phone into a Salford jail could
have put people's lives at risk, police have said. Leanne Cartledge, 23, of
Miles Platting, hid the mobile phone in her clothing and gave it to a
prisoner she was in a relationship with. She admitted taking a prohibited
article into the privately-run HMP Forest Bank prison last year. On Thursday,
she was jailed for four months at Minshull Street Crown Court. Det Con Phil
Marsh, of Greater Manchester Police, said: "Cartledge was employed in a
position of a trust - a position she abused when she smuggled a prohibited
item into the prison and our investigations revealed her actions had serious
and far-reaching implications. "Any time a
mobile phone is illegally handed to someone who is in prison, it can give
that offender a lifeline to continue their criminality in the outside world
which has a knock-on effect for many people, potentially putting them at
risk. "It can also lead to fights between other inmates, bullying and
witness intimidation so clearly her actions were both foolish and
dangerous." A spokeswoman for Kalyx, which runs HMP Forest Bank, said
they were not able to comment on individual cases.
November
9, 2010 Manchester Evening News
Young prisoners are being tied up in bed linen and beaten by other inmates, a
report said today. The practice, known as "sheeting", is seen as
horseplay by some staff at Forest Bank prison, in Salford, Greater
Manchester, but the Chief Inspector of Prisons, Nick Hardwick, condemned it
as "serious bullying" which needs to be stopped. "A very
vulnerable young man who spoke to us described it as him being tied up inside
a duvet cover and 'battered' every night," he said. "A number of
prisoners talked to us about 'sheeting' and these were incidents that the
prison had recorded on a number of occasions. "A
prison officer on a wing described it to us as horseplay. Prison management
had limited knowledge of it. We are satisfied this does occur and needs to be
stopped." Forest Bank, a category B local prison for adult and young
adult men, was operating under its full operational capacity of 1,424
prisoners at the time of the inspection between June 29 and July 9, the
report said. The report found that the prison is making improvements in cutting
out drug abuse - with only one in ten prisoners failing a random drugs test
in 2009 compared with four in ten in 2005. About half of the prison's 110
young adults were held on the A1 landing, where most of the incidents of
sheeting took place and inmates there identified "serious concerns about
their safety", the inspectors said. "A prisoner was forcibly put
inside a duvet cover and the opening knotted so that he could not release
himself while perpetrators carried out random acts of violence," Mr Hardwick
said. "Prisoners told us that it was common and we met a number of young
people who had clearly been victimised in this way." He added: "We
were concerned that for a small minority of prisoners, it was not at all safe
and in some cases, prison officers on the wings had a passive attitude to
bullying and unexplained injuries - however good the policies."
May
28, 2010 BBC
A prisoner who cut off part of his ear so he could escape from an
ambulance in Greater Manchester has been arrested. Michael O'Donnell, 29, was
on remand at HMP Forest Bank in Salford when he took a razor to his ear while
in his cell. He was taken to hospital on 2 May, but on the way the ambulance
was held up by masked men and O'Donnell escaped. He was arrested at Pontin's
in Southport, Merseyside, on Friday on suspicion of escaping from lawful
custody. Two other men, aged 24 and 52, were also arrested on suspicion of
conspiracy in assisting an offender to escape from lawful custody. O'Donnell
was sharing a cell with his brother when the incident happened. He was being
taken to Hope Hospital when a stolen BMW pulled in front of it, forcing it to
stop on Agecroft Road. Four masked men then attacked the vehicle with
baseball bats and bolt cutters and O'Donnell, who was escorted by three prison
guards, escaped. The BMW, which had been stolen in a burglary on 30 April in
Levenshulme, was later found abandoned near to Lumbs Lane. O'Donnell was due
to be sentenced at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on Friday for
conspiracy to convert criminal property, in relation to a car cloning crime
ring.
May
4, 2010 Manchester Evening News
A prison has launched an inquiry after a dangerous robber was sprung by a
masked gang as he was taken to hospital. Michael O’Donnell is believed to
have used a razor blade to slice off part of his own ear to set up his
escape. The gang stopped the ambulance taking him to hospital from Forest
Bank prison in Salford early on Sunday before forcing guards to free him.
They then fled in a stolen BMW. His escape was the third in five years from
the privately-run jail. In 2006, robber Michael Halligan, then 26, from
Salford, gave two Forest Bank guards the slip as he waited for a minor
operation in hospital. The year before, car-jacker Neil Brennan was sprung.
He deliberately injured his hand and made a phone call from inside the prison
to tip-off his hijackers. Forest Bank opened in 2000 at a cost of £46m and is
run by Kalyx, which runs four prisons in England and Scotland. The prison
will consider how the gang appeared to know precisely when the ambulance was
due out of the prison and whether mobile phones may have played a part in the
operation. Colin Moses, chairman of the Prison Officers’ Association, said:
“Prisons should not be for profit. “It lowers standards and lowers wages. As
a result, you get incidents like this. We are in an election when there’s a
lot of talk about getting rid of the public sector. If this is how the
private sector runs a prison, it’s not very good. “Here we have a prison
given over to a group of profiteers and they cannot even keep people in
custody.” A spokesman for Kalyx said: “We refute any allegations that our
security measures would be compromised for any reason. “We have strict
security procedures in place and security training for prison officers is in
accordance with MOJ standards.” Detectives from the Major Incident Team of
Greater Manchester Police have searched addresses in Stockport and south
Manchester for O’Donnell, who has links to the travelling community and had
been awaiting sentence for conspiracy to rob. Assistant Chief Constable Ian
Hopkins said: “Given the timing and the nature of the attack, there’s clearly
a degree of planning gone into it.”
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)
Glasgow
Royal Infirmary
Glasgow,
England
Sodexho
January
25, 2002
THESE were the shocking scenes inside
Glasgow's largest hospital this week. A joint management and union inspection
team found filthy conditions throughout Glasgow Royal Infirmary in areas used
by patients and staff.
Now unions at the hospital are demanding
Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm sack the private cleaning contractor Sodexho
for failing to deliver decent services. Bloody
surgical "scrubs" from an operating theatre are dumped in a lift
used to carry patients' meals. Staff say the area is
infested with cockroaches. DANGER MOVE: A
porter moves bags of contaminated material, but is wearing no protective
clothing.
Workers say tunnels below the
Victorian-built hospital have been turned into firetraps by piles of waste. And staff have to wash themselves in a
stinking bathroom among damaged brickwork that could harbour germs. There are
more piles of filth on the floor. Despite
this chief executive Maggie Boyle slammed our investigation and promised:
"The cleaning contract for the hospital is routinely monitored and any
problems identified are addressed." However,
North Glasgow Unison secretary Carolyn Leckie today called for Sodexho's
contract to be terminated. She said:
"What we found is the result of years of under-funding. This is made
worse by private firms milking profits and potentially putting patients at
risk."
Staff shortages are so severe two men
have to shift 10tonnes of linen a day, a job previously done by eight people.
Ms Leckie said: "We want to an end
to privatisation.
The Trust can't solve this problem on
its own. We desperately need extra resources from the Scottish
Executive." (John McCann)
Global Solutions
Limited (now Group 4)
January 30, 2008 Oldham-Chronicle
SECURITY guards were left red-faced after their prison van got stuck in a
town centre car park. Global Solutions Limited (GSL) is employed by the
Prison Service to transfer prisoners safely between court and jail. But the
driver caused a bit of a stir when the van became jammed in the former Co-op
car park at the back of Mecca Bingo on King Street. Police went to
investigate but found the prisoners had already been dropped off at Oldham
Magistrates’ Court. A police spokesman said: “The driver said he had read the
height restriction notice but thought the van would be able to clear it.” The
driver and his colleague then freed the van by letting air out of the tyres.
December
18, 2007 Yahoo Business Wire
Cognetas, an independent mid-market pan-European private equity firm
specialising in complex deals, today announces the sale of Global Solutions
(GSL) for £355 million to G4S. The sale, subject to EU merger clearance and
South African competition commission clearance, is expected to complete in
2008. GSL is a leading provider of outsourced support services to public
authorities and corporate organisations worldwide. Services are typically
provided under long-term contracts (5 to 30 years) either directly to the end
customer or through joint ventures and Public Private Partnerships with
government and corporates. GSL has operations in the UK, South Africa and
Australia. Its service offering covers three areas: Custodial services,
including prison management, escorting, immigration, custody and training;
Public Services, for example healthcare, education and Local Authority
services; and Business services, comprising utilities, office accommodation
and other managed services. Cognetas backed the original MBO of GSL in 2004
in a £207 million (€309 million) transaction. At the time, Cognetas underwrote
equity and debt to facilitate certainty for the vendor with an initial
commitment of £105 million (€158 million) on behalf of Cognetas Fund I. This
was reduced within two months to £54 million (€81 million) by introducing
senior debt. The balance of the funding was provided by Englefield Capital on
behalf of the Englefield Funds. Since then Cognetas has supported management
in the implementation of a growth plan that has seen revenues increase from
£291 million in 2004 to over £400 million in 2007 through organic growth, in
fill acquisition and expansion of services in its sectors over three
continents with the number of staff employed increasing by over 25% to more
than 9,500. Nigel McConnell, Managing Partner of Cognetas commented: “We are
delighted to be associated with the success of GSL over the past three years
and we are pleased to see that the dynamic management team has built the
business into a worldwide quality provider of outsourced services. We leave
the business on extremely sound and robust grounds which will help sustain
its continued growth. I am confident that being part of a larger global
business like G4S will take this business forward to a new level and I wish
them well”.
November
29, 2007 The Telegraph
Group4Securicor is in talks to buy Global Solutions, a company it used to
own, for around £350m. Earlier this year, private equity firm Cognetas
appointed investment bank UBS to carry out a strategic review of Global
Solutions, which runs a number of Britain's prisons and detention centres.
However, the credit crunch forced Cognetas to put the review of Global
Solutions on hold. Since then, the company has received a number of
approaches, including one from Group4Securicor. Cognetas bought Global
Solutions, which also manages hospitals, schools and tourist offices, from
Danish security firm Group 4 Falk for about £200m three years ago.
Group4Securicor is now understood to be carrying out due diligence on the
business. However, it is not the only company bidding. Sources said US group
GEO and several private equity firms have also made approaches for the
company. Global Solutions has previously come under the spotlight for the way
it runs its prisons and detention centres, following the Government's
privatisation of the sector. Earlier this year, there was a Panorama
investigation by an undercover BBC reporter, who worked as a custody officer,
in one of Global Solutions' prisons at Rye Hill. None of the parties involved
would comment.
August
26, 2007 The Observer
A possible sale or flotation of Global Solutions, which runs a number of
Britain's prisons and detention centres, has been shelved by private equity
owner Cognetas, according to City sources. UBS, the investment bank that was
appointed last month to undertake a strategic review of the prisons group, is
understood to have advised Cognetas against a move while global credit and
stock markets are still on tenterhooks. Cognetas bought Global Solutions,
which also manages hospitals, schools and tourist offices, from Danish
security firm Group 4 Falk for about £200m three years ago. The company has
stoked occasional controversy, most recently after the BBC's Panorama
programme looked into the way Global Solutions ran Rye Hill prison, near
Rugby, Warwickshire. The jail was the subject of a report by the chief
inspector of prisons, Anne Owers, who found the staff were
inexperienced. There has also been criticism of the way it runs asylum
centres - last year, a prisons inspectorate inquiry was ordered into Yarl's
Wood, an immigration removal centre in Bedfordshire that was formerly run by
Global.
June
14, 2007 The Telegraph
Global Solutions, a company that runs some of Britain's prisons and
detention centres, may be about to change hands for around £400m. Private
equity firm Cognetas, which owns Global Solutions, has appointed investment
bank UBS to carry out a strategic review of the business, according to
sources familiar with the matter. It is understood that the review is likely
to examine a float, sale, refinancing and possible future acquisition for the
business. Sources stressed that the strategic review might not necessarily
lead to an imminent sale of Global Solutions, which Cognetas bought in 2004
from Danish security firm Group 4 Falck for around £207m. The move comes as
Global Solutions - which also builds and manages hospitals, schools and
tourist offices for several public organisations around the world - has come
under the public spotlight for the way it runs its prisons and detention
centres, following the Government's privatisation of the sector. Earlier this
year, there was a Panorama investigation by an undercover BBC reporter, who
worked as a custody officer, in one of Global Solutions' prisons at Rye Hill.
Global Solutions' detention centres for asylum seekers have also been criticised.
Last year, a prison inspectorate inquiry was ordered after two refugees had
to go to hospital following prolonged detention in Yarl's Wood, an
immigration removal centre formerly run by Global Solutions. Cognetas
declined to comment.
February
16, 2006 BBC
A councillor has called for an urgent review of security after two
prisoners escaped from Derby Crown Court in the space of a week. Derby city
councillor Richard Smalley said one of the prisoners was on remand for
allegedly being involved in a post-office robbery in his ward. Kabbar Kamara,
25, from Liverpool made his escape after being refused bail. He appeared in a
court on the top floor before getting away in a manner likened to the
fictional character Spiderman. Unsuccessful search. He punched his way
through the dock, ran from the court and into a toilet. He squeezed through a
window, climbed onto a roof, jumped down to another level and dropped 12 feet
to the ground. Police used a helicopter and dogs to search for him but
without success. Previously Fabian Wilson, 23, from Derby absconded after
appearing in court charged with breaching a community service order. Mr
Smalley, deputy Conservative leader on the city council, said: "I think
it's of paramount importance that the way offenders or alleged offenders are
handled within the court is looked at and tightened up." Security at the
court is handled by GLS, formerly Group 4. A spokesman said a review would be
conducted to identify any lessons that could be learned from the escapes.
Group 4/Securicor (AKA Wackenhut, G4S, ArmorGroup)
G4S teaches UK Border Agency how to care for children:
openDemocracy, July 9, 2012, Clare Sambrook. It’s no joke — the world’s
biggest security company is training immigration staff in “Keeping Children
Safe”.
Who
should investigate murder — the police, or a private security company?:
openDemocracy, April 13, 2012, Clare Sambrook.
Private rent-a-cops to investigate murder?
Police,
magistrates and prisons by . Is this what the
British people want?: openDemocracy,
March 6, 2012, Mel Kelly. Scary story about G4S taking over everything. This
is dangerous folks. A must read.
Companies
Use Immigration Crackdown to Turn a Profit: Expose on immigration
by Nina Bernstein at the New York Times, September 28, 2011
Duty
of Care: Expose by Clare Sambrook on G4S and the death of
Aboriginal elder Mr. Ward. June 8, 2011
March 08, 2013 getsurrey.co.uk
A DOUBLE amputee from Woking died
from head injuries when his unsecured wheelchair tipped over in a G4S ambulance
that the driver had not been properly trained to use, an inquest jury has
found. Palaniappan Thevarayan, 47, of Hawthorn Road, Barnsbury, was being
transferred to St Helier Hospital in Sutton on May 4 last year when his
wheelchair came free from the built-in clamps and he fatally hit his head.
The jury at Westminster Coroner’s Court ruled on Thursday (March 7) that Mr
Thevarayan had not been securely clamped into the back of the ambulance.
Driver John Garner and fellow G4S staff were insufficiently trained to
transport hundreds of patients from their homes to clinics and hospitals
across London and the south east, the inquest heard. The court was told
drivers were aware of problems with the clamps prior to the incident, and
were then told to stop using them immediately after Mr Thevarayan’s death.
New vehicles were introduced in November 2011. The former newsagent was being
moved from a dialysis treatment centre in Epsom to St Helier’s when he had to
be diverted because his catheter had become blocked, the inquest heard. After
hearing that Mr Garner’s manual handling training had not been refreshed
since 2009, jurors decided: “Patient transport service staff
were not sufficiently trained in the safe transportation of patients
by ambulance.” Mr Thevarayan, who was born in India, had been undergoing
dialysis three times a week for nearly three years when he died and was only
using the Epsom centre because his usual facility in West Byfleet had been
temporarily shut down in April 2011 due to storm damage. Mr Thevarayan’s wife
and full-time carer Nirmala told the inquest she wanted answers about his
treatment by G4S and why it took so long to get him into surgery. She said
her husband was given a 50:50 chance of survival if operated on immediately
after the injury but nearly six hours passed before he went for surgery. “I
want to know why they didn’t look after him properly,” she told the court on
Monday. “And in hospital, why did they take so long to treat him?” Mrs
Thevarayan said her husband had called to say he would receive antibiotics
and be back home that night. But he was given a bleak outlook when assessed
by doctors on arrival at St Helier’s, the inquest heard. Despite his
condition, it was not until 10pm that he was transferred to St George’s in Tooting
for surgery and a further four hours until he went into the operating
theatre. The inquest heard Mr Thevarayan, a devoted family man, was diagnosed
as diabetic when he was 23 and developed kidney problems later on in life. He
was forced to retire when both his legs were amputated after he developed
circulation difficulties, and had a heart bypass in 2009. But Mrs Thevarayan
said her husband remained fiercely independent, despite his health problems.
“He was a very capable man, and what he could do, he would do,” she told the
inquest. “He never asked anyone for any help.” She added he was nearing the
top of the kidney transplant list when he died and was also due to be fitted
with a prosthetic leg. “The next day he had an appointment with the transplant
surgeon and he was so looking forward to that,” his wife said. Mr Thevarayan
died of an acute chronic subdural haematoma and head injury contributed to by
chronic renal failure and diabetes. Assistant deputy coroner Kevin McLoughlin
said to Mrs Thevarayan and her son and daughter, who sat through the four-day
inquest: “I pay tribute to the calm dignity which you and your family have
conducted yourself through what must have been heartbreaking evidence.”
22 Feb 2013 itv.com
Two employees who stole thousands from a cash
collection depot in Maidstone have been jailed for four years each. Barry
Jackman from Ashford and Mark Knight from Maidstone, were charged after an
internal investigation by G4S, who contacted police when they noticed money
going missing. The pair were employed as depot
manager and deputy of the Maidstone depot, which conveys money to banks and
financial institutions. Jackman and Knight came under suspicion after they
were allegedly seen in a car park exchanging what appeared to be a bag of money.
Police officers searched Knight’s home and found eight cash bags, each
containing £500 in £2 coins. At Jackman’s house, £100 in £2 was found in a
box in the garage. Mark Knight was also sentenced to four years in prison
Credit: Kent Police
-- The two had come up with techniques to remove money from the
depot, bypassing the searches that they were subjected to when leaving the
premises. It's estimated that between January 2010 and September 2011 that
£90,000 went missing from the depot. **Knight blamed temptation as the main
factor. One of the methods involved moving a loose ceiling tile, allowing
access to the roof space, and leaving the bags in the space. Once through the
security checks, Jackman or Knight accessed the roof space via the ladies toilets
to collect the cash. The pair also took real money, but balanced the books by
sending counterfeit cash that the depot had sorted back out to financial
institutions to ensure that there were no anomalies.
February 13, 2013 express.co.uk
The group said the final
settlement with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG),
would cover its failure to provide all the 10,400 security guards needed to
protect the event last summer. Military personnel had to be drafted in to
cover the shortfall with G4S boss Nick Buckles hauled before Parliament to
explain why it had not met its targets. G4S had previously forecast a
£50million loss from the £284million contract but said its decision to waive
a larger chunk of its management fee had sent the bill higher. It is also
taking a further £18million hit including the cost of Games marketing and a
£2.5million goodwill donation to a military charity. However the overall loss
was less than the £150million speculated by some in the City leaving G4S
shares flat at 280½p. Buckles said: "Whilst we are extremely
disappointed to find ourselves in this position we are pleased to have
concluded these negotiations. "The Government
is an important customer and it was in our interests to bring this matter to
a close in a professional manner without the need for lengthy legal
proceedings." A G4S spokesman said the settlement had drawn a line under
the affair and it was now keen to "restore its reputation" with the
Government, which accounts for about half of its UK revenues.
12
October 2012 Scotsman.com
Police had to cover “thousands” of extra shifts at the London 2012 Games
after private security firm G4S failed to recruit and train enough guards.
Officers working overtime covered around 500 shifts, earmarked for G4S staff,
in London alone. Regional events such as the football competitions meant this
figure jumped “significantly” outside London during the Games, the national
Olympic security co-ordinator, Assistant Commissioner Chris Allison said. He
told London Assembly’s Police and Crime Committee: “It was significantly more
than that [500 shifts in London]. I think it was in the thousands that we had
to do nationally.” G4S confirmed the shortage just weeks before the Games
began. All the forces, such as Strathclyde Police who took over responsibility
for security at the Olympic venue in Glasgow, are being reimbursed by G4S, Mr
Allison said.
October 1, 2012 AP
The security contractor at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant in Tennessee was
fired Monday after authorities said three protesters cut through fences and
vandalized a building in an unprecedented break-in. Security contractor WSI
Oak Ridge said it has started winding down operations and will transfer its
protective force functions to B&W Y-12, the managing contractor at the
plant, over the next several weeks. The Department of Energy had earlier
recommended that WSI's contract be terminated. The security contractor was
criticized for its poor response when the protesters, including an
82-year-old Roman Catholic nun, cut through fences on July 28 and defaced a
building that stores the plant's weapons grade uranium. Peter Stockton, a
Department of Energy adviser on nuclear security during the Clinton
administration, called the firing long overdue. "This
the most egregious thing we've ever run into," said Stockton, a
senior investigator with the Project On Government Oversight. "It's the
worst of the worst."
September
28, 2012 The Upcoming
Two senior executives from G4S (Group 4 Securicor) have
resigned after a report blamed management failings for the Olympics’ security
fiasco. G4S, the world’s largest security firm, failed to provide the
contracted and adequate number of security personnel to cover the Olympics in
a public blunder that nearly overshadowed the successful Games. Nick Buckles
survives the G4S management cull in the wake of the Olympics scandal. G4S
chief operating officer, David Taylor-Smith, and the managing director for
G4S Global Events, Ian Horseman-Sewell, are stepping down in wake of the
scandal.
September
22, 2012 Reuters
G4S's bill for its embarrassing London Olympic staffing failure could
rise after a government committee demanded the embattled security firm waive
its management fee and compensate Games staff neglected in its chaotic
recruitment drive. The world's biggest security firm has been under fire
since admitting just two weeks before the Games began that it could not
provide a promised 10,400 venue guards, embarrassing the government - a key
customer - and forcing British troops to cancel holidays and fill the
shortfall. G4S has already estimated a 50 million pound loss on the Olympic
contract relating to the cost of deploying additional police and military
personnel and the likely penalties the London Organising Committee of the
Olympic and Paralympic Games will impose, but that may prove conservative. In
a report published on Friday, the Home Affairs Committee, which twice hauled
in G4S chief Nick Buckles to explain the Olympic debacle, said responsibility
for the failure was with G4S and that its most senior personnel should be
held accountable for making misleading staffing assurances to security
officials so close to the start of the Games. "Far from being able to
stage two Games on two continents at the same time, as they recklessly boasted,
G4S could not even stage one," said Keith Vaz, Chairman of the
influential Home Affairs Committee, referring to an interview managing
director of G4S Global Events, Ian Horseman Sewell, gave to Reuters in July.
"G4S should waive its 57 million pound management fee and also
compensate its staff and prospective staff who it treated in a cavalier
fashion." LOCOG has so far parted with only 90 million pounds of the 237
million pound contract and earlier this month insisted the remainder would
have to be negotiated.
September
10, 2012 POGO
Shortly after the security breach at Y-12 National Security Complex on July
28, the Independent Oversight Program at the Department of Energy (DOE)
headquarters sent a team to Y-12 to conduct performance tests on the effectiveness
of the Wackenhut Services Inc Oak Ridge guard force, according to a POGO
source at the DOE. Two days ago, The Nuclear Weapons & Materials Monitor
reported that a federal inspector discovered copies of questions and answers
from the written portion of the performance test in a guard force vehicle.
The newest security director of Y-12, John Garrity, who took over the
position after the break-in a month ago, has now been administratively
re-assigned. This incident of cheating on a performance test at Y-12 is
nothing new for Wackenhut. Prior to the break in at Y-12, POGO had received
an anonymous tip voicing concerns about cheating on security tests that
sounded credible. We could not verify the allegation so were not able to
release it at the time. But after another source contacted POGO and the
latest revelation about guards with test questions and answers, there is
certainly justification to do so now. The source stated that “Wackenhut has a
history of cheating on performance tests at Y12 and other locations. All of
the in house testing that is scheduled to occur is relayed in advance to the
security personnel so they always do a great job. All drills and tests done
for the occasional outside agency are relayed ahead of time as to what they
will be. There is no honest testing taking place. The security force cannot
do any response without practicing and rehearsing ahead of time as they
almost always do. Even though Wackenhut was caught cheating during an IG
investigation in 2004, they were allowed to not only keep their contract, they were allowed to continue testing
themselves. This is clearly a conflict on [sic] interest as it has been and
it continiues [sic] to go on.” And in June 2003, a test using four different
force-on-force scenarios was conducted at Y-12 to determine the effectiveness
of the guard force. It turned out that the guard force performed too well on
all four scenarios. An Inspector General (IG) investigation of the 2003
incident found that the tests had been compromised when leaders of the guard
force gained access to the attackers’ plans: Several individuals told us, for
example, that controlled (test-sensitive) information was shared with SPOs
[Security Police Officers] prior to their participation in a given
performance test. These concerns paralleled our findings regarding the June
2003 performance test. When queried as to the nature of the information that
had been shared with SPOs in prior years, they provided a number of examples,
including the following: •The specific building and wall to be attacked by
the test adversary; •The specific target of the test adversary; and •Whether
or not a diversionary tactic would be employed by the test adversary. In a
memorandum attached to the IG report, Inspector General Gregory Friedman said,
“We found that shortly before the test, two protective force personnel were
inappropriately permitted to view the computer simulations of the four
scenarios. This action compromised controlled (test-sensitive) information.
As a consequence, the test results were, in our judgment, tainted and
unreliable.” Additionally, the 2003 IG review stated that inspectors were
provided with information that inappropriate actions had occurred going back
to the mid-1980s in connection with performance tests at the department’s Oak
Ridge Complex. In the last month, dozens of officials at Y-12 have either
been transferred or allowed to retire as a result of both the break-in and
the cheating debacle. This is nothing short of rearranging the deck chairs on
the Titanic. Merely firing a single low-level guard, Kirk Garland, is hardly
enough to address the larger issue of Wackenhut cutting corners on security.
Garland was like a canary in a coal mine—in a real attack he would have been
the first victim. His bravery was rewarded with a termination letter while
those truly responsible for the break-in and cheating remain gainfully
employed. Each performance test costs the better part of $100,000. Wackenhut
has now been caught cheating twice and there are additional reports of cheating
from sources like our anonymous whistleblower. How many more times will DOE
allow Wackenhut to waste taxpayer money on tainted and unreliable tests
before it terminates the security contract and provides adequate security
that is tried-and-true?
September
9, 2012 The Guardian
Home Office ministers have ordered weekly reports on the progress of two new
contracts with the private security companies G4S and Serco to house and
provide support services for thousands of asylum seekers and their families.
The chief executive of the UK Border Agency (UKBA), Rob Whiteman, has
confirmed that serious concerns about the ability of the two companies to
find housing for thousands of asylum seekers across the north of England by
November has led to closer monitoring at the most senior levels of the Home
Office. The £883m a year Compass contract to provide support services for
dispersed asylum seekers is the largest project run by the Home Office. The
two private security companies took over the five-year asylum housing contracts
in four of the six UKBA regions across Britain from social landlords,
including councils, in March. The companies were expected to start moving
people in June. But after a contractual dispute G4S dropped its housing
subcontractor for the Yorkshire and Humberside region, United Property
Management, in June and its new subcontractors have yet to find enough homes.
Two councils, Sheffield and Kirklees, have raised concerns about their
ability to deliver the housing contract within the expected timetable.
Kirklees council said that a fortnight ago, only one family out of 240 asylum
seekers had been moved as part of the transition from the council to the new
providers. "There are 240 asylum seekers being assisted. We understand
the subcontractors are finding it difficult to procure accommodation and the
council has been asked to continue to provide assistance until the end of
October. There is no suggestion however that the council's contract will be
renewed after this time," Whiteman has told the Commons public accounts
committee there were also concerns about the two Serco contracts, one
covering north-west England and the other Scotland and Northern Ireland,
including the "speed at which properties are being acquired". He
said the issue had been "escalated" to directly involve himself and
Jeremy Oppenheim, the UKBA director of immigration and settlement. Weekly
reports are also being sent to ministers. "It is not at this stage
anywhere near penalties because they are acting within the contract in terms
of how the work is handed over to them," Whiteman told MPs. "We do
have concerns about mobilisation. We are escalating this and I have been
involved in meetings on that but it is at a relatively early stage." He
added there were other remedies available under the contracts but he hoped
the difficulties would be resolved.
September
7, 2012 Reuters
Embattled security firm G4S will be forced to relive its embarrassing London
Olympics staffing failure on Tuesday when its boss returns for a second
showdown with British lawmakers demanding to know how the debacle was allowed
to happen. Group Chief Executive Nick Buckles and David Taylor-Smith, who is
the group's UK and Africa CEO, w ill be pressed for
further explanation of the recruitment failure which has hit shares and
raised questions about its prospects on future deals. "Everyone now
accepts that G4S let the country down before the Olympics began. We need to
ascertain the reasons why this happened and who else was responsible for the
pre-Olympics shambles," Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs
Committee and a member of Parliament for the opposition Labour party, told
Reuters. Vaz said the committee had quizzed Home Secretary Theresa May, who
is in charge of domestic security, on Thursday, and had received a detailed
letter outlining the department's oversight of the contract and the
minister's meetings with Buckle and the Olympics organizers during the run-up
to the Games. G4S, the world's largest security firm, which in Britain runs
services for airports, prisons, immigration and the police, admitted just 16
days before the Games began that it could not supply a promised 10,400 venue
guards. It eventually raised 7,800 at peak times, leaving the military to
make up the shortfall. The failure embarrassed the government, one of G4S's
core clients which accounts for more than half of its 1.8 billion pounds
British revenue. More than 20 percent of its pipeline of potential UK work
also stems from that market. Those numbers mean the UK public sector is one
of the biggest global clients for the group, whose revenue for 2012 is
forecast at just over 8 billion pounds according to a Reuters
poll of 21 analysts. G4S has said it expects to take a 50 million pound
($79.7 million) loss over the contract failure, but the potential for a
longer-lasting reputational blow goes beyond the UK market. A week before it
conceded recruitment problems, the company told Reuters it expected its work
at the 2012 Games would help it win a bigger share of a four-year cycle of
global events whose safety and security budget has been estimated at more
than $10 billion.
August
20, 2012 Reuters
G4S is set to pull out of Pakistan amid an increasingly hostile environment
for foreign security companies, the Financial Times reported on Monday. The
company, which trades under the name Wackenhut Pakistan Ltd, has agreed to
sell the business to its chairman in the region for about $10 million. Ikram
Sehgal, chairman of G4S's Pakistani operation, who already owns a 50 percent
stake in the company, is expected to buy the company's Pakistan interest.
"The Pakistani government has decided it doesn't want foreign security
companies in the region, which makes it tough for outsiders to operate,"
Sehgal is quoted as saying. G4S, the world's largest security firm, employs
10,000 staff in Pakistan, where it provides security for the UN and
multinational corporations. G4S is under fire over its failure to provide
enough guards at the London Olympics.
August
19, 2012 The Independent
G4S boss Nick Buckles once said that he "never had any ambition of
working for anyone else". Early retirement it is, then, for the
51-year-old with the odd mullet haircut, because there is no way he should be
allowed to continue at the world's second biggest private-sector employer.
This is not because of the security fiasco at the Olympics, when G4S failed
to stump up enough security guards so that the army had to step in to protect
the event. Don't get me wrong, the epic failure at a global event that means
the company has ruled itself out of bidding for contracts at the 2014 World
Cup and the 2016 Olympics in Brazil was certainly deserving of his head. Nor
is this about the disastrous failure to buy ISS for £5.2bn last year, when
shareholders effectively vetoed his plans and were proven right last week
when the Danish cleaner was valued some 20 per cent below that level in a
stake sale. And, obviously it's a bit odd how corporate advisers, brokers and
a chairman lost their jobs with G4S when Buckles goes around boasting that
his role nowadays is "reputation and pricing bids". Of course he
should have gone over the Olympics. Of course he should have gone over the
ISS fiasco. But, to go for those reasons alone means that all the other
shambles and controversies during his eight-year leadership then would be
forgotten. Buckles should go for the many, many awful mistakes the company
has made during his reign. It's difficult to know where to start, so I'll
trot out the rebuttal that many shareholders will make against my argument:
G4S has gown hugely under Buckles, the share price hovered below 120p in
mid-2004 and since 2009 has traded at well over double that. Yes, the
financial performance is impressive, with consistently strong turnover,
profit and dividend pay-out figures. But, the operational performance has
been shameful and when the industry is something as crucial as security, it
is not enough to use accounts as a defence. Buckles is not personally
responsible for any of the following, but the list is long enough to suggest
that he has failed to impose the right culture on G4S's employees: In 2007,
staff at US subsidiary Wackenhut were found asleep while "securing"
a nuclear power plant, resulting in the loss of its contract with the US's
biggest energy provider; In 2008, Aboriginal elder "Mr Ward" died
of severe heat stroke in the back of a G4S prison van in Australia. G4S was
fined after pleading guilty to charges of failing to protect the
46-year-old's health and safety; In 2010, father-of-five Jimmy Mubenga, who
was being deported from the UK to Angola, was restrained by three G4S
security guards and died of cardiac arrest. Last month, the Crown Prosecution
Service did not bring charges to the guards over insufficient evidence, a
decision that a former chief inspector of prisons branded "perverse";
In 2011, G4S lost a major government contract after a record 773 complaints
by immigration centre detainees, including nearly 50 of assault. Current
chief inspector of prisons Nick Hardwick found that G4S guards used
"highly offensive and sometime racist language". Individually,
these are hardly the fault of the boss of one of the world's most sprawling
empires. It is also hard to say when enough emerged that Buckles should have
taken a hard look at himself and admit that he hadn't corrected what appears to be cultural deficiencies. But the list has gone
well beyond whatever that point is and he should go.
August
18, 2012 The Sun
A ROBBER dressed as a G4S guard walked out of a store with £14,000 takings —
while the real security man was sat outside reading a paper. Duped staff at
Poundland became suspicious after handing over the cash. They went outside to
the waiting G4S van and told the driver: “We’ve just given the money to your
mate.” But the stunned security guard put down his newspaper and replied:
“What mate?” Cops reckon the robber had watched the G4S staff’s regular
routine before “mocking up” a uniform — complete with crash helmet and body
armour. A source said: “The real G4S guys often take a quick break when
arriving in their security wagon. On this occasion the guy was reading a
paper in the cab. “The robber has been caught on CCTV appearing from the back
of the van, as if he’d got out of the passenger seat. “Staff had no reason to
think he wasn’t a G4S man. He handed them two cash containers which they
filled up. “He then calmly walked out and disappeared. He must have been
laughing his head off under his helmet.” Police are appealing for witnesses
to Thursday’s heist in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warks. It is the latest
embarrassment for gaffe-prone G4S after its failure to provide 10,400 Olympic
security staff. A spokeswoman said: “We’ll be working closely with Poundland
and Warwickshire Police.”
July
31, 2012 Manchester Evening News
Embattled security firm G4S was booted out of Old Trafford before the first
Olympics football match there, the M.E.N. can reveal. Hundreds of G4S staff
workers were supposed to patrol United’s home ground while it hosted matches
at the 2012 Games. The arrangement was part of a £284m contract between Games
organisers Locog and the crisis-hit company. But a string of problems led to
the decision to drop G4S at Old Trafford and bring in security firm
Controlled Event Solutions, (CES) which looks after the stadium for Reds’
matches. A United source said the final straw for Olympic bosses had come
when G4S sub-contractors walked out, claiming they had not been paid. The
source added: “Someone has looked at it and said enough is enough and they
have sent them packing and brought in CES.”
July
25, 2012 Aiken Standard
A civil lawsuit against Wackenhut Services Inc. at the Savannah River Site
claiming discrimination should proceed to trial, a
U.S. magistrate judge recommended in federal court documents last week. Judge
Paige Gossett recommended granting in part and denying in part motions for
summary judgement in the case of Marvin Timothy Oerman, who filed a lawsuit
in 2010 claiming he was demoted by former employer Wackenhut because he is
white. The judge's July 17 recommendation said the lawsuit should proceed on
a race discrimination claim, but not on a sex discrimination claim. "It
is our understanding that the magistrate issued recommendations partly in our
favor and partly against us," said WSI spokesperson Rob Davis. "If
the recommendations are upheld, the case will proceed to trial on one of Mr.
Oerman's claims." Davis said that Wackenhut continues to deny any
discriminatory actions against Oerman. Oerman, who is no longer employed with
Wackenhut, worked for the contractor for more than 25 years, and claims that
he was demoted while a less experienced black male was selected for the
position of manager of Wackenhut's training operations department. The
complaint states Oerman later learned that another manager planned to leave
the department, and that Randy Garver, general manager of WSI-SRS, did not
post the position before choosing another black male with less experience.
Oerman filed a second lawsuit in 2011 against Wackenhut claiming retaliation
once it became known that he had filed the initial lawsuit. He claimed Wackenhut
Services Inc. selected individuals on the basis of race and gender and has
"instituted an ad hoc racial and gender quota system," according to
the complaint. Court documents state that, according to Garver, "there were continuing performance failures at the barricades for
which [Oerman] was responsible," and as a result, he selected a new
manager to oversee perimeter protection and transferred Oerman elsewhere.
"Unfortunately, there were a significant number of employees who lost
jobs through downsizing at SRS over the last several years, and this is our
only lawsuit related to that downsizing," Davis said.
July
23, 2012 Ekklesia
The Howard League for Penal Reform has revealed new findings from polling
firm Populus showing that half the public oppose privately run prisons. While
just 37 per cent describe themselves as comfortable with private prisons, 49
per cent are uncomfortable, including 23 per cent very uncomfortable. The gap
is even wider amongst women (32 per cent comfortable, 50 per cent uncomfortable)
and the electorally crucial over-65 age group (32 per cent comfortable, 59
per cent uncomfortable). When the specific example of G4S running a local
prison is presented, just one in four (26 per cent) describe themselves as
comfortable with the idea and even fewer (23 per cent) view the service as
suitable for a payment by results approach. Frances Crook, Chief Executive of
the Howard League for Penal Reform, which campaigns for less crime, safer
communities and fewer people in prison, said: “It’s clear that the public
understands the dangers of putting such a key service as the prison system
into the hands of unaccountable companies, who are driven by cutting costs
rather than cutting crime. "The scandal of the Army having to step in to
provide security at the Olympics after private firm G4S failed to do its job
proves yet again that when private firms underperform, the public pays
through the nose and safety is compromised. We shouldn’t be allowing the same
thing in our prison system.”
July
16, 2012 The Guardian
The slide in the G4S share price on Monday reflected the Olympic-sized blow
to the private security company's reputation, not only in Britain but
throughout its global operations. The company has been here before. In its
former incarnation as Group 4 in the early 1990s it became a national joke in
Britain, as its first contracts to escort prisoners from courts to jail were
hit by one high-profile escape after another. Since those dark days – helped
by the fact that it was not then a publicly quoted company with a share price
to protect – Group 4 not only recovered but has gone on to become a global
success story, with 657,000 employees in 125 countries. G4S is now the
largest player in global security, with 8% of the market and contracts that include
protecting ships from pirates in the Indian Ocean and supplying security
systems to the Pentagon. But its proud boast to be "securing your world,
in more ways than you might realise" has been dealt a massive blow by
overstretching itself on such a high-profile contract. While Olympic tier-one
sponsors such as British Airways and Adidas have paid more than £700m to
ensure they harvest a positive boost to their profiles, G4S is experiencing a
turbocharged PR meltdown. Will this prove fatal to the company's UK
reputation as the go-to contractor for everything in the criminal justice
system from running police stations to managing prisons? Replacing its chief
executive, Nick Buckles, 51, may not prove sufficient to repair the damage,
especially if he pockets, as he will be entitled to, £20m in pay and benefits
if he goes. The company will already have written off its hopes of winning
the security contracts at the 2014 football World Cup and the 2016 Olympics,
both in Brazil.
May
30, 2012 Our Kingdom
On Tuesday 8 May a Bradford asylum seeker and her twelve week old baby were
given barely a week’s notice by private landlord UPM to quit their home. On
Thursday 17th they were transported forty miles to a tiny flat in Doncaster
with no cooker, table or chair, and only a tiny sink to wash dishes and
clothes. Campaigners in Bradford and Doncaster supported the mother and
engaged with local medical services and the Red Cross, and protested to the
UK Border Agency and local authorities. The protests prompted a Border Agency
inspector to visit the Doncaster flat. On Monday the Border Agency declared
the flat “contractually non-compliant” and “not suitable in its present state
for mothers and babies”. The Border Agency claimed it had instructed UPM to
relocate the mother and baby as a matter of urgency. But they remain in the
Doncaster flat, marooned 40 miles from anybody they know. This is the new
world of asylum seeker housing controlled by G4S, the world’s biggest
security company. In March G4S won a massive £30 million UK Border Agency
contract to house asylum-seekers in the Midlands, the East of England, the
North East, Yorkshire and Humberside. Using the “prime contractor model”,
which G4S tells investors is “attractive”, the company granted subcontracts
to UPM and the charity Migrant Help. UPM, or United
Property Management (slogan “Serve like a charity. Perform like a business”),
describes itself as “a market leading provider of accommodation and support
services to people from all walks of life.” They’re based just up the road
from Manchester’s Victoria Station. Beatrice Botomani, a worker at Bradford
Refugee Action Forum who has coordinated protests and emergency help for the
Bradford women and children, said: “We met UPM at the end of April and they
gave a long list of pledges about not taking children out of Bradford and
away from social and medical services and schools, and giving adequate notice
on removals. Only a few days later they started evictions and removals with
less than a week’s notice. Some of these women and children have been in
Bradford for two years or more awaiting decisions on asylum claims. UPM has
not told us where people are going and we cannot alert local support services
to contact them – many of these people are already traumatised and have fled
from terrible conditions in their home lands, UPM is adding to their
stresses.”
March
30, 2012 Journal-Sentinel
Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr.'s plan to privatize courtroom
bailiffs won't fly - at least not for now. Judge Dominic D'Amato ruled that
Clarke could not place private security guards in courtrooms, a move the
sheriff had already started by issuing a $1.4 million contract with G4S
Secure Solutions. The firm, formerly known as Wackenhut, is an international
company that provides personnel and technology services. D'Amato issued a
temporary injunction halting the deployment of 25 part-time G4S guards,
siding with the county Deputy Sheriffs' Association. Clarke argued that he
had the power to hire the G4S guards as an emergency stopgap and wanted that
to avoid paying full-time bailiffs overtime. Clarke issued the G4S contract
on an emergency basis after his 2012 budget was cut and eliminated 48 deputy
jobs. The budget also called for creating a new category of part-time hourly
bailiffs, who would be county employees but not deputies. Until now, the
county has used only full-time deputies for courtroom security. The deputies'
union has resisted opening the door to part-time bailiffs or private security
for the courtroom. Under current staffing, felony courts have two bailiffs
each, while misdemeanor and civil courts have one. Roy Felber, president of
the Deputy Sheriffs' Association, said Friday the ruling was "a big win
for us. I'm very disgusted that we are trying to privatize law
enforcement." Private security guards would be loyal to their company,
not to the county, Felber said.
January
13, 2012 The Guardian
The chairman of the company tasked with protecting athletes and visitors at
the London Olympics has paid the price for a failed deal to take over a
cleaning company and fallen on his sword. Alf Duch-Pedersen, who has headed
the world's largest security firm G4S for the past five years, said he was
"sad" to be stepping down this year but accepted the time was right
to find a successor. Chief executive, Nick Buckles, is still in a job but
Duch-Pedersen is to go after shareholders rebelled against a rights issue for
a planned £5.3bn takeover of Danish cleaning firm ISS. Investors would not
support a £2bn money-raising exercise unveiled last October – which would
have allowed a merger to create a group with more than 1.2 million staff
worldwide – at a time of deep economic uncertainty. Many analysts argued at
the time that G4S – the result of an earlier merger between Group 4 and
Securicor – should concentrate on its core protection work where it had won a
groundbreaking contract to deliver back office functions for Lincolnshire
police – the first of its kind by a British Police Authority.
November
22, 2011 The Guardian
Serious injuries or other life-threatening warning signs have been detected
on 285 occasions when children have been physically restrained in privately
run jails over the past five years, according to Ministry of Justice figures.
The figure reflects the number of "exception reports" submitted by
the four privately run secure training centres to the youth justice board
since 2006. The warning signs triggering an exception report include
struggling to breathe, nausea, vomiting, limpness and abnormal redness to the
face. Serious injuries are classified as those requiring hospitalisation and
include serious cuts, fractures, concussion, loss of consciousness and damage
to internal organs. The MoJ figures, which have been disclosed for the first
time, show that there were 61 such exception reports made last year. There
have been 29 so far in the first 10 months of this year. Their disclosure
comes as a two-day High Court challenge is due to get underway over the MoJ's
refusal to identify and trace hundreds of children who have been unlawfully
restrained in the privately run child jails using techniques that have since
been banned. Children's rights campaigners believe they should be entitled to
compensation. The Children's Rights Alliance for England (Crae) has brought
the case challenging the justice secretary, Ken Clarke's, refusal to contact
former detainees dating back to 1998, when the first secure training centre
opened. The legal challenge follows a second inquest earlier this year into
the death of 14-year-old Adam Rickwood, who was found hanging in his room at
Hassockfield Secure Training Centre, where he was on remand in 2006. It
concluded there was a serious system failure which gave rise to an unlawful
regime at the child jail. The use of several "distraction" restraint
techniques, that involved inflicting pain with a severe blow to the nose or
ribs, or by pulling back a child's thumb, were banned in 2008. The use of
physical restraint techniques to control teenagers simply for the purposes of
"good order and discipline" was also ruled unlawful by the court of
appeal. Carolyne Willow, Crae's national co-ordinator, said their lawyers
will argue there had been a chronic failure by the authorities to protect
vulnerable children over many years. "It was not children's responsibility
to know about, challenge and stop unlawful and abusive treatment," said
Willow, adding there were potentially thousands of former detainees who
should now be contacted. "Children in custody are among the most
disadvantaged in society and they were held in closed institutions where
unlawful restraint was routine and ordinary. It was the state, and the
private contractors, who were duty-bound to protect the welfare and rights of
vulnerable children." She said that government officials now had a duty
to notify potential victims that their rights had been infringed. The abuses
should no longer remain hidden and unchallenged. The security company, G4S,
which operates three of the four child jails is also
joining the case as an 'interested party'.
October
21, 2011 BBC
Birmingham Prison inmates were locked in their cells for almost a full day
after a set of keys fitting every cell door went missing. Keys to the jail,
which was taken over earlier this month by private security firm G4S,
disappeared on Tuesday. The firm said all prisons had established contingency
plans for incidents of this nature and there was no risk to public safety.
The jail is the first in the UK to be transferred to the private sector. It
is not known if the keys have since been found or what action is now being
taken at the prison.
October
17, 2011 BBC
Shares in G4S, the world's largest security group, fell almost 20% after it
announced a £5.2bn ($8.2bn) takeover of Denmark's ISS. G4S will pay ISS's
private equity owners cash and shares, and will raise £2bn from existing
shareholders to help fund the deal. ISS operations range from catering to
cleaning, while G4S services include running prisons and army training. The
takeover will double the size of G4S, giving it revenues of about £16bn. G4S
said the deal would create an estimated £100m of annual savings for the
combined business by 2014.
October
11, 2011 Canberra Times
The Commonwealth Government is suing its former immigration detention
operators for failing to protect it against lawsuits lodged by people kept in
detention facilities. The case will be heard in the South Australian Supreme
Court on November 21. It is part of a long-running case launched by former
asylum-seeker Abdul Amir Hamidi, who won a confidential settlement against
the Federal Government after almost five years in detention. As The Canberra
Times revealed on Saturday, Mr Hamidi's lawyers predict that the confidential
settlement will spark dozens more claims for damages. In a case to be heard
on November 21, the Commonwealth will claim its former detention centre
operators - GSL and Australasian Correctional Services - breached their
contracts by exposing the Government to the legal action. The Commonwealth
will argue both companies agreed to indemnify it against damages based on
their running of Australian detention centres. Australasian Correctional
Services operated Australia's mainland immigration detention facilities until
early 2004. Group 4 Falck Global Solutions Pty Ltd (which later changed its
name to Global Solutions Limited, or GSL) commenced
management of the centres in late 2003. Both companies will fight the claim,
with ACS arguing it had insufficient time to respond to the allegations and
the terms of its agreement included dispute resolution measures. GSL says it
is not responsible for indemnifying the Commonwealth for any ''negligent,
wilful, reckless or unlawful acts or omissions of the Commonwealth, its
employees, officers or agents''. Between 2000 and March 2010, detainees in
Australian immigration detention centres were paid more than $12.3million in
compensation for personal injury or unlawful detention.
September
11, 2011 Scotland on Sunday
HUNDREDS of thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money is being spent holding
asylum-seekers at Dungavel detention centre for months at a time. Scotland on
Sunday has learned that almost £500,000 has been spent housing 13 long-term
detainees, several of whom have been at the former prison in South
Lanarkshire for more than a year. Asylum-seekers are supposed to stay at
so-called pre-departure centres for no more than a week. But in a number of
cases, delays in the deportation system mean the UK Border Agency is holding
people for an unspecified period. For the duration of detention, the Home
Office pays security firm G4S £110 a day for each asylum-seeker. At Dungavel,
two men have been held for two years and four months, while others have been
held for more than a year, at a cost to taxpayers of about £480,000.
Detaining Christian Likenge, 27, a former law student from the Democratic
Republic of Congo, who has been held for 28 months, has cost £100,000 to
date. Likenge, a Christian preacher, is being held after the UK rejected his
application for asylum but officials in his native country refused to give
him the necessary identification to return home. "It's very difficult
and frustrating being here this long," he said. "It's mental
torture. I feel depressed. You miss your people, you miss your friends. You
feel half-dead."
September
7, 2011 The Age
Specialist security guards at a mental health hospital that houses some of
Victoria's most disturbed patients have been locked out over a pay push for
an extra $2 an hour. The union representing the guards now fears there could
be security breaches at the Thomas Embling Hospital, in Fairfield in
Melbourne's north-east, which houses psychiatric patients from the prison
system, some of them killers found not guilty on the grounds of mental
impairment. The Health and Community Services Union said about 10 guards
found themselves denied access to the hospital this morning and replaced by
guards sent there by security contractor G4S. The hospital's guards have been
campaigning for nine months to be paid the same as security officers who
worked at public hospitals. They were about to put in place bans on working
overtime and filling out paperwork, the union said. Union state secretary
Lloyd Williams said the guards were paid about $18 an hour, despite requiring
specialist qualifications in dealing with patients in a mental health hospital.
The rate is about 10 per cent lower than they received by guards who patrol
public hospitals. He said his members wanted pay parity with colleagues at
public hospitals. Mr Williams doubted whether the replacement guards had the
appropriate skills to work at the hospital, and lacked the detailed knowledge
of patients and daily running of the centre. He warned of a risk to the
safety of patients, hospital staff and even the public if security was
breached. "That's our concern, that when - and not if - there is a
security problem, these people who are there now will not be able to respond
appropriately," he said. The hospital experienced one security breach
yesterday, when a man considered by police to be dangerous failed to return
after being sent out on day release. Dwayne Lee Spintal, 37, was apprehended
peacefully by detectives in South Yarra this morning. Mr Williams said the
standing down of the hospital's guards had been felt already, as one patient
who was scheduled to be taken to another hospital for medical treatment had
to have his treatment cancelled. "They clearly don't know how to run the
facility because senior management are shadowing them as we speak, making
sure that something doesn't go wrong," he said. "We know already
because of the situation that a patient who needed to go out of the hospital
for [medical] treatment had to have that treatment cancelled. "Clearly [G4S] are putting their profits ahead of
patient treatment." G4S said in a statement it replaced the guards under
provisions of the Fair Work Act.
August
29, 2011 UKPA
Two members of staff at a private security firm have been sacked after an
electronic tag was put on an offender's false leg, the company said.
Christopher Lowcock, 29, wrapped his prosthetic limb in a bandage and fooled
G4S staff who failed to carry out the proper tests when they set up the tag
and monitoring equipment at his Rochdale home. Lowcock could then simply
remove his leg - and the tag - whenever he wanted to breach his court-imposed
curfew for driving and drug offences, as well as possession of an offensive
weapon. A second G4S officer who went to check the monitoring equipment also
failed to carry out the proper test. Managers became suspicious last month,
but when they returned to the address a third time Lowcock had already been
arrested and was back in custody accused of driving while banned and without
insurance. A G4S spokeswoman said: "G4S tags 70,000 subjects a year on
behalf of the Ministry of Justice. Given the critical nature of this service
we have very strict procedures in place which all of our staff must follow.
"In this individual's case two employees failed to adhere to the correct
procedures when installing the tag. Had they done so, they would have
identified his prosthetic leg. Failure to follow procedure is a serious
disciplinary offence, and the two employees responsible for the installation
of the tag have now been dismissed." A Ministry of Justice spokesman
added: "We expect the highest level of professionalism from all our
contractors, and there are strict guidelines which must be followed when
tagging offenders. "Procedures were clearly not
followed in this case and G4S have taken action against the staff involved.
Two thousand offenders are tagged every week and incidents like this are very
rare."
July
8, 2011 POGO
Private security contractor ArmorGroup North America Inc. (AGNA) agreed to
pay $7.5 million to settle whistleblower allegations that it violated
procurement rules that put the security of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan
at risk. AGNA's parent company said the settlement was made solely "to
avoid costly and disruptive litigation—and that there has been no finding or
admission of liability." This is the same company whose employees are
depicted in lewd pictures POGO made available in fall 2009—which demonstrated
a serious breakdown in discipline among the security personnel defending the
U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan. POGO Executive Director Danielle Brian called it
a 'Lord of the Flies' environment. Former AGNA director of operations James
Gordon was the whistleblower who filed the lawsuit—he will receive $1.35
million from the $7.5 million AGNA has agreed to pay. According to a
Department of Justice (DOJ) press release, these are the whistleblower
allegations that were resolved by the settlement: •"AGNA submitted false
claims for payment on a State Department contract to provide armed guard
services at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan"; •"[I]n 2007
and 2008, AGNA guards violated the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA)
by visiting brothels in Kabul, and that AGNA’s management knew about the
guards’ activities"; •"AGNA misrepresented the prior work
experience of 38 third country national guards it had hired to guard the
Embassy"; and •"AGNA failed to comply with certain Foreign
Ownership, Control and Influence mitigation requirements on the embassy
contract, and on a separate contract to provide guard services at a Naval
Support Facility in Bahrain." Gordon’s lawsuit was filed in September
2009. Nearly a year and a half later, DOJ joined Gordon’s whistleblower
lawsuit on April 29, 2011. Slightly more than two months later, AGNA settled.
According to DOJ statistics, whistleblower lawsuits (or qui tam lawsuits)
that allow insiders to sue on behalf of the federal government have a much
higher success rate when the government intervenes and joins the
whistleblower, known as a relator, in their lawsuit (or parts of their
lawsuit). In 2009, Gordon stated that he filed his lawsuit “to hold
ArmorGroup accountable for the blatant disregard of its obligations to ensure
the safety and security of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. In an industry where
good people are required to face extreme risk on a daily basis it is
essential that those companies who disregard the rules be removed as they not
only endanger their own staff but also endanger the mission, all in order to
increase profit.” On September 14, 2009, POGO’s Executive Director Danielle
Brian provided testimony on the breakdown of discipline among many of AGNA’s
employees in Kabul before the Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and
Afghanistan. Shortly after the Commission hearing, Brian was contacted by
Samuel Brinkley, Wackenhut Services, Inc. (WSI)’s Vice President of Homeland
and International Security Services, who offered to work with POGO on behalf
of WSI and AGNA to identify and remedy mistreatment of victims of this
hazing, retaliation against some of the whistleblowers who had come to POGO,
and other matters raised in POGO’s disclosures. WSI is AGNA’s parent company.
During the intervening months, Brinkley and Brian had many discussions
regarding the fair and appropriate treatment for POGO’s whistleblowers and
others not involved in the wrongdoing. As a result, POGO was pleased that
WSI/AGNA resolved the employment concerns of those five personnel at issue.
WSI issued a statement yesterday as well in response to the DOJ press release
announcing the settlement. WSI disputed the DOJ’s assertion that there was a
violation of the False Claims Act, that it did not have an anti-trafficking
policy in place, and that it violated rules regarding third country
nationals, and foreign mitigation requirements. It also said “the sole
individual confirmed to have frequented prostitutes was fired by AGNA in
normal course when his conduct became known.” WSI noted that the period of
AGNA’s alleged behavior predated WSI’s acquisition of AGNA. Regarding the
violation of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, Gordon’s allegations are
more serious than they sound in the DOJ press release. Last year, the
Washington Post/Center for Public Integrity wrote about Gordon’s case in the
context of a perceived lack of U.S. enforcement regarding alleged sex
trafficking by U.S. contractors and subcontractors: In Afghanistan, evidence
of trafficking came to light when 90 Chinese women were freed after brothel
raids in 2006 and 2007. The women told the International Organization on
Migration that they had been taken to Afghanistan for sexual exploitation,
according to a 2008 report. Nigina Mamadjonova, head of IOM's counter-human
trafficking unit in Afghanistan, said the women alleged in interviews that
their clients were mostly Western men. In late 2007, officials at ArmorGroup,
which provides U.S. Embassy security in Kabul, learned that some employees
frequented brothels that were disguised as Chinese restaurants and that the
employees might be engaged in sex trafficking. A company whistleblower has
alleged in an ongoing lawsuit that the firm withheld the information from the
U.S. government. James Gordon, then an ArmorGroup supervisor, alleged that a
manager "boasted openly about owning prostitutes in Kabul" and that
a company trainee boasted that he hoped to make some "real money"
in brothels and planned to buy a woman for $20,000. The settlement is a
victory for accountability, but ultimately may be unsatisfying for critics of
the government's less-than-robust oversight of contractors. Can we really
expect other contractors to see this settlement as a wake-up call? The State
Department fell asleep at the switch with AGNA and still has yet to prove
that it's serious about contract oversight and enforcement of trafficking in persons regulations.
July
6, 2011 WA Today
The family of Aboriginal elder Mr Ward, who died in custody, is calling for
any court fines due to be issued today against those responsible for the
death to be invested in a community Environmental Science Centre. Warburton
man Mr Ward, whose first name is not used for cultural reasons, died from
heat stroke in the back of a prison van, with no working cooling system,
after being driven 360 kilometres from Laverton to Kalgoorlie in 42-degree
heat in 2008. State Coroner Alastair Hope conducted an inquest into the death
in 2009, concluding the department, private prison security firm G4S and the
two drivers had contributed to Mr Ward's death. The state government and G4S
have since pleaded guilty to failing to prevent the death of Mr Ward, after
charges were sought by WorkSafe WA earlier this year. Both parties are due to
be sentenced in the Kalgoorlie Magistrate's Court today and are expected to
face heavy fines of up to $400,000 each. In anticipation of the decision,
Ward family spokesperson Daisy Ward has written to Attorney-General Christian
Porter asking for the fines to be reinvested in the development of a
beneficial science centre in the remote community of Patjarr in the Gibson
Desert rather than being put back into government revenue. Ms Ward wrote:
"I believe that when the magistrate brings down his sentence, the
penalty put on your government will come from consolidated revenue and then
be paid back into consolidated revenue. "This
is both hurtful and painful to us. This pain does not go away from us. Where
is the penalty? ... Any penalty that the company, G4S, has to pay will also
go back to your government. "... If the government is getting the money,
could you think about giving us the penalty monies because then it really is
a penalty." An environmental science centre would reflect the work
carried out by Mr Ward to educate environmental science students about
indigenous land management, according to his family. "We believe that
this will give our families and communities some justice for what happened,
and will act as a living legacy of his work," Ms Ward said. "If the
fines imposed are paid to the government, this will not bring any justice for
what happened to my cousin."
July
5, 2011 The Advertiser
A PRIVATE security firm responsible for prisoner transport has been fined
$50,000. This comes after a review into the March escape from custody of Drew
Claude Griffiths. The review found private security firm G4S had failed to
secure a controlled entry point and van door on March 22 in the prisoner hold
area of the Parole Board's Adelaide premises, allowing Griffiths to escape.
He was recaptured on March 25 by STAR Group officers. Correctional Services
Minister Tom Koutsantonis said the fine sent a strong message to G4S.
"This is a message for G4S that any escape is unacceptable," Mr
Koutsantonis said. "I am getting sick and tired of prisoners escaping
secure custody."
May
20, 2011 Palm Beach Daily News
A limited liability company associated with Richard R. Wackenhut of the
security-services fortune has paid a recorded $11.5 million for a landmarked
oceanfront home at 930 S. Ocean Blvd. The Palm Beach County Clerk’s office on
Friday recorded the warranty deed of sale for the house, which was built in
1929 by noted society architect Maurice Fatio for his own use. Broker
Lawrence Moens of Lawrence A. Moens Associates acted on behalf of the buyer,
listed on the deed as 1111 Partners LLC, whose sole managing member is
Richard Wackenhut, according to state records. He is the son of the late
George Wackenhut, the Miami founder of the Wackenhut security-services
company. Richard Wackenhut served as CEO and president of the company that
went through ownership changes beginning in 2002. Today it is part of G4S
Secure Solutions, which last year changed its name to drop a reference to
Wackenhut. G4S Secure Solutions-North America is based in Jupiter. The house
was not on the market at the time of the sale, said Moens, who arranged the
deal privately. Moens said he had no comment about the buyer or details of
the sale. The house was sold by Steve and Linda Horn Inc., an entity
affiliated with Steve and Linda Horn of New York. The company had bought the
house for $9.45 million in 2005. Linda Horn, who owns an antiques and
decorative accessories shop in New York, said Friday she had no comment on
the sale. Fatio and his wife, Eleanor Chase Fatio, lived in the house at the
intersection of South Ocean Boulevard and Via Bellaria. Fatio designed the
home in the Florentine Renaissance style with an exterior featuring coral key
stone, one of his favorite building materials. The two-story, L-shaped home
has a poolside covered loggia featuring an arched colonnade and a
pecky-cypress ceiling. The house also has a 500-square-foot basement.
Architectural features include French doors — with sidelights and fanlights —
that open onto the pool area and side gardens. The Fatios lived in the house
until 1930, when Fatio sold it to Franklin Simon, a New York City department
store owner. County property records show that the limited liability company
that purchased the house this week bought other property owned by Richard
Wackenhut. He and a land trust paid $3.95 million for a home at 338 Eagle
Drive in Jupiter’s Admirals Cove in 2001. Wackenhut took full ownership of
the property a year later. Last November, Wackenhut, acting with his wife,
Marie, transferred ownership of the Jupiter home to the same LLC that bought
the South Ocean Boulevard house.
April
15, 2011 All Africa
The Mozambican judicial authorities on Thursday ordered the release of the 24
workers from the firm Group Four Securicor (G4S) who were jailed in Maputo
awaiting trial on charges relating to demonstrations outside the G4S offices
on 6 April. The decision was made by Judge Ana Felisberto Cunha of the Maputo
Judicial Court, on presentation of declarations of identity and residence by
the strikers. The release of the workers comes after the company withdrew the
criminal complaints it had made against the group. According to G4S managing
director, Pedro Baltazar, the decision to withdraw the charges was taken
during a meeting of the Board of Directors held in Maputo on Monday as part
of efforts to find a peaceful solution to the labour dispute at the company.
The workers' lawyer, Salvador Nkamati, said that the 24 will have to wait for
new developments, and must comply with certain obligations imposed by the
law. "They will have to appear before the Court whenever requested, as
well as other relevant authorities such as the police and prosecutors"
he explained. Riot police used excessive force to disperse workers who were
protesting outside the human resources department of the Maputo branch of
G4S. A riot police unit was ordered to the scene after protestors broke
windows and tore up fencing. According to the newspaper "O Pais",
despite having been beaten and arrested, the security guards are still loyal to
the company and are all set on returning to work. However, the General
Secretary of the National Union of Private Security Workers (SINTESP), Julio
Sitoe, argued that they should be entitled to compensation from the company
for injuries sustained when members of the riot police violently attacked the
demonstration.
February
16, 2011 The Street
After fiery closing arguments in the Smith v. Walmart trial, a jury found
Wackenhut, but not Wal-Mart(WMT), liable for
inadequate security in a store parking lot where a customer was murdered. The
jury awarded over $1M in damages. Michael Born was murdered in a Wal-Mart
parking lot while replacing his car's headlight. The plaintiffs claimed that
Wal-Mart knew the store was located in a high-crime area, and that police
were repeatedly called to the site. However, neither Wal-Mart nor its hired
security service, Wackenhut, took adequate measures to protect Wal-Mart
customers. Plaintiff attorney Mont Tanner reminded the jury that there had
been more than a hundred similar incidents of serious crimes at the store,
such as battery and robbery, most within the two years prior to the murder.
However, said Tanner, there was no annual security assessment at this
"crime magnet" by either Wal-Mart or Wackenhut, and the Wackenhut
patrol officer was not trained to identify or deal with suspicious persons.
Wal-Mart also allegedly failed to comply with its own security guidelines.
February
8, 2011 The Guardian
The Guardian has obtained a training video used by Securicor - now G4S - to instruct
guards deporting asylum seekers on flights. The footage forms part of a
dossier of evidence produced by G4S whistleblowers. The inaugural flight to
Afghanistan should have been a showcase for a multinational company vying for
the lucrative contract to deport foreign nationals on behalf of the British
government. The plane heading to Kabul on 26 January 2004 had been chartered
by a company that would go on to become part of the world's largest private
security firm – G4S. Its cargo included refused asylum seekers in handcuffs.
A number had their legs bound with tape and had been placed in the
first-class cabin. But according to new evidence some of the guards on that
flight, recruited to supervise the deportation, had not completed a full
training course, and they included a number of inexperienced prison staff.
Some had not even received Home Office accreditation. Shocking details about
that flight and dozens more are contained in previously unseen evidence to
parliament obtained by the Guardian. The documents reveal how G4S employees
spent several years raising concerns about the potentially lethal methods
being used on refused asylum seekers. The most disturbing technique involved
bending deportees over in their seats and placing their head between their
legs. The procedure became known within the company as "carpet
karaoke" because it would force detainees, struggling for breath, to
shout downwards toward the floor. Although an apparently successful method of
keeping disruptive detainees quiet, it can lead to a form of suffocation
known as positional asphyxia. Its alleged use is documented in written
testimony by four G4S whistleblowers, submitted to the home affairs select
committee in the aftermath of the death of Jimmy Mubenga, an Angolan who died
on a British Airways flight from Heathrow in October last year. The cause of
Mubenga's death remains unknown. Passengers on BA flight 77 reported seeing
three guards heavily restraining the 46-year-old, who they said had been bent
over and complained of breathing difficulties before his collapse. Police
later arrested the guards in connection with the death and recently extended
their bail until next month. Grievances -- All four whistleblowers have
registered personal grievances against G4S, including some that have been settled out of court. Some are understood to
have been themselves accused of inappropriate behaviour or later barred from
conveying their concerns to the press. However, they now accuse G4S managers
of presiding over a "macho" corporate culture that ostracised staff
who showed compassion towards detainees or questioned the safety of their
treatment. One of the whistleblowers, the company's serving charter
operations manager, concedes that his detailed dossier to parliament is
likely to result in his dismissal. The dossier records how he repeatedly
wrote to his seniors expressing concerns, including one letter in which he
stated that some G4S employees were playing "Russian roulette with
detainees' lives".
December
26, 2010 The Guardian
A security company has recruited two former senior civil servants, sparking
an outcry about the "revolving door" between Whitehall and the
company. G4S, formerly Group 4 Securicor, hired Dr Peter Collecott, the one
time director of corporate affairs at the Foreign Office, and David Gould,
the Ministry of Defence's former chief operating officer in charge of defence
equipment, according to a government report. The company, whose guards are
under investigation over the death of deportee Jimmy Mubenga, supplies armed
guards for embassy staff around the world. It has recruited former ministers
including Lord Reid as well as senior figures in offender management. The
disclosure comes two weeks after Sir George Young, the leader of the Commons,
said he would examine the "revolving door" between Whitehall and
defence companies. Denis MacShane, the Labour MP for Rotherham, called for a
closer examination of civil servants before they are allowed to take private
sector roles that may overlap with their former public duties. "There is
great excitement over politicians and outside interests but the real issue is
the gilded path from Whitehall where billions of pounds worth of public
spending decisions are made into employment with companies that gained from
such contracts and contacts," he said. "We need new rules so that
anyone in public service cannot go straight into employment with companies to
which they previously awarded contracts." Harry Fletcher, the assistant
general secretary of the probation union Napo, who has been critical of the
way G4S has recruited senior civil servants from the Home Office, said:
"Appointments such as these give G4S a commercial advantage over their
rivals and will encourage others to go down the same route." The
appointments are listed in the latest report from the Advisory Committee of
Business Appointments, released earlier this month. Collecott, 60, was the
ambassador in Brazil from 2004 to 2008. He was a member of the Foreign
Office's senior leadership forum that brought together the most senior heads
of mission overseas. G4S said he has worked for their company on two separate
domestic projects – once in 2009 and again this year, a contract which ended
in September. The company has declined to explain the nature of the project.
Gould, the MoD's former chief operating officer of defence equipment and
support – which put him in charge of billions of pounds worth of procurement
contracts – took up a consultant post with G4S last year. He left the MoD in
2008, and has also had roles at Selex Sensors and Airborne Systems Ltd. A
spokesman for G4S said he worked on a specific project with G4S in 2009. Last
month, G4S prompted an outcry by hiring Philip Wheatley, the former director
general of the National Offender Management Service. Wheatley's G4S role,
which he takes up just as Ken Clarke launches a plan to privatise much of the
probation service he managed until June, has been criticised by probation
unions. Wheatley's appointment is part of a pattern of G4S lobbying over
probation privatisation. The company paid for a meeting at the last
Conservative conference, where G4S "offender management" executive
Jerry Petherick, spoke alongside the prisons minister, Crispin Blunt.
October
29, 2010 Financial Times
G4S, the security group, is to be replaced on a £30m-a-year ($48m) contract
to deport detainees from the UK, the Home Office said. The loss comes after
three security guards employed by G4S were arrested over the death of an
Angolan man last week. However, the UK Border Agency said its decision to
award a new four-year “escort services” contract to Reliance Security rather
than G4S, which had done the job for the past five years, had no connection
with the incident. Jimmy Mubenga, a 46-year-old deportee, died after he
collapsed onboard a British Airways flight that was preparing to depart to
his homeland from London’s Heathrow airport. The Home Office declined to
disclose the sums involved in the G4S or Reliance contracts, citing
commercial confidentiality. However, G4S said that it would take a hit of
£30m in revenues and £2m in profits next year – a fraction of the company’s
£7.4bn forecast sales and £393.7m pre-tax profits in the year to the end of
December. Shares in G4S fell 4.8p at 261.7p. G4S
said it was disappointed at the decision to hand the contract to its
privately owned rival.
October
28, 2010 The Sentinel
A SECURITY guard who stole £20,000 worth of takings he collected from
supermarkets has avoided an immediate jail sentence. Group 4 van driver Stuart Grey would park up after collecting cash
from Morrisons, Asda or Somerfield and remove a bundle containing £1,000,
Stafford Crown Court heard yesterday. He was caught when Morrisons launched
an internal investigation over missing money and laid a trap with marked
notes from its store in Stone. Pat Sullivan, prosecuting, said a collection
from Stone in April was £1,000 short when it reached the company's
headquarters. Police carried out a search of the defendant's Stoke-on-Trent
home and found £460 of the company's money hidden in a washing machine and a
mug, plus a bank deposit slip for £260. Grey explained how he had been
stealing cash. He said he drove away from the store, pulled over a short
distance away, opened up sealed plastic bags and took one bundle of notes
containing £1,000. Grey had done it a total of 20 times over a period of 14
months from January last year. How he got away with it for so long was yet to
be explained.
October
15, 2010 Bloomberg
Computer Sciences Corp., an information-technology company that relies on
government business for almost 40 percent of its revenue, won $4 billion in
U.S. contracts in fiscal 2009 after failing to pay more than 250 employees
the wages and benefits they were owed. Computer Sciences, based in the
Washington suburb of Falls Church, Virginia, topped a list of 15 companies
that received more than $6 billion in federal contracts despite records of
wage, health or safety violations, according to a report by the Government
Accountability Office. Tyson Foods Inc., the largest U.S. chicken processor;
Corrections Corp. of America, the nation’s biggest private operator of
prisons; and Wackenhut Services Inc., owned by U.K.- based security
contractor G4S Plc, are also among the contractors identified. The names of
the companies, not revealed in the public report released Oct. 1, were
provided by Representative Robert Andrews, a New Jersey Democrat who
criticized the awarding of contracts to companies that didn’t meet required
standards. “If a company has a pattern of violations, at the very least, it
should raise greater scrutiny before they get government contracts,” Andrews,
chairman of the panel that requested the investigation, said in a telephone
interview. “There doesn’t seem to be much incentive to follow the laws
because you can still get a contract anyway.” The report by the GAO, the
investigative arm of Congress, covered a sample of contracts in the fiscal
year that ended on Sept. 30, 2009. ‘Work to Do’ -- Computer Sciences, which
was awarded the $4 billion from the Defense Department and NASA, was assessed
$1.6 million in back pay by the Labor Department covering a five-year period.
Tyson, with more than $500 million in Defense, Agriculture and Justice
department contracts, was cited for more than 100 health and safety
violations by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the GAO
said. Wackenhut, which received $200 million in security contracts with the
Defense, Agriculture and Homeland Security departments and NASA, violated
fair-labor laws, according to Labor Department data cited by the GAO. “Some
companies that continue to receive lucrative government contracts not only
pay rock-bottom wages, but have long histories of labor and workplace safety
violations,” Representative Patrick Murphy, a Pennsylvania Democrat who
joined in requesting the GAO report, said in an e-mailed statement. “We have
a lot of work to do to ensure that the federal contracting process encourages
safe and good-paying jobs.” Workers Misclassified -- In addition to the pay
violations, Computer Sciences didn’t provide protections against cave-ins for
employees working in a trench more than 10 feet (3 meters) deep, according to
a 2006 inspection by the occupational safety agency cited by the GAO. Chris
Grandis, a company spokesman, said Computer Sciences paid the back wages to
employees assigned to a U.S. immigration office in Vermont in 2009, after the
Labor Department found they had been misclassified as contract workers
entitled to less compensation. The company also received a minor citation
from the occupational safety agency and agreed to pay a small fine, he said.
Computer Sciences, a government contractor since 1961, received 37 percent of
its $16.1 billion in revenue from federal contracts in the fiscal year ended
April 2, according to a regulatory filing. Army, Immigration -- It ranked
12th in U.S. government contracts in fiscal 2009, the year studied by the
GAO, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Its biggest federal contract
that year was with the U.S. Army to provide engineering and logistics support
for the Communications-Electronics Life Cycle Management Command. Computer
Sciences also has a contract with the Homeland Security Department for a
processing system used in applications for immigration benefits and services.
The company said on Oct. 4 that it was one of four firms that will share in a
$2.8 billion contract by the Social Security Administration for consulting
and information technology services. Tyson has received more than 100 U.S.
health and safety citations, including for an incident in which a worker died
after being asphyxiated in a pit of wastewater debris, according to the GAO
report. Last year, Springdale, Arkansas-based Tyson won $500 million in
federal contracts, the GAO’s report showed. Gary Mickelson, a Tyson
spokesman, said the company seeks to comply with federal regulations and the
report doesn’t give “the full context of the issues involved, nor does it
report the measures our company takes to operate responsibly.” Corrections
Corp. -- Corrections Corp., based in Nashville, Tennessee, was cited for five
safety violations since 2005 and for failing to follow labor laws when firing
an employee for union participation, according to the GAO. Last year, it was
awarded $800 million in contracts, the agency said. Steve Owen, a Corrections
Corp. spokesman, said the U.S. contracts are subject to oversight and
accountability. He declined to comment on safety and labor violations cited
in the GAO report. Wackenhut, based in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, received
$200 million in contracts, the GAO said. From 2005 through 2009, the Labor
Department said the company owed $4.4 million in back wages to more than
2,100 employees, and OSHA cited the company for seven cases of health and
safety violations, resulting in $9,000 in fines. The company agreed this year
to pay $290,000 in back pay and interest to 446 rejected black job
applicants. Susan Pitcher, a Wackenhut spokeswoman, said the company had no
response to the report. Violations by other federal contractors included
hiring undocumented workers, failing to meet environmental standards and
fraudulently billing Medicare or Medicaid, according to the report.
August
27, 2010 Yahoo
Judge James Cacheris of the United States District Court for the Eastern
District of Virginia has denied Defendants ArmorGroup North America
("AGNA"), ArmorGroup International, Wackenhut Services, Inc., and
Cornelius Medley's motions to dismiss whistleblower James Gordon's lawsuit
brought under the False Claims Act. On September 9, 2009, Mr. Gordon, former
Director of Operations of AGNA, filed a whistleblower retaliation lawsuit
under the False Claims Act in United States District Court for the District
of Columbia, charging that ArmorGroup management retaliated against him for
whistleblowing, internally and to the United States Department of State
("DoS"), about illegalities committed by ArmorGroup in the
performance of AGNA's contracts with the United States to provide security
services at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan and at the U.S. Naval base
in Bahrain. The Complaint charges that during Mr. Gordon's seven-month tenure
as Director of Operations, he investigated, attempted to stop, and reported
to DoS a myriad of serious violations committed by ArmorGroup, including:
•Severely understaffing the guard force necessary to protect the U.S.
Embassy; •Allowing AGNA managers and employees to frequent brothels notorious
for housing trafficked women in violation of the Trafficking Victims
Protection Act; •Endangering the safety of the guard force during transport
to and from the Embassy by attempting to substitute company-owned subpar,
refurbished vehicles from Iraq rather than purchasing armored escort vehicles
as promised to DoS; •Knowingly using funds to procure cheap counterfeit goods
from a company in Lebanon owned by the wife of AGNA's Logistics Manager; and
•Engaging in practices to maximize profit from the contract with reckless
disregard for the safety and security of the guard force, the U.S. Embassy,
and its personnel. In his Memorandum Opinion (August 27, 2010), Judge
Cacheris noted that "Plaintiff alleges and Defendants offer no facts to
dispute that Defendants ... began to try to constructively discharge [Mr.
Gordon] by 'making [his] working conditions intolerable.'" Judge
Cacheris further noted that "Plaintiff alleges, and Defendants have not
offered any evidence refuting the fact, that [Defendant] Medley excluded
Plaintiff from management meetings, shunned him, and relegated him to a
position of persona non grata in the office" and that "Medley made clear
to Plaintiff by his behavior, and to other staff members by his direct
boasts, that his priority was to force Gordon to quit." In denying
Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment, Judge Cacheris concluded that
"there is a genuine issue of material fact regarding the continued
nature and duration of the allegedly illegal acts Plaintiff was requested and
required to participate in." The parties will now proceed into the
discovery phase of the litigation. According to Debra S. Katz, counsel for
Mr. Gordon, "this is an important victory for conscientious employees,
like Mr. Gordon, who blow the whistle on fraudulent practices by defense
contractors and wind up then paying the ultimate price. The court's decision
today makes clear that such employees can bring federal claims under the
False Claims Act to obtain redress."
July
29, 2010 WA Today
The family of an Aboriginal elder who roasted to death in searing heat in the
back of a prison van will receive a $3.2 million compensation payment from
the WA government, one of the largest such payouts in Australian history. It
is an ex-gratia settlement by the government to the family of Mr Ward, whose
full name cannot be used for cultural reasons, and includes a $200,000
interim payment already awarded. Attorney-General Christian Porter today
revealed $1.4 million of the money would go to Mr Ward's widow, Nancy
Donegan, with amounts of $400,000 to be placed in trust accounts for each of
her four children. Mr Ward, 46, of Warburton, died in January 2008 while
being transported 360 kilometres from Laverton to Kalgoorlie to face a
drink-driving charge. Temperatures in the van, operated by private security
company G4S, reached more than 50 degrees after it was revealed the
air-conditioning in the van was broken. The compensation - which Mr Porter
said was one of the largest ex-gratia payments by a government in Australian
history, as well as that of common law countries - came after negotiations
with the family's lawyers, the Aboriginal Legal Service, and on receipt of
legal advice detailing what action could be brought against the state, and
what that case might look like. It represented an "unequivocal
apology" by the government. "It's meant to show contrition... deep,
deep, remorse for what has occurred," Mr Porter said. It also took into
account the fact that no criminal charges would be laid. While it did not
come with an admission of liability, Ms Donegan could still take legal action
if she chose. An "initial view" was that legal action would be
likely, Mr Porter said. "I don't know if that position will change by
virtue of this payment," he said. "If this does not bring finality
to the family, (if civil action was to be launched), we don't want to stand
in the way of Ms Donegan embarking on that action." ALS chief executive
Dennis Eggington said that his organisation would consult with Mr Ward's
family about possible civil proceedings against both the government and G4S.
The ALS also requested further information to determine whether it would
apply to have a coronial inquest into the death reopened. He described the
culpability of G4S as "astronomical" and called on the company to
apologise. "That's the least G4S can do," he said. "They have
been very quiet in all of this. We've been very disappointed." ALS
director of legal services Peter Collins said the role of G4S in Mr Ward's
death was "absolutely diabolical". "It was their van, their
employees driving the van, at a bare minimum (G4S) should be offering
compensation to the family," he said.
July
28, 2010 Scoop
A private prison company that is bidding to run Mt Eden remand prison is
under scrutiny in Australia for failing to make recommended changes after a
high profile death in custody, said the Green Party today. An Australian
parliamentary inquiry this week has heard that G4S has not implemented all
the recommendations of an inquiry into the death of an Aboriginal elder in
2008. In particular, G4S has not been providing training to its workers in
remote areas, according to Ian Johnston, the Australian Department of
Corrective Services Commissioner. Green Party Corrections spokesperson David
Clendon said “All of the prison corporations bidding to run Mt Eden remand
prison have skeletons in their closets. It’s time for John Key’s Government
to review whether any of these companies are suitable to operate in New
Zealand,” said. “It is not good enough for the Minister to hide behind the
tender process. She needs to let the public know what the minimum standards
are for prison corporations who want to operate in New Zealand.” There had
been two damning reports of G4S UK operations in the last month and now their
Australian operations were coming under scrutiny, added Mr Clendon. “New
Zealand’s public prisons are a long way from perfect but the evidence shows
that privatisation is no magic bullet. It will not make our prisons safer,
better or cheaper. “The community and public sector have lots of good
innovative ideas about how the prison system can be improved. The Government
should listen to them rather than flogging off prison management to
corporations. “Private prisons have to make a profit, which means either cut
backs on staff levels and rehabilitation, or charging more per prisoner. The
perverse incentive to make a profit out of prisoners is at the heart of the
problem,” said Mr Clendon.
July
2, 2010 APP
Protesters over an Aboriginal elder's death from heat stroke in a prison van
have accused the West Australian Director of Public Prosecutions of racism
for not laying charges. More than 100 people rallied outside DPP Joe
McGrath's office in downtown Perth office on Friday chanting "Racist
Police" and "Racist DPP". Mr McGrath announced on Monday that
no charges would be laid against two security guards over the 46-year-old
elder's death because there was insufficient evidence of criminal negligence.
June
27, 2010 The Western Australian
The State's top prosecutor has told the family of an Aboriginal elder who
died of heatstroke in the back of a prison van that
criminal charges will not be laid over his shocking treatment. The
West Australian understands that DPP Joe McGrath flew to the remote community
of Warburton over the weekend where he broke the news to relatives of Mr
Ward. The decision is expected to get an angry reaction from family members
who have long called for charges to be laid over the matter. The West
Australian was unable to contact Mr Ward's relatives today. A spokeswoman for
the DPP declined to comment. The latest development comes a year after State
Coroner Alastair Hope handed down a damning report on the disgraceful
treatment of Mr Ward, whose first name is not used for cultural reasons. Mr
Hope found two transport guards, Nina Stokes and Graham Powell, the
Department of Corrective Services and private prison transport company G4S
had contributed to Mr Ward's death. Mr Ward died after being driven 360km in
a prison van from Laverton to Kalgoorlie in 42C without air-conditioning in
January 2008. Mr Ward's cousin told The West Australian earlier this month
that that the matter had dragged on too long and the family wanted both
drivers charged as soon as possible over the death. Daisy Ward said at the
time that family members were getting frustrated about the lack of action and
wanted justice. "I still want them to lay a charge," she said last
month. "If it was an Aboriginal person that did that, they would get
thrown behind bars. My cousin was like in a furnace…like he was cooked alive
in the back of the van." Deaths in Custody Watch Committee Marc Newhouse
said this afternoon that he was shocked and dismayed to learn that the DPP
would not press charges against the two guards who transported Mr Ward. He
said the information on how the DPP reached the decision needed to be
released publicly. "There has basically been a lack of transparency in
this whole process," he said. "It just highlights that there are
some serious flaws in our justice system that when something of this nature
happens and no-one is brought to account for negligence." Mr Newhouse
said Mr Ward's family and community of Warburton would be devastated by the
decision. "It is a complete kick in the guts," he said. "It is
going to do nothing for Aboriginal people's confidence in the criminal
justice system and particularly where Aboriginal people are the
victims." "The community has been very, very patient, including the
family, and that patience has just ended." Mr Newhouse said the Deaths
in Custody Watch Committee would seek legal advice to determine whether
charges could be brought against the Department of Corrective Services or
private prisoner transport company, G4S. Mr Hope referred his report to the
DPP under a section of the legislation which allows his findings to be sent
to prosecutors on the basis that he believed indictable offences may have
been committed. But in his written findings, Mr Hope recognised that legal
issues relating to the involvement of various individuals and organisations
were "complicated". "I do not wish to create unrealistic
expectations on the part of the family or in the hope that they will see
'justice' as a result of such a report (to the DPP) being made," Mr Hope
said.
April
7, 2010 Info 4 Security
G4S Wackenhut is changing its name to G4S, in turn reflecting the
company’s vision of providing comprehensive security solutions. Brian Sims
reports. By building on Wackenhut’s proven success in the States as "the
premier supplier of manned security services" G4S has aggressively
positioned itself to deliver a new category of integrated security solution
that combines manpower and technology. Through a series of acquisitions that
includes the Nuclear Security Services Corp, Touchcom Inc, Adesta and AMAG
Technology, G4S will continue to evolve its core competencies from its
Wackenhut roots to deliver integrated security solutions for greater
performance and efficiency. “Our transformation from G4S Wackenhut to G4S is
not something that happened overnight,” explained Drew Levine, president of
G4S Secure Solutions. “Since before Wackenhut became part of the G4S family
of companies, we’ve been developing new and more efficient means of supplementing
our security officers with powerful technologies such as our Secure Trax
Management Software platform." Levine added: "Now, with the global
resources of G4S behind us, we can deliver a wider range of services –
including security consulting, design and engineering; compliance and risk
management; facilities management and remote video monitoring. That being the
case, we can offer truly integrated security solutions, unlike any other
company in the industry.”
February
16, 2010 Grand Rapids News
Less than a month after a federal judge rejected James and Glenna Chandler's
bid to punish the security company that employed five men convicted of
killing their daughter in Holland in 1979, the couple has filed an appeal,
pushing their case forward. Janet Chandler's father filed the appeal Tuesday
with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth District in Cincinnati, records
show. The Chandlers have claimed Wackenhut Corp. -- which employed five of
the six people convicted of Janet Chandler's slaying -- did not conduct
sufficient employee background checks, or properly supervise their workers.
They also contended Wackenhut helped hide the employees' involvement in the
murder, which took nearly three decades to solve. The family was seeking cash
damages for the mental pain and suffering inflicted by the death of Janet, a
22-year-old Hope College student. On Jan. 19, U.S. District Judge Janet Neff
dismissed the Chandlers' claims against the Florida security firm, which
hired guards during a strike at a Holland area plant. Neff said the
allegations were filed after a three-year statute of limitations.
February
16, 2010 Miami-Herald
Heading to an end: the long-running dispute between Miami-Dade County, Wackenhut
Corp. and a whistleblower named Michelle Trimble over millions in alleged
overbillings for phantom workers at Metrorail. On Thursday county
commissioners are scheduled to vote on a proposed settlement in which all
parties would drop their competing lawsuits, Wackenhut would pay $7.5
million, and Miami-Dade would end its bid to keep the private security firm
from doing business with the county. It would promise not to use the facts of
this case against Wackenhut on current or future contracts. Out of the $7.5
million Wackenhut has agreed pay, $3 million would
go to the county, $1.25 million to Trimble and $3.25 million to her
attorneys, led by plaintiffs lawyer Mark Vieth and the Miami firm Josephs
Jack. The proposed settlement comes nearly a year after a final audit by
Miami-Dade County concluded that taxpayers were overbilled by Wackenhut --
which provided security at the county's Metrorail stops for two decades -- by
$3.3 million to $5.8 million. In the proposed settlement, the county also
agreed to clarify its final audit by Miami-Dade's chief auditor Cathy
Jackson, saying her comments ``should not be construed to mean that the
principals or management of Wackenhut engaged in fraud.'' In a memo to
commissioners, County Manager George Burgess defended the proposed
settlement, writing that the deal avoids the risks associated with trial and
required ``all parties to make some compromises.'' Drew Levine, Wackenhut's
president, declined to comment. Trimble could not be reached for comment.
Vieth, who has been leading the civil case against Wackenhut since August
2005, did not return calls. Michael Josephs of the Josephs Jack firm declined
to comment. If approved, the settlement will end a dispute that's been part
of a broader history of waste and mismanagement underscoring the county's
stewardship of the transit system. In this case, the county has been
criticized for responding slowly to allegations that taxpayers were paying
for guards who did not show up at Metrorail stops. In August 2005 the whistleblower
lawsuit against Wackenhut was filed alleging phony billing practices; the
suit is called a Qui Tam action, in which a private citizen sues on behalf of
the government. Trimble worked as a guard at the county's Juvenile Services
Department, where Wackenhut also previously provided security services. The
county balked at participating in the case, instead ordering its own audit
that was not finished until 2008. The inquiry found that Wackenhut billed the
county for service not rendered. It wasn't until a year later, in April 2009,
that a final audit was issued -- again concluding taxpayers were bilked.
County manager Burgess had said he would replace Wackenhut once its contract
expired in November and pledged to bar the firm from doing business with the county
in the future. Burgess also said the county would cooperate with the Qui Tam
lawsuit. At the time, plaintiff attorney Vieth said the ``evidence of
overbilling has been overwhelming and existing for four years.'' For its
part, Wackenhut denied wrongdoing and subsequently filed a $20 million suit
against the county, saying the future damages it will suffer ``as result of
this unfair and malicious taint'' on the firm's reputation ``are
incalculable.'' Last month -- on the eve of trial in the whistleblower case
-- the proposed settlement was reached, according to Burgess' memo.
February
11, 2010 KATU News
In a Seattle bus tunnel a 15-year-old girl was viciously attacked while
security guards did nothing but call 9-1-1. The incident, in addition to
sparking outrage, has many asking whether security guards in Portland are
allowed to step in. Disbelief and disgust was the reaction by people who were
shown surveillance footage of a girl being repeatedly kicked in the head by
another girl while private security guards stood by at arm’s length and did
nothing but call 9-1-1. “I know the transit isn’t exactly the same over there
(Seattle), but I know it’s still good and that’s, that’s horrible,” said one
man after watching the video at a MAX station. “Somebody’s getting hurt, I
mean you don’t want them to get hurt, I don’t know, like, do something,” said
another man at a MAX station. TriMet and its private security contractor Wackenhut, said if one of their guard’s is near a fight,
they won’t just stand back and dial 9-1-1. Wackenhut project manager, Maj.
Ellis Bremer, said there’s no question employees can and will get directly
involved to stop fights. “We will not stand by,” he said. “We are here to
protect the employees and assist the employees of TriMet and in so far as the
ridership goes, of course, protect the ridership and inform the ridership.”
The state only requires eight hours of classroom work to get a license to be
a private security guard, but Wackenhut said it requires its people to go
through an initial minimum of 80 hours and then a 16-hour refresher course
every year. Most riders said they believe security should mean more than just
dialing 9-1-1. Transit officers in Seattle say they are reconsidering the
limits put on their private security guards.
December
8, 2009 Reuters
The State Department will not renew the contract of a security company
embroiled in a scandal involving the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, where guards were
accused of drunken conduct and sexual hazing. U.S. State Department spokesman
Mark Toner said on Tuesday Virginia-based ArmorGroup would not have its
contract renewed when it expires in June, although it will receive a
six-month extension to allow the contract to be put up for new bids. Toner
said officials had reviewed the contract and "concurred that the next
option year should not be exercised and that work begin immediately to
compete a new contract." He said the review included both recent
misconduct allegations against ArmorGroup personnel and the company's
"history of contract compliance deficiencies." This week a report
by the non-partisan Government Accounting Office identified a number of
shortcomings in the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security
including staffing shortage and increased reliance on contractors in high-risk
posts. The Kabul embassy scandal broke in September, when a watchdog group
accused ArmorGroup of jeopardizing security at the embassy by understaffing
the facility and ignoring lewd, drunken conduct and sexual hazing by some
guards -- and provided graphic photos as evidence. ArmorGroup North America,
now owned by Florida-based Wackenhut Services, was also hit by a federal
whistle-blower lawsuit that said it had ignored brothel visits by guards and
other misconduct because of what a lawyer said was a "myopic
preoccupation with profit" in its five-year, $187 million contract with
the State Department. State Department officials said the safety of embassy
staff was never in jeopardy. But they subsequently said 12 embassy guards had
been removed or resigned, ArmorGroup's entire senior Kabul management
replaced and alcohol banned at the group's camp. Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton ordered a thorough review of how contractors are used. The GAO report
noted that worldwide, the U.S. diplomatic security budget had grown to $1.8
billion in 2008 from just $200 million in 1998, when truck bomb attacks on
U.S. Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania killed more than 300 people including 12
Americans. The bureau's workforce has also doubled over the same period but
is failing to keep pace with rising security threats including those faced in
Iraq and Afghanistan, it said. "Staffing shortages in domestic offices
and other operational challenges -- such as inadequate facilities, language
deficiencies, experience gaps, and balancing security needs with State's
diplomatic mission -- further tax its ability to implement all of its
missions," the report said. The report urged the State Department to
develop a strategic plan to directly address the rising demands of diplomatic
security including increased staffing.
November
24, 2009 The Guardian
The brutal truth of child detention 2,000 asylum seekers' kids a year are
locked up, and the only beneficiaries seem to be firms running centres like
Yarl's Wood A report by the novelist Clare Sambrook of End Child Detention
Now, which campaigns against the detention of 2,000 asylum seekers' children
every year, asks the very reasonable question: who does this expensive
incarceration benefit? Clearly not the children who, according to every study
ever written on this issue, suffer acutely from being taken from their homes
on the orders of the UK Border Agency and placed in a confined space for an
indeterminate period. Many argue that society benefits because it is
protected from the asylum seekers and their families. Sambrook wonders how
that can be when there is no evidence that asylum seekers are likely to
abscond. So who benefits? Clearly the private companies that run so much of
this operation have a lot to gain. G4S, the company that operates Tinlsey
House, one of three detention centres where last month 10-year-old Adeoti
Ogunsola tried to strangle herself after being forcibly redetained, recently
reported rising profits and growth in government business which had offset
weakness in commercial sectors. As Sambrook reports: "Last year G4S
handed chief executive Nick Buckles a £1.4m pay package. That's £3,835 every
day. He owns £4m in G4S shares, tipped by the Daily Telegraph recently as, 'a
solid buy for these uncertain times'." Someone else who may reasonably
be said to benefit from this policy is Christopher Hyman, the chief executive
of Serco, who also earns in the region of £3,000 a day. His company runs the
notorious Yarl's Wood detention centre where children have been detained far
beyond the 28-day with charge maximum allowed for terror suspects.
"Traumatised child inmates, who must carry ID cards at all times, refer
to Yarl's Wood as 'prison' and 'the camp'," says Sambrook. Among the
indirect beneficiaries she also identifies John Reid, the former home
secretary, who is paid £50,000 a year as a consultant to G4S for, among other
things, hosting government and security industry breakfasts. Meanwhile
children are suffering. The Lorek report in the peer review journal Child
Abuse and Neglect says detained children experience "increased fear due
to being suddenly placed in a facility resembling a prison … the abrupt loss
of home, school friends and all that was familiar to them". Some exhibit
"sexualised behaviour". Older children are so stressed they wet
their bed and soil their pants. Who benefits from this expensive and harsh
policy? Sambrook answers her own questions with this – "
some extremely wealthy grownups".
November
23, 2009 Wall Street Journal
G4S PLC (GFS.LN), an international security solutions group, said Monday
it Monday it has bought Champions of the West, Inc--trading as All Star
International from the Junge Revocable Trust and John P. Junge individually,
by its U.S. Government Services business, Wackenhut Services, Inc. for $59.9
million in cash, on an enterprise value basis.
November
6, 2009 West Australia Today
The ongoing contract with a private prison transport company responsible
for the death of an Aboriginal elder in January last year has sparked legal
retaliation. The Deaths in Custody Watch Committee has told radio 6PR that it
was seeking independent legal advice to appeal the decision to keep the
$25million a year contract between the State Government and contractor G4S.
The State Coroner found that the company was responsible for the death of
46-year-old Mr Ward, who had been arrested for drink driving and was being
transported 350kms to a Kalgoorlie Court when he suffered heat stroke from
the 50C heat inside the unairconditioned truck. "It is outrageous and
unimaginable that they [G4S] could continue their contract. They have been
responsible for six deaths in Australia in less than nine years,"
committee spokesman Mark Newhouse said. He said the company, under its
current terms, could still be responsible for two more deaths in custody and
not have its contract terminated before it expired
in 2011. "What is even more concerning is that in one incident, if there
are four to five deaths, that is not considered a
breach of contract, which is outrageous," he said. The group is also
planning on mounting a public campaign to improve proper approvals for public
contracts and improving the monitoring of those being transported while in
custody. Mr Newhouse said there had been no evidence from the company that
any improvements had been made. G4S have refused to comment on the grounds
that it was a confidential contract. The Attorney General Christian Porter
was also unavailable for comment.
October
11, 2009 Weekly Standard
There seems no end to contractor abuse scandals in countries fighting
terrorism or undergoing "nation-building." The latest to be
reported in the media involves ArmorGroup North America, a private security
firm guarding the American embassies in Iraq and Afghanistan. It began in
Baghdad on August 9, when an ArmorGroup employee shot two of his colleagues
dead. The victims were Darren Hoare, 37, an Australian, and Paul McGuigan,
37, a Briton and ArmorGroup executive. The alleged killer, Daniel Fitzsimons,
33, is also British. ArmorGroup North America is owned by Wackenhut Services,
Inc., a Florida-based company, which is a division, in turn, of a Danish
enterprise, G4S, that advertises itself as the world's largest security
company. The shootings reportedly occurred late at night, inside the
ArmorGroup compound in Baghdad's international area known as the Green Zone.
Fitzsimons, according to a Baghdad source who declined to be named, is said
to have shot his coworkers because they claimed he was homosexual. After
killing them, he shot an Iraqi, Arkhan Mahdi, in the leg, then
was arrested by Iraqi police (who now patrol the Green Zone). Fitzsimons
faces a possible death sentence. He will be the first foreigner employed in
Iraq since the beginning of the 2003 intervention to be held to account under
Iraqi law. Fitzsimons says he cannot remember the incident. According to the
London Sunday Times, Fitzsimons was seen on an earlier occasion injecting
Valium and morphine into his leg while already drunk. Another trail of
misconduct has led to an uproar in Kabul, where 16 U.S. embassy guards
provided by ArmorGroup were fired in early September for alleged drunkenness
and for forcing those under their control to engage in deviant and
humiliating behavior. U.S. press coverage of the Fitzsimons case has been
minimal, and even the contractors' misbehavior in Kabul, although documented
by video, has mostly been handled with discretion by the print media. The New
York Times mentioned "lurid details" and "lewd conduct"
at weekly parties hosted by embassy guards. The Kabul carousing was disclosed
when the Project on Government Oversight (POGO) released a report on
September 1. More information emerged in a suit filed September 9 by James
Gordon, a New Zealander and former operations director of ArmorGroup North
America. Gordon says he is a "whistle-blower," forced out of his
job after warning company executives and the U.S. Department of State about
the situation at the embassy. According to the New York Times, the POGO
report stated that victims of "deviant hazing" included Afghans,
whose conservative Muslim culture left them especially repelled by such
behavior; those who refused to submit were dismissed from their jobs. The
report described a " 'Lord of the Flies'
environment." Fitzsimons, the accused Baghdad shooter, has been treated
in the British media as a case of post-traumatic stress disorder caused by
his prior military service in Iraq and the Balkans. But it would be a mistake
to blame such dissolution on the stress of war alone. The Green Zone syndrome
of alienation from the local population, as chronicled by critics of the Iraq
war, is a ubiquitous feature of life among foreign administrators in conflict
and post-conflict areas across the globe. Sex trafficking and corruption of
locals have become prominent wherever operations are conducted by
transnational bureaucracies like the United Nations and the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) along with the attendant ranks of
nongovernmental organizations and private contractors. I have observed
similar patterns in the Balkans for a decade.
September
30, 2009 ABC
The West Australian Government has officially responded to the coroner's
findings in the case of Mr Ward, who died of heatstroke in a prisoner
transport vehicle. The coroner said the Aboriginal elder's death in searing
desert heat was a disgrace, as the van was "not fit for humans".
But the Government has decided not terminate the contract of the private
company which transported Mr Ward. The Government says it supports all of the
coroner's recommendations - some of which have already been acted on. But the
full response has come three months after the coroner handed down his
findings, and 20 months since the tragedy occurred. The Government agrees
there should be more training and monitoring of staff, and there should not
be transportation of prisoners over long distances. But the Attorney-General
Christian Porter says the contract with private operators G4S is likely to
continue. Mr Porter has suggested the company may have to pay a penalty.
"The penalties that you've spoken of, for a death for instance, I
understand are $100,000 which seems to me to be ridiculous in the scope of
what occurred here," he said. "But again, the question about
termination is very unfortunately a question about the legality of being able
to terminate under the terms of the present contract." The coroner
called for the prisoner transport fleet to be completely replaced. This will
not happen until the end of next year. Mr Porter says responsibility for
transporting prisoners could be brought back to the public sector. "The
final decision as to whether or not this service will be public or private
has not yet been made but I can say that if a determination is made to keep
this service in the private sector, the contract that governs the process
will be a completely different type of contract to the one that presently
exists," he said. The Deaths In Custody Watch Committee says Group 4 and
GSL staff have contributed to the deaths of six
people in Australia. The committee's Marc Newhouse says the contract should
have been terminated. "We're completely outraged that the contract with
G4S - he hasn't announced the termination of it, it has to be
terminated," he said. "They've been subject to critical reports by
the Australian Human Rights Commission. This company is not fit to operate in
this country and they should be terminated." Noongar elder Ben Taylor
says he believes racism in the system is causing Aboriginal people to suffer.
"There's a lotta racism there and the only ones who're gonna suffer are
my people, Aboriginal people," he said. "This is got to go wider,
and I'm on the Watch Committee with Marc and we're going to keep hanging on
here because there's more lives that are going to be
taken, and that's going to be blackfellas, Aboriginal people, my people, and
that's the full stop." Mr Newhouse says the committee had also called
for a speedier response in the wake of a death in custody. "That the
Coroner's Act is amended in line with the Royal Commission into Aboriginal
Deaths in Custody recommendations, that a system of mandatory reporting be
put in place so that government and other relevant bodies have to report
within a certain time frame," he said. "The point of it is to save
lives and to prevent lives being lost." But Mr Porter says the Labor
state government should have ended the contract with the company. But the
Opposition Leader Eric Ripper says there were other considerations. "You
can't just terminate a contract without there being financial consequences
for taxpayers and the government does have a responsibility to both protect
prisoners and the interests of taxpayers," he said. "That's why
this matter needs careful examination rather than a kneejerk reaction."
September
18, 2009 AP
A top executive of the private security contractor hired to protect the U.S.
Embassy in Afghanistan was informed in July 2008 of alleged illegal and
immoral conduct by guards, attorneys for a whistleblower suing the company
said Friday. The claim contradicts the sworn testimony of Samuel Brinkley, a
vice president for Wackenhut Services, the owner of ArmorGroup North America.
Brinkley told the Commission on Wartime Contracting under oath on Monday that
he and other corporate officials outside of Afghanistan didn't know until a
few weeks ago of problems that reportedly included lurid parties and
ArmorGroup employees frequenting brothels in Kabul. But in a 10-page letter
to the commission, the attorneys say their client, James Gordon, told
Brinkley during a meeting on July 15, 2008, of alleged guard misconduct. The
meeting took place in Brinkley's office in Arlington, Va., Gordon said in a
separate e-mail through the lawyers. Gordon was ArmorGroup's director of
operations until February 2008. He says he was forced out of the job after
trying to get the company to fix a long list of shortcomings with the $189
million embassy security contract that the State Department awarded
ArmorGroup in March 2007. He filed a lawsuit earlier this month in federal
court claiming the company retaliated against him for telling the department
about the deficiencies. Brinkley and Wackenhut did not immediately respond to
a request for comment. In a previous statement on the lawsuit, a Wackenhut
spokeswoman called Gordon's claims baseless and said he voluntarily resigned
from the company. Clark Irwin, a spokesman for the wartime contracting
commission, said the congressionally mandated panel is reviewing the letter.
At the commission's Sept. 14 hearing on ArmorGroup's performance, Brinkley
portrayed himself and other company executives as being blindsided by the
misconduct of a small number of employees. "I am not here to defend the
indefensible," Brinkley said. "Certain of our personnel behaved
very badly." During a series of heated exchanges, commissioners pressed
Brinkley to explain why he didn't tell the State Department of reports that
guards were behaving inappropriately, potentially putting security of a key
U.S. diplomatic outpost at risk. Brinkley said ArmorGroup managers in
Afghanistan only told him about an Aug. 11 incident involving nine employees
who got drunk at a bar near their living quarters. Those workers were
counseled by the on-site manager and a temporary ban on alcohol was imposed.
He said the State Department was informed of this incident on Aug. 26.
Brinkley said he wasn't aware of the scope and duration of the misconduct
until Sept. 1 when a watchdog group released a report with photos showing
guards and supervisors in various stages of nudity at parties flowing with
alcohol. The watchdog group, the Project on Government Oversight in
Washington, also said guards were subjected to abuse and hazing by
supervisors who created a hostile work environment. The letter from Gordon's
attorneys says they are concerned Brinkley's testimony did not provide the commission
with a "full and accurate understanding of many of the events in
question."
September
14, 2009 Government Executive
The State Department should terminate ArmorGroup North America's contract for
security services at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, witnesses and panelists said
during a Commission on Wartime Contracting hearing on Monday. The recent
photographs and report from the Project on Government Oversight detailing
alleged lewd, drunken behavior by guards at the embassy just describe the
latest and most egregious violation by ArmorGroup, witnesses told the panel.
State Department Undersecretary of Management Patrick Kennedy testified that
the contract has required "extensive oversight and management."
Since awarding the contract to ArmorGroup on March 12, 2007, State has issued
seven deficiency notices addressing 25 deficiencies, one cure notice and one
show-cause notice. Each notice demanded separate correction action plans to
resolve contractual issues and several involved serious allegations, including
that the contractor had deceived the government in its contract proposal.
Despite these problems, State has not terminated the contract with ArmorGroup
and has, in fact, exercised an extension of the contract period. State
officials said they are awaiting the results of an ongoing investigation into
the contractor's conduct at the embassy. Commissioner Clark Kent Ervin
pressed Kennedy to pledge State would terminate the contract if the probe
validates the allegations made against the contract employees. While Kennedy
was hesitant to speculate on a hypothetical situation, he said he could
imagine an outcome of the investigation that would lead the agency to
terminate the contract. "We're seeing a serious case being made for
termination," he said. William Moser, deputy assistant secretary of
State for logistics management, told the commission a public hearing was not
the proper forum to talk about future contract actions. Regardless, he said
the department is discussing potential alternatives and approaching the
reevaluation of the contract "with a great deal of seriousness."
Danielle Brian, executive director of POGO, said the organization's
investigation shows State officials were notified of serious issues relating
to the ArmorGroup contract repeatedly, and took limited action. "For the
two years of this contract, State's response to whistleblowers' sustained
complaints and to its own finding of severe noncompliance consisted mainly of
written reprimands and the renewal of ArmorGroup's contract," Brian said.
"Simply documenting a problem or even levying a fine is not effective
oversight when those same problems continue to occur." Brian said State
has been "stubbornly defensive" in not recognizing its own
failures, and how those failures have caused misconduct and potential lapses
in security. While POGO strongly believes the contract should be canceled and
ArmorGroup -- or its parent company, Wackenhut -- should be debarred from
doing business with the government, that will not prevent future problems, Brian
said. To ensure proper conduct by contractors overseas, State must shorten
the rotations of its regional security officers, perform more frequent audits
and independent verification of contractor reports of compliance, and
prioritize accountability, she said. "This cultural shift will be aided
by canceling contracts when the contractor consistently underperforms --
which will have the added benefit of acting as a deterrent to future
contractors -- and by disciplining the State Department officials who are
responsible for the failed oversight of the ArmorGroup contract," Brian
said. Commissioner Linda Gustitus said State already lost authority with
industry by not terminating its contract with Blackwater Worldwide in the
wake of the Nissor Square shooting incident in Iraq. "That helped to
send a message to other contractors that you can do a lot and not have you
contract terminated," Gustitus said. Several commissioners joined Brian
in urging Kennedy to hold accountable the State employees responsible for
managing Armor Group by firing them, withholding bonuses or taking some other
disciplinary action.
September
14, 2009 Wayne Madsen Report
At a September 10 press conference at the National Press Club in
Washington, two former managers for ArmorGroup North America (AGNA),
headquartered in McLean, Virginia and a subsidiary of ArmorGroup
International (AGI), revealed a litany of contract fraud and abuse charges
against AGNA and AGI and provided further details of sexual deviancy among
AGNA security guards in Kabul tasked with protecting the U.S. embassy.
ArmorGroup is now owned by Wackenhut Services, Inc., headquartered in Palm
Beach Gardens, Florida. The two former employees are suing AGNA, AGI,
Wackenhut, and Corporation Service Company for wrongful termination, false
claims, and conspiracy. John Gorman, a retired Marine Corps veteran who was
the camp manager at the security guard force’s Camp Sullivan, blew the
whistle on contract non-performance, security pitfalls, and sexual deviancy,
and was placed under virtual house arrest in June 2007 by AGNA’s top manager
in Kabul, Michael O’Connell, and flown out of the country. Gorman was
terminated and confined for some 24 hours, along with two other AGNA
managers, James Sauer, a retired Marine sergeant major and Pete Martino, a
retired Marine colonel, who filed complaints to both AGNA and the Regional
Security Office (RSO) for the U.S. embassy in Kabul, also Marine Corps
veterans. Because they told the RSO they feared for their personal safety
after bringing the charges against AGNA, he offered them the security of his
apartment on the embassy compound, which they turned down only to later have
their cell phones and weapons confiscated by AGNA and being confined before
their flight out of the country. Gorman said no one at AGNA “ever mentioned
or indicated a concern for the actual security at the
embassy -- the greatest and only concerns were the profit margin and
the bottom line.” Gorman said the project manager for the security contract,
Sauer, a man with 35 years of experience as a 30-year career Marine with
private security contractor experience in Iraq and Afghanistan, was “ignored,
second guessed, and rejected.” Sauer had vehemently objected to allowing
security personnel to be deployed to Kabul who had engaged in “lewd and
deviant behavior” during their subcontractor training in Texas. After Gorman,
Sauer, and Martino made their complaints known to McConnell, the corporate
executive replied that ArmorGroup was a publicly traded company and could,
therefore, not hire more people “because he had a responsibility to the
shareholders.” The effect was the hiring of clearly unqualified personnel for
the security guard force. Gorman said that there were people hired as guards
who had “no DD214s, driver’s licenses, passports,” including one person who
had been fired from a previous security project for pulling a pistol on
another employee while drunk. AGNA, according to Gorman, covered up the
security contract failures because the firm was “to assume the $187 million a
year security contract for the American embassy in Kabul in less than two
weeks and they were bidding on the more lucrative $500 million contract for
the U.S. embassy in Baghdad. James Gordon, a New Zealand citizen and New
Zealand Army veteran who is married to an American, worked for ArmorGroup
Iraq as the operations manager, a subsidiary of AGI, also spoke about
corporate malfeasance involving AGNA. He later became the business
development director for AGNA headquarters in McLean. In 2007, Gordon took
over as operations director for the Kabul embassy security contract and
attempted to bring the contract into compliance with State Department
requirements. Eventually, Gordon was forced out of the company because
instead of correcting contract violations the firm’s only goal was to
“maximize profits.” Gordon said among AGNA security personnel were
unqualified personnel, some of whom had serious criminal
records. Some guard recruits had engaged in “disgusting behavior”
during their initial training at AGI’s subsidiary’s training facility,
International Training Inc. (ITI) of Pearsall, Texas. Sauer, Martino, and
Gorman had received reports that some of the AGNA recruits, while undergoing
pre-deployment in Texas, had engaged in “lewd, aberrant, and sexually deviant
behavior, including sexual hazing, urination on one another and equipment,
bullying, ‘mooning,’” exposing themselves, excessive drinking, and other
conduct making themselves unfit for service on the contract. The AGNA
employees who were later forced out of the company attempted to ensure that
the trainees in Texas never arrived in Kabul. Several email exchanges
(“e-pong”) show they tried to block the sexual deviants from duty in Kabul.
AGNA also misrepresented ethnic Nepalese Gurkha farmers hired as security
guards for the Kabul embassy job as Gurkha military veterans of the British
and Indian armies. In fact. the Gurkha farmers hired
from Nepal and northern India were not proficient in English as required
under the State Department contract. In fact, some could speak no English.
The language test had never been administered to the Gurkha recruits. When
some Gurkha guards walked off their jobs in May 2007 because of poor wages
and treatment, Carol Ruart, AGI’s human resources director in London, ordered
AGNA management in Kabul to “lock [the Gurkhas] in their rooms until they
agree to work for less.” Gordon also stated that AGNA never invested in
secure vehicles to transport embassy guards between the embassy and other
locations. AGNA used broken down vehicles called “white coffins.” After the
State Department released funds to AGNA to buy secure vehicles, the firm
never bought the vehicles but transferred the money to AGI in London. AGNA
also hired a “rogue” South African program manager for the embassy contract
in Kabul, according to Gordon. DuPlessis replaced Sauer. Jimmy Lemmon
replaced Martino as deputy program manager. During the tenure of the South
African, Nick duPlessis, ammunition went missing from Camp Sullivan where the
guards were bivouacked and illegal weapons were stored at the facility.
Moreover, duPlessis did not possess a security clearance to receive
classified briefings, a requirement for the program manager position. In
addition, Gordon stated that the AGNA logistics manager, Sean Garcia, used
contract funds to purchase counterfeit North Face and Altama jackets and
boots for the security guards from his wife’s company in Lebanon, Trends
General Trading and Marketing LLC of Beirut. Gordon said, “the cheap
knock-offs could never keep the men warm during the cold winters in
Afghanistan.” After Gordon notified the State Department about the contract
breach, the order to remove him was ignored and the State Department
continues to own sub-par counterfeit material. Gordon sent an email dated
September 3, 2007 to duPlessis and his staff in Kabul. Gordon also said that
the AGNA armorer in Kabul, responsible for maintaining all the weapons, had
to be “forcibly removed” from a brothel in Kabul. Many of the prostitutes
working in Kabul, according to Gordon, are young Chinese girls who were taken
against their will to Kabul for sexual exploitation. When Gordon ordered the
armorer’s immediate termination, he discovered that the AGNA medic, Neville
Montefiore, and duPlessis, the program manager, had also frequented the
brothels with the armorer. Gordon also discovered that there had been an
outbreak of sexually-transmitted diseases among the AGNA guards in 2007 and
this was never reported to the State Department as required by the contract.
Prostitutes also frequently visited Camp Sullivan. Gordon also discovered
that the guard force routinely visited brothels in Kabul and Montefiore’s
replacement discovered the improper storage of regulated narcotics at Camp
Sullivan’s medical facility, including morphine. “You can rest assured that
there is no hiding of information from the DoS [Department of State]. Anyone
who thinks that they can get away with this will probably end up in a Federal
Penitentiary. It is our duty to report on all aspects of the contract performance
and we are required to be transparent and honest in our dealings. Personally
I wouldn’t accept anything else.” Gordon’s plans to visit Kabul to conduct an
investigation were immediately shut down by ArmorGroup’s parent office in
London. Gordon said it is contrary to U.S. law for a foreign company to
direct or influence any activities on a classified contract. Moreover, the
British parent conducted their own investigation, which resulted in a
three-page whitewash. Gordon was denied access to all information about AGI
London’s investigation. After the whitewash, Gordon received a report that an
AGNA trainee wanted to be hired on as a security guard at the embassy in
Kabul because he knew someone “who owned prostitutes there.” The trainee
boasted that he could purchase a girl for $20,000 and earn a handsome profit
each month. The trainee, according to Gordon, had previously worked in Kabul
under duPlessis. Neither AGNA nor the State Department conducted a follow-up
investigation of the violations of the U.S. Trafficking in Victims Protection
Act by AGNA employees. AGNA responded to Gordon’s warnings by blaming him for
all the contract’s failures and he was forced to leave the firm on February
29, 2008. After Wackenhut Services Inc. bought ArmorGroup, after Gordon left
the company, he met with Sam Brinkley, the vice president of Wackenhut, to
discuss the contract problems. Brinkley promised to remove duPlessis and
investigate all the charges of misconduct. On June 10, 2009, Gordon was
present during hearings held by Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO). Gordon said
that Brinkley and the State Department testified to McCaskill’s subcommittee
on contracting oversight that AGNA was “fully compliant” on the security
contract for the embassy in Kabul. Brinkley told the subcommittee that he
“was proud” of the way the company had been managing the embassy security
contract. Gordon said the situation at Camp Sullivan had worsened and the
U.S. Embassy was facing a grave security threat. McCaskill and ranking
Republican member Susan Collins (R-ME) never heard testimony from any of the
whistleblowers on AGNA’s poor security record in Kabul. The only witnesses
heard were Brinkley and William Moser, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of
State for Logistics Management. Brinkley, in addition to the U.S. Embassy in
Kabul, has responsibility for the security contract for the U.S. Naval
Support Activity in Bahrain, which, according to ex-AGNA sources, may be
using untrained Gurkha farmers from the Indian subcontinent as crack veterans
of the British and Indian armies. The Gorman/Gordon lawsuit states that on
October 10, 2007, the AGNA security force in Kabul was involved in a number
of serious incidents, including: detaining a group of Afghan civilians and
involuntarily transporting them to the U.S. embassy; verbally and physically
engaging in an altercation with Afghan Ministry of Interior policemen and
handcuffing the policemen; confronting an Afghan general and several Ministry
of Interior policemen; refusing an order from the embassy RSO to withdraw
from a checkpoint to defuse a potentially explosive situation. The statements
of the two ex-AGNA employees reveal a culture of depravity and unprofessional
behavior that Gordon stated still exists to this very day in Kabul.
September
14, 2009 AP
A member of a federal commission investigating wartime spending said
Monday that photos showing private security guards in various stages of
nudity at drunken parties may be as damaging to U.S. interests in Afghanistan
as images of detainee mistreatment at Abu Ghraib were in Iraq. Dov Zakheim, a
former Pentagon comptroller, made the comment at a hearing Monday held by the
Commission on Wartime Contracting on allegations of lewd behavior and sexual
misconduct by employees of ArmorGroup North America, the company hired to
protect the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. Zakheim said the photos are circulating
heavily on the Internet and give Muslims in Afghanistan a negative image of
the United States. Patrick Kennedy, the State Department's management chief,
acknowledged the department should have been paying closer attention to the
activities of the ArmorGroup guards at their living quarters near the
embassy. The private security contractor hired to protect the embassy said
Monday it erred by not immediately telling the State Department about an
alcohol-related incident involving its guards that proved far more serious
than company officials first believed. "I am not here to defend the
indefensible," said Samuel Brinkley, vice president of Wackenhut
Services, the company that owns the contractor, ArmorGroup North America. A
manager for ArmorGroup counseled nine guards after they got drunk at a bar
near their living quarters in Kabul on August 10. But after photos surfaced
showing the guards had been at a party where ArmorGroup employees engaged in
lewd and inappropriate behavior, they realized they made a mistake by not
alerting U.S. officials. Photos showed guards and supervisors in various
stages of nudity at parties flowing with alcohol. Brinkley said the manager's
response, which included a temporary ban on alcohol, seemed adequate at the
time. "In retrospect, we were wrong in not notifying the State
Department," Brinkley said in testimony before the independent
Commission on Wartime Contracting. Kennedy, under secretary of state for
management, told the commission the State Department is very concerned about
ArmorGroup's delays in reporting its knowledge of any misconduct by its
employees. The State Department has been sharply criticized for its
management and oversight of the security contract at one of the country's
most important diplomatic outposts. In addition to the allegations of
misconduct, other problems have included a shortage of guards and inferior
equipment. As the department's top management officer, Kennedy said he takes
full responsibility for having failed to prevent the problems that reportedly
ranged from out-of-control parties to Armor Group supervisors frequenting
brothels in Kabul. The State Department has launched an investigation into
ArmorGroup's handling of the $189 million contract embassy security contract.
Kennedy told the commission that the misconduct "dishonored" the
State Department in Afghanistan, where "the success of U.S. objectives
depends on the cultural sensitivity of all mission personnel, including
employees under contract." But he and other State Department officials
said no decision will be made on whether to terminate the contract with
ArmorGroup until the investigation is complete. Members of the commission
pressed Kennedy to be more aggressive, saying the evidence already available
is enough to warrant firing ArmorGroup, which was awarded the contract to
protect the embassy in March 2007. "To me, it's just totally out of
control and it's been going on for a long time," said Michael Thibault,
co-chairman of the commission. Commissioner Clark Ervin asked Kennedy to
pledge to terminate the contract if the investigation proves all the
allegations prove to be true. Kennedy refused to commit, saying the inquiry
needs to run its course. However, Kennedy added, "We are seeing a very,
very serious case being made for termination."
September
13, 2009 Washington Post
In 2005, the State Department hired a Northern Virginia company to provide
security for the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan. Diplomats quickly became
concerned about whether the new guards, who barely spoke English, could
protect such a sensitive site. "They had serious problems,"
recalled Ronald E. Neumann, who was ambassador at the time. The department
then brought in another security contractor, ArmorGroup North America. But
the difficulties didn't cease. In recent days, evidence of ArmorGroup's
failings has burst into public view -- photos depicting its guards in
semi-naked hazing rituals and official documents showing persistent staff
shortages. Harold W. Geisel, the acting inspector general of the State
Department, told Congress last week that his investigators are checking for
possible criminal conduct by ArmorGroup, and a congressional hearing is
scheduled for Monday. Lawmakers and watchdog groups are questioning how the
department could have continued to employ a company that, in addition to
tolerating bullying and understaffing, failed to ensure that its guards had
proper security clearances and sufficient equipment -- or that they spoke
English. The criticism is particularly intense because the State Department
had promised to improve oversight after a 2007 shooting incident in Iraq
involving bodyguards from security contractor Blackwater that left 17 Iraqi
civilians dead. "State's management of these contracts has been
self-evidentially abysmal," said Peter W. Singer, an expert on
government contracting at the Brookings Institution. ArmorGroup's efforts to
guard the Kabul embassy were troubled from the start, according to congressional
hearings, internal State Department documents and interviews. The
McLean-based company submitted "an unreasonably low price" in 2007
for the contract, said Samuel Brinkley, an official with Wackenhut Services,
the firm's parent company, at a congressional hearing in June. Former
ArmorGroup supervisors have said in interviews that the company slashed guard
staffing so it could squeak out a profit. State Department officials have
expressed outrage about the lewd behavior shown in the photos. Still, they
defend their selection of ArmorGroup, saying they are legally required to
award such contracts to the lowest qualified bidder and noting that
ArmorGroup was well-regarded. They also insist that the embassy was never
endangered by the guard problems -- even though internal department documents
say it was. "The fact you find something is wrong means something is
wrong. But you find it," the department's undersecretary for management,
Patrick F. Kennedy, said in an interview. He emphasized that many of the guards'
failings emerged in documents written by department officials. "There
was oversight present," he said. The troubles at the Kabul embassy raise
questions about how authorities will manage what is expected to be a surge in
the number of contract guards at U.S. facilities in Iraq as the American
military presence declines. The scandal has also given new impetus to a
debate over whether too many government wartime jobs are being outsourced.
"The State Department should consider whether the security for an
embassy in a combat zone is an inherently governmental function, and
therefore not subject to contracting out," Danielle Brian, executive
director of the Project on Government Oversight, wrote to Secretary of State
Hillary Rodham Clinton this month. Brian's group released the photos of what
it called near-weekly sessions of hazing and sexual humiliation of ArmorGroup
guards at their camp. The State Department has for years used local contract
guards to secure the perimeters of its embassies, while generally keeping a
modest Marine contingent for interior access. But in Iraq and Afghanistan,
the department decided not to use local guards because of vetting concerns,
officials say. Instead, as the military withdrew forces from around those
embassies in recent years, the department turned to contractors such as
ArmorGroup. But the department, which suffers from a shortage of contracting
staff, has had a rocky history of managing such guard contracts. Each of its
three contracts in Kabul has come under fire. The first was awarded to
McLean-based Global Strategies, to replace a Marine combat force withdrawing
from the U.S. Embassy in March 2005. The department justified the
$6-million-a-month sole-source contract by saying it had received late
notification of the Marines' departure. But the inspector general found that
the Defense Department had given six months' official notice, and scolded the
State Department for poor planning. By July 2005, the State Department had
signed a contract with MVM of Ashburn, cutting its guard costs to less than
$2 million a month, according to the inspector general's report. But MVM
could not provide enough guards, partly because it was paying much less than
its predecessor, according to Neumann. And, he said, the guards spoke so little
English that they could not understand instructions. "We went back to
the State Department and said, 'These people are unacceptable,' "
Neumann said. State canceled MVM's contract and kept on the Global guards
temporarily. MVM's chief executive, Dario O. Marquez, did not return a call
seeking comment but told the Wall Street Journal last year that the State
Department did not give him enough time to fix the problems. Neumann said the
department was handicapped in selecting guard companies because of regulations
stipulating that the contract go to a qualified U.S. firm that offers the
lowest bid. "People low-bid, and then they're not competent," he
said. Finally, in March 2007, the department turned to ArmorGroup. The firm,
which also guarded the British Embassy in Kabul, was one of only two bidders
deemed technically qualified by the department's acquisition and security
specialists. Its price was about $3 million a month, officials say.
"ArmorGroup was not a small, undercapitalized, underfunded, fly-by-night
organization," Kennedy said. "They put forth a proposal that met
every requirement." But within weeks of the company starting work, the
State Department sent ArmorGroup a warning that its deficiencies -- including
shortages of guards and armored vehicles -- were so serious that "the
security of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul is in jeopardy," according to the
House Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight. State Department officials
issued eight more warnings to the company over the next two years, including
one last September threatening to terminate the contract. Despite the
problems, the department stuck with ArmorGroup, agreeing this summer to
extend its contract for a year. State Department officials have said that the
company appeared to be making progress and that changing firms would be
disruptive. A spokeswoman for Wackenhut, which took over ArmorGroup North
America last year, declined to comment. In a lawsuit filed last week, former
ArmorGroup supervisor James Gordon accuses the company not only of failing to
properly staff the embassy but also of lying to the State Department about
its capabilities. The operation "was a complete shambles," he said.
September
12, 2009 New York Times
When a security guard at the United States Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan,
was leaving for breakfast Monday morning, he froze at the sight of a crude
poster of a rat hanging on his door. “Warning!” the poster said in stark,
black letters. “Rats can cost you your job and your family.” The guard was a
whistle-blower who had told of security lapses and lewd, drunken bacchanals
by fellow workers, sparking an outcry and enraging Secretary of State Hillary
Rodham Clinton. Now he wonders whether he should have kept his mouth shut.
“Threats are still running rampant here,” he said in a telephone conversation
from Kabul, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. “So even
though it looks like State may finally turn things around, no one’s ready to
celebrate yet.” Such skepticism may be warranted. A review of two years of e-mail
messages, letters and memos reveals that the State Department had long known
of the serious problems with ArmorGroup, the contractor chosen to protect its
embassy. The complaints went beyond the lurid pranks that made headlines, the
documents show, and included serious understaffing, bullying by management,
petty corruption and abusive work conditions. In fact, the deficiencies
became so severe that they threatened the security of the compound, the
documents show, and State Department officials withheld payments to
ArmorGroup as a way to compel it to comply with the terms of its agreement.
On a few occasions, government officials warned the company that if it did
not correct the most egregious problems it would lose the five-year, $189
million deal. Yet both times the contract came up for renewal, in 2008 and
2009, the State Department opted to extend it, officials confirmed. The
troubles with the ArmorGroup contract, and the State Department’s frustrated
dealings with the company over two years and through two administrations,
illustrate how the government has become dependent on the private security
companies that work in war zones, and has struggled to manage companies that
themselves are sometimes loosely run and do not always play by the
government’s rules. With a stretched military, the government relies on the
security companies themselves to vet, train, and discipline the guards, all
at the lowest cost. “It’s expensive for the State Department to withdraw a
contract from one company, rebid the project and award it to a new one,” said
Janet Goldstein, a Washington lawyer who represents one of the ArmorGroup
whistleblowers. “So businesses know that once they get a contract, State may
ding them around a little bit, but it’s not going to fire them.” The perils
of this reliance were most graphically illustrated in Iraq in 2007, when
security guards from another contractor, Blackwater, were involved in
shootings that left 17 civilians dead on a Baghdad street. But interviews and
documents show that the ArmorGroup affair, in its mundane, unsavory details,
offers perhaps a more representative look inside the troubled relationship
between contractors and the government in war zones. State Department
officials acknowledge they had a litany of complaints about the company, none
of which, they insist, compromised the security of the embassy. But they
profess to being deeply embarrassed by reports of parties where security
guards were photographed naked, fondling and urinating on each other. “I’ve
been doing this for 37 years; I’m proud of what I do,” said Patrick F.
Kennedy, the undersecretary of state for management who oversees outside
contractors. But, he added, “This is humiliating.” Mr. Kennedy, however,
defended the State Department’s overall handling of the contract. The
frequent letters of complaint the government sent to ArmorGroup, he said,
were evidence that the department was keeping close tabs on the company. The
“greatest majority” of the failures cited in the letters were addressed, he
said. Part of the problem, officials said, was that the guards are housed in
a complex six miles from the embassy, Camp Sullivan, with little oversight by
State Department officials. Susan Pitcher, a spokeswoman for Wackenhut
Services, the American subsidiary of the Danish company that owns ArmorGroup,
referred questions to the State Department, saying only that it was
cooperating with the government’s investigation. On Monday, the independent
Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan will hold a hearing
to examine the State Department’s oversight of the contract. Christopher
Shays, a former congressman and co-chairman of the commission, said there was
“a serious failure on the part of the State Department in being unable to
compel the contractor to fulfill its commitment.” The disclosures, which were
originally made by a nonprofit organization, Project on Government Oversight,
deeply rattled the State Department. At a staff meeting following the release
of the group’s report, senior officials said, Mrs. Clinton vented her anger
about the lurid pictures. Karl W. Eikenberry, a retired Army general who
became President Obama’s ambassador to Afghanistan last May, was livid, an
official said, because he had never been briefed about the problems. Despite
their unease with contractors, officials acknowledged the department had no
choice but to keep using them. “In situations where there is a surge of
intense security requirements, it is a real challenge,” said Jacob J. Lew,
the deputy secretary of state for management and resources. “We cannot reduce
the security presence.” The State Department was not in a buyer’s market when
it looked for a company to protect its embassy in Kabul. It picked ArmorGroup
in March 2007, after its previous choice, MVM, proved unable to marshal the
necessary personnel or equipment, officials said. Of the eight companies that
bid for the contract the second time around, only two were deemed technically
capable. ArmorGroup was the cheapest. The company’s most recent contract
extension was granted in June this year, after a Senate hearing in which one
of its executives, Samuel Brinkley, a Wackenhut vice president, said in sworn
testimony that his company was in full compliance with the terms of its
contract, and a State Department official, William H. Moser, a deputy
assistant secretary of state, also under oath, said he was satisfied with the
company’s performance. In interviews, ArmorGroup whistleblowers said they
felt betrayed by the testimony. By many measures, they said, things were worse,
not better. After largely uneventful company barbecues morphed into what have
been described as scenes from “The Lord of the Flies,” at least a dozen of
the men started a document trail of their own, sending e-mail messages and
photographs to the Project on Government Oversight. According to interviews
and those documents, from July 2007 to April 2009, the State Department
issued ArmorGroup at least nine warnings, nearly one every other month, about
contract violations that ranged from mundane concerns about the company’s
ability to keep accurate personnel logs, to more critical concerns about
corruption among company managers and the hardships faced by sleep-deprived,
underpaid guards — the majority of them Gurkhas from Nepal — who could not
understand simple commands in English. While the Gurkhas were largely the
source of the language problems, the lewd hazing rituals were largely the
activity of the native English speakers, a mix of Americans, South Africans,
New Zealanders and Australians. In 2008, after ArmorGroup was acquired by the
Danish company, G4S, Wackenhut informed the State Department it was taking
control of the Kabul contract, and promised to fix any problems. Government
officials agreed to give the new owners a chance. According to their own
correspondence, their optimism seemed to dim fairly quickly. On Aug. 22,
2008, the State Department wrote to ArmorGroup to express concerns that
staffing shortages were so severe the company might not be able to provide
security after a situation with mass casualties. On Sept. 21, 2008, the State
Department deducted $2.4 million in payments from ArmorGroup, warning that
its failure to provide a sufficient number of guards “gravely endangers the
performance of guard services.” In March 2009, the department again advised
ArmorGroup that it had “grave concerns” about staffing shortages, noting that
inspectors on a recent tour found 18 guardposts left uncovered. In April, it
denied ArmorGroup’s request for a third waiver to the requirement that it
teach its foreign guards English. A month later, without much explanation,
ArmorGroup told the State Department that deficiencies relating to language
and staffing had been resolved. And a month after that, a senior State
Department official told the Senate Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight
that “despite contractual deficiencies, the performance by ArmorGroup North
America has been and is sound.” “I sat in the audience that day, and shook my
head in disbelief,” said James Gordon, a former ArmorGroup executive who has
filed a whistleblower’s lawsuit against the company. He says he was forced
out for complaining about the problems. “I knew that conditions at Camp
Sullivan were deteriorating, that the contract continued to be understaffed,
that the conditions in Kabul were getting more dangerous, and that the U.S.
Embassy was facing grave threats.”
September
10, 2009 New York Times
Two former employees of a private contractor hired to provide security at
the United States Embassy in Afghanistan charged that State Department
officials were aware as early as 2007 that guards and supervisors were
involved in lewd conduct. In a lawsuit filed Wednesday, one of the former
employees, James Gordon, a native of New Zealand who served as director of
operations at the contractor, ArmorGroup North America, charged that he had
spoken numerous times with State Department officials about significant
problems that threatened security at the embassy. Among other things, he said
that ArmorGroup hired guards who could not speak English and had no security
experience; that the company employed fewer guards than needed and worked
them for longer hours than at other embassies to cut costs; and that it
allowed managers and employers to hire prostitutes. “Their goal was to
perform the contract as cheaply as possible,” said Mr. Gordon, speaking by
telephone from Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital, where he is now employed by
another private security contractor which he declined to name. “Their goal
was to do everything they could to prevent the State Department from
discovering their multiple contract violations and operational shortcomings.
Their goal was to provide a fig leaf of security at the embassy, and to pray
to God that nobody got killed.” Mr. Gordon and another former supervisor,
John Gorman, said they warned State Department officials in Kabul several
times that ArmorGroup was plagued with problems and that it was determined to
cover them up. They said that as a result of their efforts to correct the
problems and to make the government aware of the issues, ArmorGroup forced
them to leave their jobs. As evidence to support his assertions, Mr. Gorman
provided a packet of memos and e-mail messages that he said he and two other
former employees gave State Department officials in June 2007, including a
three-page memo in which he outlined an array of contract violations. Among
them, he wrote: “The training program run for new hires has been plagued with
hazing and intimidation of students by students. This included physical
threats and perversions.” Senior State Department officials said they were
unaware that guards had engaged in that kind of activity at their living
quarters at a base in Kabul. The officials spoke anonymously because they
were not authorized to speak about a continuing investigation. The charges
echoed those in a report released last week by an independent group, the
Project on Government Oversight, which accused the guards and supervisors of
deviant behavior. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton ordered an
investigation, and about 16 guards and supervisors were fired or have
resigned. ArmorGroup North America, based in McLean, Va., was acquired in
2008 by a Danish security company, G4S, and its American subsidiary,
Wackenhut Services Inc. In a written statement, Wackenhut described Mr.
Gordon’s allegations as “overstated, ill-founded, not
based on any personal knowledge or otherwise lacking in legal merit.”
September
10, 2009 AP
A former manager for the security contractor protecting the U.S. Embassy
in Afghanistan says the company lowballed its bid for the work and then
failed to hire enough guards or fix faulty equipment. The allegations come
after an independent watchdog group said last week that ArmorGroup guards
were subjected to abuse and hazing by supervisors who created a climate of
fear and intimidation. On Thursday, James Gordon, former director of
operations at ArmorGroup North America, alleged the company bid too low in
order to win the contract and then cut corners to keep profits up. Gordon
says he was fired for reporting the problems. He also claims ArmorGroup
withheld from Congress information about employees who went to brothels.
Wackenhut Services, ArmorGroup's parent company, had no immediate comment.
September
2, 2009 The Guardian
Pictures have emerged showing private contractors at the embassy holding
'deviant and lewd' parties. The US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, has
ordered an investigation into allegations that private contractors employed
to protect the American embassy in Afghanistan were engaged in "deviant
and lewd" parties that have been compared to Lord of the Flies. The
decision to launch the inquiry came after an independent group sent her a
10-page dossier yesterday claiming that the security guards at the embassy
had been engaged in drunken parties involving prostitutes and the kind of
ritual humiliation associated with gang initiation. Pictures and video
footage were attached to the dossier. The dossier, compiled by the
independent investigative group Project on Government Insight, includes an email
allegedly from a guard currently serving in Kabul describing scenes in which
guards and supervisors are "peeing on people, eating potato chips out of
[buttock] cracks, vodka shots out of [buttock] cracks (there is video of that
one), broken doors after drnken [sic] brawls, threats and intimidation from
those leaders participating in this activity". The allegations are an
embarrassment at a time when the Obama administration is struggling to win
hearts and minds in Afghanistan and the Muslim world in general. It comes
against the backdrop of the continuing controversy over the widespread use by
the US of private contractors in war zones, of which the most notorious was
Blackwater, now named Xe. The group at the centre of the new allegations are
the ArmorGroup, part of the Florida-based Wackenhut group, one of the biggest
private security organisations in the US. The organisation did not respond
immediately today to the allegations. The Project on Government Insight,
which was established in 1981 to track military procurement and bring to
light evidence of any corruption, described the environment at Camp Sullivan,
where the guards were housed outside Kabul, as comparable to the anarchy in
William Golding's Lord of the Flies. It said about 300 of the 450 ArmorGroup
guards are Gurkhas and the rest are a mix of Australians, South Africans and
Americans. In the dossier, it said that guards were "engaging in
near-weekly deviant hazing and humiliation of subordinates"
. It claimed that some guards had barricaded themselves in their rooms
out of fear that the alleged hazing might harm them physically. It further
claims that guard force supervisors "made no secret that, to celebrate a
birthday, they brought prostitutes into Camp Sullivan, which maintains a sign-in
log." According to the report, Afghan nationals, as Muslims, were
humiliated by the behaviour and the apparently free-flowing use of alcohol.
The pictures could be picked up by the Taliban and used as propaganda against
the US and its allies. But the Project on Government Insight stressed that
comparisons should not be made with the pictures of abuse at the Iraqi
prison, Abu Ghraib, because no allegations of torture are being made. The
report says that the general breakdown in discipline poses a threat to the
security of the embassy. Ian Kelly, the state department spokesman, said of
the reports of wild, anarchic partying: "These are very serious
allegations, and we are treating them that way." Clinton has "zero
tolerance" for the behaviour described and has directed a "review
of the whole system" for farming out security to private contractors
that may have threatened the safety of embassy personnel, Kelly said. The
embassy said today: "Nothing is more important to us than the safety and
security of all embassy personnel - Americans and Afghan - and respect for
the cultural and religious values of all Afghans." It added: "We
have taken immediate steps to review all local guard force policies and
procedures and have taken all possible measures to ensure our security is
sound." Senator Claire McCaskill, a Democrat who heads a subcommittee on
contractor oversight, wrote to the state department calling for the inquiry
in the light of the report. McCaskill's committee earlier this year conducted
its own hearings on the involvement of ArmorGroup in Afghanistan.
September
1, 2009 Washington Post
Private security contractors who guard the U.S. embassy in Kabul have
engaged in lewd behavior and hazed subordinates, demoralizing the undermanned
force and posing a "significant threat" to security at time when
the Taliban is intensifying attacks in the Afghan capital, according to an
investigation released Tuesday by a government watchdog group. The Project on
Government Oversight launched the probe after more than a dozen security
guards contacted the group to report misconduct and morale problems within
the force of 450 guards that lives at Camp Sullivan, a few miles from the
U.S. embassy compound. In one incident in May, more than a dozen guards took
weapons, night vision goggles and other key equipment and engaged in an
unauthorized "cowboy" mission in Kabul, leaving the embassy
"largely night blind," POGO wrote in a letter to Secretary of State
Hillary Rodham Clinton outlining the security violations. The guards dressed
in Afghan tunics and scarves in violation of contract rules and hid in
abandoned buildings in a reconnaissance mission that was not part of their
training or mission. Later two heads of the guard force, Werner Ilic and
Jimmy Lemon, issued a "letter of recognition" praising the men for
"conspicuous intrepidity (sic)" with the U.S. State Department logo
on the letter head. "They were living out some sort of delusion,"
one of the whistle-blower guards said Tuesday in an interview with The
Washington Post from Kabul. "It presented a huge opportunity for an
international incident," said the guard who spokes on condition of
anonymity because he feared retribution. The report recommends that Defense
Secretary Robert M. Gates immediately assign U.S. military personnel to
supervise the guards and remove the management of the current force. It also
calls on the State Department to hold accountable diplomatic officials who
failed to provide adequate oversight of the contract. The report also found
that supervisors held near-weekly parties in which they urinated on
themselves and others, drank vodka poured off each other's exposed buttocks,
fondled and kissed one another and gallivanted around virtually nude. Photos
and video of the escapades were released with the POGO investigation.
"The lewd and deviant behavior of approximately 30 supervisors and
guards has resulted in complete distrust of leadership and a breakdown of the
chain of command, compromising security," POGO said in the letter to
Clinton. The guards work for ArmorGroup, North America, which has an $180 million annual contract with the State Department
to secure the embassy and the 1,000 diplomats, staff and Afghan nationals who
work there. The State Department renewed the contract in July despite finding
numerous performance deficiencies by ArmorGroup in recent years which were
the subject of a Senate subcommittee hearing in June. Susan Pitcher, a
spokeswoman for Wackenhut Services, Inc., the Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
company that owns ArmorGroup, declined to comment on Tuesday's POGO report.
Conduct of contractors providing security in Iraq and Afghanistan has been
the subject of controversy and other investigations in recent years. The
government relies heavily on such contractors for security and other needs. A
new Congressional Research Service report has found that as of March, the
Defense Department had more contract personnel than troops in Afghanistan.
The 52,300 uniformed U.S. military and 68,200 contractors in Afghanistan at
that time "apparently represented the highest recorded percentage of
contractors used by DOD [Defense Department] in any conflict in the history
of the United States," the report said. Some 16 percent of the
contractors are involved in providing security, a much higher percentage than
the 10 percent that were used in Iraq. Although contractors provide many
essential services, "they also pose management challenges in monitoring
performance and preventing fraud," according to Steven Aftergood, who
first disclosed the congressional report on his Secrecy News Web site.
May
16, 2009 The West
He literally cooked to death. Trapped in a prison van for four hours,
suffocated by temperatures that climbed to more than 50C, the Aboriginal
elder had no way to communicate with security officers sitting just a metre
away, in the airconditioned cab. His only sustenance was a small bottle of
water and a meat pie. When he finally collapsed on the van floor, the metal
was so hot it seared his skin. Yesterday, Corrective Services Commissioner
Ian Johnson travelled to Kalgoorlie to publicly apologise to Mr Ward’s
family, accepting responsibility for the 46-year-old’s death in January last
year. It was a dramatic end to a coronial inquest that has revealed a litany
of failures in the justice and custodial systems in WA’s outback. Widow Nancy
Ward and her children will return to Laverton next week after sitting quietly
and with dignity throughout the case, which has attracted the attention of
the United Nations and the Australian Human Rights Commission. Mr Ward, a
conservation worker, a supporter and interpreter for local police and an
advocate and educator for children of the Gibson Desert, was an international
ambassador for the Ngaanyatjarra people. His family say
he was treated like an animal. Mr Ward had been drinking on Australia Day
last year in the remote Goldfields town of Laverton when he was arrested for
driving with more than four times the legal alcohol limit. Conducting a
quasi-court hearing for Mr Ward at his cell door at the local police station,
justice of the peace Barrye Thompson remanded him in custody to face court in
Kalgoorlie the following day. Mr Thompson told the inquest he had no formal
training when appointed as a JP and could not even remember whether he had
read the Bail Act. The Aboriginal Legal Service was not contacted. Guards and
police officers testified the prison vans used by Global Solutions Limited
and maintained by the State were notoriously unreliable, sub-standard and the
air-conditioning was often faulty. GSL’s supervisor in Kalgoorlie, Leanne
Jenkins, had warned her management an incident would occur unless the
vehicles were replaced. At 11.20am, the GSL prison van pulled into a secure
area at Laverton police station where the guards were told they would have a
trouble-free passenger. Mr Ward made a comment about the warm day and a guard
told him “the quicker he got into the van, the quicker the air-conditioning
would kick in”. But the air-conditioning did not work: it had been reported
faulty in the GSL maintenance log more than a month earlier. Before making
the continuous 360km journey to Kalgoorlie, the guards did not tell Mr Ward
there was a duress alarm in the back of the van in case he needed help.
Towards the end of the trip, they heard a loud thump. Pulling over on to the
side of the road and opening the outer door of the van, the guards felt the
heat radiating from the rear pod and they saw Mr Ward face-down on the van
floor — unconscious and unresponsive. Reaching into the back of the van felt
like a “blast from a furnace”, according to Dr Lucien LaGrange, who assisted
in removing Mr Ward’s lifeless body at Kalgoorlie Hospital. Doctors found
full-thickness contact burns on his stomach and tried for 20 minutes to
resuscitate Mr Ward, whose skin felt like a “hot cup of coffee”. They managed
to get a brief return of a heartbeat, but after putting him in an ice bath,
his body temperature was still 41.7C. Coroner Alastair Hope is due to deliver
his findings on June 12. For now, the Ward family will have to return to a community
missing a leader. It is little comfort to them that money was allocated in
this week’s State Budget to replace the fleet of transport vans — four years
after the Department for Corrective Services undertook to do so. “I am
sorry,” Mr Johnson told Mrs Ward yesterday. “I have a deep regret but no
matter what I say, it’s not going to change what happened.”
April
30, 2009 Miami Herald
Three weeks after Miami-Dade County declared that Wackenhut Corp. bilked
taxpayers of millions and would no longer do county business, the security
firm fired back with its own show of force: a $20 million lawsuit against the
county and two top officials. The escalating fight centers on allegations
that Wackenhut Corp. overbilled Miami-Dade Transit for security services at
Metrorail stops and failed to adequately staff guard posts. The Palm Beach
Gardens-based firm, which does other security work for the county, has held
the mass transit security contract for 20 years, though its latest contract
expires in November. But the stakes for Wackenhut may go beyond its current
business with the county. In its lawsuit, filed Wednesday in U.S. District
Court in Miami, the security company said the move by Miami-Dade to bar the
firm from working for the county could jeopardize contracts with other
government agencies across the country. The future damages we ''will suffer
as a result of this unfair and malicious taint'' on our ''reputation are
incalculable,'' Wackenhut said in the lawsuit, which seeks $20 million in
damages and asks the court to stop the county from relying on an audit which
concludes time sheets were doctored and transit stops unguarded. The suit
also names as defendants County Manager George Burgess and County Auditor
Cathy Jackson. Wackenhut contends the county audit used improper methodology.
''It has no basis in reality,'' said Wackenhut President Drew Levine. ``We've
done our job and done it well.'' Miami-Dade County spokeswoman Victoria
Mallette said the county stands by the report authored by the government's Audit
Management Services department. ''We want to be made whole,'' said Mallette.
``We haven't been made whole. It would be irresponsible for us to continue
doing business with an entity that we believe has overbilled us.'' Earlier
this month, Burgess wrote in a memo to commissioners that as a result of the
audit the county would seek to recover $3.4 million in alleged overbillings
and support an ongoing whistle blower's civil case against Wackenhut. Burgess
named several firms to replace Wackenhut guards at Miami-Dade railway stops
and bus facilities, the Juvenile Services Department and Public Works
Department. The county manager also declared the county will seek
``debarment.'' The county move earlier this month
and subsequent lawsuit Wednesday come several years after charges of
overbillings and so-called ''ghost posts'' were first raised. The county --
roundly rebuked for poor stewardship of the transit system -- has been
criticized for reacting slowly to the allegations. The whistle blower's civil
court case against Wackenhut was filed in 2005 and the audit was completed in
2008.
March
14, 2009 Sunday Mail
Former Defence Secretary John Reid faced fierce criticism yesterday as it
emerged the world's largest security firm had won a huge contract from the
Ministry of Defence weeks after taking him on as a consultant. Mr Reid - who
ran the MoD until May 2006 before resigning from the Cabinet while Home
Secretary in June 2007 - was hired by G4S three months ago for £50,000 a year
to offer 'strategic advice'. This week, it was awarded a four-year contract
to supply private security guards for around 200 MoD and military sites
across Britain in a deal thought to be worth tens of millions of pounds.
While many former ministers have taken private-sector jobs, it is unusual for
such a senior Government figure and sitting MP to work for a company so
closely linked to their former department. Opposition MPs last night said Mr
Reid's earnings from G4S were 'totally inappropriate', while the Taxpayers'
Alliance campaign group called for the rules governing employment for
ex-ministers to be reviewed urgently.
January
22, 2009 Morning Star
DAVID Miliband said that the war on terror was an error, but some people
don't regret it. Private security companies like Group 4 made a mint. Now, it
wants to spread its good fortune - this month, Group 4 Security gave a
£50,000 position to former Labour minister John Reid as an
"adviser." Reid fits in this part-time job when he isn't too busy
representing the good people of Airdrie and Shotts as their Member of
Parliament. Group 4 has plenty of reasons to want access to the contact book
of a former home and defence secretary - the firm now supplies the armed
guards looking after British officials in Iraq and Afghanistan while locking
up prisoners, asylum-seekers and "terror suspects" in Britain, so
Reid is worth every one of the five million pennies that they are giving the
man. Reid was once a Communist Party member, but abandoned Marxism in favour
of new Labour. This is odd, because his career seems to illustrate the
crudest and most determinist kind of Marxism. For years, Marxists have been
grappling with the subtle and sophisticated ways in which the capitalist
class dominates society, but Group 4 opted for a very unsubtle approach - the
capitalists just hired Labour's representative. Reid hasn't always hawked his
brawn for the money men. Back in 1992, Reid signed a House of Commons motion
calling on Sir Norman Fowler to resign from the board of Group 4. The motion
said that the House "regrets that the right honourable Member for Sutton
Coldfield (Norman Fowler), chairman of the Conservative Party, has not seen
fit to resign his directorship of another Group 4 company, Group 4 Securitas,
and urges him to do so." It added: "The government should suspend
all further moves to privatisation within the criminal justice system."
Reid's call for Fowler to resign from Group 4 and for the government to shun
the firm came after the company let a number of prisoners escape from their
vans on the way to court. Whizz forward a decade and a half and Reid, having
demanded that Fowler abandon Group 4, has himself taken a job with the firm.
In the meantime, Conservative and Labour governments have not stopped their
"privatisation of the criminal justice system," they have expanded
it. Group 4 has men with truncheons in Britain and men carrying guns in Iraq.
Nor has the firm become any less accident-prone. Group 4 Security prefers to
be called G4S because, in ad people's language, the brand is tarnished. Group
4 was even described as a "national laughing stock" by the
government's own lawyers in court in 2003 after a riot at an immigration
detention centre that it ran which was later burned to the ground. Things
haven't improved since. Reid himself sent the firm to new frontiers, where
the firm ran new fiascos. When Reid was home secretary, the Law Lords told
him that just labelling foreigners "terror
suspects" didn't mean that he could lock them up without trial. Reid
turned to Group 4 for help. It cobbled together something called
"control orders," a house arrest for these "terror
suspects" administered by Group 4 and other private firms. Control
orders were simultaneously too draconian and too lax - prisoners, including
vulnerable men who had been tortured in their home countries, were tagged and
monitored by Group 4. Those who stuck by the rules were pushed to the edge of
mental illness by the isolation of the strict house arrest. At the same time,
Group 4 allowed another prisoner to simply disappear. This may have been
embarrassing for the firm and for Reid, but they manfully hid their red faces
and entered into a new relationship when Reid left government. Group 4 has
risen thanks to the crudest economic determinism - Reid, who authorised the
signing of cheques for Group 4 as a minister, ends up getting cheques from
the firm. Reid is not alone. A small squad of politicians worked to get Group
4 where it is today. First, Tory chairman Fowler helped the firm get into the
prisons business in the 1990s. Group 4 tightened its grip on British jails
last year when it took over rival private prisons firm GSL. It bought GSL
from an investment company called Englefield Capital, which employs another
Labour ex-minister, former defence secretary George Robertson, as an adviser.
Group 4 then broke into the international mercenary trade by buying a company
called Armor Group, whose armed men guard British officials in Iraq and
Afghanistan. Up until this, Armor Group's chairman had been another top
politician - leading Tory MP Malcolm Rifkind. Twenty years ago, the idea that
a private company would run our jails and wars would have looked like science
fiction. By hiring politicians, the "security industry" made it a
reality.
January
11, 2009 The Observer
John Reid, the former home secretary, has cashed in on his ministerial
experience by taking a £45,000-a-year job with private security company G4S,
the Observer has learnt. His appointment comes just days after a
parliamentary committee warned that former ministers have been exploiting
their insider knowledge "with impunity". Formed from a merger of
Group 4 and Securicor, G4S is Britain's largest security firm with contracts
ranging from private prisons to the armed guards defending British officials
in Iraq. The appointment was disclosed by the advisory committee on business
appointments, which polices former ministers' job applications. Reid has been
judged free to lobby ministers and officials on behalf of the security
company. The public administration committee (PAC) called last week for all
lobbying activity to be registered and monitored by a tougher watchdog -
claiming the industry's attempt at self-regulation had entirely failed.
"We are strongly concerned that, with the rules as loosely and as
variously interpreted as they currently are, former ministers in particular
appear to be able to use with impunity the contacts they built up as public
servants to further a private interest," said a statement from the PAC.
June
18, 2008 NBC6
Miami-Dade County said it is poised to make good on its promise to fire
Wackenhut Security from its massive contract on Metrorail trains unless it
repays taxpayers millions of dollars. NBC6 has obtained internal county memos
that confirm that Miami-Dade County is asking other security firms to submit
bids to replace Wackenhut on Metrorail trains and other facilities. The
county said Wackenhut's only hope of not getting fired is if it returns up to
$6 million in taxpayer dollars. The Metrorail and Metromover systems are
guarded by Wackenhut Security in a lucrative no-bid contract. The county said
it is getting ready to replace Wackenhut, cutting short the existing contract
unless Wackenhut makes amends. "It's very troubling," said
Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez. In May, Alvarez threatened to fire Wackenhut.
On Tuesday, it was clear that was no idle threat. "We are prepared to
cancel all contracts with the Wackenhut corporation and demand that we get
the money that's owed to us," Alvarez said. The county said Wackenhut
scheduled guards to work partial shifts while billing taxpayers for a full
shift and sometimes billing taxpayers for a post that had no guards at all,
NBC6's Jeff Burnside reported. The allegations were the same as those
contained in an NBC6 investigation called "A Question Of Security."
The amount in question is up to $6 million. An independent audit claimed it
was much more. One problem is that any company that replaces Wackenhut might
need to hire some of Wackenhut's guards because of the size of the contract.
In an internal memo, Wackenhut called that, "underhanded … tactics by
third-party instigators." A labor union urged county commissioners
Tuesday to improve working conditions in any new contract. Wackenhut had no
response on Tuesday, Burnside reported. Previously, the company has disputed
the allegations.
May
9, 2008 Miami-Herald
The Wackenhut Corp. overbilled Miami-Dade County as much as $6 million
over three years for phantom security guards at county transit stations,
according to a long-awaited audit released Thursday. County auditor Cathy
Jackson -- who reviewed a sample of the bills -- found that Wackenhut, one of
the country's largest security firms, routinely charged the county for empty
guard posts at Metrorail stations and along bus routes, and relied on
inaccurate and falsified records to try to cover up the overbilling.
Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez has given Wackenhut 90 days to repay the
county or rebut the audit findings or he will cancel the company's no-bid
contract, along with a separate Wackenhut contract for guards at a juvenile
detention center. Jackson said Wackenhut should also pay the county an
additional $233,000 for violating the terms of its contract. Wackenhut's
billing is also being examined by public-corruption detectives with the
Miami-Dade Police Department. 'There is no disputing that [Miami-Dade
Transit] was billed for hours not worked by Wackenhut security officers,
which is a very serious offense,'' County Manager George Burgess wrote in a
memo to Alvarez. Wackenhut, however, does dispute the audit. The company says
Jackson used unreliable records to determine that posts were uncovered, and
ignored other records that could prove guards were on duty. FIGURES DISPUTED
-- While Wackenhut says it will reimburse the county for any ''substantiated
billing errors,'' the company says Jackson's conclusion of $6 million in
overbilling from 2002 to 2005 is an exaggerated estimate based on a small
sample. ''If you start with a false premise, you end up with a false
conclusion,'' said Bruce Rubin, a company spokesman. ``We respectfully but
forcefully disagree with the auditor's methodology.'' Jackson based her
estimate on a review of 505 billing records -- only .25 percent of the bills
submitted in the three years studied -- which found $14,722 in questionable charges.
She also found $83,665 in suspicious charges, but these were not included in
her sample for estimation purposes. Wackenhut has been providing security for
Miami-Dade Transit since 1989, and the contract has been awarded without
bidding since 1994. The current contract, which pays Wackenhut as much as $17
million a year, is set to expire in November 2009. The security company,
based in Palm Beach Gardens, has also spent the past three years fending off
an unusual lawsuit brought by a former guard at the county's Juvenile
Assessment Center, who accused her former employer of padding its bill to the
county. The former guard's attorney, H. Mark Vieth, has said he believes the
overbilling could be as much as $3.6 million a year. He has compiled sworn statements
from ex-guards who said they struggled to fill unmanned posts, submitted
false records and received pay for hours they didn't work. Jackson ''found
exactly what we've been telling the county for a while now,'' Vieth said. ''I
could have practically written that report for her. The only difference,
really, is that we're auditing 100 percent of the bills and she's found this
much fraud'' based on a far smaller sample. Wackenhut has denied wrongdoing
in the suit and has challenged Vieth to provide proof of specific instances
of overbilling. Vieth has enlisted a team of investigators and bookkeepers to
sort through Wackenhut bills, sign-in sheets, log books and other records to
prove his case, which is not yet scheduled for trial. If he wins the case --
brought under the county's False Claims Act -- his client will receive 25
percent of any damages and the county will receive 75 percent. REFUSED TO
TESTIFY -- Yet the lawsuit has put Vieth at odds with the county. Last month
he sought a contempt of court order against Jackson after she refused to
testify about the audit before it was completed. Vieth plans to call her
again for a deposition next week. The audit was costly to Wackenhut even
before its release. The company had been selected by county staffers to win
another $4.8 million county security contract -- before county commissioners,
worried about the audit findings, decided Tuesday to scrap the bids and start
over. In her audit, Jackson said Wackenhut constantly shifted guards around
to cover unguarded posts, pulling in supervisors or patrols from the bus
routes, but the county was billed as though all these jobs were filled. In
some cases, log books at Metrorail stations contained no notes to prove a
guard was there, the audit found. In other cases, the logs and other records
showed guards in two different locations at the same time. Records showed
that one armed guard was on duty for 34 ½ hours in a row -- violating a rule
capping guards at 13 ½ hours in a 24-hour period and ''leaving in question the
ability of armed employees to remain alert and responsive,'' the audit said.
Wackenhut officials said the log books were never intended to be used for
timekeeping, and said the absence of notes in the books do not prove a guard
wasn't on duty.
May
7, 2008 Palm Beach Post
The chief of staff in training for de facto Senate President Jeff Atwater is
officially off the payroll, Atwater said Wednesday. Millionaire
"Budd" Kneip of Palm Beach Gardens earned a $7,000-a-month salary
from the state for one month and two days to learn the ins and outs of the
legislature, which was dealing with a $5 billion budget deficit. Kneip was
the founder and owner of the Oasis Group, a division of Wackenhut Corp. He
has no legislative experience but has run campaigns, including the one for
Palm Beach County's 2004 half-penny sales tax increase to build schools.
Normally, the chief of staff assumes his position when the Senate president
is appointed in the fall. Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, is being challenged in
his reelection bid by Skip Campbell, D-Tamarac, who formerly served in the
Senate with him. Florida Democrats on Tuesday formally requested public
records about Kneip's hiring and asked Atwater use his campaign account to
reimburse the state for Kneip's salary. "Floridians are hurting, Sen.
Atwater, but your campaign coffers are not," Democratic Party Chairwoman
Karen Thurman said in a letter to Atwater on Tuesday. "We were going out
spending money foolishly when we don't have the money to spend,"
Campbell said. "Let's be honest about it. There is no chief of staff
until you become senate president." Before Thurman's letter became
public, Atwater said he had arranged in the final days of the legislative
session for Kneip to go off the payroll. The session ended Friday.
"Budd's assistance during session was invaluable. ... He has returned
home to continue developing a transition plan; I look forward to Budd coming
back to the Senate this fall," Atwater said. Thurman's demands were a
way to help Campbell, Atwater said Wednesday. "This is a chairman trying
to insert herself into a local race with no information," he said.
April
12, 2008 Palm Beach Post
Sen. Jeff Atwater has hired an aide who will get on-the-job training
before he becomes Senate president chief of staff, and Atwater's campaign
opponent is criticizing the expenditure. Robert "Budd" Kneip is a
Palm Beach Gardens businessman with no legislative experience. He founded The
Oasis Group, an outsourcing division of Wackenhut Corp. Kneip, who is earning
$7,000 a month, needed to come on board early to get the feel of how the
legislature runs and how government budgets are developed and negotiated
before his new boss officially takes over, Atwater said. Normally the chief
of staff is appointed after the legislative leader assumes his role in the
fall. Atwater is being challenged for reelection in November by Democrat Skip
Campbell, a trial lawyer who formerly served in the Senate alongside Atwater.
Campbell criticized Kneip's salary at a time when lawmakers are slashing
about $5 billion from the state budget because of plummeting tax collections.
"How can we be hiring somebody for on the job training at 7K a month
when we're cutting education, food for the poor, Medicaid treatment for the
mentally ill? This is one of the most hypocritical actions I've seen in
government," Campbell said. Kneip has sat on the advisory boards for
Florida Atlantic University and the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, and served
as chairman of the Palm Beach County Task Force on Business Development. In
the latter role, he successfully pushed a 2004 referendum for a half-penny
sales tax hike to pay for building schools to comply with the constitutional
amendment limiting class sizes. Kneip's know-how at implementing state policy
at the local level and business acumen are why he's right for the job, said
Atwater, a North Palm Beach Republican. "He doesn't have the experience
in this process," Atwater said. "To have him be able to watch how
this works is going to help me as we think about structure, the design, the
flow and process of work."
January
25, 2008 WSMV
The I-Team has uncovered a cozy relationship between a Metro employee and
the security contractor he oversees. Bill Kostrub said he doesn't want
to talk about it, but part of his job with Metro government is approving
payments to Wackenhut Security, a company for which he used to work.
Wackenhut is now under investigation for billing irregularities at the
election commission. “I appreciate your coming out, but all the questions go
through Velvet,” he said. He referred reporter Nancy Amons to Velvet Hunter,
who is second in command at Metro General Services, where he works. Kostrub's
job at General Services includes reviewing the bills for security guards
submitted by Wackenhut. Kostrub was a salesman at Wackenhut until October
2006. During the time, Wackenhut was negotiating the contract with Metro to
provide security for all of its buildings. In December 2006, while contract
negotiations were still going on, Kostrub went to work for Metro. Now he has
the power to OK Wackenhut's invoices. Amons shared the findings with
Councilman Jim Gotto. "It doesn't sound good. It doesn't look good,” he
said. Channel 4 obtained a stack of invoices under the Open Records Act that
shows 67 times in the last three months, Kostrub signed off on security guard
bills submitted by Wackenhut. The bills cover the months when Metro auditors
said Wackenhut appeared to be billing Metro for ghost employees. Metro said
guards were supposed to be patrolling the Howard Office Building every
Saturday. Tax dollars paid for it, but Metro said there's no evidence the
guards were there. At least five of the Saturday bills were approved by
Kostrub. “I'm really interested that you used to work for Wackenhut and now
you approve their invoices,” said Amons. “And I can appreciate that. Talk to
Velvet about it. You guys have a good day,” Kostrub said. "There's
nothing wrong with this gentleman working for Metro, but he certainly doesn't
need to be working for Metro on this particular contract,” Gotto said. Hunter
said late Friday that Kostrup was hired through an open and competitive
process and that Metro did not have a problem with his former employment.
Channel 4 and the I-Team are not implying that Kostrup did anything wrong;
they are just asking if it creates an ethics issue.
January
17, 2008 AP
Seven guards have been caught sleeping at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant in
Oak Ridge since 2000, a federal spokesman said Wednesday. Three were fired and
the rest were disciplined, said Steven Wyatt, spokesman for the National
Nuclear Security Administration, a Department of Energy unit that oversees
the Y-12 complex. The administration reported Monday only two guards had
fallen asleep at their posts in four years at the high-security plant, about
20 miles west of Knoxville. But Wyatt said Wednesday that did not cover the
full extent of Wackenhut Services Inc.'s Oak Ridge security contract, which
began in January 2000. Six cases of guard-napping involving seven officers
were found during the seven-year period. Y-12, a potential terrorist target
containing the key ingredients for a "dirty bomb," makes uranium
parts for every warhead in the U.S. nuclear arsenal. It also dismantles old
weapons and is the nation's primary storehouse for bomb-grade uranium.
Wackenhut Services' napping-guard record in Oak Ridge came up for questioning
after its parent company, The Wackenhut Corp., recently lost a security
contract for 10 nuclear power plants after sleeping guards were found at a
Pennsylvania station. However, Florida-based Wackenhut Services Inc. is
considered an independent subsidiary of The Wackenhut Corp., and has its own
board of directors. "Given how serious NNSA considers our responsibility
of safeguarding our nuclear facilities, we feel it is important to provide
you with a complete accounting of inattention incidents involving security
police officers found sleeping on the job at Y-12," Wyatt explained.
Three officers were found "intentionally sleeping on duty" and were
terminated -- two guards in 2000 and one in 2002. The other cases were less
blatant, with discipline ranging up to three weeks' suspension without pay
and 12-month probation for all of them.
January
9, 2008 NBC TV6
The CEO of Wackenhut Security, a South Florida company that has been
surrounded by controversy, is stepping down. A representative with the
company declined to say why Gary Sanders made the decision to quit pending a
formal announcement on Wednesday. The change at the top came at a time when
Wackenhut Security was facing mounting criticism in various cities, including
some in South Florida where its Miami-Dade County operation is the target of
a criminal probe. The county audit, which was detailed in an NBC 6
investigation of Wackenhut billing practices, is examining whether Wackenhut
overcharged taxpayers millions of dollars. Sanders had been with Wackenhut
for more than 25 years.
December
10, 2007 NBC TV6
Miami-Dade and federal investigators raided the headquarters Friday night
of one of the county's largest government contractors. NBC 6 was the first to
report in May that Wackenhut Security is under a criminal investigation for
overbilling taxpayers millions of dollars, money for work on transit and the
downtown juvenile center. NBC 6 camera's filmed
public corruption investigators and police removing boxes filled with
documents from Wackenhut's Miami-Dade headquarters on Blue Lagoon Drive.
Investigators were there for several hours and were being assisted by top
Wackenhut executives. Wackenhut has repeatedly declined to be interviewed,
but said in a statement that the company was cooperating with authorities.
"The Wackenhut Corporation ('Wackenhut') continues to cooperate with
Miami-Dade County ('MDC'), and voluntarily provided MDC additional records
and documents yesterday to assist and facilitate MDC’s investigation and
audit of Wackenhut’s performance under its security contract with the Miami
Dade Transit Authority," said Drew Levine, president of the Security
Services Division. "Wackenhut is proud of its service and performance
under its contracts with Miami-Dade County and is very confident that after a
thorough investigation the County will conclude that Wackenhut acted properly
and performed its responsibilities under the contract in a highly
professional and responsible manner." The company has previously denied
overbilling taxpayers. Miami-Dade County is nearing completion of an audit of
Wackenhut's billing practices. The preliminary audit found serious
discrepancies.
December
18, 2007 Yahoo Business Wire
Cognetas, an independent mid-market pan-European private equity firm
specialising in complex deals, today announces the sale of Global Solutions
(GSL) for £355 million to G4S. The sale, subject to EU merger clearance and
South African competition commission clearance, is expected to complete in
2008. GSL is a leading provider of outsourced support services to public
authorities and corporate organisations worldwide. Services are typically
provided under long-term contracts (5 to 30 years) either directly to the end
customer or through joint ventures and Public Private Partnerships with
government and corporates. GSL has operations in the UK, South Africa and Australia.
Its service offering covers three areas: Custodial services, including prison
management, escorting, immigration, custody and training; Public Services,
for example healthcare, education and Local Authority services; and Business
services, comprising utilities, office accommodation and other managed
services. Cognetas backed the original MBO of GSL in 2004 in a £207 million
(€309 million) transaction. At the time, Cognetas underwrote equity and debt
to facilitate certainty for the vendor with an initial commitment of £105
million (€158 million) on behalf of Cognetas Fund I. This was reduced within
two months to £54 million (€81 million) by introducing senior debt. The
balance of the funding was provided by Englefield Capital on behalf of the
Englefield Funds. Since then Cognetas has supported management in the
implementation of a growth plan that has seen revenues increase from £291
million in 2004 to over £400 million in 2007 through organic growth, in fill
acquisition and expansion of services in its sectors over three continents
with the number of staff employed increasing by over 25% to more than 9,500.
Nigel McConnell, Managing Partner of Cognetas commented: “We are delighted to
be associated with the success of GSL over the past three years and we are
pleased to see that the dynamic management team has built the business into a
worldwide quality provider of outsourced services. We leave the business on
extremely sound and robust grounds which will help sustain its continued
growth. I am confident that being part of a larger global business like G4S
will take this business forward to a new level and I wish them well”.
November
29, 2007 The Telegraph
Group4Securicor is in talks to buy Global Solutions, a company it used to
own, for around £350m. Earlier this year, private equity firm Cognetas
appointed investment bank UBS to carry out a strategic review of Global
Solutions, which runs a number of Britain's prisons and detention centres.
However, the credit crunch forced Cognetas to put the review of Global
Solutions on hold. Since then, the company has received a number of
approaches, including one from Group4Securicor. Cognetas bought Global
Solutions, which also manages hospitals, schools and tourist offices, from
Danish security firm Group 4 Falk for about £200m three years ago.
Group4Securicor is now understood to be carrying out due diligence on the
business. However, it is not the only company bidding. Sources said US group
GEO and several private equity firms have also made approaches for the company.
Global Solutions has previously come under the spotlight for the way it runs
its prisons and detention centres, following the Government's privatisation
of the sector. Earlier this year, there was a Panorama investigation by an
undercover BBC reporter, who worked as a custody officer, in one of Global
Solutions' prisons at Rye Hill. None of the parties involved would comment.
November
20, 2007 This Is Hampshire
A SECURITY firm employee who was heavily in debt stole £25,000 following an
extraordinary blunder by two colleagues, a court heard. The cash had been
collected from the London Road branch of Nat West in Southampton - and left
overnight at the depot. The following day, Paul Dean spotted the bag and
stole it, dropping it off at home before continuing with his deliveries.
Police carried out a major investigation during which Dean and a co-driver
were suspended from their jobs with Group 4 Securicor. Seven months after the
theft last November, they executed a warrant at Dean's home and recovered
more than £10,000. Some of the proceeds had been spent on a large slim line
television, Mr Anderson added. Southampton Crown Court heard the two men who
had left the cash behind were fired and Dean's colleague, though exonerated,
had resigned. Dean, 51, of Maclean Road, Bournemouth, admitted theft and was
jailed for 12 months. In mitigation, Christopher Gair said Dean lost his wife
in a road accident in 1994 and had debts of £24,000. A month before the
theft, he had been given two county court judgments against him. "In a
moment of madness he took advantage of the money left there," said Mr
Gair.
November
1, 2007 This Is Leicestershire
An "inside man" involved in a plot to steal £1 million from a
Securicor van has been jailed for four years. Ex-soldier Neil Colbourne, from
Hinckley, worked for the firm in the lead-up to the robbery bid, which would
have involved kidnapping a driver's wife. He was among six gang members who
were jailed in connection with the case. A court heard how the plan involved
two kidnappers seizing a driver's wife at her home in Swanscombe, Kent, and
holding her hostage while others raided her husband's security van at
gunpoint. But the plan to target a depot in Dartford, Kent, was foiled when a
seventh member of the gang, brothel keeper Vincent Calleja, turned himself in
to police. Police swooped on the gang's headquarters the night before the
heist last June and found two guns and ammunition, balaclavas, and cable
ties. They also found keys to a stolen Renault Espace. Four of the men were found
guilty on June 29 of conspiracy to rob and were sentenced on Monday at
Guildford Crown Court. Ashley O'Driscoll (21), from Eaton Grove, in Mitcham,
Surrey, Billy French (22), from Steers Mead, Mitcham, and Michael Cloherty
(41), of no fixed address, were each sentenced to 15 years. The father of
Billy French, unemployed Clive Tedder (42), from Spencer Roady, Mitcham,
received 18 years. Colbourne, now 34, who had an address in Hinckley and
Orpington, Kent, had worked as a guard for Group 4 Securicor and was
sentenced to four years, while 33-year-old Wayne McKenna-Bruce, from
Chislehurst, Kent, was sentenced to three years in prison. The pair's conspiracy to steal pleas were accepted after a court
heard they had not known about the full scale of the plot. The seventh
member, Vincent Calleja (45), from Tadworth, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy
to rob and seven unrelated human trafficking and prostitution charges, and is
to be sentenced.
November 1, 2007 PR News
The Wackenhut Corporation ("Wackenhut" or "the Company")
today filed a civil action against the Service Employees International Union
("SEIU" or "the Union"). The lawsuit is in response to
the SEIU's malicious, four-year, international corporate campaign to force
Wackenhut to recognize the Union as the employees' bargaining representative
while denying the employees their federal rights to free choice and a secret
ballot election. The SEIU's top-down, wholesale, organizing attack also would
compromise the quality of Wackenhut's services by forcing the Company to deal
with a union that also represents workers other than guards which federal law
specifically prohibits as an appropriate unit for representation and
bargaining. Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New
York, the lawsuit alleges violations of the federal Racketeering Influenced
Corporations Act, 18 U.S.C. section 1961 et seq., and seeks injunctive
relief, treble compensatory damages and costs.
September
14, 2007 BBC
A security worker has been jailed for stealing almost £130,000 in coins
from parking meters on Teesside. Bryn Lynas, 47, of Ormesby, Middlesbrough,
was employed to empty the machines in Redcar and Cleveland. At Teesside Crown
Court, the former Group 4 Securicor Cash Services employee pleaded guilty to
the theft of £128,301 from January 2004 to May 2006. Jailing him for 21
months, Judge Tony Briggs told Lynas he had grossly abused a position of
trust. Group 4 was contracted by Redcar and Cleveland Council to empty
parking meters. An audit revealed tens of thousands of pounds was missing and
when Lynas was arrested last year he told police: "I've got a bag full
of money on my back seat." He was interviewed and admitted taking cash
from the machines, but said he had been doing it for only 10 months The court
was shown footage from a camera covertly placed by police in Lynas' van, in
which he repeatedly attempts to prise open cash boxes with a screwdriver. He
also admitted money laundering between June 2004 and last May, but disputed
stealing £40,000 of the total, claiming that he was not employed on some of
the days stated in the case. But Judge Briggs said "the loss of at least
£80,000-£90,000" and "dishonesty of this magnitude" required a
significant sentence.
September
14, 2007 24 Dash
A security worker who stole nearly £130,000 in coins from parking meters
he was employed to empty is facing jail. Bryn Lynas, 47, plundered the
machines in Cleveland for two years before his bungled get-rich-quick scheme
was uncovered by his bosses. When Lynas was arrested in May last year, after
an audit revealed tens of thousands of pounds were missing, he told police:
"I\'ve got a bag full of money on my back seat." Officers searched
his vehicle and found a bag containing more than £500 stuffed in the footwell
of the Renault Megane. Lynas was interviewed and admitted taking cash from
the machines, but said he had been doing it for only 10 months. Police
inquiries revealed that his partner, Susan Shaw, also 47, had received
£23,655 in her bank account from Lynas. She was arrested for a money
laundering offence, but had the charges dropped by prosecutors at Teesside
Crown Court in August. Lynas, of Ormesby, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty at
Teesside Crown Court on August 8 to the theft of £128,301 between January
2004 and May last year, and money laundering between June 2004 and last May.
His case was adjourned until today for reports. Lynas was employed by Group 4
Securicor Cash Services, which was contracted by the borough council to empty
parking meters. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council said it was pleased
Lynas had been brought to justice but added the cash collecting contract was
re-tendered last year and given to a different company.
September
6, 2007 News Shopper
A FORMER soldier has been jailed for four years for his part in a plot to
steal more than £1m from security vans - including his own. Neil Colbourne
had worked for Securicor for two years when he was the "victim" of
an armed robbery outside the HSBC bank in Sydenham. But he was an accomplice
and slipped the money box containing £25,000 out of the back of his van to a
waiting vehicle before calling the police claiming he had been robbed.
Prosecutor Maria Kariaskos told Guildford Crown Court the 33-year-old later
changed his story, saying there was no gun involved. He also failed to pick
out the real "robbers" in an identification parade. Officers
arrested him after studying CCTV footage of the incident on May 16 last year.
He could be seen waiting for a minute-and-a-half until the vehicle being used
by the "robbers" arrived. Colbourne, of Station Square, Petts Wood,
admitted a charge of conspiracy to steal. He also pleaded guilty to another
count of conspiracy to steal for helping a gang to plot a £1m theft from
another van. The cash handler and his old Army friend Wayne McKenna-Bruce,
aged 33, gave the gang the van driver's name and the registration numbers of
his car and of two Securicor vehicles. This enabled them to follow their
intended target to his house and plan their attack. McKenna-Bruce, from
Sevenoaks, pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiracy to steal and was
sentenced to three years in jail. James Scobie, representing McKenna-Bruce,
said the two defendants thought the driver in the second incident was in on
the plot and violence would not be threatened or used.
August
26, 2007 Sunday Mail
A SECURITY van driver who claimed he was robbed by gunmen wearing fake
Mexican moustaches has admitted lying to steal more than £300,000. Ian Watt,
44, made up the far-fetched tale about how his Group 4 van was robbed at
gunpoint because he was desperate for cash. Watt even went to the trouble of
driving himself to a forest outside Edinburgh and bound his own hands to make
it look as if he had been assaulted and robbed. Police issued an appeal for
witnesses through TV and newspapers and quizzed 500 drivers close to where
the alleged robbery was meant to have happened. But they later found CCTV
footage of Watt sitting in his vehicle at a time he said he was being beaten,
bound and blindfolded by the desperado gang. Then they checked the tracking
system on his van and found it did not match his story. Detectives confronted
the ex-soldier, who admitted he had buried the load in a nearby wood. Last
week he was jailed for 16 months for stealing £271,963.94 in cash, £41,928.72
in cheques and £236.61 in euros. He also confessed to wasting police time.
Watt claimed he took the money to help bail out his new girlfriend, who was
going through an expensive divorce. A police insider said: "This is one
of the most bizarre cases we have ever dealt with. "The
guy went to extreme measures to look convincing and on the face of it this
was a very serious robbery. "The guys working on the case were
incredulous when the truth emerged." Watt had been working for Group 4
security for more than 20 years when he faked the robbery in May.
March
23, 2007 The Telegraph
Ministers have been forced to act after receiving disturbing evidence of
equipment failures and doctored record-keeping within Group 4 Securicor
Justice Services, which operates 60 per cent of tags for offenders released
early under the Home Detention Curfew scheme. A 130-page dossier obtained by
a BBC journalist, who worked undercover for five months in the security
company's Nottingham operations centre, includes the following allegations: A
manager secretly taped saying that three paedophiles were not being
monitored. A prisoner incorrectly returned to jail for seven weeks because of
a blunder by the security company. A violent offender breached his bail
conditions by going into a pub 10 minutes after removing his tag the night
before his court appearance. An employee mocked Victor Bates, a campaigner
against tagging whose wife Marian was shot dead in their jewellery shop after
the gunman's accomplice had ripped off his tag. A prisoner convicted of
indecent assault on home leave was unmonitored for several days because his
tagging equipment failed. The revelations will further undermine confidence
in tagging after figures revealed that inmates let out under the system
committed more than 1,000 violent crimes including four manslaughters, one
murder, 56 woundings and more than 700 assaults since it was introduced in
1999. The investigation also discovered evidence of staff fabricating records
to save money. G4S is paid around £45 million a year by the Home Office to
administer the curfew system. After being confronted with the evidence G4S,
which has admitted there was faulty equipment, has been forced to apologise
and has suspended five employees in Nottingham. A spokesman for the Home
Office said: "Public protection is the Government's first priority. The
findings of this programme are of concern. We are reviewing the contract and
will be asking G4S urgent questions to ensure that these allegations are
thoroughly investigated and issues arising are addressed." The
investigation by a team from BBC Inside Out East Midlands disclosed that the
monitoring boxes in tagged offenders homes, which
relay information about their movements, routinely broke down. One factor in
the failure of the system could be that G4S, which has admitted there was a batch of faulty equipment in Nottingham, uses
the mobile telephone network technology rather than fixed lines. Steve Green,
the Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire, said the Home Office had to establish
whether the Nottingham problems were nationwide. "I want to urgently
know if is this a Nottingham problem or a G4S
problem. If it is a G4S problem and this is the way company is run then that
puts a huge responsibility on the Home Office to tackle and address because
that is not acceptable," he said. Ian Ridgely, chief operations officer
at G4S, said: "We believe in a small number of cases that we may not
have been monitoring to the level that we would expect to, we apologise for
that, we accept that. From that point of view we recognise that the Home
Office requires us to work to a very high standard and of course we are sorry
that in some minor number of instances, we may not have operated to those
standards."
February
20, 2007 Great Yarmouth Mercury
An opportunist thief stole a Securicor van containing more than £35,000
after a guard left the keys in the ignition and the engine running, a court
heard yesterday. The Securicor guard had just collected the cash from Norwich
city centre car parks leaving his security van unlocked, when Martin Chapman,
31, saw his chance and stole the van containing the cash, Norwich Crown Court
heard. Duncan O'Donnell, prosecuting, said the van was later found abandoned
at Swanton Road travellers site in Norwich and
Chapman was later arrested and £26,000 of the cash was recovered. However Mr
O'Donnell said the security guard responsible for leaving the van unattended
had since lost his job. Chapman, of Rosedale Gardens, Belton, near Yarmouth,
admitted taking a Securicor van and stealing £9,239.50 on October 18. He was
given a 12-month jail sentence suspended for a year and ordered to do 200
hours unpaid work. Guy Ayers, mitigating, said it was an unusual set of
circumstances. “It was purely opportunistic. He saw the van left in this way
and thought it was careless and took advantage of that particular driver's
way of working.” He said Chapman was genuinely sorry that the guard had lost
his job. Chapman who was of previous good character was unlikely to
re-offending, Mr Ayers added.
August
12, 2006 Daily Telegraph
INDIA'S biggest private airline Jet Airways would suspend a British
employee arrested in London over an alleged plot to blow up US airliners, it
said today. "(Asmin) Tariq is being suspended pending a full
investigation, having not reported for duty for the past couple of
days," an airline statement said. Tariq, a Jet security employee, was
among 24 people arrested in Britain earlier this week over the alleged plot
to use suicide bombers with explosives to blow US airliners out of the sky.
One person was later freed. Jet said Tariq, who holds a British passport, was
transferred to Jet in March from global security group G4S - previously
called Securicor - after the airline ended its contract with the company.
Jet, which flies to London and other international destinations as well as
serving Indian domestic routes, said under British employment law, it had
been obliged to take on employees working for G4S before the contract ended.
July
15, 2006 Preston Today
Police have launched a manhunt after a rapist from Preston prison escaped
on his way to court. Mustafa Ismail, 35, was being taken from HMP Preston to
the Manchester Asylum and Immigration Tribunal Court when he escaped from the
Group 4 Securicor vehicle. Detectives are appealing to the public for
information about Ismail but warning not to approach him. The Somalian was at
the end of a five year sentence for rape. He was on remand at HMP Preston
pending a decision over his deportation. The hearing he was due to attend was
to hear his application for asylum in the UK. Police have described him as a
black man with black hair and brown eyes, about 6ft (1.8m) tall and of slim
build. He was travelling in an escort van when he escaped near the Asylum and
Immigration Tribunal Court in Manchester's Piccadilly, at about 11.30am on
Thursday. It is believed he was being handcuffed when he pushed over one of
the guards and fled on foot. A Home Office spokeswoman said: "We can
confirm that on 13 July, at approximately 11.15am, an immigration detainee
escaped from our care at Manchester Asylum and Tribunal Court. "Greater Manchester Police were informed and we are
working closely with them to ensure the apprehension of the detainee.
"The incident will be fully investigated and any necessary action will
be taken in conjunction with the Home Office." Group 4 guards were
trying to handcuff Ismail when he fled. They took chase but were unable to
catch him. Nobody was injured. CCTV footage from the van is now being
examined, as well as cameras from the local vicinity.
May
23, 2006 The Mirror
IN THE latest major Home Office blunder, 2,700 innocent people were branded
as criminals. They were labelled robbers, thieves and sex offenders because
their names and dates of birth matched those of convicted criminals. As a
result, many were refused jobs, turned down for university or threatened with
the sack. The shambles was the fault of the Home Office Criminal Records
Bureau, which is managed by private-sector IT firm Capita. Unions say the
increasing involvement of private firms in government departments will lead
to more mistakes. A Unison spokesman said yesterday: "So many different
parts of our public services are in disarray, and privatisation has played a
big part in this. "There's a conflict between
the motivations of private companies and their clients, the government. For
private firms there's a pressing need to be competitive and deliver profits
to the shareholder. Prison security COMPANY: Group 4 RESPONSIBLE for a
catalogue of blunders, including allowing seven prisoners to escape while
ferrying them between prison and court in the East Midlands and Yorkshire in
1993. In the same year, a prisoner fled Group 4 custody at a Hull court. Two
years ago, killer Gordon Topen escaped from HMP Rye Hill. Now known as Group
4 Securicor, it detains and escorts asylum seekers, and made a profit of
£254million last year.
May
19, 2006 The Mirror
A WHISTLEBLOWER last night claimed the UK's deportation system is a
shambolic failure that does nothing to ease our spiralling immigration
crisis. The Group 4 Securicor officer, who escorts deportees back to their
home country, insists an amazing 6 in 10 efforts end in failure. He says many
manage to get sent back to UK detention centres by harming themselves or
their children on the way to the airport. Others cause such uproar on the
plane that pilots insist they are removed. In the worst cases private jets
allegedly have to be charted at vast expense to get them home. And the
officer claims it will take 23 years to clear out huge backlog of illegal
immigrants. He said: "It's about time people knew what a state the
system is in. We have a 60 percent cancellation rate on deportations and it's
getting worse. "The deportees will use every trick in the book to avoid
getting kicked out. The men will kick and spit and scream that they have HIV.
The officer said many corrupt officials in foreign countries refuse to let
the deportees in - unless they get a large backhander. He said: "We are
often going to banana republics where the authorities will say they don't
have the right paperwork or deny the deportee is from their country. Then
they ask us for bribes." The officer claimed he and his colleagues often
have no choice but to pay the backhander with company cash or credit cards
that are supposed to be used for expenses. He added: "Although it's not
our money, we try and keep the price down as we resent paying bribes."
The whistleblower is a Detention Custody Officer with Group 4 Securicor,
which has the Home Office contract to run detention centres and escort failed
asylum seekers. He is from the West Midlands but works at Group 4's Overseas
Escorting headquarters in Crawley, West Sussex. His duties include collecting
failed asylum seekers from UK detention centres and escorting them home. He
claims that for high-profile or troublesome deportees,
Group 4 Securicor charters a private jet to fly them home - at a rate
of up to £1,500-an-hour. The officer said: "It's a shocking waste of
taxpayers' money. But the bosses say it's the only way." According to a
2005 National Audit Office report, the average cost of deporting an illegal
immigrant is £11,000 per person. Group 4 Securicor last night denied company
money was used to pay bribes. A spokesman said: "We provide credit cards
and petty cash to cover incidental expenses. We deny paying bribes." The
company said the whistleblower's claims of a 60 percent failure rate were
false, saying "Less than one per cent of our removals result in
immigration detainees being returned to the UK." The firm refused to
reveal how many deportees fail to leave the UK. The Home Office admitted
chartering flights "when economical and efficient to do so". The
spokesman added: "We strongly refute these allegations and do not
recognise the figures being quoted."
July 9, 2005
Here is a story about your taxes at work. It concerns a company called GSL
(Australia) Pty Ltd, previously known as Group 4 Correction Services, a
wholly owned subsidiary of the British security company Group 4 Securitas,
whose core business includes running prisons. GSL's parent has merged twice
in the past five years. The second time was a year ago, with a British-based
multinational called Securicor to create "one of the largest security
companies in the world, with 340,000 employees in 108 countries",
according to GSL's website. On July 13, 2004, GSL was sold, for $500
million, as a stand-alone company to "two of Europe's leading private
equity companies, Englefield Capital and Electra Partners Europe". The
GSL website says GSL has 8000 employees globally, including 1064 in
Australia. A year earlier, on August 27, 2003, GSL signed a contract
with the Australian Government's Department of Immigration and Multicultural
and Indigenous Affairs to take over the operation of all its mainland "immigration
detention facilities". The contract runs for four years, with a
government option for another three years. The cost to taxpayers: $90
million a year. That is, $90 million "not including overheads and
contract administration", according to the Auditor-General, whose office
has just investigated the Immigration Department's management of the GSL
contract. What do taxpayers get for their $90 million? Well, the first
thing they get is a bill for another $30 million, which is what the Audit
Office found it now costs the department in annual overheads to administer
the contract. These costs have gone up at the same time as the number of
detainees has gone down. In 2003-04 administration costs totalled $20
million, while in the year just ended June 30 they were "projected to
reach $30 million". The number of detainees, as at June 29, was
844. Do your sums on a total cost of $120 million and you'll find the
detention of each and every detainee cost taxpayers an average $142,000
throughout 2004-05. Perhaps this is why GSL
Australia's managing director, Peter Olszak, is quoted on the company website
as "expressing confidence 'we will continue to go from strength to
strength'." The Audit Office, in its report released this
week, says the Immigration Department stated it funded $120.5 million in
2004-05 to provide "lawful, appropriate, humane and efficient detention
of unlawful non-citizens". It also found the department's "internal
monitoring and reporting arrangements" neither defined nor measured
"lawful, appropriate, humane or efficient detention". The
report's overall conclusion, in part: "The contract does not establish
clear expectations for the level and quality of services delivered,
mechanisms to protect the Commonwealth's interests are not clear, and there
is insufficient information about the quality of services and their costs to
allow a value-for-money calculation." All of which means
what? Labor's Sharon Grierson, deputy chairwoman of Parliament's public
accounts and audit committee, was the only MP to respond to the Audit Office
report. Grierson said in a statement on Thursday: "The department has no
idea what is going on inside detention centres. The last thing we should do
is assume anything about these centres, given the culture of complacency and
the lack of proper review. The ANAO report makes it clear there is simply no
way of knowing whether the Commonwealth is receiving value for money or, more
importantly, whether the needs of detainees are being met. The department
simply shuts its eyes and hopes for the best. DIMIA has absolutely no idea if
(or to what extent) it is insured for incidents at detention centres, why the
cost of detention is rising even while the number of detainees is falling, or
even what assets and equipment it owns in these centres." A lot of
"don't knows" for $120 million.
June 30, 2005 The Statesman
Britain’s asylum policy came under renewed scrutiny on Monday as dozens of
Zimbabweans staged a hunger strike in protest at their imminent deportation
and Kurdish Turks mourned a teenage detainee who has killed himself. The
Archbishop of Canterbury and former Labour leader Lord Kinnock joined
protests over the decision to send failed asylum-seekers back to Robert
Mugabe’s regime. Dr Rowan Williams said it would be “deeply immoral” to send
failed claimants back to a country where they could face persecution and
torture. Lord Kinnock said it would be better to let “a couple of dozen”
unjustified claimants remain in Britain than risk sending back people who
needed protection. Zimbabweans at the Campsfield detention centre in
Oxfordshire said they had been told the Government has delayed further
deportations for two weeks, which would forestall the embarrassing prospect
of Tony Blair hosting the G8 summit that will focus on the plight of Africa
while dozens of Africans are in Britain on hunger strike at his government’s
policy.
May
30, 2005 Financial Times
The government is reviewing the future role of the private sector in the
Prison Service, while putting on hold further building under the private
finance initiative. The rethink was signalled last week when Charles Clarke,
home secretary, decided to postpone until the autumn plans to privatise the
first cluster of three state-run prisons. Although the private sector has
built and run prisons under PFI, these would have been the first group of
older prisons to be taken over by independent companies. The decision is part
of a deal reached with the Prison Officers' Association and commits the union
to helping to improve standards at the three prisons on the Isle of Sheppey,
Kent, which together hold 2,000 men. The prisons - Elmley, Standford Hill and
Swaleside - were earmarked in March for "market testing", under
which private companies were to be invited to compete with the public sector
to run them. Group 4, one of the bigger companies involved in the prison
sector, said it was "disappointed" by last week's decision. The
company suspects that the decision reflects an unresolved process of change
within the sector following the creation last year of the National Offender
Management Service to run prison and probation services. According to a
report published last January by the Prison Reform Trust, despite the
dramatic increase in the role of the private sector in the Prison Service, private
companies are no better at running prisons than are their public sector
counterparts. An estimated 10 per cent of the record prison population in
England and Wales of 76,035 are held in private prisons, making the UK the
most privatised prison system in Europe. Of the 139 prisons, nine have been
built and are being run by private companies under PFI contracts.
April
9, 2005 The Guardian
Security firms involved in the deportation of failed asylum seekers are
facing more and more claims of intimidation and assault. Group 4/Global
Solutions Ltd (GSL) topped the league table of complaints by asylum seekers
and their lawyers. Campaigners who studied 35 complaints now being pursued by
lawyers revealed GSL was involved in 30% of cases. GSL, which deals with by
far the majority of deportees in Britain, recently won a 10-year Home Office
contract to run Bicester Accommodation Centre for asylum seekers. The firm
was criticised last month after the broadcast of the BBC documentary Asylum
Undercover, which contained claims of abuse by GSL guards. Most of the
alleged assaults analysed involve incidents on the way to or at airports.
Most concern incidents resulting in cuts, bruises and swelling, although
deportees have complained of head injuries, damaged nerves, and sexual
assault.
March
31, 2005 IRR News
Recent unannounced inspections of centres used to hold asylum seekers in
transit to detention centres and to ports for deportation have found that no
centre meets the minimum requirements in relation to child protection.
Officials carried out their first (unannounced) inspections into 'holding'
centres for asylum seekers between June and October 2004. The holding
centres, all run by private company GSL Ltd, (formerly Group 4) were:
Communications House (Old Street, London), Lunar House (Croydon), Electric
House (Croydon) and Dallas Court (Manchester). The report states that 'all
four holding centres had inadequate provision for childcare and child
protection. None had a child protection policy in place, and staff likely to
be in contact with children had not undergone enhanced Criminal Records
Bureau (CRB) checks.' At Lunar House the inspection team reported that they
'spoke to one woman detainee with a two-year-old child during the
mid-afternoon. She and the child had been in other areas of the building
since 8am that morning. Neither she nor her child had been offered anything
to eat during that time and had to wait for relocation to a residential
centre that evening.' They found that this was 'unacceptable'. At Dallas
Court, the team found that 'a weekend shift recently complained when they
discovered a young woman in the holding room who had miscarried a few days
previously. She had been collected from a hospital following psychiatric
referral, had not eaten for three days and had to be helped to and from the
van. She was subject to a live F2052SH self-harm monitoring form because she
kept asking for her baby and said she wanted to die. Having been delivered to
the holding room in the morning, she was not due to be collected by another
vehicle until more than six hours later.' For the first time it emerged that
other private contractors (unnamed in this report) are being used to move
asylum seekers - though GSL Ltd remains responsible for the four holding
centres inspected here. The inspection teams also found a worrying 'absence
of operational or independent oversight, compared to other immigration
detention facilities. There was no Independent Monitoring Board, and no
on-site monitor to provide daily oversight of service provision, as there is
in immigration removal centres (IRCs). Senior Immigration and Nationality
Directorate (IND) staff visited only occasionally, and, with the exception of
Dallas Court, had little involvement with the centres.'
January 13, 2005 PR Newswire
The Wackenhut Corporation, the U.S.-based division of the large U.K. and
European security contractor, Group 4 Securicor, has apparently persuaded the
U.S. National Labor Relations Board ["NLRB"] to pursue allies of
Protects USA. Late last week, the NLRB notified Protects USA ally at the
non-profit Prewitt Organizing Fund ["POF"] a formal investigation
was under way. "They are requesting private information on activists,
allies and funding. It's clearly a continuation of G4-Wackenhut's witch hunt
for scapegoats," says Protects USA spokesperson Adam Wilson.
"Protects USA and POF are not parties in any matter before the NLRB. We
will notify the NLRB that the request will be taken under advisement as it
comes in tandem with the intimidation lawsuit G4/Wackenhut filed last month
to silence Protects USA," said Wilson. Since last summer, Protects USA
and similar groups [Denver PROTECTS, New York/New Jersey PROTECTS, California
PROOFERS, Albuquerque-based BOCAS] have conducted
more than 200 peaceful public information events in 14 states, aimed at
educating the public about the current condition of homeland security.
U.K.-based G4/Wackenhut filed a lawsuit in federal court on December 6 to
silence its U.S.-based critics and stop public advocacy conducted by Protects
USA. Protects USA, a citizen-based homeland security advocacy project, seeks
to educate the public on the perils of handing over the security of our most
sensitive sites to private profiteers with spotty records or worse.
April
25, 2004
Police may charge private security company Group 4 tens of thousands of
pounds after an 11-day hunt to recapture a dangerous escaped murderer.
Gordon Topen, who was 12 years into a life sentence for killing a
businessman, broke free from two Group 4 security officer sat Walsgrave
Hospital, Coventry, on Good Friday. West Midlands Police launched a
huge manhunt for the murderer - who had been in hospital for a blood
transfusion - involving officers, sniffer dogs and helicopters but he evaded
capture. More than 20 Coventry detectives spent 11 days in a nationwide
operation to catch the killer who, it was feared, could try to hunt down the
Midland ex-girlfriend whose evidence put him behind bars. He was
finally snared when officers in London discovered Topen holed up in a
friend’s house following a tip-off. Now the Sunday Mercury understands
that West Midlands Police may hit Group 4 with a bill for the costs of the
manhunt if it believes the security firm was negligent in the
escape. (Sunday Mercury)
MANCHESTER'S
new £30m court is at the centre of a new storm after dozens of prisoners were
hours late arriving from their cells. Furious lawyers sat around for up
to three hours yesterday waiting for their clients to arrive from police
stations, including Bootle Street less than a mile away. GSL, the
private security firm that ferries prisoners to the court, blamed
"logistical problems" and has apologised to court
authorities. It is the latest in a string of problems at the court
since it opened in May. Around 40 people were due to be moved
from holding cells in Manchester to the court before 10am yesterday, in time
for morning hearings. Less than half were delivered on time and more
were dropped off at 11am and 11.45am. Lawyers were still waiting for at least
eight clients at 12.30pm. GSL, part of Group 4, said the final transfer was
made at 12.45pm. Court bosses have already threatened to fine GSL for
previous failures to get prisoners into court on time. (Manchester
Online)
September 16, 2003
THE man charged with bringing about a dramatic improvement at Liverpool
Prison has left to join the private sector. John Smith was governor at
the troubled Walton jail for just six months and has now joined the board of
directors at Premier Prisons. After he quit on Thursday, Prison Service
chiefs moved quickly to replace Mr Smith with Liverpool Prison's first female
governor. Catherine James took up her new post yesterday and is now
charged with providing a much improved service at the jail which faces being
privatised after it was branded as a "failing" operation earlier
this year. Ms James has previously been employed at Liverpool Prison
(Walton) in a role as governor with responsibility for health care before
leaving to take up a post at Stoke Heath Young Offenders Institute.
When John Smith became governor in April he pledged to stave off
privatisation. Last night, one prison officer told the Daily Post:
"The first we knew about the governor leaving was when we were called
into a meeting on Friday. "We were all stunned because we hadn't
heard anything beforehand. "The fact that he was allowed to leave
with immediate effect and there was already someone ready to come in and
replace him seems a bit strange though. "It is all a bit ironic
because when he took the job Smith told us that he was desperate to keep
Liverpool, and all prisons, out of the private sector and yet he has now gone
to work for Premier Prisons which has just opened a new private sector prison
in Peterborough." A spokesman for Premier Prisons said: "John
Smith is a very able governor and prison manager and since we are looking to
strengthen our corporate office he comes as an excellent addition to our
team. "We have been strengthening from within but we have also
been looking to bring someone in with outside experience. John gave his
notice in to the Prison Service and we are delighted he has decided to join
us." Last night the Home Office was keeping tight-lipped about the
reasons for Mr Smith leaving only to stress that his departure had nothing to
do with an impending report on the prison's performance. Four Prison
Service troubleshooters have been based at Walton for the last six months and
are due to report back to the Home Office next Monday on how the regime meets
security and safety targets and how offenders are resettled in the community
after release. If the report says the prison is still failing it could
be contracted out, without an in-house bid, in which case management of the
jail would pass to the private sector. A spokesman for the Home Office
said: "I can confirm that John Smith has left Liverpool Prison with
immediate effect. "He has been replaced by Catherine James who has
already taken up her position. The performance report is due to be presented
next week but this is not connected to Mr Smith's departure in any
way." Liverpool Prison has the largest prison population in
Europe. It houses 1,450 inmates - 260 more that it is supposed to and only 30
short of its capacity. It is understood more than 200 prisoners are
being kept two to a single cell and inmates are only being let out of their
cells for six hours a week. GIVEN SIX MONTHS TO IMPROVE LIVERPOOL
Prison began a performance testing process in April after it was branded a
"failing centre" and was given six months to improve or be sold off
to the private sector. In May, the Chief Inspector of Prisons, Ann
Owers, said the regime was "unacceptable" and found cockroach
infestations, broken windows and poor hygiene. At the time, the
prison's new management team, led by trouble-shooting governor John Smith,
was given until September 22 to put together a recovery plan. Mr Smith
(pictured), who had the reputation of being a reformer, keen on the positive
social modelling of prisoners, was brought in from Manchester's tough Strangeways
jail where he cracked down on drug abuse and unlocked cells for 12 hours a
day. The married father-of-two pledged to spend 80pc of his time
creating a programme to improve standards at the Victorian prison which
houses almost 1,500 inmates. Day-to-day running of the jail was placed
in the hands of his deputy governor, Clive Chatterton, with a series of
instant changes made for the prisoners including more time out of the cells,
a bigger range of education and rehabilitation programmes and more sport and
physical exercise. The success of these changes will be judged shortly
with the prison due to be inspected again in October and a decision on the
jail's future will be made in December. (Cheshire Online)
Hassockfield Secure Training Centre
Doncaster, England
Group 4 (formerly Serco, formerly run by Wackenhut)
November 22, 2011 The Guardian
Serious injuries or other life-threatening warning signs have been detected
on 285 occasions when children have been physically restrained in privately
run jails over the past five years, according to Ministry of Justice figures.
The figure reflects the number of "exception reports" submitted by
the four privately run secure training centres to the youth justice board
since 2006. The warning signs triggering an exception report include
struggling to breathe, nausea, vomiting, limpness and abnormal redness to the
face. Serious injuries are classified as those requiring hospitalisation and
include serious cuts, fractures, concussion, loss of consciousness and damage
to internal organs. The MoJ figures, which have been disclosed for the first
time, show that there were 61 such exception reports made last year. There
have been 29 so far in the first 10 months of this year. Their disclosure
comes as a two-day High Court challenge is due to get underway over the MoJ's
refusal to identify and trace hundreds of children who have been unlawfully
restrained in the privately run child jails using techniques that have since
been banned. Children's rights campaigners believe they should be entitled to
compensation. The Children's Rights Alliance for England (Crae) has brought
the case challenging the justice secretary, Ken Clarke's, refusal to contact
former detainees dating back to 1998, when the first secure training centre
opened. The legal challenge follows a second inquest earlier this year into
the death of 14-year-old Adam Rickwood, who was found hanging in his room at
Hassockfield Secure Training Centre, where he was on remand in 2006. It
concluded there was a serious system failure which gave rise to an unlawful
regime at the child jail. The use of several "distraction"
restraint techniques, that involved inflicting pain with a severe blow to the
nose or ribs, or by pulling back a child's thumb, were banned in 2008. The
use of physical restraint techniques to control teenagers simply for the
purposes of "good order and discipline" was also ruled unlawful by
the court of appeal. Carolyne Willow, Crae's national co-ordinator, said
their lawyers will argue there had been a chronic failure by the authorities
to protect vulnerable children over many years. "It was not children's
responsibility to know about, challenge and stop unlawful and abusive
treatment," said Willow, adding there were potentially thousands of
former detainees who should now be contacted. "Children in custody are
among the most disadvantaged in society and they were held in closed
institutions where unlawful restraint was routine and ordinary. It was the
state, and the private contractors, who were duty-bound to protect the
welfare and rights of vulnerable children." She said that government
officials now had a duty to notify potential victims that their rights had
been infringed. The abuses should no longer remain hidden and unchallenged.
The security company, G4S, which operates three of the four child jails is also joining the case as an 'interested party'.
April
25, 2011 The Independent
Juveniles in private prisons are at risk of serious injury or death through
the use of illegal restraints, according to research by the penal reform
charity the Howard League. Some privately run Secure Training Centres (STC)
are using unlawful restraints which have resulted in bruising, broken bones
and a number of deaths of under 18s in penal custody, according to researchers.
The report from Howard League lawyers documents the daily violence the
juveniles have faced while they have been in custody. A 15-year-old boy in a
STC said in evidence given to a Howard League lawyer: "I had bruised
shoulders from when one of the staff dragged me across the room and shoved me
into the wall. I had bruising on my back from where I was slammed into the
wall in my cell." The report reveals that there were 142 injuries to
children recorded as a result of the restraint of boys in prisons between
April 2008 and March 2009. Lord Carlile of Berriew QC is holding a series of
public hearings in the House of Lords into the policies and practices of
using force on children in custody. In an independent inquiry into the use of
physical restraint in 2006, Lord Carlile recommended that it should never be
used as punishment or to secure compliance. He added that the infliction of
pain was not acceptable and may be unlawful. The report, Twisted: the Use of
Force on Children in Custody, comes after the death of 14-year-old Adam
Rickwood who was found hanging in his cell in 2004 after being restrained by
staff at Hassockfield STC in County Durham. At a second inquest into his
death, held at Easington earlier this year, a jury found that the unlawful use
of force by staff had contributed to it. A secret manual published by the
Ministry of Justice that was publicly disclosed after legal action in 2010
shows that staff were authorised to use pain-inflicting distraction
techniques on the thumbs, ribs and noses of children. According to the Youth
Justice Board, 6,904 incidents of restraint were reported between 2009-10 in
England and Wales, 257 of which resulted in injury. However, the report
highlights that statistics are likely to underestimate the extent to which
physical restraint is used, as not all incidents are recorded. Frances Crook,
director of the Howard League, said: "These shadowy private companies
who profit from children being locked up have disguised their methods of
painful holds on children for years. It is time we revealed what is really
happening."
February
15, 2011 The Guardian
A high court challenge has been launched over the Ministry of Justice's
refusal to identify hundreds of children who have been unlawfully restrained
in privately run child jails using techniques that have since been banned.
The Children's Rights Alliance for England (Crae) has applied for a judicial
review of the refusal by the justice secretary, Ken Clarke, to identify and
contact children who may have been unlawfully restrained in the privately run
secure training centres. The legal battle follows the second inquest two
weeks ago into the death of 14-year-old Adam Rickwood, found hanging in his
room at Hassockfield secure training centre where he was on remand in 2006.
The inquest concluded that there was a serious system failure which gave rise
to an unlawful regime at the jail. The use of several "distraction''
restraint techniques, which involve inflicting pain with a severe blow to the
nose or ribs, or by pulling back a child's thumb, were first suspended in
2007 before being banned in 2008. The use of physical restraint to control
teenagers in child jails for the purposes of "good order and
discipline" was also ruled to be unlawful by the court of appeal in the
same year. Carolyne Willow of Crae said she believed that there may be
hundreds, if not thousands, of children who have been unlawfully restrained
in secure training centres since they first opened in 1998.
January
11, 2011 Evening-Chronicle
GUARDS at a privately-run young people’s unit acted illegally leading up to a
teenager’s prison cell suicide, an inquest heard. Tragic Adam Rickwood was
found hanging just hours after he was mistreated by warders. His mother Carol
Pounder, told jurors she would be “locked up” if she had behaved towards her
son the way authorities had in the moments leading up to his death. At a
second hearing into the tragedy, following a High Court appeal, Durham’s
Assistant Deputy Coroner Jeremy Freedman revealed previous jurors were not
informed prison staff had used unorthodox methods to restrain Adam and were
acting “unlawfully and illegally” on the evening of his death on August 9,
2004. The 14-year-old, from Burnley, was found hanged by his shoelaces in his
cell by staff at the Serco-run Hassockfield secure training centre in
Consett, while on remand for an alleged wounding charge. Hours before his
death, at 6pm, he was involved in an altercation with staff who ordered him
to return to his cell from the social area he was in. The order came after a
note was passed to him by another inmate which contained “unflattering
remarks” about a female member of staff. When Adam refused to go back to his
cell and instead sat on the floor in the communal area, back-up was called and
he was physically removed. Four officers restrained him – two holding his
arms, one holding his head and one holding his legs. Adam was placed in his
cell face down and, because the officer holding his head feared Adam was
trying to bite his fingers, he employed a “nose distraction method” to
control Adam’s behaviour – a painful manoeuvre which left his nose swollen
and bruised. Mr Freedman, who is leading the second inquest into his death,
said the previous jury had not been told “three important things”. He said:
“When they removed Adam from the free association area, in these
circumstances, it was unlawful and illegal. “Second, they weren’t told that
the use of Physical Control in Care in taking him into his cell in these
circumstances was, too, unlawful. “And thirdly, they weren’t told that the
use of the nose distraction technique was in any circumstances unlawful and
illegal.”
July
18, 2010 AP
Brutal techniques to restrain children held in private prisons have been made
public after mounting pressure from children's rights groups. The Observer
disclosed details of the techniques used to train staff in restraining young
offenders in the country's four privately-run secure training centres. The
secret manual, Physical Control in Care, was created by the HM Prison Service
and approved by the Department of Justice in 2005. The government's Youth
Justice Board (YJB) had initially fought the Information Commissioner's order
to hand over the documents. When the Children's Rights Alliance (CRAE) called
on the Justice Secretary to hold an independent judicial inquiry, YJB finally
relented. The Observer revealed that control measures authorised for staff to
use include "an inverted knuckle into the trainee's sternum and drive
inward and upward," "alternate elbow strikes to the young person's
ribs until a release is achieved," and "drive straight fingers into
the young person's face, and then quickly drive the straightened fingers of
the same hand downwards into the young person's groin area." The manual
went so far as to warn staff that some techniques risk a "fracture to
the skull" and "temporary or permanent blindness caused by rupture
to eyeball or detached retina." One passage states in regard to
administering a head-hold that "if breathing is compromised the situation
ceases to be a restraint and becomes a medical emergency." Carolyne
Willow, CRAE's national co-ordinator stated, "Until now, we've seen a
compulsive reliance on secrecy and an absolute failure to face up publicly to
the disgraceful and unlawful treatment of children the State officially
describes as vulnerable." The campaign to make the information public
came after the deaths of two children, Gareth Myatt, 15, and Adam Rickwood,
14, who died in the custody of Rainsbrook and Hassockfield secure training
centres in 2004.
March
8, 2008 The Northern Echo
BRUTAL restraint techniques used before the suicide of a 14-year-old boy at a
North-East secure unit are illegal and must be banned, MPs and peers will
demand today. In a damning report, the Joint Human Rights Committee condemns
the "state sanctioned infliction of pain against children" as young
as 12, who misbehave in private prisons. The restraint techniques include
hitting a child's nose from underneath - the restraint method used on Adam Rickwood
by staff at the Serco-run Hassockfield Secure Training Centre, near Consett,
County Durham. Six hours later, on August 9, 2004, Adam, from Burnley,
Lancashire, became the youngest person to die in custody in Britain when he
hanged himself from a curtain rail, using his shoelaces. Last night, Adam's
mother, Carol Pounder, welcomed the report and said the treatment her son
received should never have been allowed to take place. She said:
"Sometimes you need to restrain a child to protect them from themselves,
but there is a difference between restraining a child and beating a child. "What gives them the right to do these things to
our children? If I had punched Adam in the nose and caused pain and bleeding
at home, I would be taken to court. But because it happens behind closed
doors nobody knows. "The best thing this Government could do is withdraw
this distraction technique, not just put a suspension on it." Describing
the so-called distraction techniques as unlawful under international human
rights laws, the committee warns they have had "tragic results".
Andrew Dismore, the committee's Labour chairman, said: "What is, in
effect, state-sanctioned infliction of pain against children to ensure good
order and discipline should not continue. "It
must be absolutely clear that inflicting pain on children is never justified
and the use of force is an absolute last resort, for use only when all
alternatives have been demonstrably exhausted." The committee also
condemns the Government for refusing to release the staff manual for
restraining children, which means the full details of the hold techniques
remain secret. As well as "nose distraction" - the upward chop to
the septum used against Adam - the techniques include the "double
basket", where the arms are crossed and held behind the back. In
December, the Government agreed to suspend the use of both techniques after
medical advice. Today's report demands their permanent removal from the
manual. The report includes an extract from a note found in Adam's room after
his death. The 14-year-old wrote: "When I calmed down, I asked them why
they hit me in the nose and jumped on me. "They
said it was because I wouldn't go in my room, so I said what gives them the
right to hit a 14-year-old child in the nose, and they said it was restraint."
The inquest into his death returned a verdict of suicide. It heard the
officer who used the nose distraction technique on the boy later noticed it
had drawn blood. The director of the Howard League for Penal Reform, Francis
Crook, said last night he was very pleased with the committee's opposition to
the use of painful restraint. He said: "Treatment that would see a
parent or teacher in front of social services is not only allowed in these
child jails but positively encouraged by recent rule changes." A
spokeswoman for the Ministry of Justice said: "Force is only ever used
as a last resort. "However, some young people
in secure training centres can be very violent and staff
need appropriate and effective methods to contain and resolve
dangerous situations. "The Youth Justice Board's Code of Practice on
behaviour management makes it explicit that restrictive physical
interventions must only be used as a last resort." Serco, which runs the
centre, declined to comment.
A
flagship "jail" for young boys faces
closure after The Mirror revealed it has been rocked by violence, vandalism
and vicious attacks on staff. Offenders as young as 12 are running riot.
There are three serious incidents a day and more than 150 last month alone,
with staff in riot gear deployed on several occasions. Now the Home Office
has drawn up plans to close Hassockfield secure training centre in Consett,
Co Durham, after more than half the staff quit for fear of attack. Premier
Prison Services, the private firm running it, is set to lose fulfill its
contract. (The Mirror)
June
6, 2002
TWO OF the world's biggest security
companies could find themselves in court in a row over their joint venture to
run privatised prisons and immigration centres. UK-based Serco wants to buy
out the half of Premier Custodial Group owned by America's Wackenhut
Corrections Corporation. But the US company refuses to sell and is ready to
go to court to defend the right to retain its 50 per cent stake in PCG. The row illustrates the growing demand for prisons run by
private companies, despite the controversy they attract. PCG manages four jails, including Doncaster, one combined prison
and youth offenders' institution and a centre for asylum seekers near
Glasgow.
Serco has wanted control of the business
since rival Group4 Falck took a 57 per cent stake in WCC, listed on the New
York Stock Exchange, last month. Group4
is a strong rival to Serco in this country, running three prisons and three
immigration centres, including Yarl's Wood, Bedfordshire, which was badly
damaged by fire this year. (The Express)
Hardy House
Isle
of Portland, Dorset
January
29, 2003
A FORMER naval barracks was badly damaged by fire minutes after the end of an
angry public meeting to oppose plans to use it to hold up to 750 asylum-seekers.
Hardy House, a derelict, ten-story block on the Isle of Portland, Dorset,
suffered extensive damage to one floor. The attack followed a warning
by David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, that whipping
up fears about asylum-seekers could lead to a breakdown in community
relations. The building is now owned by a property company, Comer
Homes, which bought it from the Ministry of Defense for 30 million. The
company recently applied for planning permission to convert it to 350 luxury
flats. Portland has been in uproar since it was disclosed ten days ago
that the Home Office is in negotiations with t he developers to use the
building as a centre for up to 750-asylum-seekers who would be housed there
while their applications to stay in Britain are processed. (Times
Online)
Harmondsworth Detention Centre, London, England
GEO Group (formerly run by Kalyx, UK Detention Services, AKA Sodexho)
August
5, 2011 The Guardian
Separate investigations into three deaths in immigration removal centres
(IRC) in the past month have been launched by the police, amid growing
concern about the treatment of detainees. The spate of deaths has caused
alarm among critics of the government's detention policy, who warn that the
system is at "breaking point" with poor healthcare putting people's
lives at risk. Two men died from suspected heart attacks at Colnbrook near
Heathrow airport and the third killed himself at the Campsfield House
detention centre in Oxfordshire on Tuesday. John McDonnell, Labour MP for
Hayes and Harlington, who has two detention centres including Colnbrook in
his constituency, said he feared there would be more deaths as the system
struggled to cope with the number of people being detained. "The
government is now detaining people on such a scale that the existing services
are swamped," he said. "It is inevitable if we put the services
under such relentless strain that there will be more deaths as a result … we
are dealing with people who are extremely stressed and extremely vulnerable
and the services are not able to cope and not able to guarantee their
safety." The first man who died was Muhammad Shukat, 47, a Pakistani
immigration detainee who collapsed at around 6am on 2 July. His roommate
Abdul Khan says that in the hours before he died Shukat was groaning in
agony, had very bad chest pains and was sweating profusely. Khan, 19, from
Afghanistan, said he began raising the alarm around 6am and pressed the
emergency button in the room 10 times in a frantic effort to get help. Khan
claimed that on three occasions members of the centre's nursing team entered
the room and found Shukat on the floor where he had collapsed. Khan said they
put him back into bed, took his temperature and some medicine was
administered, but did not call emergency assistance immediately. According to
Khan, the nurses initially said that Shukat could go to see the centre's
doctor at 8am. According to the London Ambulance Service, Colnbrook staff
called an ambulance just before 7.20am. Attempts were made to resuscitate
Shukat, but he was pronounced dead on arrival at Hillingdon Hospital. A
postmortem found the provisional cause of death to be coronary heart disease.
Shukat's body has been returned to Pakistan and his family
are understood to have no concerns about the medical treatment he
received. The second man to die at Colnbrook has not yet been named.
According to the Metropolitan police he was 35 and was found dead in his cell
at 10.30am last Sunday. London Ambulance Service officials pronounced him
dead at the scene. "A postmortem held on 1 August found the cause of
death to be a ruptured aorta. The death is being treated as
unexplained," said a police spokesman. Colnbrook IRC is managed by
Serco. In a statement to detainees about Shukat's death, deputy director at
Colnbrook, Jenni Halliday, described her "deep regret" and extended
her condolences. In a statement to detainees about the second Colnbrook
death, Serco's contract manager, Michael Guy, informed detainees that a
resident in the short-term holding facility had died and that the death was
thought to be from natural causes. On Tuesday, a 35-year-old man hanged
himself in the toilet block at Campsfield House detention centre in
Oxfordshire. A fellow detainee, who refused to give his name, said the man
had been hours away from being deported and had become very anxious. "He
was normally a very quiet person … but the pressure is too much for people in
here." It is understood the man had only been at the centre for a few
days before he died. The Home Office refused to give any more details saying
his extended family had yet to be informed. Emma Ginn, from the campaign
group Medical Justice, said the deaths had heightened concern about the poor
healthcare on offer to those being kept in UK detention centres. "Based
on medical evidence from many hundreds of detainees, Medical Justice has
documented the disturbingly inadequate healthcare provision that often
vulnerable immigration detainees are subjected to in Colnbrook and other
immigration removal centres... [this] combined with
the perilous and frightening conditions of detention, is a lethal cocktail, a
disaster waiting to happen." The UK Border Agency declined to comment on
the specific circumstances of each case. It said the police and the Prisons
and Probation Ombudsman always investigated deaths in immigration detention
centres and it would be inappropriate to comment until these were complete.
David Wood, director of criminality and detention at the UK Border Agency,
said all detainees at immigration removal centres have access to health
services seven days a week. "All detainees are seen by a nurse within
two hours of arrival and are given an opportunity to see a GP within 24
hours," he added. "The health of all detainees is monitored
closely, and the healthcare professionals are required to report cases where
it is considered that a person's health is being affected by continued
detention. "The UK takes its responsibilities
seriously, which is why we consider every case on its individual merits and
will continue to offer protection to those who need it. However, detention is
an essential part of our controls on immigration in the UK." A
groundbreaking ruling -- A man with severe mental illness was unlawfully
locked up in a UK detention centre for five months and subjected to inhuman
or degrading treatment, according to a high court ruling. The man, a
34-year-old Indian national, was detained in Harmondsworth immigration
removal centre between April and September last year. On Friday a judge ruled
that his treatment amounted to a breach of article 3 of the European
convention human rights. The man's lawyer said the ruling – thought to be the
first of its kind – raised wider questions about how the government treats
people with mental illnesses in the immigration and detention system. "The
court's decision that my client suffered inhuman or degrading treatment at a
UK detention facility sends a very loud and clear message to the
authorities," said. "We would urge the minister to conduct a
fundamental review into how people suffering from mental illness are treated
in the immigration detention estate." The man, referred to as
"S" in the ruling, had a history of serious ill treatment and abuse
before arriving in the UK. He served time in prison for wounding and assault
before being transferred to a secure psychiatric hospital until his discharge
in April 2010. Following his release the UK Border Agency said there was
"no evidence" he was mentally ill and he was detained in
Harmondsworth where his health deteriorated and he began to have psychotic
episodes and self harm. The high court intervened and he was released on
bail. His lawyers said he had been living with his family since then and had
fully complied with the conditions of bail set by the court. In the ruling
judge David Elvin said: "S's pre-existing mental condition was both
triggered and exacerbated by detention and that involved both a debasement
and humiliation of S since it showed a serious lack of respect for his human
dignity. It created a state in S's mind of real anguish and fear, through his
hallucinations, which led him to self-harm frequently and to behave in a
manner which was humiliating…" A UK Border Agency spokesperson said:
"We regularly review our detention policies and will look at the
findings in this case to ensure lessons are learned. Detention is an
essential part of our immigration control but we recognise the importance of
ensuring it remains appropriate on a case by case basis."
April
4, 2011 The Sun
BRITISH workers at a deportation centre are to be sacked and replaced by
inmates on just £1 an hour. Staff are in uproar at
the unit, which cages failed asylum seekers and foreign prisoners awaiting
the boot from the UK. Up to 20 full-time kitchen workers, who earn £300 a
week, are to be made redundant under the plan. Inmates who take over their
jobs at Harmondsworth, near London's Heathrow airport, will earn nothing like
the £5.93-an-hour national minimum wage. One worker at the unit said:
"It's a disgrace. They're doing things on the cheap in a scandalous way.
Where are these 20 sacked British staff going to
find jobs in the current climate? "Surely we should be giving priority
to British workers in these troubled times." Another worker added:
"Apart from the sackings, it is wrong to use the inmates as virtual
slave labour." Privately-run Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre is
the biggest deportation unit in Europe, with 615 inmates. Original
contractors Kalyx were replaced in 2009 by the American private security
company, GEO Group. Jonathan Sedgwick, acting Chief Executive of the Home
Office's UK Border Agency, said: "Detainees working in cleaning and
catering roles is common in our detention centres. "It
allows us to keep detainees occupied while arrangements are made to return
them. This is nothing new and has been praised by HM Inspector of Prisons and
independent monitoring boards."
July
31, 2009 Daily Star
BRITISH workers facing the sack at an immigration detention centre say their
jobs are being taken by “illegals” who are being
held there. The detainees, who have no legal rights to work in the UK, have
been handed £15-a-week cleaning jobs. But the real cleaners are among up to
74 workers expected to be made redundant this month at the Harmondsworth
Immigration Removal Centre near Heathrow Airport. The Home Office denied that
the cleaners are being replaced by detainees at a fraction of the cost. But
one cleaner said she thought the Government’s British Jobs for British
Workers claim was “a joke”. She added: “Not only are foreign workers
exploiting British employment opportunities, but now it seems that even
failed asylum seekers in detention centres are taking our jobs.” The
Harmondsworth centre was taken over by GEO Group last month. It houses
immigrants who are awaiting deportation, some of whom are failed asylum
seekers or those who have overstayed their visas. The Home Office confirmed
none of them would have a legal right to work in the UK. A GEO Group
spokesman said six cleaners were to be made redundant but declined to comment
further. Lin Homer, chief executive of the UK Border Agency, said: “No staff
facing redundancy at the centre will be replaced by an immigration detainee.”
But she said a recent report had said detainees should be able to do more
paid work.
June
29, 2009 News Ticker
The GEO Group, Inc. (NYSE: GEO) ("GEO") announced today that
its wholly owned U.K. subsidiary, GEO UK Ltd., has assumed management
functions at the 256-bed Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre (the
"Centre”) located in London, England. GEO U.K. will manage the Centre
under contract with the United Kingdom Border Agency. The contract for the
management and operation of the Centre will have a term of three years and is
expected to generate approximately $14.0 million in annual revenues for GEO.
Additionally, the Centre will be expanded by 364 beds bringing its capacity
to 620 beds when the expansion is completed in June 2010. Upon completion of
the expansion, GEO’s management contract is expected to generate
approximately $19.5 million in annual revenues.
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.
July
31, 2004
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 21, 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 20, 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 thecentre 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)
October 11, 2003
A report issued by the chief inspector of prisons in England and Wales into
conditions at the Harmondsworth Detention Centre in 2002 has called for a
police investigation into reports of detainees being beaten by staff. Several
detainees are alleged to have been assaulted during transfers in and out of
the centre, often as they are sent for deportation. On several occasions
during detainee transfers, prison service Tactical Intervention Squads—armed
with riot gear—have been called in to assist the private security guards that
man the centre. The author of the report, Anne Owers, met one
asylum-seeker who had required hospitalisation for injuries sustained during
an attempt to deport him and others who had suffered serious assaults at the
hands of guards. She acknowledged that allegations by detainees of assault
were “common” but that few were referred to the police. “It is
extremely important,” Owers said, “that such claims should be fully
investigated and, if necessary, prosecuted, but we are told that police and
prosecutors were reluctant to act. If so, this is unacceptable.” Of the
nine assaults against detainees reported to the police in the past year all
were dismissed as unsubstantiated. The report also criticises the
centre as being an “essentially unsafe place for detainees and staff.” There
were “increasing levels of disorder” in the facility and a detainee-on-detainee
assault rate of approximately seven attacks per week. There is an average of
one self-harm incident a week officially recorded by the centre, a figure
likely to be far higher in reality. Despite this the inspectorate found that
“suicide, self-harm and anti-bullying procedures were not efficiently
managed.” There was also found to be insufficient mental health support for
detainees held in the centre’s medical unit. Owers claimed that
Harmondsworth was “frightening and potentially dangerous” and “not well
equipped to ensure detainees’ protection.” Levels of desperation among
detainees at the centre are understandably high, with many having been
resident in one or more detention centre for months. Harmondsworth is
situated next to London’s Heathrow Airport and serves as the last port of
call for thousands of asylum-seekers before their forced removal from
Britain. The report criticised staff shortages and poor health and
safety protection. It pointed out that a number of small fires at the centre
had “severely tested the fire response capability” there. Like the Yarl’s
Wood Detention Centre that was ravaged by fire in 2002, Harmondsworth is not
fitted with a sprinkler system. During the blaze at Yarl’s Wood staff were
unable to cope, leaving the panicked detainees to their own fate. Conditions
in Harmondsworth are directly comparable to those that existed in Yarl’s Wood
prior to its near destruction—an event that could have claimed the lives of
scores of detainees and staff. Harmondsworth has a family unit capable
of holding dozens of families with children. There were 25 children held at
the centre at the time of the inspection. Owers found that the educational,
recreational and developmental requirements of young people at the centre
were being inadequately provided for. Furthermore, the lack of personal
security for detainees and the presence of many traumatised adult
asylum-seekers created an environment wholly unsuitable for children. “Given
the inherent insecurity of the centre as a whole, we remain of the view that,
as in other centres in England, children should only exceptionally be
detained in Harmondsworth, and not for any period longer than seven days,”
the report stated. The children of asylum-seekers, whether at a single
centre or cumulatively by being moved from one centre to another, often spend
large portions of their childhood in these grim and dangerous facilities
prior to being deported. The report comments
that many of the problems at Harmondsworth are common to all the asylum
centres: “Many of the systematic problems that detainees experienced at
Harmondsworth have already been covered in the Inspectorate’s six previous
reports.” These include: “the inability of the Immigration Service to
progress cases efficiently or communicate effectively with detainees; the
absence of sufficient competent legal advice and representation; the need for
independent welfare advice to assist detainees to deal with practical
problems during detention and on removal; and the need for more activities
for detainees, including the ability to work.” It is not the first
official report to criticise Burns International, the private security firm
contracted by the Home Office to run Harmondsworth until earlier this year.
In April this year a Home Office report—only published following pressure
from the human rights group Liberty—on an investigation into the suicide in
2000 of Lithuanian asylum-seeker Robertus Grabys exposed some of the
conditions facing vulnerable asylum-seekers in Harmondsworth. The Home Office
concluded that there had been insufficient care for Mr. Grabys who was known
to be suffering from severe depression. Found hanging in his cell on the day
he was to be deported, he had been dead for over an hour. Burns International
had not placed him on a suicide watch, and the centre was found to have no
formal policy to prevent suicides. In February Burns International—a
division of the Swedish-based multinational security company Securitas—was
outbid for the Harmondsworth contract by Premier Detention Services Ltd.,
which currently runs the much criticised regime at the Dungavel asylum centre
in Scotland. (www.wsws.org)
September 26, 2002
A
private company that runs the Harmonsworth detention centre for asylum
seekers and provides services to many NHS health trusts warned yesterday that
"serious errors of management" in part of its British business
would blow a near pounds 20m in profits.
Shares in French-based Sodexho Alliance plunged 30% on the Paris stock
market, sending in a shockwave across the support services sector that
dragged rival Compass down 10% in London. Sodexho had dismissed a
number of top executives from its UK food and management business and accused
its auditors, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, of being "insufficiently vigilant".
Sian Herbert-Jones, chief financial officer at Sodexho Alliance, said there
was no evidence of fraud and she was confident the problems would be solved
by restructuring. Sodexho would tighten up management of food and
personnel costs, renegotiate some contracts and
reduce overheads. About 85 staff are to lose
their jobs and there would be tighter controls on wages, but Ms.
Herbert-Jones insisted that key services should not be hit. But the
latest profit warning is the third year and investors are wary of all
unexpected announcements in a jittery stock market enviroment. "A
company can't afford this kind of news in this kind of market," said one
trader. The Harmonsworth centre in west London, which was hit by an
embarassing breakout by nine asylum seekers earlier this year, is run by
Sodexho's UK Detention Centre Services, which has its own management seperate
from the food and management group. (NWOM-news)
Harrow Crown Court
London, UK
Serco
January 20, 2012 UKPA
A former Harrow Crown Court prison guard has been jailed for four years for
trying to smuggle heroin. Dean Nelder, 28, was caught taking a package
containing cannabis and heroin into the court in April last year. Police were
alerted to the plan after a note was left in a cell at Wormwood Scrubs prison
tipping them off. Passing sentence at the Old Bailey, the Recorder of London
Peter Beaumont QC said: "You've let yourself down, you've let your
family down, and those who care for you, and you've made it very difficult to
get a responsible job in the future." Nelder was jailed for four years
for conspiracy to supply class A drugs, two years for conspiracy to commit
misconduct in public office and three years for possession of a class A drug
with intent to supply, to run concurrently.
Heathrow Airport
England
Group 4 (formerly run by Sodexho/UK Detention Services)
April
15, 2009 The Independent
Thousands of foreign visitors and refugees who are detained at Heathrow
airport each year are forced to endure degrading living conditions and
"deep-seated" negative attitudes about their welfare, an
independent report concludes today. The findings will add to growing concerns
about the treatment of foreign people held in detention in the UK before they
are granted entry clearance or sent home. The report by the Independent
Monitoring Board (IMB) makes note of cockroaches in Terminal 4 kitchens and
the absence of proper washing facilities for detainees held overnight. The
monitors were so angered by one case, the comprehensive failure to care for
the needs of a disabled visitor who was travelling to the UK with her young
son, that they sought personal apologies from the staff concerned. Some of
the visitors held at Heathrow are incoming passengers detained for
questioning or refused entry to the UK. Others are brought to Heathrow from
immigration removal centres, prisons or police stations to be deported. The
authors said: "The generic term 'detainee' casts no light on the
humanity of the men, women and children to whom it is applied. The IMB
perceives a deep-seated negative attitude towards their wellbeing while in
detention at the airport, at both policy and operational levels." Other
language which the report said reflected these views included the use of the
phrase "these people" to describe visitors held in what staff
inappropriately referred to as "pens". Between 2008 and 2009,
33,100 people were detained at the airport, of whom
22,000 were detained in holding rooms and 11,100 in Queen's Buildings, which
is mostly used for holding failed asylum-seekers before they are returned to
their own countries. The UK Border Agency has hired G4 Securicor to staff the
short-term detention facilities but the report makes it clear that the IBM
thought the Government had "failed repeatedly to supervise its staff in
key areas, all impacting on detainees' welfare." The IMB called on G4
Securicor to address these issues urgently. It said: "We urge the [UK
Border Agency] to take necessary steps, whether in terms of their own
processes, or the performance of G4S as escort contractor, to drive down the
length of time many are detained. Action is overdue."
June
15, 2008 Sunday Mail
SUSPECTED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARE BEING HELD IN "HOLDING
rooms" at UK airports and ports without regular independent
scrutiny of their welfare and human rights, three years after the prisons
watchdog recommended in a report to the home secretary that detainees should
be monitored. The situation is affecting thousands of people detained each
year over visa and other document irregularities by the UK Border Agency at
three non-residential facilities run by Group 4 Securicor at Edinburgh and
Glasgow airports, and Scotland's immigration reporting centre at Festival
Court in Glasgow. Anne Owers, the chief inspector of prisons in England and
Wales - who has responsibility for inspections because immigration is
reserved to Westminster, - recommended monitoring of the
facilities after spot checks on Glasgow airport and Festival Court in 2005.
Heathrow, which has holding facilities at each of its five terminals, is the
only UK airport which has set up Independent Monitoring Board (IMD)
committees - members of the public who visit the facilities every week. The UK justice department has
not even begun talks with its Scottish counterpart, which
must approve the proposal, and it is feared it could take another year to set
up. One insider said: "It's shocking they have been allowed to get away
with this at a time when the Border Agency is targeting more people coming
into regional airports. "This is as big a
political hot potato as dawn raids. Even if these people are only detained
for a matter of hours before their cases are rejected and they are put on
planes home, they are still entitled to basic human rights,
which includes access to full legal representation. "There would
have been an outcry had this happened at Dungavel detention centre, which
does have independent monitoring." John Wilkes, chief executive of the
Scottish Refugee Council, said: "In 2005, the chief inspector of prisons
had many reservations about the holding facilities in Glasgow airport. She
found people were not being given adequate information in their own language
about their reason for detention. Crucially, people were not offered
information on their legal rights and, as they had no access to phones, email
or fax, legal or other assistance was impossible. "In this report, three
years ago, she strongly recommended the need for independent monitoring, but
this has not yet happened in Glasgow. This must happen as a matter of
necessity." Asylum lawyer Fraser Latta said: "It's not uncommon for
claimants to be detained on a Friday and spend several hours in one of these
places, and it must be extremely frustrating if they can't get access to
legal help." Latta said it was an example of the breakdown of
Westminster-Holyrood relations following former first minister Jack
McConnell's failure to win a separate asylum protocol for Scotland. There has
also been a sharp rise in the number of people being held at the Glasgow facilities. Between January
and the end of March 2005, 34 people were detained. This year, over the same
period, 242 people were held, including some at Edinburgh airport. Most were
held for less than eight hours, but one person was held in Edinburgh for more
than eight hours but less than 12, according to the UK Border Agency. The
August 2005 report claimed legal information for detainees was
"deficient"; childcare and child protection provision was
inadequate; and staff had not undergone enhanced Criminal
Records Bureau checks. Those held in Glasgow were not routinely seen by a
health professional, there were "insufficient" activities to
relieve boredom and there was no hot food available. Glasgow airport did not
even have a television. The inspectors could also see no
evidence of notices or leaflets "designed to inform detainees about
legal rights or how to get immigration advice". At the airport, accessing legal advice was
"impossible" as no free phone calls were automatically offered.
Neil Powrie, head of the Association of Prison Visiting Committees in
Scotland, which hopes to help the IMB find volunteers, revealed he has only
recently been sent an email by the organisation asking him for "a
chat" about the plans. "When people are being detained there are always
concerns if their conditions are not being monitored," he said.
"The fact the chief inspector made the recommendation three years ago
and nothing has been done since is down to the Home Office. It would be a lot
smoother if these issues were devolved." Norman McLean, head of the IMB
Secretariat, said: "We are rolling out
the programme gradually and it is a major exercise. I
don't want to be seen as intruding in Scotland and that's why we must have
approval from the executive." Tayside Police chief constable John Vine,
who has been appointed the first chief inspector of the UK Border Agency,
said: "I am very conscious of the fact we are dealing with human beings
who in many cases have a legitimate right to come to Britain and seek a
better life. Although I will principally be reporting to Westminster, I will
have to establish good relations with the devolved government as well."
A UK Border Agency spokesman welcomed monitoring of the facilities and added
that Edinburgh airport's holding facility is currently being refurbished.
January
16, 2007 IC Coventry
Conditions in holding centres for immigration offenders awaiting
deportation still need to be improved, the jails watchdog has said. Chief
Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers published reports on four immigration
short-term holding facilities at Colnbrook near Heathrow Airport, Sandford
House in Solihull, and Liverpool's Reliance House and John Lennon Airport.
Inspectors found that detainees at Colnbrook spent unacceptably long periods
locked in single rooms, and there was a lack of information and independent
advice for people facing removal. But it had avoided some of the problems
seen in other facilities because it was managed by the Immigration Removal
Centre, offering access to healthcare facilities, welfare and race relations
support, Ms Owers said. Staff at the three centres in Liverpool and Solihull
- all run by Group 4 Securicor - needed more training in the care and
protection of children, her report found. The facilities also required
reorganising for a mixed population, it added. Ms Owers said:
"Accommodation still remains inadequate in many centres and the needs of
detainees in relation to healthcare, information and advice, and preparations
for release are not yet sufficiently met." Home Office Minister Liam
Byrne said: "I take very seriously the recommendations, and action plans
responding in detail are currently being drawn up to ensure further
improvements are made. "It is important to
remember that non-residential short-term holding facilities are intended to
accommodate people for very brief periods of time." Liberal Democrat
home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg said: "The inspector's report confirms
what has been apparent for some time: that, for the Government, these people
are out of sight and out of mind. "Any society
should be ashamed when people are treated like this just because they are to
be deported."
April
6, 2006 Gulf Daily News
Holding cells used by British immigration officials at a French freight
terminal were so crowded and filthy that staff called them "the dog
kennels," a prison watchdog said yesterday. Chief Inspector of Prisons
Anne Owers also said staff were unsure whether they
could stop a detainee from fighting, trying to escape, or committing suicide
because they did not know whether English or French law applied. Her report
concerned the centres at Calais seaport and the Channel tunnel freight and
tourist terminals at Coquelles, which were set up on French soil under an
international treaty to hold detainees seeking entry to Britain.
Accommodation at Coquelles freight terminal was described by staff as the
"dog kennels," Owers said. The six 13 feet by 10 feet cells at
Coquelles freight terminal featured hole-in-the-ground toilets and on busy
days one cell could be used to hold six people. Furnishing, ventilation and
heating were all inadequate, her report added. Records suggested average
detention time was seven and a half hours, with the maximum nearly 12 hours.
The chief inspector made 49 recommendations for improvement, including one
that an independent monitoring board should have regular access. Figures for
May to July last year showed 661 detainees had been through Calais Seaport
detention centre, 11 of whom were children. The
average period of detention was four hours, although the longest was 17. In
all, 17 per cent were given permission to enter Britain. At the third centre
at Coquelles tourist terminal, average detention time was three hours but the
maximum recorded was nearly 16 hours. None of the facilities, run by private
firm Group 4 Securicor, could appropriately separate men, women and children.
The chief inspector also published a report on detention facilities at
Heathrow airport, including the Queen's Building, which handles the greatest
number of forced removals from Britain. People could be detained there for up
to 36 hours, the report said. Owers complimented the staff's approach to
welfare of detainees but called the system inhumane. "Some of those we
observed in detention had been dealt with as though they were parcels, not
people, and parcels whose contents and destination were sometimes
incorrect," Owers said.
September
1, 2001
Britain's policy on asylum seekers was engulfed in fresh controversy last
night after a French company behind a new detention centre was set to be
given the go-ahead to pay refugees 34p an hour for cleaning and
cooking. In a move branded 'inhumane' and akin to forced labour camps
in Communist China, the Government plans to grant the company a unique
opt-out to save staff costs by paying refugees at the centre less than
one-tenth of the minimum wage. Confidential Home Office documents
obtained by The Observer reveal that UK Detention Services, a subsidiary of
the French catering conglomerate Sodexho, has been waived the legal obligation
to pay the minimum wage to refugees at a detention camp which will hold 500
people near Heathrow airport when it opens later this month. Norman
Baker MP said that if asylum seekers were allowed to work they should be paid
the minimum wage. 'It is a disgrace that the Government is prepared to pay
millions to a company that is prepared to exploit asylum seekers in such a
cruel manner.' (The Guardian)
Home Office
G4S teaches UK Border Agency how to care for children:
openDemocracy, July 9, 2012, Clare Sambrook. It’s no joke — the
world’s biggest security company is training immigration staff in “Keeping
Children Safe”.
Police,
magistrates and prisons by G4S. Is this what the British people want?:
openDemocracy, March 6, 2012, Mel Kelly.
Scary story about G4S taking over everything. This is dangerous folks. A must
read.
September
9, 2012 The Guardian
Home Office ministers have ordered weekly reports on the progress of two new
contracts with the private security companies G4S and Serco to house and
provide support services for thousands of asylum seekers and their families.
The chief executive of the UK Border Agency (UKBA), Rob Whiteman, has
confirmed that serious concerns about the ability of the two companies to
find housing for thousands of asylum seekers across the north of England by
November has led to closer monitoring at the most senior levels of the Home
Office. The £883m a year Compass contract to provide support services for
dispersed asylum seekers is the largest project run by the Home Office. The
two private security companies took over the five-year asylum housing
contracts in four of the six UKBA regions across Britain from social
landlords, including councils, in March. The companies were expected to start
moving people in June. But after a contractual dispute G4S dropped its
housing subcontractor for the Yorkshire and Humberside region, United
Property Management, in June and its new subcontractors have yet to find
enough homes. Two councils, Sheffield and Kirklees, have raised concerns
about their ability to deliver the housing contract within the expected
timetable. Kirklees council said that a fortnight ago, only one family out of
240 asylum seekers had been moved as part of the transition from the council
to the new providers. "There are 240 asylum seekers being assisted. We
understand the subcontractors are finding it difficult to procure accommodation
and the council has been asked to continue to provide assistance until the
end of October. There is no suggestion however that the council's contract
will be renewed after this time," Whiteman has told the Commons public
accounts committee there were also concerns about the two Serco contracts,
one covering north-west England and the other Scotland and Northern Ireland,
including the "speed at which properties are being acquired". He
said the issue had been "escalated" to directly involve himself and
Jeremy Oppenheim, the UKBA director of immigration and settlement. Weekly
reports are also being sent to ministers. "It is not at this stage
anywhere near penalties because they are acting within the contract in terms
of how the work is handed over to them," Whiteman told MPs. "We do
have concerns about mobilisation. We are escalating this and I have been
involved in meetings on that but it is at a relatively early stage." He
added there were other remedies available under the contracts but he hoped
the difficulties would be resolved.
September
7, 2012 Reuters
Embattled security firm G4S will be forced to relive its embarrassing London
Olympics staffing failure on Tuesday when its boss returns for a second
showdown with British lawmakers demanding to know how the debacle was allowed
to happen. Group Chief Executive Nick Buckles and David Taylor-Smith, who is
the group's UK and Africa CEO, w ill be pressed for
further explanation of the recruitment failure which has hit shares and
raised questions about its prospects on future deals. "Everyone now
accepts that G4S let the country down before the Olympics began. We need to
ascertain the reasons why this happened and who else was responsible for the
pre-Olympics shambles," Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs Committee
and a member of Parliament for the opposition Labour party, told Reuters. Vaz
said the committee had quizzed Home Secretary Theresa May, who is in charge
of domestic security, on Thursday, and had received a detailed letter
outlining the department's oversight of the contract and the minister's
meetings with Buckle and the Olympics organizers during the run-up to the
Games. G4S, the world's largest security firm, which in Britain runs services
for airports, prisons, immigration and the police, admitted just 16 days
before the Games began that it could not supply a promised 10,400 venue
guards. It eventually raised 7,800 at peak times, leaving the military to
make up the shortfall. The failure embarrassed the government, one of G4S's
core clients which accounts for more than half of its 1.8 billion pounds
British revenue. More than 20 percent of its pipeline of potential UK work
also stems from that market. Those numbers mean the UK public sector is one
of the biggest global clients for the group, whose revenue for 2012 is
forecast at just over 8 billion pounds according to a Reuters
poll of 21 analysts. G4S has said it expects to take a 50 million pound
($79.7 million) loss over the contract failure, but the potential for a
longer-lasting reputational blow goes beyond the UK market. A week before it
conceded recruitment problems, the company told Reuters it expected its work
at the 2012 Games would help it win a bigger share of a four-year cycle of
global events whose safety and security budget has been estimated at more
than $10 billion.
July
23, 2012 Ekklesia
The Howard League for Penal Reform has revealed new findings from polling
firm Populus showing that half the public oppose privately run prisons. While
just 37 per cent describe themselves as comfortable with private prisons, 49
per cent are uncomfortable, including 23 per cent very uncomfortable. The gap
is even wider amongst women (32 per cent comfortable, 50 per cent
uncomfortable) and the electorally crucial over-65 age group (32 per cent
comfortable, 59 per cent uncomfortable). When the specific example of G4S
running a local prison is presented, just one in four (26 per cent) describe
themselves as comfortable with the idea and even fewer (23 per cent) view the
service as suitable for a payment by results approach. Frances Crook, Chief
Executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, which campaigns for less
crime, safer communities and fewer people in prison, said: “It’s clear that
the public understands the dangers of putting such a key service as the
prison system into the hands of unaccountable companies, who are driven by
cutting costs rather than cutting crime. "The scandal of the Army having
to step in to provide security at the Olympics after private firm G4S failed
to do its job proves yet again that when private firms underperform, the
public pays through the nose and safety is compromised. We shouldn’t be
allowing the same thing in our prison system.”
May
30, 2012 Our Kingdom
On Tuesday 8 May a Bradford asylum seeker and her twelve week old baby were
given barely a week’s notice by private landlord UPM to quit their home. On
Thursday 17th they were transported forty miles to a tiny flat in Doncaster
with no cooker, table or chair, and only a tiny sink to wash dishes and
clothes. Campaigners in Bradford and Doncaster supported the mother and
engaged with local medical services and the Red Cross, and protested to the
UK Border Agency and local authorities. The protests prompted a Border Agency
inspector to visit the Doncaster flat. On Monday the Border Agency declared
the flat “contractually non-compliant” and “not suitable in its present state
for mothers and babies”. The Border Agency claimed it had instructed UPM to
relocate the mother and baby as a matter of urgency. But they remain in the
Doncaster flat, marooned 40 miles from anybody they know. This is the new
world of asylum seeker housing controlled by G4S, the world’s biggest
security company. In March G4S won a massive £30 million UK Border Agency
contract to house asylum-seekers in the Midlands, the East of England, the
North East, Yorkshire and Humberside. Using the “prime contractor model”,
which G4S tells investors is “attractive”, the company granted subcontracts
to UPM and the charity Migrant Help. UPM, or United
Property Management (slogan “Serve like a charity. Perform like a business”),
describes itself as “a market leading provider of accommodation and support
services to people from all walks of life.” They’re based just up the road
from Manchester’s Victoria Station. Beatrice Botomani, a worker at Bradford
Refugee Action Forum who has coordinated protests and emergency help for the
Bradford women and children, said: “We met UPM at the end of April and they
gave a long list of pledges about not taking children out of Bradford and
away from social and medical services and schools, and giving adequate notice
on removals. Only a few days later they started evictions and removals with
less than a week’s notice. Some of these women and children have been in
Bradford for two years or more awaiting decisions on asylum claims. UPM has
not told us where people are going and we cannot alert local support services
to contact them – many of these people are already traumatised and have fled
from terrible conditions in their home lands, UPM is adding to their
stresses.”
November
22, 2011 The Guardian
Serious injuries or other life-threatening warning signs have been detected
on 285 occasions when children have been physically restrained in privately
run jails over the past five years, according to Ministry of Justice figures.
The figure reflects the number of "exception reports" submitted by
the four privately run secure training centres to the youth justice board
since 2006. The warning signs triggering an exception report include
struggling to breathe, nausea, vomiting, limpness and abnormal redness to the
face. Serious injuries are classified as those requiring hospitalisation and
include serious cuts, fractures, concussion, loss of consciousness and damage
to internal organs. The MoJ figures, which have been disclosed for the first
time, show that there were 61 such exception reports made last year. There
have been 29 so far in the first 10 months of this year. Their disclosure comes
as a two-day High Court challenge is due to get underway over the MoJ's
refusal to identify and trace hundreds of children who have been unlawfully
restrained in the privately run child jails using techniques that have since
been banned. Children's rights campaigners believe they should be entitled to
compensation. The Children's Rights Alliance for England (Crae) has brought
the case challenging the justice secretary, Ken Clarke's, refusal to contact
former detainees dating back to 1998, when the first secure training centre
opened. The legal challenge follows a second inquest earlier this year into
the death of 14-year-old Adam Rickwood, who was found hanging in his room at
Hassockfield Secure Training Centre, where he was on remand in 2006. It concluded
there was a serious system failure which gave rise to an unlawful regime at
the child jail. The use of several "distraction" restraint
techniques, that involved inflicting pain with a severe blow to the nose or
ribs, or by pulling back a child's thumb, were banned in 2008. The use of
physical restraint techniques to control teenagers simply for the purposes of
"good order and discipline" was also ruled unlawful by the court of
appeal. Carolyne Willow, Crae's national co-ordinator, said their lawyers will
argue there had been a chronic failure by the authorities to protect
vulnerable children over many years. "It was not children's
responsibility to know about, challenge and stop unlawful and abusive
treatment," said Willow, adding there were potentially thousands of
former detainees who should now be contacted. "Children in custody are
among the most disadvantaged in society and they were held in closed
institutions where unlawful restraint was routine and ordinary. It was the
state, and the private contractors, who were duty-bound to protect the
welfare and rights of vulnerable children." She said that government
officials now had a duty to notify potential victims that their rights had
been infringed. The abuses should no longer remain hidden and unchallenged.
The security company, G4S, which operates three of the four child jails is also joining the case as an 'interested party'.
November
13, 2011 The Guardian
The privatisation of public services has been branded a scandal by unions who
say that leaked tender documents reveal that the opening-up of the prison
system to competition is "heavily biased" in favour of private
firms. The Ministry of Justice has introduced competitive tendering for five
jails as ministers seek to expand the role of the private sector. They claim
that competition will result in more efficient services and a better deal for
the taxpayer, but unions fear that it will result in widespread redundancies,
poorer working conditions and reduced pensions for workers. Prison governors
warn that expanding the private sector's role in the custodial system will
create a profit-maximising culture that favours incarceration and cutbacks to
rehabilitation. Internal documents seen by the Observer show that the
in-house public sector teams seeking to run the first five prisons subjected
to the new competition process were forced to increase the total cost of
their bids by more than 21%. An earlier document, in 2009, forced an increase
of only 13%. Unions claim the substantial "add-ons" rendered the public
sector bids uncompetitive compared with those put forward by their private
sector rivals. The Principles Of Competition document, updated in August
2010, applies to Birmingham, Buckley Hall, Doncaster, Featherstone II and
Wellingborough prisons. The document's terms have prompted claims that Tory
ministers are seeking to outsource the entire prison system to the private
sector. Currently in the UK, there are 13 private prisons holding 15% of the
incarcerated population. "Prison privatisation is no longer based on
efficiency, it's now ideological," said Harry Fletcher, assistant
general secretary of the probation union, Napo. "It's extraordinary that
the public sector is forced to take into account huge additional costs. It
puts public prisons at a total disadvantage. If this continues, there will be
no state-run prisons in five years."
August
5, 2011 The Guardian
Separate investigations into three deaths in immigration removal centres
(IRC) in the past month have been launched by the police, amid growing
concern about the treatment of detainees. The spate of deaths has caused
alarm among critics of the government's detention policy, who warn that the
system is at "breaking point" with poor healthcare putting people's
lives at risk. Two men died from suspected heart attacks at Colnbrook near
Heathrow airport and the third killed himself at the Campsfield House
detention centre in Oxfordshire on Tuesday. John McDonnell, Labour MP for
Hayes and Harlington, who has two detention centres including Colnbrook in
his constituency, said he feared there would be more deaths as the system
struggled to cope with the number of people being detained. "The
government is now detaining people on such a scale that the existing services
are swamped," he said. "It is inevitable if we put the services
under such relentless strain that there will be more deaths as a result … we
are dealing with people who are extremely stressed and extremely vulnerable
and the services are not able to cope and not able to guarantee their safety."
The first man who died was Muhammad Shukat, 47, a Pakistani immigration
detainee who collapsed at around 6am on 2 July. His roommate Abdul Khan says
that in the hours before he died Shukat was groaning in agony, had very bad
chest pains and was sweating profusely. Khan, 19, from Afghanistan, said he
began raising the alarm around 6am and pressed the emergency button in the
room 10 times in a frantic effort to get help. Khan claimed that on three
occasions members of the centre's nursing team entered the room and found
Shukat on the floor where he had collapsed. Khan said they put him back into
bed, took his temperature and some medicine was administered, but did not
call emergency assistance immediately. According to Khan, the nurses
initially said that Shukat could go to see the centre's doctor at 8am.
According to the London Ambulance Service, Colnbrook staff called an
ambulance just before 7.20am. Attempts were made to resuscitate Shukat, but
he was pronounced dead on arrival at Hillingdon Hospital. A postmortem found
the provisional cause of death to be coronary heart disease. Shukat's body
has been returned to Pakistan and his family are
understood to have no concerns about the medical treatment he received. The
second man to die at Colnbrook has not yet been named. According to the
Metropolitan police he was 35 and was found dead in his cell at 10.30am last
Sunday. London Ambulance Service officials pronounced him dead at the scene.
"A postmortem held on 1 August found the cause of death to be a ruptured
aorta. The death is being treated as unexplained," said a police
spokesman. Colnbrook IRC is managed by Serco. In a statement to detainees
about Shukat's death, deputy director at Colnbrook, Jenni Halliday, described
her "deep regret" and extended her condolences. In a statement to
detainees about the second Colnbrook death, Serco's contract manager, Michael
Guy, informed detainees that a resident in the short-term holding facility
had died and that the death was thought to be from natural causes. On Tuesday,
a 35-year-old man hanged himself in the toilet block at Campsfield House
detention centre in Oxfordshire. A fellow detainee, who refused to give his
name, said the man had been hours away from being deported and had become
very anxious. "He was normally a very quiet person … but the pressure is
too much for people in here." It is understood the man had only been at
the centre for a few days before he died. The Home Office refused to give any
more details saying his extended family had yet to be informed. Emma Ginn,
from the campaign group Medical Justice, said the deaths had heightened
concern about the poor healthcare on offer to those being kept in UK
detention centres. "Based on medical evidence from many hundreds of
detainees, Medical Justice has documented the disturbingly inadequate
healthcare provision that often vulnerable immigration detainees are
subjected to in Colnbrook and other immigration removal centres... [this] combined with the perilous and frightening
conditions of detention, is a lethal cocktail, a disaster waiting to
happen." The UK Border Agency declined to comment on the specific
circumstances of each case. It said the police and the Prisons and Probation
Ombudsman always investigated deaths in immigration detention centres and it would
be inappropriate to comment until these were complete. David Wood, director
of criminality and detention at the UK Border Agency, said all detainees at
immigration removal centres have access to health services seven days a week.
"All detainees are seen by a nurse within two hours of arrival and are
given an opportunity to see a GP within 24 hours," he added. "The
health of all detainees is monitored closely, and the healthcare
professionals are required to report cases where it is considered that a person's
health is being affected by continued detention. "The
UK takes its responsibilities seriously, which is why we consider every case
on its individual merits and will continue to offer protection to those who
need it. However, detention is an essential part of our controls on
immigration in the UK." A groundbreaking ruling -- A man with severe
mental illness was unlawfully locked up in a UK detention centre for five
months and subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment, according to a high
court ruling. The man, a 34-year-old Indian national, was detained in
Harmondsworth immigration removal centre between April and September last
year. On Friday a judge ruled that his treatment amounted to a breach of
article 3 of the European convention human rights. The man's lawyer said the
ruling – thought to be the first of its kind – raised wider questions about
how the government treats people with mental illnesses in the immigration and
detention system. "The court's decision that my client suffered inhuman
or degrading treatment at a UK detention facility sends a very loud and clear
message to the authorities," said. "We would urge the minister to
conduct a fundamental review into how people suffering from mental illness
are treated in the immigration detention estate." The man, referred to
as "S" in the ruling, had a history of serious ill treatment and
abuse before arriving in the UK. He served time in prison for wounding and
assault before being transferred to a secure psychiatric hospital until his
discharge in April 2010. Following his release the UK Border Agency said
there was "no evidence" he was mentally ill and he was detained in
Harmondsworth where his health deteriorated and he began to have psychotic
episodes and self harm. The high court intervened and he was released on
bail. His lawyers said he had been living with his family since then and had
fully complied with the conditions of bail set by the court. In the ruling
judge David Elvin said: "S's pre-existing mental condition was both
triggered and exacerbated by detention and that involved both a debasement
and humiliation of S since it showed a serious lack of respect for his human
dignity. It created a state in S's mind of real anguish and fear, through his
hallucinations, which led him to self-harm frequently and to behave in a
manner which was humiliating…" A UK Border Agency spokesperson said:
"We regularly review our detention policies and will look at the
findings in this case to ensure lessons are learned. Detention is an essential
part of our immigration control but we recognise the importance of ensuring
it remains appropriate on a case by case basis."
May
23, 2011 Daily Mirror
PRIVATE jail bosses paid from the public purse are putting profits
offshore to avoid tax, MPs will be told this week.
Firms making millions out of the privatisation of British justice are not
paying their due, says a Prison Officers’ Association report. Taxpayers pick
up the bills for land and buildings of these jails. But the people running
them have parent companies which the POA has traced to tax havens such as
Jersey and investment banks. The report says: “Billions of pounds of
taxpayers’ money is being diverted from essential
public service provision that could benefit society as a whole. “Often those
that benefit most are registered in tax havens.” POA general secretary Steve
Gillan said it was “a national scandal”. Justice Secretary Ken Clarke
recently announced plans to let contractors run large prisons in Birmingham
and Doncaster plus ¬a new one near Wolverhampton. They will join 11 jails in
England and Wales and four young offender units which are run privately. The
report says: “Making a profit out of incarceration is morally repugnant.
Companies have a vested interest in keeping the prison population high to
maximise profits.” It says firms have no incentive to go along with Mr
Clarke’s “rehab¬¬ilitation revolution” – aimed at cutting the ¬crippling
expense of ¬prisons by ¬reducing the number of inmates. The POA paper, being
sent to all MPs, says the true costs to the nation are “hidden behind a
-smokescreen of ¬commercial secrecy”. The report demands an inquiry into
private prison finances. The Ministry of Justice said: “Contracts to run
prisons have been awarded through open competition to deliver best value for
the taxpayer without ¬affecting standards.”
December
26, 2010 The Guardian
A security company has recruited two former senior civil servants, sparking
an outcry about the "revolving door" between Whitehall and the
company. G4S, formerly Group 4 Securicor, hired Dr Peter Collecott, the one
time director of corporate affairs at the Foreign Office, and David Gould,
the Ministry of Defence's former chief operating officer in charge of defence
equipment, according to a government report. The company, whose guards are
under investigation over the death of deportee Jimmy Mubenga, supplies armed
guards for embassy staff around the world. It has recruited former ministers
including Lord Reid as well as senior figures in offender management. The
disclosure comes two weeks after Sir George Young, the leader of the Commons,
said he would examine the "revolving door" between Whitehall and
defence companies. Denis MacShane, the Labour MP for Rotherham, called for a
closer examination of civil servants before they are allowed to take private
sector roles that may overlap with their former public duties. "There is
great excitement over politicians and outside interests but the real issue is
the gilded path from Whitehall where billions of pounds worth of public spending
decisions are made into employment with companies that gained from such
contracts and contacts," he said. "We need new rules so that anyone
in public service cannot go straight into employment with companies to which
they previously awarded contracts." Harry Fletcher, the assistant
general secretary of the probation union Napo, who has been critical of the
way G4S has recruited senior civil servants from the Home Office, said:
"Appointments such as these give G4S a commercial advantage over their
rivals and will encourage others to go down the same route." The
appointments are listed in the latest report from the Advisory Committee of
Business Appointments, released earlier this month. Collecott, 60, was the
ambassador in Brazil from 2004 to 2008. He was a member of the Foreign
Office's senior leadership forum that brought together the most senior heads
of mission overseas. G4S said he has worked for their company on two separate
domestic projects – once in 2009 and again this year, a contract which ended
in September. The company has declined to explain the nature of the project.
Gould, the MoD's former chief operating officer of defence equipment and
support – which put him in charge of billions of pounds worth of procurement
contracts – took up a consultant post with G4S last year. He left the MoD in
2008, and has also had roles at Selex Sensors and Airborne Systems Ltd. A
spokesman for G4S said he worked on a specific project with G4S in 2009. Last
month, G4S prompted an outcry by hiring Philip Wheatley, the former director
general of the National Offender Management Service. Wheatley's G4S role,
which he takes up just as Ken Clarke launches a plan to privatise much of the
probation service he managed until June, has been criticised by probation
unions. Wheatley's appointment is part of a pattern of G4S lobbying over
probation privatisation. The company paid for a meeting at the last
Conservative conference, where G4S "offender management" executive
Jerry Petherick, spoke alongside the prisons minister, Crispin Blunt.
July
18, 2010 AP
Brutal techniques to restrain children held in private prisons have been made
public after mounting pressure from children's rights groups. The Observer
disclosed details of the techniques used to train staff in restraining young
offenders in the country's four privately-run secure training centres. The
secret manual, Physical Control in Care, was created by the HM Prison Service
and approved by the Department of Justice in 2005. The government's Youth
Justice Board (YJB) had initially fought the Information Commissioner's order
to hand over the documents. When the Children's Rights Alliance (CRAE) called
on the Justice Secretary to hold an independent judicial inquiry, YJB finally
relented. The Observer revealed that control measures authorised for staff to
use include "an inverted knuckle into the trainee's sternum and drive
inward and upward," "alternate elbow strikes to the young person's
ribs until a release is achieved," and "drive straight fingers into
the young person's face, and then quickly drive the straightened fingers of
the same hand downwards into the young person's groin area." The manual
went so far as to warn staff that some techniques risk a "fracture to
the skull" and "temporary or permanent blindness caused by rupture
to eyeball or detached retina." One passage states in regard to
administering a head-hold that "if breathing is compromised the
situation ceases to be a restraint and becomes a medical emergency."
Carolyne Willow, CRAE's national co-ordinator stated, "Until now, we've
seen a compulsive reliance on secrecy and an absolute failure to face up
publicly to the disgraceful and unlawful treatment of children the State
officially describes as vulnerable." The campaign to make the
information public came after the deaths of two children, Gareth Myatt, 15,
and Adam Rickwood, 14, who died in the custody of Rainsbrook and Hassockfield
secure training centres in 2004.
September
4, 2009 Morning Star
Leaders of the prison officers' union have accused the government of
"corruption at the highest levels" for colluding with privateers to
sell off Britain's jails. Prison Officers Association (POA) general secretary
Brian Caton made the damning accusation as he exposed exclusively to the
Morning Star the defection to security privateer Serco of the head of a
public-sector bid to run Buckley Hall jail near Rochdale. Former prison
governor Steve Hall, who had been appointed by the National Offender
Management Service (NOMS) to lead the bid, was revealed to have taken up a position
with the huge multinational despite government rules insisting that civil
servants must "put the obligations of public service above your own
personal interests." Mr Caton declared that the government "wants
to auction off the prison service and is fully aware that civil servants like
Steve Hall take the information that they have gathered and defect to the
private sector. "This is corruption at the
highest levels," he stressed. "This is not first time this has
happened and it comes despite Justice Minister Jack Straw giving us an
absolute assurance that it would not happen again," Mr Caton added. The
Civil Service code explicitly states that government workers "must not
misuse your official position, for example by using information required in
the course of your official duties to further your private interests."
But Mr Caton insisted that NOMS director of human resources Robin Wilkinson
had admitted that Mr Hall, who was appointed by the head of the government's
public-service bids unit Colin McConnell, had done exactly that. Calling on
NOMS director Phil Wheatley, Mr Wilkinson and Mr McConnell to all resign, Mr
Caton said that "the POA believes that this affair represents a
conspiracy to act in a corrupt manner and we will be demanding that an independent
inquiry should be conducted by the police - that's how serious this is."
The revelation comes just days after the POA announced that its members had
voted by a crushing four to one to strike against the government's drive to
sell off the Prison Service and hand jails over to private security firms
such as Serco. Mr Caton pointed out that Buckley Hall prison had to be
renationalised after its previous experience with privatisation proved a
failure. "Of 11 private prisons in Britain, 10 are in the bottom quarter
of the government's prison performance league - that's how bad they
are," he asserted. "Privatisation is about driving down standards
and paying prison officers less because all these companies care about is
profits," Mr Caton added. "It is an insult to our members at
Buckley Hall, who gave information to Steve Hall to support the bid to keep
the jail in the public sector, that he has now stuffed that information into
a briefcase and taken it to Serco." Mike Nolan, president of Civil
Service union PCS prison service group, emphasised that such a breach of the
Civil Service code was "undoubtably immoral. "This
has happened a few times, but what is worse is that prison managers are
actually being targeted by the private-sector companies that want to take
over prisons - and Serco in particular is now riddled with them," he
added. Serco and the Ministry of Justice had not responded to requests for
information as the Morning Star went to press.
June
29, 2009 Independent
Figures obtained by More4 show four of Britain's 10 private prisons
received the second-lowest rating in Government tests. Britain's private
prisons are performing worse than those run by the state, according to data
obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. The findings, based on the
overall performances of 132 prisons in England and Wales, appear to undermine
claims by ministers that the greater use of private jails is raising
standards for the accommodation of more than 83,000 prisoners held across
both sectors. Separate figures, also released under the right-to-know law,
show that nearly twice as many prisoner complaints are upheld in private
prisons as they are in state-run institutions. The Government is committed to
building five more private prisons to accommodate the growing prison
population, which is predicted to rise to 96,000 by 2014. But the poor
performance ratings among 40 per cent of private prisons in England and Wales
throw into question the cost savings and other benefits of using outside
businesses to tackle the prison crisis. The data obtained by More4 News shows
that four of the 10 private prisons scored the second lowest rating of 2,
"requiring development", and only one above an assessment of
"serious concern." The Ministry of Justice introduced the Prison
Performance Assessment Tool (PPAT) last year, providing the first direct
comparison between public and private prisons. It ranks the prisons out of
four gradings using a wide range of measurements, including escapes, assaults
and rehabilitation. In the second quarter of last year, the average overall
score for prisons in the private sector was 2.7. For the 123 public sector
prisons the average was 2.83. In the following quarter this gap had widened
to 2.6 and 2.85. This is a difference of almost 10 per cent. No private
prison attained the top mark of 4, defined as "exceptional
performance." There were also disparities in the number of complaints
upheld in private and state-run prisons. Rye Hill Prison, a private prison
run by G4S, which has been a focus of particular criticism since it opened in
2001, saw a total of 22 complaints, well above the average in both the public
and private sectors.
March
14, 2009 Sunday Mail
Former Defence Secretary John Reid faced fierce criticism yesterday as it
emerged the world's largest security firm had won a huge contract from the
Ministry of Defence weeks after taking him on as a consultant. Mr Reid - who
ran the MoD until May 2006 before resigning from the Cabinet while Home
Secretary in June 2007 - was hired by G4S three months ago for £50,000 a year
to offer 'strategic advice'. This week, it was awarded a four-year contract
to supply private security guards for around 200 MoD and military sites
across Britain in a deal thought to be worth tens of millions of pounds.
While many former ministers have taken private-sector jobs, it is unusual for
such a senior Government figure and sitting MP to work for a company so
closely linked to their former department. Opposition MPs last night said Mr
Reid's earnings from G4S were 'totally inappropriate', while the Taxpayers'
Alliance campaign group called for the rules governing employment for
ex-ministers to be reviewed urgently.
January
22, 2009 Morning Star
DAVID Miliband said that the war on terror was an error, but some people
don't regret it. Private security companies like Group 4 made a mint. Now, it
wants to spread its good fortune - this month, Group 4 Security gave a
£50,000 position to former Labour minister John Reid as an
"adviser." Reid fits in this part-time job when he isn't too busy
representing the good people of Airdrie and Shotts as their Member of
Parliament. Group 4 has plenty of reasons to want access to the contact book
of a former home and defence secretary - the firm now supplies the armed
guards looking after British officials in Iraq and Afghanistan while locking
up prisoners, asylum-seekers and "terror suspects" in Britain, so
Reid is worth every one of the five million pennies that they are giving the
man. Reid was once a Communist Party member, but abandoned Marxism in favour
of new Labour. This is odd, because his career seems to illustrate the
crudest and most determinist kind of Marxism. For years, Marxists have been
grappling with the subtle and sophisticated ways in which the capitalist
class dominates society, but Group 4 opted for a very unsubtle approach - the
capitalists just hired Labour's representative. Reid hasn't always hawked his
brawn for the money men. Back in 1992, Reid signed a House of Commons motion
calling on Sir Norman Fowler to resign from the board of Group 4. The motion
said that the House "regrets that the right honourable Member for Sutton
Coldfield (Norman Fowler), chairman of the Conservative Party, has not seen
fit to resign his directorship of another Group 4 company, Group 4 Securitas,
and urges him to do so." It added: "The government should suspend
all further moves to privatisation within the criminal justice system."
Reid's call for Fowler to resign from Group 4 and for the government to shun
the firm came after the company let a number of prisoners escape from their
vans on the way to court. Whizz forward a decade and a half and Reid, having
demanded that Fowler abandon Group 4, has himself taken a job with the firm.
In the meantime, Conservative and Labour governments have not stopped their
"privatisation of the criminal justice system," they have expanded
it. Group 4 has men with truncheons in Britain and men carrying guns in Iraq.
Nor has the firm become any less accident-prone. Group 4 Security prefers to
be called G4S because, in ad people's language, the brand is tarnished. Group
4 was even described as a "national laughing stock" by the
government's own lawyers in court in 2003 after a riot at an immigration
detention centre that it ran which was later burned to the ground. Things
haven't improved since. Reid himself sent the firm to new frontiers, where
the firm ran new fiascos. When Reid was home secretary, the Law Lords told
him that just labelling foreigners "terror
suspects" didn't mean that he could lock them up without trial. Reid
turned to Group 4 for help. It cobbled together something called
"control orders," a house arrest for these "terror
suspects" administered by Group 4 and other private firms. Control
orders were simultaneously too draconian and too lax - prisoners, including
vulnerable men who had been tortured in their home countries, were tagged and
monitored by Group 4. Those who stuck by the rules were pushed to the edge of
mental illness by the isolation of the strict house arrest. At the same time,
Group 4 allowed another prisoner to simply disappear. This may have been
embarrassing for the firm and for Reid, but they manfully hid their red faces
and entered into a new relationship when Reid left government. Group 4 has
risen thanks to the crudest economic determinism - Reid, who authorised the
signing of cheques for Group 4 as a minister, ends up getting cheques from
the firm. Reid is not alone. A small squad of politicians worked to get Group
4 where it is today. First, Tory chairman Fowler helped the firm get into the
prisons business in the 1990s. Group 4 tightened its grip on British jails
last year when it took over rival private prisons firm GSL. It bought GSL
from an investment company called Englefield Capital, which employs another
Labour ex-minister, former defence secretary George Robertson, as an adviser.
Group 4 then broke into the international mercenary trade by buying a company
called Armor Group, whose armed men guard British officials in Iraq and
Afghanistan. Up until this, Armor Group's chairman had been another top
politician - leading Tory MP Malcolm Rifkind. Twenty years ago, the idea that
a private company would run our jails and wars would have looked like science
fiction. By hiring politicians, the "security industry" made it a
reality.
January
14, 2009 Politics.Co.UK
An official investigation into those working in the immigration services
has begun after it was revealed two members of staff are British National
party (BNP) members. One guard was revealed to be a member after his name was
discovered on the membership list released on the internet last year. Another
has been suspended while his links to the party are investigated. The only
two services where membership of the BNP constitutes grounds for dismissal
are the police and the Prison Service. Anyone who works in immigration or
removals must sign a declaration saying they are not a member of any
far-right group, including the BNP. The UK Border Agency said: "All
allegations are investigated and the UKBA can revoke an individual's
accreditation to work for the agency or have any contact with
detainees." Labour MP and anti-racist campaigner Diane Abbott told the
Independent - which broke the news following a long-term immigrant rights
campaign - that the use of private contractors for
detention and deportation was at the root of the problem. "If it is true
that staff employed to work with asylum-seekers and immigrants are members of
the BNP then it is yet another sign that the Home Office are allowing for the
mistreatment of immigrants in this country," she told the newspaper.
"For years, campaign groups and my colleagues and I have been pointing
out that hiring private contractors to work as
immigration guards is a bad idea. It seems we will now have more proof of
this." The suspended security guard is being investigated by a private
contractor.
January
11, 2009 The Observer
John Reid, the former home secretary, has cashed in on his ministerial
experience by taking a £45,000-a-year job with private security company G4S, the
Observer has learnt. His appointment comes just days after a parliamentary
committee warned that former ministers have been exploiting their insider
knowledge "with impunity". Formed from a merger of Group 4 and
Securicor, G4S is Britain's largest security firm with contracts ranging from
private prisons to the armed guards defending British officials in Iraq. The
appointment was disclosed by the advisory committee on business appointments,
which polices former ministers' job applications. Reid has been judged free
to lobby ministers and officials on behalf of the security company. The
public administration committee (PAC) called last week for all lobbying
activity to be registered and monitored by a tougher watchdog - claiming the
industry's attempt at self-regulation had entirely failed. "We are
strongly concerned that, with the rules as loosely and as variously
interpreted as they currently are, former ministers in particular appear to
be able to use with impunity the contacts they built up as public servants to
further a private interest," said a statement from the PAC.
June
11, 2008 Mail on Sunday
The Home Office squandered £29million of taxpayers' money on a flagship giant
asylum centre which was never built - including hiring in a 'financial
advisor' who charged almost £16,000 a month. A scathing report from MPs
exposes a catalogue of costly blunders and lambasts the failing department
for a 'startling absence of common sense' in one of its most embarrassing
fiascos of recent years. Seven years after officials started working on the
ambitious plans to house thousands of asylum seekers on a former RAF station
at Bicester, Oxfordshire, the site remains empty and derelict with 'no
benefit' to the taxpayer. Vast sums were paid to consultants, private advisors
and contractors and when ministers pulled the plug on the entire project in
2005 they were forced to hand over millions more in cancellation fees.
Officials failed to understand how fierce local opposition and legal
challenges would drag out the process, and made no attempt to plan for future
uses of the site or the risk that other immigration policy changes would
scupper the scheme. Last night the Home Office claimed the disaster had led
to an 'overall positive impact for the public' because officials had learned
important lessons. Former Home Secretary David Blunkett announced the scheme
in 2001, as part of a strategy to speed up and streamline the creaking asylum
system by housing applicants in a series of huge accommodation centres across
the country. Thousands were to be placed in the first centre at an isolated
site outside Bicester, but crucially it would not be secure and the
immigrants would be free to come and go as they pleased. The plans brought a
storm of protests, not only from local residents but also from refugee
support groups who claimed leaving so many asylum seekers to languish at a
remote site, far from any local community, was a disastrous plan. Planning
inspectors rejected the plans, but John Prescott used his powers to overturn
their decision, further infuriating locals. Finally ministers realised in
2005 that the centre was unnecessary and unworkable, but not before almost
£30million of public money had been wasted. The PAC report reveals how the
Home Office hired a Financial advisor at a cost of £15,743 per month, and a
procurement advisor who was paid £15,559 per month, because no civil servants
were judged to have the right expertise. The pair, who have
not been named, were paid more than £1.1million for less than three years work,
on top of £6.3million paid out to consultants. MPs complained that the Home
Office was unable to show whether the highly paid consultants 'added value'.
Private contractors Global Solutions Limited were paid £7.6 for design work,
but claimed almost £8million in termination fees when the Bicester scheme was
axed. PAC chairman Edward Leigh said the project 'embodied lack of foresight,
poor business planning and a startling absence of common sense.' He said the
scheme was 'always going to provoke opposition in the local community' but
the Home Office took no account of that, or of
objections from refugee groups, and made no effort to make contact with local
interest groups or MPs to discuss objections. Nor did the department realise
- until it was too late - that a decline in the number of asylum seekers and
some success in speeding up the system meant the centre was increasingly
pointless. Last month the Home Office announced plans to build a secure
immigration detention centre on the Bicester site, although it will not be
open until 2012 at the earliest and will require planning permission. Shadow
Immigration Minister, Damian Green, attacked the Bicester debacle as 'a
symptom of long-term incompetence by immigration ministers, who failed to
notice that asylum numbers were dropping just when they were planning this
new centre. 'Their latest plan is to turn the derelict site into a detention
centre. I hope they have done their homework better this time.' A Home Office
spokesperson said: 'At the time, we believed accommodation centres to be the
right decision but as circumstances changed and the project was delayed, we
reviewed that decision. 'Our experience with this project has taught us some
important lessons, and this, along with the other improvements put in place,
has led to an overall positive impact for the public.'
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.
September
27, 2007 BBC
A detention lorry that will hold suspected illegal immigrants is being
trialled at a Dorset ferry port. Up to 10 people can be held in the
privately-owned truck for a maximum of 12 hours while their details are
checked out. The purpose-built lorry was unveiled at Poole, Dorset, on Thursday
and will be used at ports along the south coast. The Border and Immigration
Agency said similar trucks could be used around the UK if the trial was a
success. The five-month trial of the mobile unit will test whether it can
speed up the processing of offenders so they can be deported more quickly.
The lorry is operated by GEO Group Inc, a multinational company that
specialises in correctional and detention management.
February
1, 2006 The Guardian
The Home Office yesterday became the first Whitehall department in living
memory to present accounts to parliament that were delivered so late and so
flawed that the National Audit Office is unable to tell MPs whether they are
correct. The department, which spends £13bn a year of taxpayers' money, will be
hauled before parliament to explain "spectacular" errors and a
failure by senior management under Sir John Gieve, the former permanent
secretary and now deputy chairman of the Bank of England, to put together
proper accounts. The report by Sir John Bourn, the comptroller and auditor
general, reveals that two versions of the accounts from the Home Office were
presented to the NAO which were so different that no single account balance
was the same. The report says: "The accounts were riven with numerous
inaccuracies." The figures were so disparate that one set says the Home
Office overspent by £68m while the second set said the Treasury owed the Home
Office £112m, a difference of £180m. Other examples included wrongly putting
the cost of the private prison estate, which is paid by contractors, on the
taxpayers' account.
Lowdham Grange Prison
England
Serco (bought Premier)
May 23, 2010 The Daily Telegraph
Under the scheme, the publicly-funded broadcaster handed over footage to
inmates who earn just £30 a week rather than members of its own 23,000 staff.
Convicts at a privately run Category B jail, the second-highest security
level, transferred tapes of old television shows to computer to save them for
posterity. Senior staff in the BBC’s archives department visited the jail to
watch the work in progress while meetings were held to discuss a landmark
deal for the prisoners to digitise all 1million hours of programmes in its
vaults. Fearful about the controversy the scheme could cause, the BBC never
discussed it publicly and even the broadcasting union, Bectu, was unaware of
it. Details were obtained by this newspaper through a Freedom of Information
request that took more than four months rather than the usual 20 working
days. The BBC insists that it has not given any money to Serco, the private
jail operator, for the secret scheme nor signed any contracts, following the
pilot project last year. However emails disclosed by the corporation show
that it had shown considerable interest in the innovative project proposed by
Serco, which runs four prisons in England. The BBC owns more than 1m hours of
historic content, some of it decades old and at risk of being lost. It
employs 66 people to look after it, at a cost of £5m a year, in its
Information and Archives department. The corporation estimates it would take
10 years to safely copy all 100m items in its collection into longer-lasting
digital formats. In December 2008 it was approached by Serco to become
involved in Artemis – Achieving Rehabilitation Through Establishing a Media
Ingest Service – a new project for prisoners to transfer archive documents to
computers. Serco said it would provide “high-quality employment” and the
chance of an NVQ qualification for inmates and HMP Lowdham Grange, a
628-capacity jail near Nottingham all of whose inmates are serving at least
four years. The firm said this would mean it could provide a “stable work
force”. The BBC was told it would prove a “very cost-effective” way of
digitising its archive, and several meetings were organised to discuss plans.
Managers agreed to hand over 20 hours of old videos, including episodes of
Horizon and Earth Story, so prisoners could transfer them to computer and
also add “meta-data” – typed detailed descriptions of the footage to help
producers search through it more easily. The British Library and National
Archives also provided material for the pilot project. In September last
year, five members of BBC staff visited the jail, where a production workshop
had been built, and were reported to be “pleased” with what they saw of the
prisoners’ work and enthusiasm. However David Crocker, the driving force
behind the scheme at Serco, admitted: “The major concern was around the
potential negative newspaper headlines that the BBC may attract.” The company
did discuss the scheme with one newspaper and one trade magazine but made no
reference to the BBC’s involvement. In November, Mr Crocker told the BBC: “I
can’t thank you enough for finding a project for us to kick-start Artemis.”
He said his staff were drawing up “terms of reference” and would then “cost
the project” of a full-scale digitisation of the BBC’s archive. However no
deals have yet been signed. The BBC said: “The BBC did hold discussions with
Serco about their planned project to digitise archives. As part of this the
BBC, alongside other organisations, provided some material for Serco to use
as part of its feasibility study for the project. “No payment was made to
Serco as part of this, nor was any guarantee or promise of work entered into.
“The BBC has no plans to work with Serco to digitise its programme archive
and has not come to any agreements nor signed any contracts with any firms
about utilising the prison workforce on any project.”
December 17, 2009 Liverpool Daily Post
A LIVERPOOL prison is among five in the country allowing its inmates to
watch satellite television. More than 4,000 prisoners enjoy the privilege in
private jails nationwide. Altcourse Prison, in Fazakerley, is among the
contractor-run prisons allowing access to a “limited number” of satellite
channels. The number of prisoners allowed to watch
satellite varies according to behaviour. But Justice minister and city MP
Maria Eagle revealed the number was currently around 4,070. The Garston MP
was responding to a written question from Tory MP Philip Davies. She said no
inmates in public sector jails have access to satellite in their quarters.
But they do at Altcourse and other GS4-run prisons in South Wales and
Warwickshire. The other private prisons offering satellite television are run
by Serco in Staffordshire and Nottingham. Ms Eagle said: “In these
establishments, satellite television in cells is generally only available to
prisoners on the enhanced or standard level of the incentives and earned
privileges scheme.” There are 84,500 prisoners in England and Wales, meaning
around one in 20 has access to satellite TV.
March 28, 2005 Nottingham Evening Post
An investigation has been launched after a man was found hanged in his prison
cell. The discovery of Thomas Maughan's body at Lowdham Grange Prison was
made by officers on a routine check at 11.45pm on Saturday. He was pronounced
dead shortly after midnight, the Home Office said. A spokeswoman for the
prison service said: " A staff patrol found him
hanging from his cell's toilet door. "They tried CPR and paramedics
continued when they arrived, but he was pronounced dead at 12.20am." The
45-year-old, from Sheffield, was jailed for six years in 2003 for burglary.
Premier Custodial Group spokesman David Bandey said: "I can confirm he was
found dead. It will now go to a full inquiry." In January, a report by
the Prison Reform Trust called Private Punishment: Who Profits? said private prisons like Lowdham - one of ten in the
country - were missing key targets on reducing serious assaults, drugs and
'purposeful activity' among inmates.
Medway Secure Training Centre
Rochester, UK
Group 4 Securicor
January 5, 2009 Kent News
Inmates at the Medway Secure Training Centre – which houses some of
Britain’s most hardened criminals – enjoyed a weekend of tropical fun,
playing bongo drums and limbo dancing, and even being given access to an
alcohol-free beach bar. During the two-day knees-up, the convicted criminals
were also allowed to play games including Scalectrix in a specially-themed
youth club and each wing of the jail took part in a competition to come up
with the best Hawaiian decorations. Group Four Securicor, which runs the
centre, has not revealed the full cost of the party. Taxpayers’ Alliance
spokesman Susie Squire branded the weekend event “a waste of money” given the
current economic crisis. She said: “Every penny of public money is now
incredibly precious. “We’re all tightening our belts in the recession – the
public sector should be doing the same. “While we must encourage young offenders
to improve themselves and keep busy and active, there’s no need for this sort
of frivolity. “I would view this very much as a luxury."
National Health Secretary
January 21, 2011 The Northern Echo
MORE than a year after a company chairman’s wife donated £21,000 to the
office of Health Secretary Andrew Lansley, the same company has been awarded
a £53m NHS prison health contract. The contract, awarded by the North-East
Offender Health Commissioning Unit, has been awarded to Care UK rather than
current NHS providers. Last night, Grahame Morris, the Labour MP for
Easington and a member of the Commons Health Select Committee, said it
represented a clear conflict of interest. Trevor Johnston, North- East head
of health for the Unison union, said: “Questions have to be asked why it
would go to this particular company.” A year ago, it was revealed that Mr
Lansley’s private office was given £21,000 by Caroline Nash, wife of the then
chairman of Care UK, John Nash, to help fund their operations. The November
2009 donation was part of a total of £203,500 given to the Conservative Party
by Mr Nash and his wife over the past five years. Mr Nash is no longer
chairman of Care UK, but remains a consultant to the company. Until the
contract was put out to tender last year, the primary health care service for
5,000 inmates at eight North- East prisons and young offender establishments
was provided by more than 400 NHS staff. Care UK provides services for about
500,000 people including hospitals, walk-in centres, care homes and GP
practices. It also runs 59 residential care facilities. About 96 per cent of
its business is on behalf of the NHS.
Northhampton Crown
Court
Northhampton, UK
Group 4
May
25, 2004
A violent criminal who escaped from prison guards while being taken to jail
was arrested this evening, police said. Carl Townsend, 22, was being
transported by Group 4 security guards from Northampton Crown Court to
Bedford prison after being sentenced to three and a half years for aggravated
burglary and assault when he escaped on April 30, this year. (Scotsman)
Nottinghamshire
Prison
Premier (formerly Group 4 prison)
December
17, 2009 Liverpool Daily Post
A LIVERPOOL prison is among five in the country allowing its inmates to
watch satellite television. More than 4,000 prisoners enjoy the privilege in
private jails nationwide. Altcourse Prison, in Fazakerley, is among the
contractor-run prisons allowing access to a “limited number” of satellite
channels. The number of prisoners allowed to watch
satellite varies according to behaviour. But Justice minister and city MP
Maria Eagle revealed the number was currently around 4,070. The Garston MP
was responding to a written question from Tory MP Philip Davies. She said no
inmates in public sector jails have access to satellite in their quarters.
But they do at Altcourse and other GS4-run prisons in South Wales and
Warwickshire. The other private prisons offering satellite television are run
by Serco in Staffordshire and Nottingham. Ms Eagle said: “In these
establishments, satellite television in cells is generally only available to
prisoners on the enhanced or standard level of the incentives and earned
privileges scheme.” There are 84,500 prisoners in England and Wales, meaning
around one in 20 has access to satellite TV.
June
23, 2004
Inmates at a Nottinghamshire prison have too little to do, according to a new
report. An unannounced inspection was carried out at privately-run
Lowdham Grange by the Prison Inspectorate in March. The study also said
low staffing levels identified four years ago are still a problem.
Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers said the prison is generally
doing a good job and is "managing some difficult prisoners
well". But she said: "They must provide more purposeful activity
for the prisoners because that is very important." She said the
prison has "a low staffing level, inexperienced staff and a high staff
turnover", but added the prison does have control of its
prisoners. (BBC)
February
26, 2003
Prison escort firm Group 4 has been brought before magistrates for contempt
after failing to deliver prisoners to court on time. While on Monday, a
spokesman for Northamptonshire Magistrates Court warned Group 4 that if it
"disrupted court business" it could face further court
action. Last week, the company apologised to magistrates after Group 4
staff failed to deliver eight separate prisoners - who were due to appear for
a morning session. Jon Price, deputy clerk to the justices at
Northamptonshire Magistrates Court, said Group 4 had been charged with contempt
of court, but magistrates had accepted an apology from the company. A
spokeswoman for Group 4 said the failure to produce the prisoners on time was
"most regrettable". She said the service for Northamptonshire
had been hit by a shortage in the number of staff needed. Group 4 are
applying the Government for extra funds for staff in the Northamptonshire
contract. (BBC News)
Nuneaton
Magistrates Court
June
8, 2004
Police were continuing their hunt today for a prisoner who knocked a security
guard unconscious and escaped from a first-floor window. Timothy
Augustus Smith, 23, from Wolverhampton, was being held on remand in Nuneaton,
Warwickshire, when he overpowered the guard to whom he was handcuffed.
A Warwickshire Police spokesman said Smith had escaped from the custody of a
private prison security officer after being remanded in custody yesterday
afternoon at Nuneaton Magistrates Court for breaching his bail. (AP)
Oakhill Secure
Training Unit
Oakhill, UK
Group 4 (formerly Securicor)
May 14, 2008 Channel 4
The consortium running Oakhill young offenders' centre is given 60 days
to bring it under control. Simon Israel reports It was once a flagship young
offenders' centre. But now the private consortium that runs Oakhill has been
given 60 days to bring it under control and to meet its contractual
obligations. Last year the centre's director was replaced after two highly
critical inspections. Since then there has been little progress in stopping
attacks on staff and the restraint of youngsters held inside. Today the
prisons minister, David Hanson, said G4S, formerly Group 4, has been given
been ordered to improve a series of failings, including staff training.
March
17, 2008 The Times
A privately run child jail should be closed temporarily after high levels
of assaults on staff and “staggering” use of force to control children, a
report published today recommends. Anne Owers, the Chief Inspector of
Prisons, makes the unprecedented suggestion to close the jail after finding a
lack of control and order at Oakhill secure training centre. Teachers were
visibly frightened of the children, young girls and boys were badly behaved
and staff embattled at the centre, run by G4S, formerly Group 4, in Milton
Keynes. Youngsters were allowed to sprawl on bench tops to do their work and
used offensive language unchecked by teachers. Force was used 757 times in
nine months to control children, and on 532 occasions at least three members
of staff were involved, including one holding a child’s head. There had been
377 assaults on staff in the first nine months of last year. Classrooms have
become war zones, teachers say -- Staff lacked the skills to challenge the 48
children aged 13 to 17 at the centre, which moved out a quarter of its
residents last year because of concerns about the lack of order and control
on the premises. Today’s report is the fourth, and most critical,
highlighting significant weaknesses at Oakhill since it opened in 2004 on a
25-year contract. Ms Owers said the scale of improving Oakhill was daunting, with
staff turnover running at almost 60 per cent a year: “It might be more
realistic to empty the centre briefly, so that it can be relaunched with a
properly trained and reinvigorated staff, focused on plenty of good-quality,
purposeful activity, dynamic security, and an emphasis on appropriate
behaviour within clear boundaries.”
July
13, 2007 The Guardian A quarter of young offenders at a troubled privately
run child jail have been moved out and a new director appointed after
official concern over the rising use of restraint by staff to control violent
teenagers. The Youth Justice Board said last night it had acted after two
unpublished inspection reports confirmed concerns about control at the
Oakhill secure training centre, near Milton Keynes. The latest figures show
it recorded the highest use of distraction restraint techniques, which
involve inflicting pain on a youngster's nose or thumb, in the child jail
network. They were used on 110 occasions in 2006 in a centre which holds only
80 trainees. Non-painful restraint was used 921 times. The centre is run by
G4S, formerly Group 4. The announcement was made as MPs debated the outcome
of the inquest into the death of Gareth Myatt, 15, who died in nearby
Rainsbrook secure training centre after being restrained. The outcome is
uncertain of a Lords vote next week on regulations expanding the
circumstances in which restraint can be used in child jails. The YJB admitted
that recruiting staff to Oakhill had been a problem. It said it had cut the
number of children there from 80 to 60 because "without the required
staff on duty there will always be a risk". A
YJB statement said: "There has been a rise in the number of incidents of
violence by young people on other young people and against staff, as a result
of which the use of restraint has increased. This happens from time to
time." The YJB said it would continue to monitor the situation at
Oakhill to ensure that restraint was used as a last resort: "With the
new director in post we will expect to see rapid improvements in the
centre." The centre, one of five in the national network of child jails
for the most persistent teenage offenders, has had a troubled history. A 2005
inspection report said it had been struggling to care for trainees with
limited staff, and a "difficult and challenging period" at the end
of 2004 led to its first management shake-up. The second director, Lee
Barnes, left two months ago. The new director, Malcolm Stephens, who joined
on Monday, said he was committed to working with the YJB to provide the
highest standards of specialist care. The director of the Howard League for
Penal Reform, Frances Crook, described the change of director at Oakhill as
significant, particularly bearing in mind the recent change to the rules on
the use of physical restraint at secure training centres. "If staff at
Oakhill have experienced difficulties with order and control, then replacing
rules that explicitly spelt out appropriate circumstances for restraint with
catch-all terminology and ultra-vague references to 'good order and
discipline' will only make things worse."
March
24, 2005 Milton Keyes Today
THE Home Office is closely monitoring the Oakhill Secure Training Unit where
inmates – who are among the most dangerous teenagers in the country – started
two 'mini riots' in the past month. And an officer says he fears for the
safety of him and his colleagues because the young people in the centre,
known as trainees, rule by intimidation and bad behaviour goes unpunished. In
one incident during the past month a female officer was jumped by four youths
and had her keys taken. There were also two 'mini riots' in which up to 10
teenagers attacked staff. The officer said: "Some days it can be quite
terrifying. I've known officers walk out of a shift and just burst into tears
in their car. "During the training courses they said it would be
challenging, but it would be rewarding because these kids would lead better
lives. But before long an officer will get seriously hurt – or worse."
The centre, dubbed 'Jokehill', which is run by Securicor Justice Services,
was designed to educate and rehabilitate the 12 to 17 year olds who have been
convicted of offences including rape and murder. But ever since it opened in
August, Oakhill has been dogged with problems. Equipment, including
computers, CD players and DVD players are constantly destroyed and even the
security doors in the education block are hanging off their hinges. The
officer also said staff feel they are not supported
by the management and when the Youth Justice Board came to inspect the
centre, the trainees were promised a McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken meal
or £5 for their telephone card if they behaved themselves. He added:
"They need to change the rules. They need harder, stricter rules and
more discipline. The Youth Justice Board do not see
what we see every day." MP Phyllis Starkey said she has spoken to
prisons minister Paul Goggins about the problems at Oakhill and as a result a
senior member of Home Office staff is monitoring the centre. Dr Starkey said:
"The Home Office was not satisfied with the way it was progressing,
which is why they have reduced the speed with which people are brought into
the centre. "The number will only be increased
when they are satisfied procedures are tightened up." An Oakhill spokesman
said: "It is standard procedure when populating any secure establishment
in the start up period to take a phased approach and was the case with each
of the other three secure training centres. "It
is taking slightly longer at Oakhill to reach full capacity as the centre
requires further staff. Group Securicor are working hard to recruit and
rigorously train new employees to ensure appropriate staffing levels are met.
We expect the number of young people to rise as new staff are taken on."
When asked about the two mini riots and key taking incident, she added:
"Like any secure environment, incidents of a varying nature do occur.
However at Oakhill these are de-escalated as quickly as possible using staff who are comprehensively trained to deal with such
matters."
Oakington Asylum
Reception Center
Cambridgeshire
Group 4 (bought Global Solutions, formerly run by Group 4 Securicor)
May 26, 2010 BBC
Yarl's Wood was used to hold families before deportation Children are no
longer to be detained in detention centres like Yarl's Wood in Bedfordshire
or Oakington in Cambridgeshire. The new government announced the end of the
practice in the Queen's speech on Tuesday. Yarl's Wood has been the main
removal centre holding women and families facing deportation for many years.
Chief prisons inspector Dame Anne Owers said in March some children were
being held at Yarl's Wood unnecessarily. And her report said half the
centre's children were later released because they were either no longer
facing removal or were being allowed to live normally while legal appeals
were considered by the courts. Each year, about 2,000 children were held at
the centre for an average of 15 days. There have been a number of protests at
Yarl's Wood, including a hunger strike by women reported to be campaigning
against their length of stay at the detention centre.
May
6, 2010 British Safety Council
The British Safety Council has today announced that it will be withdrawing
the 2009 International Safety Award bestowed on G4S Oakington Immigration Removal
Centre pending the completion of official investigations currently taking
place into the death of Mr Eliud Nyenze at the centre on 14th April 2010. The
eligibility conditions for the British Safety Council’s International Safety
Award preclude member organisations receiving this award where a fatality has
taken place at the specified site. The British Safety Council will give
further consideration to G4S Oakington IRC’s award application once the
results of the investigations into the cause of Mr Nyenze’s death are known.
Our deepest sympathy goes to Mr Nyenze’s family and friends.
December
12, 2008 The Guardian
Conditions have deteriorated significantly at Oakington immigration
removal centre in Cambridgeshire, with half the detainees saying they feel
unsafe and staff increasingly using force, according to the chief inspector
of prisons. A report by Anne Owers, published today, says that Oakington,
which had been a flagship "fast-track" asylum centre, has lost
direction and purpose and is not performing well, especially in the areas of
safety and respect. The relationships between the private security staff
running the centre and the 328 detainees have deteriorated to the extent that
they are significantly worse than at any other removal centre. The chief
inspector says the management and staff take so little interest in individual
detainees that they were unaware of the fact that they had been holding one
Chinese man for nearly two years. Owers says that Oakington has changed
considerably since it was the fast-track processing centre and now holds only
men, some for long periods, and all facing the possibility of deportation.
The threat of closure has been hanging over the centre for the past four
years, which means many of the staff are temporary.
"None of this makes for a stable, secure and positive environment,"
says the inspection report. "Half the detainees, compared with a third
last time [2005], said that they had felt unsafe. Only 60%, compared with 89%
last time, and 94% in 2004, said that most staff treated them with respect.
These are significant and troubling slippages." One source of fear is
the use of poorly supervised dormitory accommodation, with failed asylum
seekers locked up with foreign national prisoners also facing deportation.
The use of force to control detainees has also increased at the centre -
which is run by the private security company Global Solutions Ltd - from 53
incidents last year to 34 in the first six months of this year. The number of
detainees put on segregation for breaching rules has also risen, from 328
times in the whole of 2007 to 220 in the first six months of this year.
"This was a disappointing inspection of an establishment which seemed to
have lost direction and purpose," Owers says, adding that the UK Border
Agency should quickly clarify Oakington's future. The agency said it would
consider the report's recommendations. "We take any concerns about the
welfare of our detainees extremely seriously. Our removal centres play a
vital role in enforcing immigration rules and we are determined to make sure
they are well run, safe and secure."
October
1, 2008 The Sun
FOUR illegal immigrants were on the run yesterday after a Colditz-style
escape through a web of tunnels. The Vietnamese men are thought to have
stumbled on details of the network beneath their detention centre on the
internet. They realised sunken grass paths that “criss-cross” the site’s
grounds marked out the passages. The four, who were all facing deportation,
lifted turf over one and found concrete slabs. They removed one slab —
carefully re-laying the grass — and hid it in a locker. The men then waited
until dark to crawl into the network. Fleeing -- They found their way under a
perimeter wall before smashing above ground and fleeing into surrounding countryside.
Oakington Immigration Centre in Longstanton, Cambs, twigged at a 10pm
roll-call last week. Cops haven’t found them. A source said: “It’s like
something out of Colditz and so embarrassing.” The passageways, which house
electrical ducting, used to link World War Two bunkers at the ex-airbase. The
centre source added: “They could have found out about them in the site’s IT
room.” The 352 all-male centre houses illegal immigrants and asylum seekers.
They are locked up from 10pm to 7.30am, but are free to roam at other times.
Group 4 Securicor, which runs the site for the UK Borders Agency, now faces a
fine of up to £3,000 for each escaper. The agency confirmed: “We are working
to re-capture four detainees. They don’t pose a threat.”
November
14, 2006 Cambridge Evening News
A report by Anne Owers, Chief Inspector of Prisons, found bosses had
failed to implement improvements recommended following an earlier inspection
in several key areas designed to improve the welfare of detainees.
Highlighting her concerns, she warned the centre would have to take note of
its shortcomings if, as is planned, it stays open for another three years.
She said: "Oakington remains a reasonably safe environment. It was,
however, disappointing several of our recommendations on suicide and
self-harm had not been implemented, and that anti-bullying procedures were
weak. "This will be of increased importance if the centre remains in
operation, and holds men who are detained for longer periods, with no on-site
access to independent legal advice or to the immigration service." The
centre was also rapped for failing to improve its race relations procedures,
although staff were not accused of being racist
towards detainees. Ms Owers said: "We were extremely disappointed to
find there to be insufficient attention to basic protective race relations
structures, such as effective ethnic monitoring procedures.
"There can be no excuse for failing to put in place effective
mechanisms to detect and prevent racial discrimination."The lack of suitable
activities and welfare support for detainees was also criticised, and Ms
Owers said the centre was in a period of transition. A CULTURE of bullying
and abuse was exposed by an undercover investigation at Oakington Reception
Centre. Global Solutions Ltd (GSL), which runs the centre, launched an
investigation after an undercover reporter spent three months working there,
filming abuse that went on. One member of staff, Jason Martin, known to
colleagues at Oakington as Wolfie, was filmed telling a detainee whose mental
well-being was reportedly causing concern: “Get out of ******* bed before I
do you some damage.” Martin, right, then tipped him out of bed after saying:
“You just don’t want to do it because I’m white. And you think you’re not
going to do anything because a white person tells you what to do. Well I’m
afraid you’re wrong. My great- grandfather shot your great-grandfather and
nicked his ******* country off you for 200 years. “I’m not to be ****** about
with. Personally I don’t go with this Gandhi ****. Passive resistance means
**** all to me.” GSL said Mr Martin subsequently moved on to a job as a
prison custody officer for a private company.
December
15, 2005 Virgin.net
New safeguards are to be introduced after evidence of racism was uncovered at
an asylum seeker detention centre. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will
act as an independent monitor of complaints from October next year, ministers
said. The ombudsman, currently Stephen Shaw, investigated Oakington
fast-track detention centre in Cambridgeshire earlier this year after a BBC
documentary exposed allegations of racism and mistreatment. "The
behaviour of some of those working for the contractor company, as seen in the
BBC documentary and confirmed by Stephen Shaw's report, was unacceptable."
Oakington, which is already marked for closure by the end of next year, is
run by the private company Global Solutions Ltd. Oakington officers boasted
of hitting detainees and made racist comments while a BBC researcher was
working undercover at the Cambridgeshire centre.
March
4, 2005 Interactive Investor
The government asked the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman to investigate
allegations of abuse at the Oakington immigrant detention centre, said Home
Office Minister Des Browne. The independent probe was established after a BBC
television documentary showed staff at the centre racially and physically
abusing asylum seekers. Ombudsman Stephen Shaw's remit will be to investigate
the allegations made in the documentary and review the centre's own probe
into the affair, Browne said. Oakington is run by Global Solutions Ltd.
GSL was formed after Group 4 Falck merged with with Securicor in 2004.
Electra Partners Europe and Englefield Capital each took 50 pct stakes in GSL
last July, according to GSL's website.
March
3, 2005 Financial Times
A BBC film showing asylum seekers being assaulted, racially abused and
sexually humiliated by guards has prompted demands for a public debate into
how government policy is fuelling human rights abuses and miscarriages of
justice. The film, shown last night, has generated adverse publicity for
Global Solutions, one of the government's largest contractors, which runs
Oakington detention centre near Cambridge and the in-country escorting
contract featured in the undercover documentary. The Home Office said it was
taking the matter "extremely seriously" and would decide on what
further action to take once it had all the facts. GSL was formed in 2004,
when Group 4 Falck of Denmark merged with Securicor, its UK rival. It inherited
a number of public-private partnership contracts, from healthcare and schools
to the construction and servicing of the new GCHQ, one of the largest
buildings developed under the private finance initiative. What has shocked
human rights and refugee groups is that Oakington had been considered one of
the better-run and more humane detention centres. The documentary has fuelled
concerns that the abuses at Oakington are but the symptoms of a wider malaise
across the system that has long generated protests to the Home Office from
human rights lawyers.
November
9, 2004 The Guardian
Children detained in the Oakington asylum reception centre in Cambridgeshire
are not being cared for properly, with some found to be suffering distress,
according to the chief inspector of prisons. Anne Owers says in a report
published today that when she visited the privately run centre she found that
41 children were being detained, some for weeks. The chief inspector's report
also discloses that the agreed procedures for detaining the children of
asylum seekers had not been followed. "The centre made conscientious
attempts to identify and support children at risk of harm, but residential
staff lacked the necessary qualifications or support from social
services," she says.
Olympics
Group 4
September 28, 2012 The Upcoming
Two senior executives from G4S (Group 4 Securicor) have
resigned after a report blamed management failings for the Olympics’ security
fiasco. G4S, the world’s largest security firm, failed to provide the
contracted and adequate number of security personnel to cover the Olympics in
a public blunder that nearly overshadowed the successful Games. Nick Buckles
survives the G4S management cull in the wake of the Olympics scandal. G4S
chief operating officer, David Taylor-Smith, and the managing director for
G4S Global Events, Ian Horseman-Sewell, are stepping down in wake of the
scandal.
September
22, 2012 Reuters
G4S's bill for its embarrassing London Olympic staffing failure could
rise after a government committee demanded the embattled security firm waive
its management fee and compensate Games staff neglected in its chaotic
recruitment drive. The world's biggest security firm has been under fire
since admitting just two weeks before the Games began that it could not provide
a promised 10,400 venue guards, embarrassing the government - a key customer
- and forcing British troops to cancel holidays and fill the shortfall. G4S
has already estimated a 50 million pound loss on the Olympic contract
relating to the cost of deploying additional police and military personnel
and the likely penalties the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and
Paralympic Games will impose, but that may prove conservative. In a report
published on Friday, the Home Affairs Committee, which twice hauled in G4S
chief Nick Buckles to explain the Olympic debacle, said responsibility for
the failure was with G4S and that its most senior personnel should be held
accountable for making misleading staffing assurances to security officials
so close to the start of the Games. "Far from being able to stage two
Games on two continents at the same time, as they recklessly boasted, G4S
could not even stage one," said Keith Vaz, Chairman of the influential
Home Affairs Committee, referring to an interview managing director of G4S
Global Events, Ian Horseman Sewell, gave to Reuters in July. "G4S should
waive its 57 million pound management fee and also compensate its staff and
prospective staff who it treated in a cavalier fashion." LOCOG has so
far parted with only 90 million pounds of the 237 million pound contract and
earlier this month insisted the remainder would have to be negotiated.
September
13, 2012 GMA News
Security firm G4S has a fight on its hands to convince Olympic chiefs to hand
over the rest of its contract fee that remains unpaid, after the group failed
to deliver enough venue guards and forced the military to step in. So far,
G4S has been paid only 90 million pounds ($144 million) of the 235 million
pounds contract with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and
Paralympic Games (LOCOG) and the rest will have to be negotiated. The total
Olympic security contract is worth 284 million pounds including work already
paid for in 2011 by the Olympic Delivery Authority. Payments to G4S were stopped
on July 13, two days after the world's largest security firm admitted it
would not be able to supply a promised 10,400 guards, said Paul Deighton,
head of LOCOG, who was addressing a Home Affairs Committee looking into the
debacle on Tuesday. With G4S having previously estimated the problems would
result in a deduction of 50 million pounds from the contract fee, a potential
storm is brewing between the group and LOCOG as the two thrash out the
remainder of the contract and penalties incurred. The firm's Chief Executive
Nick Buckles, back in parliament for a second time to face the committee,
said G4S, which also runs prisons in Britain, expected to be paid for its
work. "I'm not going to sit here and say we did a great job, but we
delivered a significant proportion of the contract. I expect them to pay us
in line with the terms of the contract," he said.
September
7, 2012 Reuters
Embattled security firm G4S will be forced to relive its embarrassing London
Olympics staffing failure on Tuesday when its boss returns for a second
showdown with British lawmakers demanding to know how the debacle was allowed
to happen. Group Chief Executive Nick Buckles and David Taylor-Smith, who is
the group's UK and Africa CEO, w ill be pressed for
further explanation of the recruitment failure which has hit shares and
raised questions about its prospects on future deals. "Everyone now
accepts that G4S let the country down before the Olympics began. We need to
ascertain the reasons why this happened and who else was responsible for the
pre-Olympics shambles," Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs
Committee and a member of Parliament for the opposition Labour party, told
Reuters. Vaz said the committee had quizzed Home Secretary Theresa May, who
is in charge of domestic security, on Thursday, and had received a detailed
letter outlining the department's oversight of the contract and the
minister's meetings with Buckle and the Olympics organizers during the run-up
to the Games. G4S, the world's largest security firm, which in Britain runs
services for airports, prisons, immigration and the police, admitted just 16
days before the Games began that it could not supply a promised 10,400 venue
guards. It eventually raised 7,800 at peak times, leaving the military to
make up the shortfall. The failure embarrassed the government, one of G4S's
core clients which accounts for more than half of its 1.8 billion pounds
British revenue. More than 20 percent of its pipeline of potential UK work
also stems from that market. Those numbers mean the UK public sector is one
of the biggest global clients for the group, whose revenue for 2012 is
forecast at just over 8 billion pounds according to a Reuters
poll of 21 analysts. G4S has said it expects to take a 50 million pound
($79.7 million) loss over the contract failure, but the potential for a
longer-lasting reputational blow goes beyond the UK market. A week before it
conceded recruitment problems, the company told Reuters it expected its work
at the 2012 Games would help it win a bigger share of a four-year cycle of
global events whose safety and security budget has been estimated at more
than $10 billion.
July
31, 2012 Manchester Evening News
Embattled security firm G4S was booted out of Old Trafford before the first
Olympics football match there, the M.E.N. can reveal. Hundreds of G4S staff
workers were supposed to patrol United’s home ground while it hosted matches
at the 2012 Games. The arrangement was part of a £284m contract between Games
organisers Locog and the crisis-hit company. But a string of problems led to
the decision to drop G4S at Old Trafford and bring in security firm
Controlled Event Solutions, (CES) which looks after the stadium for Reds’
matches. A United source said the final straw for Olympic bosses had come
when G4S sub-contractors walked out, claiming they had not been paid. The
source added: “Someone has looked at it and said enough is enough and they
have sent them packing and brought in CES.”
July
16, 2012 The Guardian
The slide in the G4S share price on Monday reflected the Olympic-sized blow
to the private security company's reputation, not only in Britain but
throughout its global operations. The company has been here before. In its
former incarnation as Group 4 in the early 1990s it became a national joke in
Britain, as its first contracts to escort prisoners from courts to jail were
hit by one high-profile escape after another. Since those dark days – helped
by the fact that it was not then a publicly quoted company with a share price
to protect – Group 4 not only recovered but has gone on to become a global
success story, with 657,000 employees in 125 countries. G4S is now the
largest player in global security, with 8% of the market and contracts that
include protecting ships from pirates in the Indian Ocean and supplying
security systems to the Pentagon. But its proud boast to be "securing
your world, in more ways than you might realise" has been dealt a
massive blow by overstretching itself on such a high-profile contract. While
Olympic tier-one sponsors such as British Airways and Adidas have paid more
than £700m to ensure they harvest a positive boost to their profiles, G4S is
experiencing a turbocharged PR meltdown. Will this prove fatal to the
company's UK reputation as the go-to contractor for everything in the criminal
justice system from running police stations to managing prisons? Replacing
its chief executive, Nick Buckles, 51, may not prove sufficient to repair the
damage, especially if he pockets, as he will be entitled to, £20m in pay and
benefits if he goes. The company will already have written off its hopes of
winning the security contracts at the 2014 football World Cup and the 2016
Olympics, both in Brazil.
July
13, 2012 RT
Despite spending more than £1.5 billion on security, the London Olympics face
a safety crisis, after a whistleblower revealed malpractice at its main
contractor, which has created severe “security loopholes.” ¬A secret source
in charge of training security guards for the Games told UK channel Sky News
that recruits are given “completely insufficient” training, and failed to
conduct body searches or operate scanners. He also noted that despite the low
standard of recruits, the company operates a “no-fail” policy, and anyone who
attends is certified to provide safety at the Olympics. “I think if you
walked through into one of the Olympic venues with a lethal capability on you
then you have a 50-per-cent chance of getting through that screening
procedure and getting into the venue,” says the whistleblower. G4S is a
private security giant with a yearly turnover of £7.5 billion that employs
more than 600,000 people. It was awarded the £283-million contract to supply
13,000 staff for the games last year, but decided to train staff
“just-in-time” for the Olympics, to make sure fewer people would drop out.
Onley Young
Offenders' Institution
Warwickshire, England
July
23, 2003
The youths were then ordered to clean up their mess in "deplorable"
conditions described by the Chief Inspector of Prisons. Inmates from
Onley Young Offenders' Institution near Rugby in Warwickshire must travel to
and from jail in the privately-run prison vans with no toilet facilities, the
Chief Inspector's report said. The report, published on Wednesday, also
said inmates were left shivering in sub-zero temperatures in their cells last
winter. (BBC News)
Parc Prison
Bridgend, South Wales
Group 4/Securicor
June
29, 2012 The Independent
Two private companies with lucrative prison and police contracts across
Britain have been criticised by a jury for the role they played in the
suicide of a vulnerable inmate with mental health problems. Shaun Beasley,
29, was found hanging in his cell at Parc prison in Bridgend, south Wales in
August 2010. He had a history of self harm and had previously made several
serious suicide attempts. A jury at the inquest into his death ruled that he
"took his own life in circumstances contributed to by neglect of
healthcare and prison". Parc prison and young offenders institute is the
only private prison in Wales. It is run by G4 Securicor, the second biggest
commercial employer in the world, which has six prison contracts with the
Ministry of Justice. At the time of Mr Beasley's death, G4S had
sub-contracted out the healthcare services to Primecare Forensic Medical
Services, which provides primary care or GP like services in prisons, police
and other secure institutions across the country. Prison inspectors found
"chaos and crisis" within Parc's healthcare unit shortly after Mr
Beasley death which they said was "foreseeable and preventable".
Inspectors said the provision of care and treatment by Parc to Mr Beasley was
"grossly inadequate" leading to a systematic failure to protect him
from suicide. Similar systematic failures were identified in the healthcare
wing run by Primecare at the 2009 inquest into Aleksy Baranovski death at Rye
Hill in 2006. G4S took over running Rye Hill in 2008. Experts last night
called for urgent action to increase accountability of private contractors.
Deborah Coles, co-director of Inquest said: "Shaun's tragic death was an
accident waiting to happen. What is deeply concerning is that Parc's
healthcare was allowed to descend into such a state of chaos, again.
"This begs the question, what control and accountability is in place
when things go wrong with private contractors? What must happen now is
national scrutiny and learning to address these deficiencies."
July
19, 2010 Western Mail
FEARS have been raised over an escalating culture of violence at Wales’ only
private prison after fights among inmates trebled in a year. The number of
recorded fights at Parc Prison in Bridgend jumped from 56 in 2000 to 189 last
year. This compares with fewer than five fights recorded in Cardiff and at
the Usk/Prescoed prison. Former probation officer turned Plaid Cymru AM
Leanne Wood obtained the evidence of a trebling of violence from the Ministry
of Justice following a Freedom of Information Request. Parc Prison is run by
G4S, a “secure solutions company” with a turnover of more than £1bn. There
are 1,200 prisoners and 600 staff at Parc today; a new housing block will
make it one of the UK’s three biggest prisons with 1,670 prisoners and around
800 staff. South Wales Central AM Ms Wood said: “The
extent of violence at Parc Prison is very disturbing. These figures paint an
emphatic picture of frequent fighting at the prison. “From speaking to people
involved in the Prison Officers’ Union, I know there are concerns about low
staffing levels at the prison, overcrowding and a high turnover of staff. If
this is the case, then it should be looked at immediately in order to try and
make the prison a safer place.” A Welsh Assembly Government spokesperson
said: “Prison issues are a matter for the Ministry of Justice. However, the
Welsh Assembly Government is concerned about the levels of violence reported
at Parc Prison and will seek clarification about this from the National
Offender Management Service Cymru.” Plaid wants responsibility for the police
force, probation, prisons and courts in Wales to be devolved to the Assembly
Government. Ms Wood added: “Prison is not only meant to punish offenders but
also rehabilitate them and I question whether any such programmes within the
jail can have the maximum effect if there is a culture of violence at Parc.”
There were a further 30 incidents at Parc in 2009 involving “multiple known
assailants”, 97 incidents involving “single known assailants” and 56
incidents with “unknown assailants”. Parc opened in November 1997. It houses
both convicted adults and young people and offenders who are convicted or on
remand. G4S has challenged the accuracy and the interpretation of the figures
and said the “high-risk” nature of Parc’s population made it impossible to
make comparison with other establishments.
May
12, 2010 Western Mail
A PRIVATE prison has been accused of letting down a vulnerable young
remand prisoner who hanged himself in his cell. Plaid Cymru AM Leanne Wood
said Emmanuel Buyoya could still be alive if there had been a specialist
remand unit in Wales for people like him accused of crimes. Instead he was
sent to Parc Prison, Bridgend. Mr Buyoya, 20, originally from Burundi in
central Africa, had been accused of indecently assaulting his 22-year-old
female flatmate in Cardiff. A six-week inquest into Mr Buyoya’s death concluded
with the jury issuing a statement that said: “We have unanimously agreed that
Mr Emmanuel Buyoya on June 29 2006, took his own life whilst the balance of
his mind was disturbed. “Emmanuel Buyoya was received on remand at Parc
Prison on December 23, 2005 for alleged offences. During his time at Parc he
was moved to the segregation unit on two occasions, the second occasion
lasting from March 23, 2006 until his death on June 29, 2006. “We feel this
was a considerable length of time for a young and vulnerable person to be in
segregation, but unfortunately this was the only option available to Emmanuel
at that time. We also feel that his mental health deteriorated to such an
extent it contributed to him taking his own life. “We also feel that the
documentation and communication of Emmanuel’s everyday behaviour, such as his
violent outbursts and sometimes bizarre behaviour, should have been more
closely monitored and recorded more accurately, and this was a missed
opportunity for a better and more relevant care plan to have been put into
place for the wellbeing of Emmanuel.” The coroner, Peter Maddox, recommended
that Prime Care, the private medical company responsible for health care in
Parc Prison, should put together a multidisciplinary team to improve the
assessment of vulnerable prisoners. He also recommended that the Ministry of
Justice should heed concerns about the lack of a specialist unit in Wales for
vulnerable adults accused of crimes and remanded in custody. Ms Wood said:
“This is a really disturbing and desperately sad case which shows that Parc
Prison failed Emmanuel Buyoya. It has left us wondering whether the system
can take appropriate care of other vulnerable young people. “The coroner has
recommended that the Ministry of Justice should look at the issue of a lack
of a specialist unit in Wales for vulnerable adults accused of crimes and
remanded in custody, and this is something I wholeheartedly support. It is
possible that Mr Buyoya would have been alive today if he had received the
necessary care and support.”
December
17, 2009 Liverpool Daily Post
A LIVERPOOL prison is among five in the country allowing its inmates to
watch satellite television. More than 4,000 prisoners enjoy the privilege in
private jails nationwide. Altcourse Prison, in Fazakerley, is among the
contractor-run prisons allowing access to a “limited number” of satellite
channels. The number of prisoners allowed to watch
satellite varies according to behaviour. But Justice minister and city MP
Maria Eagle revealed the number was currently around 4,070. The Garston MP
was responding to a written question from Tory MP Philip Davies. She said no
inmates in public sector jails have access to satellite in their quarters.
But they do at Altcourse and other GS4-run prisons in South Wales and
Warwickshire. The other private prisons offering satellite television are run
by Serco in Staffordshire and Nottingham. Ms Eagle said: “In these
establishments, satellite television in cells is generally only available to
prisoners on the enhanced or standard level of the incentives and earned
privileges scheme.” There are 84,500 prisoners in England and Wales, meaning
around one in 20 has access to satellite TV.
June
8, 2009 South Wales Echo
A PRISONER assaults another inmate at least once a day at a privately-run
jail in South Wales. There were 381 attacks in a single year at Parc Prison
in Bridgend, which includes a young offender institution, according to
figures released today. South Wales Central AM Leanne Wood, below, who
requested the statistics, said: “This is a damning indictment of the present
criminal justice system which is chronically overcrowded. “It is much more
difficult to maintain control and this could be an explanation for the
increase in prisoner- on-prisoner attacks.” The figures, given to Plaid Cymru
by the Howard League for Penal Reform, showed prisoner-on-prisoner attacks at
Parc soared by 68% from 227 in 2004 to 381 last year. Attacks at Category B
HMP Cardiff, which has a capacity of 784, fell by 64% from 53 to just 19 in 2008.
Four fires were started at the capital’s jail last year, compared with 2004.
At Parc, they rose from 13 to 18. Attacks on prison officers at Parc fell
from 57 to 53, and at Cardiff from 15 to four.
Ex-probation officer Ms Wood called for the Ministry of Justice to take over
Parc, which is operated by Group 4 Securicor, now called G4S. “I’ve always
been of the view prisons are better run in the public sector with experienced
prison officers employed on decent wages, terms and conditions. “These figures
provide further evidence of the need for all prisons to be in the public
sector, and for a strategy designed to reduce the prison population.” Howard
League director Frances Crook said: “This shocking rise in violence is far
above what might be expected as we lock up ever increasing numbers of men,
women and children whose mental health problems and addictions will never be
properly treated within our flooded and failing jails. “As these are recorded
statistics, it is likely to be just the tip of the iceberg with real levels
of assaults, rapes and arson much higher than the Prison Service is
admitting. Overcrowded, squalid prison conditions lead to rioting, violence
and chaos.” Prison Reform Trust director Juliet Lyon said: “Figures on
increased violence and shocking levels of self-harm in prison, as well as
reflecting improved repor- ting of incidents, also point to the urgent need
to reserve prison for serious and violent offenders only. “For prison staff
to have a chance to reduce re-offending, they should not have to shoulder the
additional burden of trying to care for people who are mentally ill and at
risk of suicide and self-harm.” A spokeswoman for Parc, which has 580 staff
and is Wales’ biggest jail, said: “Parc’s figures would appear disproportionately
higher than other prisons due to our complex population mix and higher
operational capacity at 1,200. “In general terms, both young offenders and
young people prisoner-on-prisoner assaults are far more prolific than that of
adult offenders, hence our figures are skewed on the
high side due to our younger population. “If however you compare our proven
cases of assault like for like, our figures are broadly similar to other
establishments, if not lower,” she said.
April
2, 2009 BBC
Inspectors have criticised Parc Prison in Bridgend for not having enough
resources to carry out its role as a training prison for Wales. An official
report said there were only 70 education spaces for 1,200 male prisoners at
the private jail. The Prison Reform Trust said prisoners needed to learn
adequate skills to be properly prepared for their release. Parc said it was
reviewing the matter but the local MP said inmates must have up to 40 hours a
week on training. Bridgend MP Madeleine Moon told BBC Radio Wales:
"We've all got to be worried about that because if we don't use the
opportunity while these people are in prison to give them access to the
skills that they need to have a different life on the outside, we're wasting
the time in the prison. She said academic staff at the prison
were "working their guts off" but they had too much to do.
November
16, 2008 BBC
Inadequate mental health care provision at a young offenders' institution
has been criticised as scandalous by Wales' children's commissioner and an
MP. Both Keith Towler and the MP Madeline Moon have demanded urgent action by
the Welsh Assembly Government to address the issue at Parc Prison in
Bridgend. Currently, young offenders with mental health care needs have to be
sent to England to serve their sentences. The assembly government said it was
committed to support young offenders. Mr Towler and Ms Moon have called on
the assembly government to set up a community mental health service at Parc,
the only institute for young offenders in Wales. The category B prison, Wales'
only private jail, has more than 1,000 male adults and young offenders.
Primary health care, such as GP services, is provided to the private prison
by Primecare, but other health services such as dealing with serious and
enduring mental illnesses are the Welsh Assembly Government's responsibility.
"Parc Prison has never had an in-reach mental health service - a child
and adolescent mental health service - reaching into the prison and we have a
serious problem here," Ms Moon told the BBC's Politics Show Wales.
"Parc was opened specifically so that Welsh youngsters could serve their
sentence in Wales as close to their families and communities. "Those most needy youngsters with mental health
problems have had to be sent to England," she added. Ms Towler agreed
with Ms Moon's view that the situation was a national disgrace. "These
are children in need regardless of their behaviour and they deserve a
response that can meet that mental health requirement," said Mr Towler.
"The stark fact is that we do not have those resources available. "It is a scandal," he added. Levels of serious
mental health illnesses are believed to be higher among young offenders and
female prisoners, according to professionals working in mental health care.
Reports dating back to 2002 have outlined concern of a lack of adequate
mental health care.
August
22, 2008 BBC
A father on remand accused of murdering his baby son has been found hanged in
his prison cell, it has been revealed. David Cushing, 35, from Ystrad Mynach,
Caerphilly county was in Parc Prison, Bridgend on remand awaiting trial for
the murder of four-week-old Alexander. Mr Cushing was found hanging from a
door last Saturday, three days before he was due at Cardiff Crown Court. An
investigation has been launched but a South Wales Police spokesman said there
were no suspicious circumstances. Police investigating Mr Cushing's last
Saturday death said he was not high-risk and was not on suicide watch by
prison officers.
April
13, 2008 Wales on Sunday
AN OFFICIAL report has uncovered “serious failings” at a prison pharmacy
where a health chief was suspended last year after prescription drugs went
missing. The damning report into HM Prison Parc, in Bridgend, also reveals
how prescription drugs intended for inmates had gone missing inside the jail.
The conclusions come just months after Wales on Sunday exposed how healthcare
manager Rachel Bourne had been suspended following the disappearance of
medical drugs. It has now emerged that Ms Bourne has been reinstated, but a
second, unnamed person was still suspended pending an investigation. An
unannounced inspection back in October revealed “several irregularities” in
the pharmacy’s management at the prison, for remanded and sentenced 15 to
18-year-olds. Chief inspector of prisons Anne Owers wrote: “We identified
serious failings with the pharmacy that required immediate rectification.” *
Private prescriptions were being dispensed for staff; * medicines sent to
wing treatment rooms had not been received and some medications no longer
required on wings were left outside the pharmacy and then “went missing”; *
policies covering use of the out of hours medicines cupboard were not
followed; Ms Bourne, who was contracted to work for the jail through the
national independent health firm Primecare, was at the centre of an inquiry
into the disappearance of vital medication for prisoners stored in the
healthcare wing. Following the discovery, Primecare carried out a full
investigation into the claims, which were made public by the guards at the
jail. A spokeswoman for G4SJustice Services Limited, which manages Parc, said
Ms Bourne has since been reinstated. “Allegations were investigated by
Primecare as part of their disciplinary process. “We are happy with how they
conducted the investigation and happy with the outcome,” she said. The prison
report made a series of recommendations, including ensuring that the pharmacy
door remained locked at all times, and that medicines should remain locked
up. Other failings at the prison included inadequate mental health provision
and healthcare beds being used to separate badly behaved
young people, which was considered “an inappropriate use of scarce
specialist accommodation”. But Ms Owers added: “Our inspection found that the
unit was now more settled and was providing a reasonably safe and respectful
environment, with plenty of purposeful activity and a sound approach to
resettlement.” Parc is a category B training prison, which is managed by
private firm, Group 4 Securicor (G4S). A spokeswoman for G4S Justice Services
Limited said all recommendations, which fall within Parc’s jurisdiction, have
been carried out. “For those, which do not fall within our control, the
relevant parties have been provided within the information to act where
necessary,” she said.
March
5, 2008 IC Wales
VIOLENT attacks at a privately-run prison leapt by more than a third,
according to official statistics. There were 315 violent incidents at Parc
Prison, Bridgend, last year, compared with 241 the
previous 12 months – a rise of 35 per cent. Eight-five per cent of all
assaults in Wales’ four prisons took place at Parc, which is home to sex
offenders and youths, as well as adult non-sexual offenders. Meanwhile,
attacks at Cardiff jail, Adamsdown, almost halved from 47 in 2006 to 25 last
year. The figures were released in a Parliamentary answer to Cardiff Central
MP and Liberal Democrat justice spokeswoman Jenny Willott. She said: “It is
completely unacceptable that in Welsh prisons, there is at least one violent
incident every day and that one in seven inmates is a victim of prison
violence. “How can we expect offenders to be rehabilitated within the penal
system if they are exposed to such high levels of violence? These figures
suggest there is a real risk they may become more dangerous criminals than
when they went in.” Parc, which opened in November 1997, houses more than
1,100 inmates. It is Wales’ only private prison and is managed by Group 4
Securicor. A spokeswoman said all incidents of violence were recorded, “from
the very minor to the major”, but she said there were very few incidents of
serious violence. She said young offenders at Parc meant the institution had
more incidents. She also said national prisons’ overcrowding impacted on
figures. The spokeswoman said: “The high-risk nature of Parc’s population,
added to the complexity of offenders housed, which includes adults, young
offenders and young people, make it impossible to make any comparisons to any
other Welsh establishments.
December
2, 2007 Wales on Sunday
UNDER-FIRE Parc Prison faces more questions this weekend after it emerged
almost 1,400 prisoners managed to self-harm while held there in the past five
years. Astonishing figures released to Wales on Sunday revealed that seven
out of every 10 prisoners found to be self-harming in Welsh jails had done so
at Parc. Prison bosses have defended the figures, insisting it is unfair to
compare it with other jails. But prison reform campaigners said inmates’
mental state should be monitored more closely, while Shadow Welsh Secretary
Cheryl Gillan, who obtained the figures, blamed it on the strain put on jails
due to overcrowding. A total of 1,393 prisoners have self-harmed in Parc
Prison since the start of 2003. That was out of a total of 2,013 across
Wales’ five jails, according to figures held by the Department of Justice.
One had killed himself. Cardiff Prison recorded 351 incidents of
self-harming, Swansea 264 and Usk and Prescoed four between them. Juliet
Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said prisoners should be monitored
more carefully for signs they could self-harm.
December
2, 2007 Wales on Sunday
SHADOW Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan is to hold talks with Parc Prison bosses
Group 4 Securicor after failing to get the answers she wanted on their huge
number of sacked officers. She is set to meet with the firm later this month
after the Department of Justice was unable to answer questions about what
disciplinary proceedings were taken against staff and whether criminal
charges or prosecutions followed their dismissals. In addition, numbers kept
by the Government on reasons for dismissal did not tally with the actual
number of those sacked. Ms Gillan said: “I want to know exactly what happens
to these officers and have got an appointment to see G4. “I want to know how
prisons can operate functionally if there are no records kept on officers
disciplined. They can then go and get a job elsewhere. “And the numbers of
reasons for dismissals don’t add up to the number of dismissals in the
original answer, so the Government can’t even get that right. Once again it
just shows what a shambles this government is in.” Delyn MP David Hanson, a
Justice Minister, said: “Disciplinary proceedings cease once a member of
staff has been dismissed from service. “The Prison Service does not maintain
records of criminal charges or prosecutions that are instigated against a
former employee.” The reasons figures on the number of dismissals and reasons
for those dismissals did not tally was “due to a difference between the local
and central records held at Her Majesty’s prison and young offenders
institution Parc,” he explained. A spokesman for Group 4 Securicor confirmed
the company was to meet with the MP.
December
2, 2007 Wales on Sunday
A WARDEN who was sacked from Bridgend’s Parc Prison today claims there is a
culture of bullying among prisoners and staff. Now the guard plans to take
the company which runs the prison, Group 4 Securicor (G4S), to a tribunal
claiming wrongful dismissal. The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, contacted
Wales on Sunday following our revelation that shadow Welsh secretary Cheryl
Gillan is asking questions about the running of the private jail. She has
demanded answers over Parc’s record of sacking 42 officers in the past 10
years. The former warden, who insists he holds an unblemished 10-year
employment record, claims staff disputes with management explain the prison’s
high turnover. But G4S have strongly denied the claims, saying: “The
management team at Parc upholds rigorous standards of employee behaviour and
expects its officers to act responsibility and professionally at all times.
We do not tolerate bullying or harassment of any kind.” The warden, a former
Royal Welsh Fusilier, was sacked for gross misconduct in July over
allegations he sexually harassed a female guard while on duty. But he claims
that was not true and that charges were brought because he complained about
the prison’s “bullying culture”. Now, as he prepares for his tribunal, citing
wrongful dismissal and victimisation, the married guard explains: “I’m one of
the officers that was dismissed this year. I was
dismissed for gross misconduct following a complaint by a female member of
staff. “I believe the allegation was made because I gave evidence about a
member of staff who was bullying others. Because of the allegations made
against me, I feel I have been labelled a sex offender.” The guard says he
received five commendations for prisoner care during his time at Parc,
including one for saving a prisoner’s life who attempted suicide. He said:
“When I was dismissed I was two months’ short of my 10th anniversary,” he
said. “I was one of the 350 staff who opened the jail in November 1997. I was
never disciplined in all this time until this disciplinary and was sacked for
not owning up to something I didn’t do.” The prison, which has a history of
racism and poor management, has dismissed eight officers this year alone –
just one less than the total figure of all the other Welsh jails combined
have in an entire decade. And the guard said: “Staff don’t like the way they
are treated by management. They feel there is a lack of training. Some don’t
want to be there. They are trained for half a day, once a week. They don’t
feel they’re learning anything. It’s about time the Assembly looked at what was
going on. I have lost my livelihood. I have been accused of something I
haven’t done.” On Friday, G4S said bullying was not tolerated at Parc but
refused to comment on the guard’s forthcoming tribunal.
November
18, 2007 Wales on Sunday
A WELSH MP has demanded answers after shock new figures showed Bridgend’s
Parc Prison has sacked an astonishing 42 officers in the past 10 years.
Shadow Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan, who obtained the figures, said she
would be seeking to find out exactly why the figure was so high. The private
prison, which has a history of racism and poor management, has dismissed
eight officers this year alone – just one less than the total figure of all
the other Welsh jails combined have in an entire decade. But a spokesperson
for Group 4 Securicor, which runs the jail, said it simply “reflects the
facility’s stringent disciplinary policy”. Ms Gillan said: “I need to know
why so many people have been dismissed by Parc Prison. “How many disciplinary
proceedings followed the dismissals of prison officers? What were the
reasons? “Something has gone badly wrong and I want to know why. So far I’m
not there yet, but I’m working on it. “I think questions need to be asked.
Also, I think we need to find out what the outcomes were.” The prison provides
more than 1,000 places for adults, young offenders and non-convicted
juveniles. The figures have led to fears the prison could have reverted to
the turbulent years it experienced after opening in 1997. It was criticised
in a Prison Inspectorate report in 1999 when it emerged a racist group with
links to the Ku Klux Klan were virtually running an entire wing and
management had to avoid housing black prisoners there. One inmate had
pictures of Hitler and newspaper cuttings about racist attacks pushed under
his cell door. In 2004 it was rated the worst performing privately-run prison
in Wales and England. Last year it failed to meet inspection tests and in the
past five years there have been three changes in management at Parc. Six
officers were dismissed in 1999 and five in 2000, but numbers dropped to one
or two a year between 2001 and 2004. But in 2005 nine officers were sacked in
one year and six more were dismissed last year. In comparison, in the whole
of the past 10 years, Cardiff Prison has sacked six officers, Swansea two and
Usk just one. The prison does not recognise the Prison Officers Association,
the main union for prison workers. The spokesperson for Group 4 insisted it
just treated ill-discipline more seriously than at other prisons. “We can confirm
that 42 officers have been dismissed from Parc Prison over a period of 10
years,” he said. “This figure reflects the facility’s stringent disciplinary
policy. G4S upholds rigorous standards of employee behaviour and expects its
officers to act responsibly and professionally at all times. “All dismissals
are conducted in accordance with G4S HR Policies which take account of all
appropriate employment legislation. G4S works to ensure that Parc operates to
the highest standards that have been established by the Ministry of Justice.”
Imran Hussain, of the Prison Reform Trust, said private prisons such as Parc
tended to take on “inexperienced” officers who may not be up to scratch on
disciplinary offences. “Private prisons like Parc tend to have less experienced
staff and a higher turnover – that’s a point both the Chief Inspector of
Prisons and the National Audit Office have made,” he said. “Places with a
higher turnover add to the stress of already undervalued and overworked
prison officers but also makes it much harder to secure a safe environment
for prisoners.”
August
1, 2007 BBC News
The presence of mentally ill prisoners in HMP Parc, Wales's only private jail
is a "constant concern," according to a new report. The Independent
Monitoring Board (IMB) said it was also concerned there was no psychiatrist
who specialised in young people with mental illness. However, the report
commended the company which runs Parc, Group 4 Securicor (G4S) on recent
improvements. Parc, near Bridgend, has around 1,110 places for adults and
young offenders. The IMB, which monitors the state of prison premises and the
treatment of inmates, issued the report covering the period between March
2006 and February 2007. Deportation -- According to its findings, there were
more than 80 referrals of prisoners with mental healthcare needs between
March and November 2006. Also in November 2006 a mental health team at Parc
treated 52 cases, the majority of them adults. Both the IMB and G4S voiced an
"urgent need" for a dedicated "young offenders own
interest" unit in south Wales. John Homfray, chair of the Independent
Monitoring Board at the jail, said the 15-place health care facility was used
like a "cupboard" to keep mentally ill patients. He told Radio
Wales: "What happens is that if somebody goes on a normal wing and is
found to be mentally ill - and therefore can't cope properly on that wing or
causes terrible disruptions - then they get transferred to health care.
November
2, 2006 IC Wales
A prisoner 'pretending' to be ill attacked his guards and tried to escape
while being checked over in the middle of a busy hospital. The HM Prison Parc
inmate caused chaos when he lashed out in the middle of the Princess of Wales
Hospital casualty department, in Bridgend. During the scuffle, a chain was
wrapped around the prison officer's neck. Hospital staff, ambulance crews and
by-standers raced to help the prison officers as they fought to bring the man
under control during what jail bosses have confirmed was an attempted
security breach. A spokeswoman for Group 4 Securicor Justice Services, which
runs Parc Prison in Bridgend, said: 'There was an attempted security breach
by an adult male. 'The prompt actions of prison and hospital staff ensured
this attempt was unsuccessful. The individual concerned remains in lawful
custody.'
August
9, 2006 24Dash.com
A privately-run prison which has had three changes of director in four
years and recently allowed an inmate on remand to walk free by mistake, has
been criticised in a report released today. A HM Chief Inspector of Prisons
report found that HMP & YOI Parc in Bridgend, south Wales, was unable to
meet the inspectorate's tests of safety, respect and purposeful activity. But
it noted that the prison was moving forward under a new director. The Category
B prison, which houses around 900 convicted men and convicted or on-remand
young offenders, recently hit the headlines for
allowing 20-year-old Martin Burnell to walk free on July 4. Burnell, 20, who
was in custody for alleged muggings, was eventually recaptured by police
later that month. The prison, which opened in November 1997 and is the only
private prison in Wales, is managed by Group 4 Securicor Custodial Services
on behalf of the Prison Service. Inspectors found during their visit between
January 9 and 13 that although Parc was not unsafe and there were relatively
low levels of use of force and segregation, serious faults emerged. They
expressed concern that reception, first night and induction procedures were
weak; there were gaps in the management and support for prisoners at risk of
self-harm or suicide; and a good violence-reduction strategy was not being
operated properly on the wings, nor were managers monitoring this. Other
major concerns included officers on lightly staffed units not being able to
routinely engage with prisoners, black and ethnic prisoners having an even
more negative perception of the jail than their white counterparts and a lack
of evidence of an action plan to deal with issues raised
in the recent critical Commission for Racial Equality investigation.
Inspectors also noticed that although prisoners were out of their cells for
up to 11 hours a day with many attending workshops, there was little work
achieved. On one morning, it was observed that only 6 of the 69 prisoners in workshops
were actually working; and there was little work-skills training. Inspectors
reserved praise for the prison's juvenile unit which they said was "well
run and focused on the needs of young people." They said the unit's
training planning was done well, and staff engaged positively with the young
men there. Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers said: "Though this was
a disappointing inspection, we were clear that the prison was moving forward
under a new director. "The pockets of good
practice show what can be achieved, given motivation, leadership and
resources. "But it is of some concern that Securicor, who managed the
prison, and the Office for Contracted Prisons, had not taken decisive action
earlier to halt and reverse the drift downwards. "Parc
can be a significant resource for Wales. But its role needs to be clarified,
and its contract examined to ensure that it provides the right incentives and
sufficient resources for that role. "There is now a Director of Offender
Management for Wales, with direct oversight of Parc, and we would urge that
she and her team undertake that task with some urgency, to ensure that
progress this time is sustained and developed." Sian West, acting
Director of Offender Management for Wales, said: "I am satisfied that
the report is a fair and accurate reflection of Parc prison at the time the
inspection took place." She added: "I firmly trust that this
progress will be maintained into the future and will be working closely with
Parc over the coming months to monitor that progress." Juliet Lyon,
director of the Prison Reform Trust, said: "Inconsistent leadership, as
the prison has got through three directors since the last inspection, seems
to be the main reason for Parc's slide downhill. "The
Chief Inspector's detailed report of its failure to meet the tests of a
healthy prison should now enable Parc to move forward." Jerry Knight,
Custody and Rehabilitation Director for Group 4 Securicor Justice Services,
said: "We have taken various steps to action the recommendations in the
report to ensure that the continued improvement of HMP & YOI Parc is
sustained. "Within the past six months, the
Prison Service has published performance tables which, when considering
improvements, placed Parc 9th out of 134 establishments in England and
Wales." He added: "The report acknowledges that solid foundations
are in place at Parc to sustain performance improvements in the future."
July
19, 2006 BBC
An investigation has been launched at the privately-run Parc Prison at
Bridgend after an alleged mugger was freed by mistake before trial. Martin
Burnell, 20, from St Mellons in Cardiff, was on remand in connection with
seven city street robberies. He is alleged to have robbed teenage boys and
young women of mobile phones and cash in a week-long crime spree. Prison
officials said he was released from custody "in error". A judge has
issued a warrant for his arrest. Martin Burnell was released on 4 July after
spending 10 weeks on remand. But the mistake was only spotted when his case
came up at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday.
July
1, 2006 BBC
A 20-year-old man has been discovered hanged in a single-person cell at a
south Wales prison. Parc Prison at Bridgend, a category B jail, said the man
was pronounced dead at 0520 BST on Thursday. South Wales Police are
investigating and the prison is carrying out an internal inquiry. Group 4
Securicor, which runs the prison, confirmed the death and said: "We have
informed his family and offered our condolences". An inquest is due to
be opened. Parc houses about 900 adult prisoners and young offenders,
including those on remand. It has been open eight-and-a-half years and is
Wales' only privately-run prison.
April
8, 2005 IC Network
A PRISON worker claimed yesterday she was sacked after she had an affair
with a prisoner. The 20-year-old prison assistant said she began the affair
with the man while he was serving part of his eight-year sentence at Parc
Prison in Bridgend.
October
7, 2004 BBC
A teenage inmate found hanging in his cell had not been checked for more than
two hours, a jury inquest has heard. Ian Powell, 17, was on remand at HM Parc
Prison in Bridgend when he was found hanged from a light fitting. The jury
also heard how two days before his death, a probation officer had found other
accommodation for him but had not had time to tell the prison. A verdict of
misadventure was recorded. Ms Stringer told the jury how despite efforts to
find him suitable accommodation none could be found at the time of his court
appearance and he was remanded in custody at HM Parc prison.
September
7, 2004 Western Mail
A nurse at a Welsh prison has been sacked after falling for an inmate.
Married Carol Evans, 43, had an affair with serial Cardiff burglar Alan John,
27, while working as a nurse and counsellor at Parc Prison in Bridgend. Her managers at the Securicor-run jail
were tipped off about the relationship when they were spotted together and
sacked Carol from her £25,000-a-year job on the grounds of misconduct. Other
nurses had complained about the couple's behaviour.
August 10, 2004 BBC
Parc Prison in Bridgend has been rated the worst performing privately-run
prison in Wales and England. A report published by the Independent
Monitoring Board (IMB) for prisons also found that there was a lack of
separate health-care facilities for juveniles, and issues of staff
morale. The research was carried out over a period of 12 months, ending
in February this year. In response, the prison said that things had
improved since then. The prison, run by Securicor, provides over 1,000 places
for adults, young offenders and non-convicted juveniles. The report
found that by the end of February 2004 it had fallen to 132nd place on HM
Prison Service's performance standard weighted scorecard, thus making it the
poorest performing privately-run prison in Wales and England. The
research also highlighted a number of concerns which had been raised
before. These included a "repeated failure to fill the 28-bed
Juvenile Remand Unit", and the "continuing inability to meet
certain contractual requirements." The "failure" to
provide separate healthcare facilities for juveniles was also pointed out, as
were the "totally inadequate level of dental provision" and
"issues" of staff morale. In addition, the report found that
there were seven outstanding inquests into deaths in custody at the
prison. These dated back, it said, as far as 21 September 2002 and
included the final inquest into the death in custody of a 17-year-old trainee
found dead in his cell on 6 October 2002.
June
10, 2004
THERE was outrage last night when a prison officer had a sex-discrimination
claim dismissed even though a tribunal acknowledged her managers had stopped
her getting a promotion. Caroline Jones did not get promoted at Parc
Prison, Bridgend, despite being the highest-scoring candidate in an
assessment. Although a Cardiff employment tribunal said she had proved
she was discriminated against, it dismissed her case because she had not
applied for a hearing within a three-month time limit. Delivering the
tribunal's adjudication yesterday Mr Davies said, "We are satisfied
that the applicant has shown, in the failure to promote her in that period of
time, that she was the subject of sex discrimination."
(Icenetwork)
May 19, 2004
A FEMALE prison officer was
locked in a cell on a sex offenders' wing by an inmate when she was forced to
use it as an office, an employment tribunal heard yesterday. Caroline Jones
complained she was "set up" by managers who wanted to force her out
of Parc prison, Bridgend. Miss Jones, 49, of Margam, near Port Talbot, is
claiming sexual discrimination and unequal pay at a Cardiff industrial
tribunal. The senior prison officer says she suffered a series of setbacks to
her career, beginning with her complaint about verbal and physical abuse from
a colleague she worked with in January 2000. The tribunal heard that prison
officer Nigel Bond spread rumours among inmates that Miss Jones used to be a
lap dancer. He tormented her by tripping her and telling her it was a woman's
job to make the tea. Bond was stripped of his badge for abusing prisoners.
One said Bond had kicked him "and opened him up", it emerged
yesterday. (Western Mail)
December 19, 2003
The Prison Service has been found guilty of racial discrimination in a report
by Britain's race relations body into Wales' newest jail. The
Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) report into privately-run Parc Prison,
near Bridgend, found that both staff and inmates were subjected to racist
abuse, which was allowed to continue unchecked. The investigation,
which was triggered by a racist murder at Feltham Young Offenders Institution
in March 2000, focused on Parc, which is run by Securicor for HM Prison
Service. It also looked at Feltham and Brixton jail, in London.
October 13, 2003
Nineteen-year-old Liviu Marin, who is Romanian, was serving time for burglary
and theft. He escaped from the privately-run Parc Prison in
Bridgend by hanging underneath a van which travelled to Swansea Prison.
He eventually dropped free when it stopped at traffic lights after leaving
the jail. Independent investigators from the Prison Service are at Parc
Prison on Monday, conducting an inquiry. A police spokesman said Marin
was believed to have made his escape by climbing underneath a prison van and
clinging on as it left the grounds, using a piece of clothing to strap
himself to the chassis on the Securicor van. He held on to the van as
it drove at up to 70 miles an hour for 20 miles along the M4 motorway to
Swansea prison, only letting go as the vehicle stopped at traffic lights. Detectives
are concentrating their search on the Swansea area after he was last seen
climbing out form under the van in Oystermouth Road, at about 1140 BST on
Friday. But it has been revealed that the prisoner has connections in
the West Midlands and police are appealing to motorists to remember if they
have given anyone who matches his description a lift since Friday
morning. A South Wales Police spokesman said: "Marin was in Park
Prison for burglary - we don't believe him to be dangerous but advise the
public not to approach him. An external investigation is to be held at Parc
Prison to discover how the prisoner breached security. (BBC News)
May 31, 2003
Wales' privately-owned Parc Prison has reacted swiftly to criticism of
safety by employing 14 new staff. New staff at the jail at Bridgend -
which has suffered a series of inmate suicides - will include 10 officers to
work directly on supervisory duties, with the remaining four jobs involving
helping and advising prisoners on resettlement. Earlier in May, HMP
Parc was criticised by Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers who said
staffing levels were "too low" and as a result the safety of
inmates and prison officers could not be guaranteed. She said:
"Additional staff are urgently needed to ensure
that levels of safety are maintained." A Parc prison spokeswoman
stressed that this criticism had now been addressed with the creation of the
14 new prison staff posts. The news comes on the day the Securicor
group - which owns Parc under the company's Justice Division - announced
profits of £35m for the six months to March 31. Parc was the first
prison to be designed, constructed and managed under the Government's Private
Finance Initiative, and was awarded a 25-year contract by HM Prison Service in
1995. (BBC News)
May
23, 2002
EDMONTON, May 23, 2002 (Canada NewsWire via COMTEX) -- A study of Alberta's
corrections programs announced today by the Solicitor-General Department is a
waste of taxpayers' money, says the president of the union that represents provincial
jail guards, case workers and probation officers. "Most of the issues
that have been announced as topics for this study have been studied to death
for years and it's crystal clear what the province needs to do," said
Dan MacLennan, president of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees. The
department itself conceded in its news release this morning that Alberta's
jails are the most cost-effective to run in Canada, MacLennan observed.
"So we have to wonder why we are spending tax dollars to study them when
there are far more pressing issues, such as health care and education, on
society's agenda." MacLennan said AUPE members are particularly
concerned by suggestions in the release that the panel of three government
MLAs will be asked to study privatized correctional programs in Ontario and
possibly elsewhere. "Jail privatization has been a failure wherever it
has been tried," he said. "If Alberta goes that route, it will be
bad news for everyone except the people who sell deadbolt locks - because Albertans
will need to be buying plenty of deadbolts for their homes." Jail
privatization leads to increased violence in jails, greater chances of
escapes and less-safe communities, he said. Rennich said that because
of poor pay in private jail facilities in other jurisdictions, professional
correctional officers will not work in them. Safety and security standards
decline accordingly. Rennich said the suggestion that privatization is a
possibility will be extremely upsetting to employees of Alberta's correctional
facilities, many of whom will feel the need to look for other work. (Canada
Newswire)
May
2, 2003
The safety of inmates and wardens at Wale's only privately-run jail cannot be
guaranteed because staffing levels are too low. The chief inspector of
prisons, Anna Owers, revealed her concerns on Friday in a report into HM Parc
Prison, near Bridgend. The report said new staff were urgently needed
in order to ensure the safety of prisoners and wardens. Low staffing at
the jail - managed by Securicor Custodial Services - meant that prison
officers had to unlock inmates single-handedly, a practice considered as
unsafe. The 82m jail has suffered a number of high-profile problems and
suicides by inmates and has been dogged by disturbances. (BBC News)
May
18, 2002
A SECURITY guard shot in a armed robbery seven years
ago has won the right to claim compensation for his employers. Appeal
court judges in Leeds ruled that Securicor for which
Geoffrey Henser-Leather worked, should have provided him with full body
armor. Lord Justice Kennedy ruled that the risk of armed attack in that
area of Leeds has been "forseeable", and that under the 1992
Personel Protective Equipment at Work regulations, Securicor was obliged to
make body armour available to its staff. A future compensation claim
against it would be lawful. Mr.Henser-Leather, now 63, was shot in
August 1995 when he was sent to collect $5,000 in cash and cheques from a
service station in Leeds. A robber grabbed the cash box and when
Mr.Henser-Leather tried to wrestle it back he was shot at point-blank range
with a .38 calibre revolver. The only protective clothing with which he
hah been issued was a visor. Lord Justice Kennedy ruled that Securicor
and other security firms had clear obligations under existing rules to assess
risks and to ensure that suitable body armour was provided. Penny
Stead, Mr.Henser-Leather's solicitor, said that the ruling opened the way to
a $100,000 injury compensation calim by her client, as well as those in
similar positions. Neil Derrick from the GMB trade union, who helped
bring the case to court, said he hoped that Securicor would review its policy
and provide body armour for all security guards who transported cash.
Securicor said after the case:"In line with the rest of the security and
cash-in-transit industry, Securicor does not routinely offer body armour to
its cash-in-transit officers. (Times Online)
February
8, 2002
A former inmate today alleged he was stripped naked and handcuffed by guards
as he writhed in agony having a heart attack when he was in prison.
Former newsagent Nicholas Jones, 32, says he was treated worse than an animal
by guards at the privately run Parc Prison, in Bridgend, south Wales.
The unemployed father of three from Llanelli, Carmarthenshire says he begged
for help in the belief that he was dying, but was ordered to strip before
being rushed to hospital. Parc Prison, which is the only private prison
in Wales, is staffed and run by Securicor. (Press Association)
Peterborough
Cambridgeshire
Kalyx (Sodexho)
December
18, 2010 Peterborough Today
A CITY MP has called for a review of prison procedures following revelations
that prisoners were wrongly released from HMP Peterborough. According to a
Freedom of Information (FOI) request made to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ),
over the last three years six prisoners have been released by mistake from
the prison in Saville Road, Westwood, Peterborough.
It is not known how many are still at large or whether they have been
returned to jail. MP for North West Cambridgeshire Shailesh Vara said: “This
is very worrying. “I am writing to the prisons director asking for their
procedures to be urgently reviewed to ensure that these errors are not
repeated in the future.” Kalyx, which runs the Category B prison, were
unavailable to comment about the findings. The FOI also revealed that in the
last year 69 inmates were released by mistake from prisons in England,
Scotland and Wales.
August
21, 2010 Peterborough Today
A PRISONS watchdog has slammed HMP Peterborough’s staffing levels as
“inadequate” and said drugs are being easily smuggled inside during visits as
a result. The Independent Monitoring Board (IMB), which is charged with
looking at the humane treatment of prisoners and reports annually to the
Secretary of State on how well the prison meets standards, said unless the
staffing problem was tackled urgently, the illicit drugs trade at the prison,
in Saville Road, Westwood, could increase. The hard-hitting report into the
Category B mixed prison said: “The board has become increasingly concerned
about the apparent ease with which contraband, in particular drugs and mobile
phones, enter the prisons. “The staffing levels in the visits departments are
often inadequate and this should be addressed as a matter of urgency if the
problems are not to continue and even increase. “A culture has arisen that
drugs are more easily imported at evening and weekend visits when, due to
staffing levels, security is less.” The concern over the “constantly
fluctuating” number of officers assigned to male and female visits was one of
the issues that the report’s authors have highlighted to the justice
minister. They also raised fears about the prison receiving an increasing
number of people with severe mental health issues and said the time taken to
find them more secure accommodation in appropriate hospitals was too long.
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)
Premier Custodial
Group/Serco
May
4, 2009 The Telegraph
Tom Riall admits he broke the speed limit but says he did not realise how
fast he was travelling. Mr Riall was photographed doing 102mph in his 2.7
litre Volvo on a 70mph stretch of the A11 as he travelled to a business
meeting. Mr Riall, 49, a former soldier, is chief executive of Serco, which
oversees more than 5,000 cameras on Britain's roads. He is due to appear
before magistrates in Sudbury, Suffolk, on Wednesday, where it is understood
he will plead guilty to driving with excessive speed. Anyone caught doing
more than 100mph faces a driving ban of up to two years and a £2,500 fine.
There is also the option of taking a "speed awareness" class to
reduce the length of the disqualification. Mr Riall, who earns around
£150,000 a year, fully admits he broke the speed limit. "I was
travelling from my home to a business meeting on a clear A-road and I was
unaware of my speed. "I regret driving at this
speed and will ensure I mitigate it in future. "In my job, I understand
the consequences of speed and want to apologise to the court", he said
outside his home in Reading, Berkshire. Road safety campaigners have reacted
angrily to the confession. "We're concerned a driver doing 102mph claims
to be unaware of his speed – what sort of message does this put out to other
road users?", said Claire Armstrong, of the Safe Speed campaign group.
"A man who makes his income from speed cameras should know better."
In 2008 Serco led an anti-speeding campaign called Safe Drive Stay Alive,
which was backed by the Government. Mr Riall said at the time: "In
courts and prisons we see the direct consequences of reckless and dangerous
driving every single day. "For far too many
young people it ends with a prison sentence – but for the families left
behind the pain lasts much longer. "Serco is delighted to support Safe
Drive Stay Alive because we want to help bring about change for the young
drivers and all those whose lives are affected." There are around 8,000
speed cameras on Britain's roads, which generate about £100 million every
year in fines.
April
29, 2009 Bromley Times
A PRISON van driver ran over and killed a woman in "a moment of complete
madness" after she started dancing in the street, a court heard. Andrew
Curtis, 49, of The Ridge, Orpington, edged forward into Naomi Benjamin, 34,
until she slipped and fell under the wheels of the vehicle on April 22 last
year. He then drove over her body, twisting her head until her neck was
broken and dragging her 10 metres along the road, jurors were told at his
murder trial at the Old Bailey this week. Horrified witnesses surrounded the
driver and beat on the sides of the van in anger after the incident in
Brixton. Bystander Susan Fraser, giving evidence on Tuesday, said: "She
was in front of the prison van dancing, waving [her] arms around and
shouting. There was a lot of action going on. "The prison van eventually
moved forwards and Naomi moved backwards. The van moved forwards again and
almost touched her. She was obstructing the vehicle, she was shouting but I
couldn't understand any words." She then jumped up and pulled the
passenger windscreen wiper down before tumbling to the floor. Ms Fraser
added: "That was when the prison van escalated. She fell under the wheel
and the van continued moving up the hill and she was underneath it. I was in
shock. "I remained there until she was run over and I made my way
towards the van. "There was an immediate rush
of people towards the van, screaming and shouting at the van to stop.
"It was very nasty. Things got a bit nasty." Curtis, who had worked
for Serco for six years, was transporting prisoners from a court in
Westminster to Brixton prison during rush hour. He had stopped at the traffic
lights outside the KFC in the middle of the three-lane carriageway heading
southbound on Brixton Road. Prosecutor Simon Denison said: "She was
killed suddenly and utterly needlessly by this defendant in a moment of
complete madness. "She slipped and fell in
front of the centre of the van. You may think he must have realised what had
happened but quite incredibly he continued to drive the van forward and he
went over her." The victim was still alive when the first paramedic
arrived but by the time she could be moved from under the vehicle she was
dead. Describing Ms Benjamin, Mr Denison said: "She was well known in
the community, a local character. She was often dressed in brightly coloured
clothes. She was outgoing and a loud person. Unfortunately she was often
drunk." The trial continues.
April
26, 2009 The Independent
Children held in the infamous Yarl's Wood immigration detention centre are
being denied urgent medical treatment, handled violently and left at risk of
serious harm, a damning report by the Children's Commissioner for England
will say tomorrow. Sir Al Aynsley-Green's investigation paints a shocking
picture of neglect and even cruelty towards children trapped within the
centre's razor-wired walls, and finds "substantial evidence that detention
is harmful and damaging to children and young people". Since opening in
2001, the Bedfordshire detention centre has been plagued by hunger strikes,
self-harm incidents, a suicide and riots. It was severely damaged by fire
during disturbances in 2002. Despite repeated scandals – and the damning
findings of this report – planning permission was given last month to double
the centre's capacity from 405 places to nearly 900. Around 2,000 children a
year are held in immigration centres – half in Yarl's Wood, which has been
run by a private company, Serco, since 2007. The experience they described is
prison in all but name. Politicians, immigration experts and doctors last
night called for an end to the detention of children and for urgent measures
to ensure other detainees are treated humanely. The report, based on the most
recent inspection by Sir Al, reveals that basic safeguards for children in
Yarl's Wood are failing. Welfare issues raising "serious concern"
were ignored, with children forced to remain in custody even when they were
seriously ill or in danger from parents with mental health problems, the
report says. It also criticises the "scant regard to basic welfare
needs" during arrest and transportation to the centre. Key meetings
between social services, the UK Border Agency (UKBA) and Yarl's Wood staff
designed to discuss the welfare implications of keeping a child locked up for
more than 28 days dwelt instead on PR and legal concerns. The commissioner
calls for an urgent review to "ensure the best interests of the child
are central to decisions on detention". The UKBA claims that steps have
now been taken to protect children since the inspection last May, but Lisa
Nandy, policy adviser at The Children's Society, disputes this. "The
agency has not made the improvements necessary to safeguard these
children," she said. "The Secretary of State for Children must
intervene immediately as this report exposes serious child protection risks
which have not been adequately addressed." The commissioner found that
seriously ill children were denied hospital treatment, while bureaucracy
substantially delayed others with critical conditions from getting to
hospital. A baby with pneumonia and a teenager with severe mental health
problems were among those affected. Despite being the main detention centre
for children, no one on the Yarl's Wood health team has child health
qualifications, the report says. Sir Al found major healthcare shortcomings
at the centre, describing safeguards, records and professionalism as inadequate
and below NHS standards. He reports that two children with sickle cell
disease were not allowed to bring their penicillin with them when they were
seized from their homes. As a result they became seriously ill and required
urgent treatment. Instead of being referred to hospital for intravenous
fluids and antibiotics they were simply given paracetamol. Under the NHS this
would be categorised as a life-threatening "Serious Untoward
Incident". Children suffering from serious medical conditions and the
mentally ill were routinely kept in detention despite guidelines stating
clearly they should not be. One diabetic child had three emergency treatments
in the 24 days she was detained – including two occasions where her blood
sugar left her "un-rousable" – but was still not released. An
eight-month-old baby with asthma was neither released nor given an inhaler.
Immunisations were denied to children documented as needing them, creating a
health risk. One child was even given the wrong vaccine, while the centre's
policy for preventing malaria was described as containing "serious
errors" and being "unacceptably poor". Doctors working for
Medical Justice, an organisation that provides voluntary medical assistance
for Yarl's Wood families, insist there is wider evidence of medical abuse
beyond the commissioner's report. They say they have documented evidence of a
child under 12 being given his mother's anti-depressant drugs on removal; of
a young person in severe pain with sickle cell disease being denied painkillers
because he was unable to walk to the clinic to receive them in person; and of
children contracting severe malaria on being returned to their home country
because they were refused suitable preventative medicine. Paediatrician Dr
Fred Martineau said: "The detention of children, whether newborn babies
or adolescents, almost invariably causes them physical or emotional
suffering. Doctors from Medical Justice regularly see the effects of this,
ranging from a failure to give immunisations against potentially fatal diseases, through to clinical depression ...The only way
of preventing this harm is to end their detention." Healthcare at Yarl's
Wood has long been a problem, with outbreaks of vomiting bugs and chickenpox
common. The centre was last night understood to be in the middle of yet another chickenpox quarantine. The report describes the
ordeal of "dawn raids" – where up to 20 officers arrive to seize
families in the early hours of the morning. Children repeatedly reported
being treated with violence, including being dragged on the floor and thrown
to the ground. Young people told how traumatised they were by the experience,
noting that officers seemed to be laughing at them and "taking pleasure
in the family's distress". The study said: "In a large majority of
cases, children reported that officers' behaviour had been aggressive, rude
and, on a few occasions, violent." Children were even watched by
officers of the opposite sex while they dressed, which the report called
"an unacceptable safeguarding risk which must be addressed
immediately". They also had to watch parents being handcuffed and
heavily restrained – a direct flouting of UKBA guidelines. One mother, so
distressed at being handcuffed in front of her family and thrown into a caged
van, tried to hang herself with her son's shoelaces. Caged prison vans are
routinely used to transport children to the centre near Bedford, despite
promises that people carriers would be used for families. Children were
denied toilet breaks or food and drink. The vans, the report says, are
"stained with urine and vomit". The commissioner also expressed
concern at the increase in the length of time for which children are being
held, which threatens their mental well-being. Last week, the Home Secretary,
Jacqui Smith, told MPs: "Detention is a final option and is only used
for the shortest period necessary." But the Children's Commissioner
says: "The average length of time children and young people are being
detained is increasing, and, crucially, the decision to detain them is
neither being used as a last resort nor for the shortest period of time as
required by Article 37 of the UN Convention on the Rights of a Child."
In conclusion, Sir Al calls for an end to the detention of children.
"Each year in the UK, we detain around 2,000 children for administrative
purposes. This has to end," he said. His call was echoed by the Liberal
Democrat leader Nick Clegg, who said: "The incarceration of thousands of
children accused of no crime, often for months on end, is inhumane. The treatment
of these vulnerable children in Yarl's Wood is a shameful indictment of the
Government's failed immigration policy." The Border and Immigration
minister Phil Woolas said: "If people refuse to go home then detention
becomes a necessity. We don't want to split up families, so we hold children
with their parents, and while they are in our care we treat them with
sensitivity and compassion." Taken away: 'They came for us at night' --
Dominic Mwafulirwa trembles at the words "Yarl's Wood". The
eight-year-old was asleep when six guards wrenched him and his mother,
Cecilia, 35, from their Swansea home in the early hours three months ago.
They had arrived in the UK from Malawi when Dominic was a year old. Cecilia,
who had run away from an abusive husband, started a new life in Wales, where
Dominic excelled at school. That life ended abruptly when the men arrived.
"Dominic didn't say a word from the time they came until we were locked
up," Cecilia says. "It was hard to keep his spirits up. When I
asked him why he wasn't going to the school at Yarl's Wood, he said: 'What's
the point? We're not learning anything.' He refused to wash and started
smashing things. He's still really angry and confused. "We spent 50 days
in that place. I lost 20kg. I'm a sickle cell patient and by the end of the
50 days my haemoglobin was too low. I'm really anaemic and they knew I had
depression. They changed my medication and they threatened to take my son
away." Cecilia and Dominic have been out of Yarl's Wood since the end of
March. They have yet to find out whether they will be allowed to stay in the
UK.
March
27, 2009 The Australian
THE research director of a British-based group that is expected to bid for
contracts to operate two jails in NSW has backed privatised facilities in which
inmates have keys to their cells and are on a first-name basis with their
jailers. Gary Sturgess, research director of the Serco Group, will tell a NSW
parliamentary inquiry today that decency, not efficiency, is the main reason
to privatise jails. He says overseas experience shows that prisoners enjoy
more privileges -- including being given the keys to their own cells -- in
correctional systems where private and public providers compete. Prisoners in
these systems spend more time out of their cells and have far greater
interaction with their jailers -- with whom they are
frequently on first-name terms -- than in systems where public providers face
no competition, Mr Sturgess says. The results are safer jails and lower rates
of reoffending. Serco is expected to bid for the contracts to operate
Cessnock prison, in the Hunter Valley, and Parklea prison, in western Sydney,
when the jails are privatised this year. The company already operates one
jail in Victoria and one in Western Australia. The decision by NSW Premier
Nathan Rees to privatise the two prisons has aroused heated opposition from
public sector unions and the Greens, and is opposed by a minority of MPs in
the Labor caucus. The privatisation of the jails is being driven by Prisons
Minister John Robertson, who led the campaign against power privatisation as
a union leader. Mr Sturgess's submission to the upper house inquiry links
private jail services in Britain to the "decency agenda" pursued by
former British prime minister Tony Blair. "Contract prisons in the UK
are more humane, partly because government demanded a higher standard when
writing the original contracts, partly because price was not allowed to
dominate the procurement process, and partly because the political and policy
environment at the time when the market was first established was focused on
the quality of prison life," the submission from Serco argues. As NSW
cabinet chief under former Liberal premier Nick Greiner between 1988 and
1992, Mr Sturgess drove a reform agenda that included the corporatisation of
government enterprises such as the railways and electricity transmission. He
told The Australian yesterday the British experience showed governments could
use competition in prison services as a way to set higher standards, not just
to get better value for money. "It gives a government an opportunity to
say, 'What kind of prisons do we want here?'," Mr Sturgess said. He said
the inmates in low- and medium-security prisons in Britain had been allowed
to hold duplicate keys to their own cells, which improved both efficiency and
decency. "If (the warder) is the only one with a key, then every time a
prisoner wants to go in and out of their cell you've got to send somebody to
look at it," he said. "This way, the inmate has the dignity of
having private space and a greater sense of security." The higher
proportion of women officers in private jails had changed the atmosphere.
"The difference is that if you've got a prison full of males, with all
the testosterone pumping around, people will attempt to man up," he
said. "You're not going to get any credit for assaulting a woman."
While such arguments will confound critics of prison privatisation on the
Left, Mr Sturgess, as a stalwart of NSW politics, knows another obstacle will
be the tough-on-crime stand of the major parties. "The objective has got
to be to reduce the cycle of reoffending," Mr Sturgess said. "If
the consequence of failing to address quality issues is that we do not break
the cycle of reoffending, we're actually increasing the crime problem."
March
6, 2009 The Examiner
THE father of a Government MP who accepted a $2000 donation from a
private prison operator is a lobbyist for another company bidding to run two
more NSW jails listed for privatisation. Leo McLeay, whose son Paul also
chaired a committee that reviewed private prison contracts, appears on the
NSW Premier's Department lobbyist register as a consultant for Enhance
Corporate. Enhance lists Serco as a client. Serco, a multinational that runs
a jail in Western Australia, has lodged an expression of interest with the
NSW Government to run Parklea and Cessnock jails. But both Leo McLeay, a
former speaker of the House of Representatives, and Serco say Enhance
Corporate is not involved in lobbying for the jails contract. A spokeswoman
for Serco, Emma Needham, said the company had engaged another lobbying firm,
Government Relations Australia, for the contract. "We are not using
Enhance on this project," Ms Needham told the Herald. "Our most
recent relationship with them was earlier this year. They were advising us on
transport issues. That work concluded earlier this week." Mr McLeay
confirmed he had worked with Serco but "on a small scoping study".
He said: "It is completely unrelated to prisons." According to a
list posted by the NSW Department of Commerce, four other companies have also
tendered for the contract. They are GSL Australia, Management and Training
Corporation, the London-based Sodexo and GEO Group Australia, which donated
$45,000 to the Labor Party before the state election in 2007 and which Paul
McLeay said had paid for a table at one of his fund-raising dinners. Leo
McLeay's firm lists several blue-chip corporations and organisations as
clients in NSW, including Cisco Systems, Lend Lease, United Group, the Australian
Rugby League and the Law Society. The executive director of the group is the
former Queensland deputy premier, Jim Elder, who quit politics in late 2000
after being caught up in an electoral fraud scandal. An associate director is
Chris Ellison, the former justice minister for the Howard government.
Meanwhile, NSW prison officers will begin overtime bans at Long Bay jail this
morning, with staff at Parklea, Grafton and other prisons expected to impose
similar bans over the weekend. The officers are angry about comments made
last week by Ron Woodham, the Corrective Services Commissioner, to an upper
house inquiry into the proposed privatisation of Cessnock and Parklea jails,
in which he accused them of the "manipulation" of overtime rosters.
"Commissioner Woodham has repeatedly claimed that prison officers are
chasing overtime, when the reality is the prisons rely on overtime because of
low staff levels," said the chairman of the Prison Officers Vocational
Branch, Matt Bindley.
August
7, 2006 Sharewatch
Support services company Serco Group PLC confirmed today it has held
talks with potential investors over the possible sale of its investments in
some of its private finance initiative (PFI) projects. The company, which was
responding to media reports, said it would retain management of the PFI
projects and the associated long-term service contracts in the event of any
sale. It added there was no certainty that any deals will be agreed. Serco is
talking about selling the majority of its PFI equity investments to I2, the
joint venture fund set up by Barclays Private Equity and SG Corporate &
Investment Banking, according to the Financial Times. Serco plans to dispose
of seven of its 11 PFI equity investments, which are understood to be worth
more than 70 mln stg, the newspaper reported. It is understood the
investments up for sale include Serco\'s equity in the Joint Services Command
and Staff College, a flagship PFI project, and the company\'s equity stake in
Premier Prisons, the private prisons and correctional services contractor,
although Serco\'s involvement in those projects would continue.
June
12, 2003
Support services group Serco has taken Wackenhut Correction Corporation (WCC)
to court over the future of Premier Custodial Group, their joint-owned subsidiary
The court action began just days after Group 4 sold its interest in WCC back
to the company. The companies are in dispute over the future of
Premier's UK operations following the take-over of Wackenhut, WCC's parent
company by Group 4 earlier this year. The action began on 6 May the court is
expected to reach its decision by the end of the month. Serco is
claiming that the take-over, which had placed the 57% of WCC formerly owned
by Wackenhut under Group 4's control, triggered a clause in the original
contract agreement which allows it to buy out WCC's half of the company at
90% of fair market value. A Serco spokesman said: "As far as we
are concerned, Group 4's buy-out of Wackenhut Corporation triggered the
shareholder's agreement and we are intending to exercise that."
Premier has won three PFI contracts to build and run prisons, making it one
of the largest players in the PFI corrections market, along with the
Sodexho-owned United Kingdom Detention Services and Group 4's own Global
Solutions Limited. (Public Private Finance)
Prisoner Tagging
Group 4 Securicor, Serco
17 May 2013 www.bbc.co.uk
Serco and G4S face billing probe
over electronic tagging. The £700m tagging contracts were signed in 2004. Two
major private security firms face an investigation into whether they were
overpaid for contracts to electronically tag criminals. G4S and Serco will be
investigated after Ministry of Justice officials identified potential
"billing" issues. Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said the
companies had promised to reimburse his department if errors had been made.
Both firms defended their services and said they were co-operating fully with
the audit. The contracts are worth £107m a year but unions say this could
rise to more than £1bn by 2015. Report within weeks Mr Grayling said
potential issues had been thrown up during the retendering process for the
contract to track offenders by satellite. Electronic tagging is used to
monitor criminals when they are released and to make sure they stick to any
curfews. Offenders have the tag attached to their ankle and their movements
recorded via a monitoring unit in their home. Any curfew breaches or
interference with the tag is reported to a control centre. "I take this
issue very seriously and my priority is to ensure that taxpayers' money is
spent appropriately and delivers value for money," the justice secretary
said. But Keith Vaz, chair of the influential Home Affairs Select Committee,
accused the government of failing to monitor the contracts "despite
knowing the difficulties with G4S". "G4S and Serco currently hold
17 contracts with the Home Office and it is essential a complete audit of
these contracts is now conducted," Mr Vaz said. Auditors Price
Waterhouse Coopers will look at information supplied to the Ministry of
Justice (MoJ) by the two companies during the tendering process and the
department's management of the contract. They are expected to report back on
their findings within six weeks. "Our suppliers have told me that they
take this seriously too," Mr Grayling added. "They are co-operating
fully and they have given me clear assurances that if any adjustment is
required to charges made to date, this will be put right promptly and
repayments made." 'Rush to privatise' In a statement, G4S said it was
carrying out the electronic monitoring of offenders in a "completely
open and transparent way". "We have worked with successive
governments to provide electronic monitoring services and under the current
agreement, which started in 2005, we estimate we have delivered savings to
the UK taxpayer of more than £2 billion," the statement said. Serco's
Elaine Bailey said the company had "every confidence" in the
service provided to the MoJ and would co-operate fully with the audit. But
probation officers' union Napo called for the two firms to be
"disallowed" from delivering services until the audit was complete,
and criticised the government's "rush to privatise the probation service".
Government plans to out-source much of the probation service to providers on
so-called payment-by-results contracts were recently criticised by senior
probation officers. Charities, voluntary groups and private firms like G4S
and Serco stand to benefit from the proposals.
August
29, 2011 UKPA
Two members of staff at a private security firm have been sacked after an
electronic tag was put on an offender's false leg, the company said.
Christopher Lowcock, 29, wrapped his prosthetic limb in a bandage and fooled
G4S staff who failed to carry out the proper tests when they set up the tag
and monitoring equipment at his Rochdale home. Lowcock could then simply
remove his leg - and the tag - whenever he wanted to breach his court-imposed
curfew for driving and drug offences, as well as possession of an offensive
weapon. A second G4S officer who went to check the monitoring equipment also
failed to carry out the proper test. Managers became suspicious last month,
but when they returned to the address a third time Lowcock had already been
arrested and was back in custody accused of driving while banned and without
insurance. A G4S spokeswoman said: "G4S tags 70,000 subjects a year on
behalf of the Ministry of Justice. Given the critical nature of this service
we have very strict procedures in place which all of our staff must follow.
"In this individual's case two employees failed to adhere to the correct
procedures when installing the tag. Had they done so, they would have
identified his prosthetic leg. Failure to follow procedure is a serious
disciplinary offence, and the two employees responsible for the installation
of the tag have now been dismissed." A Ministry of Justice spokesman
added: "We expect the highest level of professionalism from all our
contractors, and there are strict guidelines which must be followed when
tagging offenders. "Procedures were clearly not
followed in this case and G4S have taken action against the staff involved.
Two thousand offenders are tagged every week and incidents like this are very
rare."
June
3, 2008 Scunthorpe Telegraph
A PENSIONER faced being tagged as criminal and raided by police when a
security firm turned up at the wrong address. Michael Chafer (65), of Hindon
Walk, Scunthorpe, received a visit from Group 4 Securicor after the firm was
given the wrong details. The company, which issues tags on behalf of the Home
Office, has apologised to Mr Chafer for the mistake, which happens in just
one per cent of tagging cases. The tag was meant for a juvenile who had given
a false address. Mr Chafer was woken at 9pm on Friday by someone knocking on
his bedroom window. Afraid of what could happen, he
let the man into his property in the hope that the situation would be
resolved. He said: "I tried to tell him that there must have been some
kind of mistake as they had the right address and first name but the wrong
last name. "The man told me that if he did not
tag me the police would be round within two hours knocking my back door
down." Mr Chafer had to make a signed statement before the Group 4 man
would leave. "It was so distressing for my wife and I.
I have been a law-abiding citizen all my life. I have never even received a
parking ticket so I was so shocked when the man turned up on my doorstep with
an electronic tag." Mr Chafer later contacted the police, suspicious
that he may have been the victim of a bogus caller. "The man was
unshaven and did not have a uniform on. As everything happened so quickly I
did not think to ask for ID, or that he may have been a bogus caller, but
afterwards it started playing on my mind." A spokesman for Humberside
Police said: "We would like to commend this man for having the nous to
get in touch with us and tell us he had a visit from a suspicious caller. "The man did receive what he deemed to be a
suspicious call and he reported this to police but this turned out to be an
innocent mistake." A Group 4 Securicor spokeswoman said she wanted to
apologise to Mr Chafer for the inconvenience and the stress the mistake may
have caused, saying it happened in only one per cent of cases. "We are
sorry for the stress caused and we would like to offer our sincere apologise
to Mr Chafer. "The address given by the prison
service was wrong. "The person in question has now been tagged."
Approximately 11,000 people are tagged in Britain at any one time. The system
works by attaching an electronic device to the subject's ankle, which
transmits a signal. If the subject is not back in their house for a curfew either the local authority, the probation service or the
police are alerted immediately. Mr Chafer was shaken by the event but
realises it could have had more serious consequences. "It was very
upsetting and it is also scary to think that someone from the prison service
is not doing their job properly. "The situation
could have been far worse if it had been someone worse off than myself and more vulnerable. I just don't know what they
would have done."
July
7, 2007 Daily Mail
Alarming failures in the way that terror suspects are kept under
surveillance by electronic tagging have been revealed. Staff
working for the company responsible for maintaining a round-the-clock watch
on individuals linked to terrorism have no idea who they are
monitoring. And the system itself frequently crashes - sometimes, it is
claimed for as long as eight hours at a time. As security chiefs continued
their investigations into the terror threat following the failed London and
Glasgow airport bombing attacks, it emerged that: •The 'eye' which monitors
the tagged suspects relies on the mobile phone network operated by O2 -
making it vulnerable to a complete crash whenever the phone system goes down.
•The system is rendered useless when some offenders take a bath - allowing
them to use it as an excuse for avoiding detection. •Anonymity orders set by
courts mean that terror suspects are referred to by staff as the
"Alphabet Men' - Mr A or Mr B - keeping their real identity a secret
from those monitoring their movements. •Offenders can remove the metal tag by
melting it with a cigarette lighter. Last night the Justice Ministry pledged
a change in 'operational procedures' in response to what it described as
'very serious allegations', while Opposition MPs demanded a Commons
statement. The BBC's Panorama programme will reveal its own investigation
into the tagging system, after an undercover reporter got a job at the
Norwich headquarters of Serco, which has the £100million contract to run the
Government's Home Detention Scheme. Serco is also responsible for keeping
track of a number of the 17 terrorism suspects subject to control orders
imposed by British courts as an emergency measure after the Government found
it impossible to hold them without trial. At any one time, 2,700 criminals
are supposed to be closely monitored under the tagging regime to ensure they
do not leave home during curfew hours, which are usually between 7pm and 7am.
The Mail on Sunday has separately been told that one network failure,
rendering the tagging system unworkable in large parts of the country, lasted
for eight hours after the O2 signal went down. Last night Serco denied the
failure lasted that long, saying it had lasted for 'no more than an hour'.
Offenders who abuse the tagging system also have aget out<$$> ready-made
excuse - because the tags do not work in the bath. If an alarm signals that
the subject has absconded, Serco staff who phone up his or her home address
to check up are often told that the missing person is 'in the bath', where
the system may not work. The company said that this only occurred if the bath
was made of cast iron. But most older baths common
in rented properties are made of cast iron. Panorama reporter Irene Kyme kept
a diary of her time working for Serco, which has 29,000 employees in the UK
and dozens of multi- million contracts with Whitehall departments and
councils. The diary is not included in the programme to be shown on Tuesday
but has been disclosed to The Mail on Sunday. Her entry for February 21
reads: "One of my team-mates took a call from O2 today who told her all of the network in the country might go down
temporarily. This would mean losing contact with all of the [electronic
tagging] boxes in the country. Her entry for the next day says: "I had
assumed this [network failure] had not happened because I heard no more about
it. "But today we all received several calls
from subjects [tag wearers] saying their boxes had rung a couple of times and
then stopped." On March 5 Kyme wrote: "More O2 signal problems
tonight. We were given a pile of papers with hundreds of postcodes that had
serious outages where we could not monitor the boxes. It was because O2 was
doing engineering work all over the country. "I would have thought they
would have arranged for a back-up system if they knew they could not rely on
the O2 mobile phone signal." According to Kyme, the network was down for
eight hours between 10pm and 6am. Serco, however, says the cut-out lasted for
'no more than an hour'. Liberal Democrat MP Bob Russell, a member of the
Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, said: "People who come before the
courts should not be handed over as a commodity to private companies that run
private prisons, private prison vehicles or electronic tagging and whose
motive is profit. "There is clearly something
wrong with the electronic tagging system which needs to be looked at urgently
by the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice. "I shall be raising this
with the Select Committee. Whether it's somebody in breach of an ASBO or
somebody more serious like a potential terrorist suspect, we particularly
need to know whether any of those tagged can induce a malfunction. "This
would be worrying at any time, but concerns have been heightened by the
failed terrorist attacks of the past week." A Ministry of Justice spokesman
said: "These are very serious allegations and any failures will be
thoroughly investigated. Officials will be working with contractors to ensure
that lessons are learned, with changes made to operational procedures where
appropriate." A Serco spokesman said: "We regret that the BBC over
the course of five months have repeatedly refused to make their material
available to us so we can address any issues that arise.
"We will investigate the matters they raise and where necessary
take action. If the BBC has identified areas for improvement, we will of
course act on this." He added: "Even if the phone signal does go
down, there are back-up systems to make sure that contact and monitoring is
maintained. "As soon as the connection is
restored, all the information about the offender's whereabouts during the
period in question will be automatically downloaded to the control
centre."
June
1, 2007 Oxford Mail
A teenager who stole car keys and drove away the owners' vehicles during
a spate of night-time burglaries has been jailed. The 16-year-old from
Bicester breached a court-imposed curfew to commit more burglaries, Banbury
Youth Court heard. The teenager, who cannot be named, admitted breaking into
a house in Cypress Gardens, Bicester, and stealing car keys before driving
away the owner's Vauxhall Corsa on April 6. He asked for four other
burglaries in the Southwold area of Bicester to be taken into consideration.
They included three burglaries in Spruce Drive and one in Sycamore Gardens
between April 16 and 26. The court heard that the items taken included four
sets of car keys, three vehicles, two mobile phones, a laptop computer,
electrical items, a handbag, credit cards and alcohol. He was given a
10-month detention and training order. Carolyn Oakley, prosecuting, said the
youth was caught after a member of the public spotted him acting suspiciously
around a car stolen in the first burglary and reported the registration
number to police. The court also heard the teenager had a previous conviction
for a house burglary and had breached his curfew to commit the first two
offences. Peter Gotch, defending, said: "Group 4 security did not inform
the Youth Offending Team about these breaches so they were not able to take
action."
March
23, 2007 The Telegraph
Ministers have been forced to act after receiving disturbing evidence of
equipment failures and doctored record-keeping within Group 4 Securicor
Justice Services, which operates 60 per cent of tags for offenders released
early under the Home Detention Curfew scheme. A 130-page dossier obtained by
a BBC journalist, who worked undercover for five months in the security
company's Nottingham operations centre, includes the following allegations: A
manager secretly taped saying that three paedophiles were not being monitored.
A prisoner incorrectly returned to jail for seven weeks because of a blunder
by the security company. A violent offender breached his bail conditions by
going into a pub 10 minutes after removing his tag the night before his court
appearance. An employee mocked Victor Bates, a campaigner against tagging
whose wife Marian was shot dead in their jewellery shop after the gunman's
accomplice had ripped off his tag. A prisoner convicted of indecent assault
on home leave was unmonitored for several days because his tagging equipment
failed. The revelations will further undermine confidence in tagging after
figures revealed that inmates let out under the system committed more than
1,000 violent crimes including four manslaughters, one murder, 56 woundings
and more than 700 assaults since it was introduced in 1999. The investigation
also discovered evidence of staff fabricating records to save money. G4S is
paid around £45 million a year by the Home Office to administer the curfew
system. After being confronted with the evidence G4S, which has admitted
there was faulty equipment, has been forced to apologise and has suspended
five employees in Nottingham. A spokesman for the Home Office said:
"Public protection is the Government's first priority. The findings of this
programme are of concern. We are reviewing the contract and will be asking
G4S urgent questions to ensure that these allegations are thoroughly
investigated and issues arising are addressed." The investigation by a
team from BBC Inside Out East Midlands disclosed that the monitoring boxes in
tagged offenders homes, which relay information
about their movements, routinely broke down. One factor in the failure of the
system could be that G4S, which has admitted there
was a batch of faulty equipment in Nottingham, uses the mobile telephone
network technology rather than fixed lines. Steve Green, the Chief Constable
of Nottinghamshire, said the Home Office had to establish whether the
Nottingham problems were nationwide. "I want to urgently know if is this a Nottingham problem or a G4S problem. If it is a
G4S problem and this is the way company is run then that puts a huge
responsibility on the Home Office to tackle and address because that is not
acceptable," he said. Ian Ridgely, chief operations officer at G4S,
said: "We believe in a small number of cases that we may not have been
monitoring to the level that we would expect to, we apologise for that, we
accept that. From that point of view we recognise that the Home Office
requires us to work to a very high standard and of course we are sorry that
in some minor number of instances, we may not have operated to those
standards."
October
27, 2006 The Times
JOHN REID blocked a move by The Times yesterday to compel him to release
the names of two terrorism suspects on the run after breaking house
arrest-style orders. Mr Justice Collins criticised the Home Secretary for
failing to respond to the media’s initial application and ordered him to pay
the costs of the court application. He added: “These proceedings were only
rendered necessary by his failure to respond to their initial application.”
The Home Office had failed “to give sensible information” to the media at an
early stage. The Home Secretary had originally kept secret the escapes of both men, an Iraqi asylum-seeker and a British-born
Muslim. Yesterday Mr Justice Collins accepted the Home Office argument that
anonymity was necessary because of police concern about the effect on ongoing
anti-terrorism operations if the men’s names were released. He said that the
issue of anonymity should be kept under review in case circumstances changed.
The media organisations who attempted to have the names ban lifted included
The Times, other national newspapers and the BBC. It is feared that one of
the fugitives, the Iraqi asylum-seeker, has left the country, even though the
Home Office has his passport. He is alleged to have been part of a six-man
recruitment team sent to Britain to enlist young volunteers to join attacks
on British and US troops serving in Iraq. The suspect, who can be identified
only as LL, has been on the run since August, when he was under a control
order being monitored by Group 4 Securicor. Police are still trying to
discover how he managed to abscond before the High Court could announce that
he and five other Iraqis had won their appeals against their 18-hour curfews.
By the time police arrived at the suspect’s home in the Manchester area to
serve a new control order, an hour before the court ruling was made public,
LL had already vanished.
October
16, 2006 The Conservative Voice
The 17-year-old was tagged, that is, he had his ankle bracelet -
"tagging." The criminal’s leg jewels were to tend to civility under
police surveillance, assuring the set-free would behave. That particular teen
however must’ve forgotten the purpose of the ankle thing and so killed a
16-year-old girl while wearing the jewels, the latter worn per his bail
conditions on a theft charge. This goes on all the time in England. It adds
up to more than a thousand "violent offences - including murder and rape
- since the controversial scheme was introduced, shocking new figures
reveal," per Daily Mail’s Matthew Hickley. It is disgraceful that this
Government is happy to put people who are clearly unsuitable for tagging
right at the heart of our communities resulting in over 1000 violent offences
including 5 deaths. "If tagging is merely used as a means to combat the
prison overcrowding crisis then no one wins: the victim gets no justice, the
public get no protection, the offender gets no rehabilitation and the whole
scheme is undermined," according to Shadow Home Secretary David Davis.
Now what to do with Group 4 Securicor Justice Services and Serco Home
Affairs, two contractor outfits. They were to pay up £140,000 in financial
penalties, "mostly for failing to warn the authorities promptly of
breaches." No money in yet.
October
1, 2006 The People
Twenty-five jailbirds went on the run in the past 18 months after giving them
the slip. And escapes alone led to fines of £326,000 - £100,000 up on
2004-2005. The latest was armed robber Craig Hickinbottom, 24 - sprung last
week by two gunmen from a Reliance security van in Redditch, Worcs. Fines
also included more than £1m for getting prisoners to court late and almost
£800,000 for other errors. Lib Dem spokesman Nick Clegg said: "Labour
can't even manage basic criminal justice system tasks." Harry Fletcher,
of the National Association of Probation Officers, said escort duties would
be far more reliable if they were returned to the Prison Service.
October
1, 2006 The Observer
An urgent review was under way last night into how a rapist with a
history of violence was able to abscond from a hostel in Yorkshire, remove
his electronic tag and flee 250 miles to Somerset - despite being classed as
one of the most dangerous offenders released from prison under licence. A
series of apparent failures to supervise Kelly Edney, which are exposed by
The Observer today, are likely to provoke comparisons with a number of recent
high-profile cases involving violent offenders who were out on licence and
went on to commit further serious crimes. Edney, 26, who was jailed for seven
years for the rape of a 16-year-old girl in 1998, was under what the Home
Office terms 'enhanced supervision'. He was supposed to be checked on every
half an hour by staff at Box Tree Cottage hostel in Bradford, which is run by
the Langley House Trust, a charity that works with offenders. His criminal
history meant he was subject to a Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangement
order, which meant the hostel staff had been warned that he posed a serious
risk. In 2004 Edney was jailed for a further four years for making hoax phone
calls from prison in which he threatened to blow up Heathrow airport and a
number of railway stations. He also has convictions for arson, burglary and
assault. Yet last Tuesday night Edney broke off his electronic tag and made
for Leeds railway station, where he caught a train to the West Country. He
was picked up by police on Friday afternoon in Taunton, Somerset. The
Observer has established that Edney was not registered with Group 4
Securicor, the company charged with tagging him, as a high-risk offender, as
he should have been under the protection arrangement. This meant the firm
treated him as a less serious offender under home curfew.
September
20, 2006 The Independent
A LIVERPOOL man was on the run for 26 days and did not even know it.
David Parker was jailed after his mother Ann Marie Patchell took him into a
police station, unaware a warrant had been issued for his arrest. Mrs
Patchell is now calling for an inquiry into the handling of her son's case.
The 22-year-old had earlier been paroled on a tag from Walton jail after
serving a six-month sentence for affray and dangerous driving. But, he says,
on August 10 the tag fell off as he walked down the stairs at his Fazakerley
home. He called Securicor who sent a technician to replace the tag, and Mr
Parker continued with his call centre job and curfew. But a month later the
second tag came off and he was told to report to Lower Lane police station
where he was arrested, returned to Walton and had 26 days added to his
sentence. It later emerged a warrant had been issued for his arrest since the
first time the tag fell off. Merseyside police say they never received the
warrant, otherwise they would not have allowed him to remain at large.
March
16, 2006 Kable's Government Computing
Home Office assumptions about the high performance of tagging equipment,
used to monitor prisoners on early release, is based on "woefully inadequate"
evidence, MPs on the Public Accounts Committee were told on 15 March 2006.
The MPs heard from barristers that two of their clients, released from prison
under a home detention curfew, were fitted with electronic tags by Home
Office's contractor, Group 4 Securicor (G4S). When both men reported to G4S
that the tags had come off due to problems with their straps, they found
themselves back in prison. The Home Office rejected the men's appeals against
recall to prison and the straps were destroyed, despite the request that they
be retained for evidence. Last year the Home Office spent more than £100m on
electronic tagging. The system is now integral part of the criminal justice
system and there are plans to extend tagging for offenders and asylum seekers.
But the MPs heard that although more than 225,000 people have been tagged
since 1999, Home Office figures show that only two straps have been tested
during that time. Both tests were carried out on a single occasion on 2 July
2004. The committee was following up on a National Audit Office (NAO) report,
published in February 2006, which shows that Home Office requirements that
contractors carry out manual checks every 28 days, are not adhered to. Two
barristers, Ian Wise and Caoilfhionn Gallagher from London's Doughty Street
Chambers, go further: "We are not aware of any independent monitoring or
auditing of tags and equipment performance once fitted. We are not aware of
any independent monitoring of contractors' staff competence at installing and
fitting electronic monitoring," they told MPs in a written report
submitted at the hearing. Financial penalties imposed on the tagging
contractors for poor performance, create an incentive to not to take proper
responsibility for problems, said the barristers. Tom Riall, chief executive
of tagging supplier Serco Home Affairs, told the committee that in 2005 his
company paid the Home Office £41,000 in penalties. G4S managing director
David Taylor-Smith said in the last 12 months his company had paid £100,000
in penalties. Taylor-Smith said that most of this was before April 2005, when
his company introduced a new national IT system to streamline its processes.
Taylor-Smith said he was 100% satisfied with his company's equipment.
"We have yet to find an example of someone circumventing the
equipment," he said. The barristers believe the current electronic
tagging system is poorly structured, with private contractors being
responsible for implementing a system and monitoring their own performance.
They also claim the NAO's report does not fully examine equipment performance
and "does not touch on" human error in fitting tags. "Rigorous
and independent scrutiny of electronic monitoring schemes is required,"
Wise and Gallagher's report said. "Without such scrutiny, it is
difficult to assess whether the schemes represent value for money and respect
the rights of those most affected by electronic monitoring – those who wear
the tags." Conservative MP Richard Bacon, acting chair of the committee,
also raised the issue of problems with finalising paperwork so that prisoners
can be released. The NAO examined 100 case files. It found that 58 prisoners
were granted release under a home detection curfew, but only 28 of these
(48%) were released on their eligibility date.
January
29, 2006 UPI
British criminals convicted of assault and burglary are breaking their home
curfews unhindered, in some cases staying out for hundreds of hours. The
Sunday Times of London reports flaws in the tagging system -- created in 1999
to reduce Britain's prison population -- have been exposed by a monitoring
center run by Group 4 Securicor, which oversees most of the 11,000 tagged
offenders. The records for one center show 600 criminals -- two-thirds of
those the center is supposed to manage -- broke their curfews. Home Office
figures show offenders let out of jail early under the home detention curfew
scheme may have been responsible for more than 7,000 crimes since Jan. 1999.
In one case, a released convict accrued 348 hours of violations -- the equivalent
of ignoring his curfew for four weeks in a row -- yet was fined only £45
($76.50), the newspaper said. In another case, officials took a week to
contact a man who had skipped his curfew for 120 hours.
January
19, 2006 IC Surrey
A JUDGE has criticised the system that let a young crook slip off his tag and
pose as a plain-clothed policeman, stealing cash from elderly victims while
on early release for almost identical crimes. Albert Smith, 19, of Reigate
Road, Brockham, was sent back to a young offenders' institution for three
years on Friday. In sentencing him at Guildford Crown Court, Judge John Bull
QC said the authorities were aware Smith was repeatedly breaching his curfew
and going out without his tracker device but did nothing. He said: "If
someone had gone to see whether he had a tag on perhaps they
might have taken some action and two people might have found they weren't
burgled." But Smith had been given only one warning, despite numerous
breaches of his home curfew being reported. His repeated non-compliance went
unchecked after he told probation and Group 4 security officials what they
wanted to hear, allowing him to continue.
Prisoner Transport
Group 4 Securicor (formerly Global Solutions), Reliance, Serco
January
12, 2012 This Is Local London
POLICE are looking for a man who escaped from a security van window as he was
being driven to Belmarsh. Tyran Reid, 33, had just appeared at Greenwich
Magistrates’ Court and was being driven back to prison in a Serco-Wincanton
van on January 6 when he escaped at 4.10pm. Whilst the van was stationary in
traffic in Woolwich Road at a junction with Fingal Street, Greenwich, Reid
managed to slip through a skylight window.
October
16, 2011 BBC
More than 25,000 cab journeys have taken place since August, Serco said. The
Ministry of Justice has admitted a private security firm is using black cabs
to take prison inmates to court. The firm, Serco, has a seven-year deal -
with a further three-year option - worth up to £420m. But the company has
been forced to transport inmates in London and east England in cabs after
their computerised booking system failed. Conservative MP Patrick Mercer said
he would raise the issue with Home Secretary Theresa May. 'Extraordinarily
expensive' -- Mr Mercer said he was worried about the cost of hiring cabs,
and the perception defendants were being driven around in luxury. "I
just think it is ridiculous that a security company such as Serco misjudges
things so badly that prisoners are moved to and fro in black taxis," he
said.
August
16, 2011 BBC
An investigation is under way after a prisoner escaped in Hereford while
being transported by a security firm. The 17-year-old was being taken from
Hereford Youth Court by Reliance on Monday afternoon when he fled in the
Aylestone Hill area of the city. He was recaptured later in the evening after
a search involving the police helicopter and dogs. Two staff from Reliance were taken to hospital with severe bruising. They were
taking the prisoner to Werrington Young Offenders' Institution in Stoke-on-Trent.
A statement from Reliance, which is now investigating the escape, said:
"We transport and oversee the welfare of 200,000 prisoners every year
with incidents of this nature being extremely rare."
July
20, 2011 BBC
The trial of an alleged gang accused of using guns and grenades to intimidate
rivals collapsed after two defendants escaped from a prison van. Kirk Bradley
and Tony Downes, both 25, were being taken to Liverpool Crown Court when the
security van they were in was ambushed by armed men. The van was attacked in
Trinity Way, Manchester on Monday morning. Judge Henry Globe, the Recorder of
Liverpool, discharged the jury following a 10-week trial. He sent the jurors
home after asking if they could ignore Monday's events and consider the case
only on the evidence they had heard. Judge Globe said: "In other words,
an insufficient number of you have been able to confirm that you will be able
to ignore the events of Bradley and Downes' escape from the prison van last
Monday. "The events of last Monday are
extremely rare and were very unexpected and their
impact cannot be underestimated. "The fact of this decision is that the
trial simply cannot continue." The judge said it was not clear if the
armed men who sprung them from the van were friends or enemies Before being
discharged the jury was told that Mr Bradley and Mr Downes remained "at
large" and that it was not known whether the armed men who sprung them
from the prison van were "friends or enemies" or if they went
"willingly or unwillingly".
July
19, 2011 BBC
Police have mounted an international search for two men who escaped from a
prison van after it was attacked by an armed gang in Manchester. Kirk Bradley
and Tony Downes fled after the gang stopped the van in Trinity Way on Monday
morning, attacked the driver and forced him to open the vehicle. The men,
both 25 and from Liverpool, were being transported to Liverpool Crown Court,
where they were on trial. Police said efforts were being made to see if they
have left the country. Bradley and Downes stand accused of conspiracy to
possess firearms with intent to endanger life and conspiracy to commit
criminal damage with intent to endanger life.
July
18, 2011 BBC
Two prisoners have escaped from a jail van after it was ambushed by armed men
on the outskirts of Manchester city centre. A number of men attacked the van
in Trinity Way at about 0830 BST, Greater Manchester Police said. They fled
in a Saab, which was found abandoned about a mile away in Barrow Street,
Salford. A security guard has been taken to hospital but his injuries are not
believed to be life threatening. Det Sgt Paul Copplestone urged anyone with
information to contact Greater Manchester Police.
February
8, 2011 The Guardian
The Guardian has obtained a training video used by Securicor - now G4S - to
instruct guards deporting asylum seekers on flights. The footage forms part
of a dossier of evidence produced by G4S whistleblowers. The inaugural flight
to Afghanistan should have been a showcase for a multinational company vying
for the lucrative contract to deport foreign nationals on behalf of the
British government. The plane heading to Kabul on 26 January 2004 had been
chartered by a company that would go on to become part of the world's largest
private security firm – G4S. Its cargo included refused asylum seekers in
handcuffs. A number had their legs bound with tape and had been placed in the
first-class cabin. But according to new evidence some of the guards on that
flight, recruited to supervise the deportation, had not completed a full
training course, and they included a number of inexperienced prison staff.
Some had not even received Home Office accreditation. Shocking details about
that flight and dozens more are contained in previously unseen evidence to
parliament obtained by the Guardian. The documents reveal how G4S employees
spent several years raising concerns about the potentially lethal methods
being used on refused asylum seekers. The most disturbing technique involved
bending deportees over in their seats and placing their head between their
legs. The procedure became known within the company as "carpet
karaoke" because it would force detainees, struggling for breath, to
shout downwards toward the floor. Although an apparently successful method of
keeping disruptive detainees quiet, it can lead to a form of suffocation
known as positional asphyxia. Its alleged use is documented in written
testimony by four G4S whistleblowers, submitted to the home affairs select committee
in the aftermath of the death of Jimmy Mubenga, an Angolan who died on a
British Airways flight from Heathrow in October last year. The cause of
Mubenga's death remains unknown. Passengers on BA flight 77 reported seeing
three guards heavily restraining the 46-year-old, who they said had been bent
over and complained of breathing difficulties before his collapse. Police
later arrested the guards in connection with the death and recently extended
their bail until next month. Grievances -- All four whistleblowers have
registered personal grievances against G4S, including some that have been settled out of court. Some are understood to
have been themselves accused of inappropriate behaviour or later barred from
conveying their concerns to the press. However, they now accuse G4S managers
of presiding over a "macho" corporate culture that ostracised staff
who showed compassion towards detainees or questioned the safety of their
treatment. One of the whistleblowers, the company's serving charter
operations manager, concedes that his detailed dossier to parliament is
likely to result in his dismissal. The dossier records how he repeatedly
wrote to his seniors expressing concerns, including one letter in which he
stated that some G4S employees were playing "Russian roulette with
detainees' lives".
January
15, 2011 The Sun
THREE private security guards were arrested over claims prisoners were sold
cocaine - at TWO sprawling courts. The two men and a woman were nicked in
swoops hours apart, not thought to be linked. They were suspended by security
firm Serco and are on police bail. Cops, Serco and the Prison Service
launched a joint operation after "intelligence" was picked up
alleging cocaine sales. It is understood the continuing probe also focuses on
whether other contraband - including mobiles and SIM cards - was also being
supplied.
January
13, 2011 Streatham Guardian
The escape of a dangerous prisoner from a Wimbledon court has sparked an
investigation – as magistrates voiced concerns about security at the building.
Private security firm Serco, which is contracted to escort prisoners
appearing at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court, has said it will examine how he
was able to climb out of the dock to go on the run for 11 days before handing
himself in to the police in Battersea on Friday. The man, who was not
handcuffed when he appeared in the locked dock last Monday after his arrest
in Wandsworth, climbed on to a bench before hauling himself over a plastic
wall that supposedly sealed the dock from the rest of court number one. The
escape of the 21-year-old from West Norwood prompted police appeals, in which
the public were told he was dangerous and should not be approached. He had
just been told he was to be kept in custody for two months before facing
three charges of robbery, allegedly stealing cash and electrical equipment in
Merton and Wandsworth last year, and one of carrying a bladed weapon. One
magistrate at the Alexandra Road court said they heard there was not enough
security in the court building on the day of the escape. They said: “If he
was on the loose I would have to dive under the table.”
October
29, 2010 Financial Times
G4S, the security group, is to be replaced on a £30m-a-year ($48m) contract
to deport detainees from the UK, the Home Office said. The loss comes after
three security guards employed by G4S were arrested over the death of an
Angolan man last week. However, the UK Border Agency said its decision to
award a new four-year “escort services” contract to Reliance Security rather
than G4S, which had done the job for the past five years, had no connection
with the incident. Jimmy Mubenga, a 46-year-old deportee, died after he
collapsed onboard a British Airways flight that was preparing to depart to
his homeland from London’s Heathrow airport. The Home Office declined to
disclose the sums involved in the G4S or Reliance contracts, citing
commercial confidentiality. However, G4S said that it would take a hit of
£30m in revenues and £2m in profits next year – a fraction of the company’s
£7.4bn forecast sales and £393.7m pre-tax profits in the year to the end of
December. Shares in G4S fell 4.8p at 261.7p. G4S
said it was disappointed at the decision to hand the contract to its
privately owned rival.
May
28, 2010 London Evening Standard
A CROWN court security officer has been jailed for six years for supplying
defendants in his cells with drugs and mobile phones which they could later
sell in prison. Daniel Birkett, 30, would provide the prisoners with
cannabis, cocaine and pay-as-you-go phones, which they would hide in their
clothes or internally before returning to HMP Wandsworth. Birkett received up
to £150 a time for these exchanges at Blackfriars crown court holding cells.
Inner London crown court heard that mobile phones are a "vital commodity"
in prisons and change hands for up to £500. Inmates use them to keep up
criminality behind bars and potentially to intimidate witnesses. Drugs can be
sold in prison for three times their street value. Birkett, who worked for
security firm Serco, was caught last December after another security officer
found wraps of drugs in a defendant's waistband. A further search revealed
two hollowed batteries concealed in his body containing 10 more wraps of
drugs. All the security staff's lockers were searched and drugs and a large
tub of Vaseline were found in Birkett's locker, as well as two mobile phones.
Birkett, who admitted charges of conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs and
to convey a list B article (the phones), claimed that he was "frightened
of the prisoners" and that they had threatened to hurt his family if he
told police or refused to co-operate. However, Judge Roger Chapple said
Birkett, of North Woolwich, had entered the conspiracy "willfully and
for financial gain".
January
4, 2010 BBC
A prisoner has admitted escaping from the crown court in Swansea after
using a shoe lace to tamper with a lock. James Stevenson, who is 30, also
admitted separate charges of stealing 28 gold rings and assault with intent
to resist arrest. Stevenson, who fled the Guildhall court in October after
being given a five-year term for firearm offences
appeared via video link at Swansea Crown Court. He also asked Judge John
Diehl to be sentenced via video link. The judge said he would be sentenced as
soon as possible and that sentencing could be as early as Tuesday as no
pre-sentence report was required. The court heard Stevenson had used a shoe
lace to tamper with a latch on his cell door during the escape. He remained
at large for 17 days before being arrested. Following his arrest questions
were raised about security at the court building. Judge Diehl heard private
security firm Reliance had completed its own internal investigation into the
escape, and he would be provided with a copy at the sentencing hearing.
November
2, 2009 Daily Mail
An illegal immigrant rapist was on the run today after escaping guards while
being taken to the toilet. Imtiaz Hussain, 44, said to be a 'serious threat
to women', was being escorted to the Pakistan High Commission in London when
he fled. He had been at a meeting to get a new passport so he could be
deported at the end of nine-year sentence for trying to rape two women at
knifepoint. Hussain was being escorted by security guards from G4S Care and
Justice Services when he fled the building through a window on Friday
afternoon. He was last seen running across Sloane Square. A Home Office
spokesman said they could not confirm whether he had been handcuffed at the
time, or how many security officers were with him before he escaped. DCI
Brent Lancaster said: 'This individual is believed to be very dangerous and
we need to apprehend him as soon as possible.
October
5, 2009 BBC
A "dangerous" prisoner who escaped from a Swansea court just after
being sentenced had previously broken out of prison, it has been reported.
James Stevenson, 29, who has a previous conviction for manslaughter, fled
court on Friday after being given a five-year jail term for a firearms
offence. The South Wales Evening Post has reported he had briefly escaped
from a prison in Dorset in 2005. Questions are now being asked about the
security at the Guildhall building. Rene Kinzett, leader of the Conservative
group on Swansea council, said the escape was worrying for residents of the
city. South Wales Police have warned the public not to approach him. In 2002,
Stevenson killed his mother's boyfriend by stuffing newspaper in his mouth
and gagging him. He then dumped his body in a river. At his trial later that
year, Stevenson denied murder but pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced
to five years. He escaped from a Dorset prison in 2005 but was caught after
half an hour, the Evening Post said. It is thought Stevenson managed to leave
a basement custody suite at the Guildhall building before fleeing on Friday
afternoon after being jailed for breaching the terms of his licence and
possessing a .410 shotgun. He should have been taken from Swansea to Cardiff
prison to begin his sentence, with the private security firm Reliance making
the transfer, before he absconded at about 1300 BST. According to an
eyewitness, he made his way across the flat roof of the court building before
clambering down a drainpipe and escaping into the city. Reliance has launched
an investigation into how Stevenson was able to escape and is working with
police to return him to custody. The firm said incidents like this were
"extremely rare". The National Offender Management Service is also
carrying out its own investigation. The court building he absconded from is
often used as an overspill for the nearby main court. Sanctions -- Mr Kinzett
said that Stevenson's escape raised a number of questions, including whether
the Guildhall was secure enough for high-profile cases. He also wanted to
know what role Reliance played in what happened and what sanctions it could
face if it is at fault. "I am very worried that people of Swansea have
been put at risk," he said. "They have been exposed to a huge risk
through the escape of this dangerous man and obviously people need to
co-operate with the police."
June
11, 2009 This Is Nottingham
A SUICIDAL prisoner ran through the grounds of a primary school naked in
a violent escape bid. Patrick Jones, 29, had just assaulted two prison guards
in their van after they saved his life. Nottingham Crown Court heard he was
"lashing out like a crazed animal" when they brought him round from
a failed suicide attempt. "He broke free, ran off down the motorway
embankment into some trees," said Dawn Pritchard, prosecuting. "He
removed his jeans and ran off naked. He ran through the grounds of Trowell
Primary School naked at 12.15pm on April 16 last year. He was located near
Cossall village." Global Solutions custody officers Maxine Starbuck and
Richard Carrington stopped their van 15-20 minutes into their journey when
Jones made a "half-hearted" suicide attempt with a ligature. The
court heard the father-of-two dropped forward and went blue. The officers cut
the ligature from his neck and he took a gasp for air. Mr Carrington was hit
in the legs and Ms Starbuck's hair was pulled. "He said there were
voices in his head to kill himself and that's what he intended to do,"
said Miss Pritchard. Jones was being driven from Derby Magistrates' Court to
Nottingham Prison when the drama unfolded. The officers were aware he was
considered a suicide risk. Judge Dudley Bennett sentenced Jones to nine
months in prison consecutive to a three-year sentence he is serving for
burglary. The judge said that prison officers had to be protected from
violence. "If you offer them violence you serve a sentence for it."
Jones, of St Giles Road, Derby, pleaded guilty to escape and two counts of
assault causing actual bodily harm on the officers. Mark Watson, in
mitigation, said: "He was very unwell at the time of this offence and
that impacted on his behaviour."
May
27, 2009 Morning Star
The Home Office has come under fire as allegations have emerged that an
African national was so badly beaten by guards during an attempted
deportation this month that he required hospital treatment. The shocking
claims have raised further questions over the abuse of asylum-seekers in
detention and the Home Office's deportation protocols. The man, who cannot be
identified for fear of reprisals, is alleged to have suffered vicious
beatings as the authorities attempted to deport him from Britain to his
native country via France. He was left bleeding and battered to such a severe
degree at the hands of G4S - formerly Group 4 - security guards that a French
pilot refused to allow him on the flight which would have returned him to
Africa, supporters claim. As a result, the man has now been returned to
detention in Britain, where it is feared that there will be yet another
attempt to deport him. The allegations, made to the Morning Star by
anti-deportation campaigners on Wednesday, add to a litany of cases in which
detainees, overwhelmingly of African origin, have suffered racist and
physical abuse at the hands of state-sanctioned private security personnel.
So grave is the problem that campaigning group Medical Justice compiled a
report on the issue - Outsourcing Abuse - which was published last year. The
report documented over 300 cases where abuse was alleged, often at the hands
of security firms operating government contracts for the "escort"
and removal of deportees. Summarising its findings, Medical Justice stated:
"While the practice of using private companies for running detention
centres and escorting of forced removals may contribute to a certain level of
'see no evil, hear no evil,' our understanding is that the Home Office is
aware of an unacceptable level of alleged abuse through its own complaints
procedure. "We consider the evidence in this report reveals what may
amount to state-sanctioned violence, for which ultimate responsibility lies
with the Home Office." In the latest case, the detainee was deported as
far as Paris, having been handcuffed, had fingers jammed into his nostrils
and been beaten and stamped on by guards. So blatant were his injuries that
the Air France pilot refused to take the injured man on the flight. This also
does not appear to be an isolated incident. The report gives one example of
abuse as follows: "The officers kicked and punched him and kneed him in
the nose. He was then placed in the segregation unit and left naked and
without a mattress to sleep on. "Later that evening, the applicant
attempted to kill himself. He was visited by police officers who convinced
him to withdraw his complaint. Under duress, the applicant agreed." Last
November, an investigation was launched into allegations that Cameroonian Anselme
Noumbiwa suffered similar brutality. He too was deported to Paris where an
Air France pilot refused to fly him to Africa and contacted police over the
barbarity of his treatment. A UK Border Agency spokesman said: "UKBA
takes all allegations of assault extremely seriously. We expect the highest
levels of integrity from those carrying out duties on our behalf and the
majority of staff carry out their roles with
professionalism and integrity. "We are committed to ensuring that
removals are always carried out in the most sensitive way possible, treating
those being removed with courtesy and dignity. "Any allegations of
misconduct are thoroughly investigated and all allegations of abuse are
referred to the police. If evidence of alleged abuse during a removal is presented
to us retrospectively we will fully investigate the claims." The Morning
Star contacted G4S for comment but, by time of press, it had not replied.
May
11, 2009 BBC
A prison van driver has been cleared of murdering a woman who was dancing
in front of his vehicle. Andrew Curtis was also cleared of the manslaughter
of Nyaraui Benjamin. Ms Benjamin, described as
"eccentric" and prone to dancing in traffic, was trapped under the
van in Brixton, south-west London, in April 2008. Mr Curtis, 49, told the Old
Bailey that Miss Benjamin's death had been an accident, as he could not see
her after she moved his windscreen wiper. During the trial he said: "If
she was in front of my vehicle, as we now know, I could not see her and I did
not see her." Judge Martin Stephens said it had been a "most
difficult and unusual case" for everyone involved.
May
7, 2009 Hounslow Guardian
A scarfaced prisoner who escaped from court after duping guards by
telling them he was desperate for the toilet has handed himself in. Roger
Buckingham appeared at Isleworth Crown Court charged with a string of
offences. These included a serious assault and car theft
and was warned he could be jailed if convicted. But soon after
appearing in front of a judge, the 26-year-old fled. He spent less than 24
hours on the run before handing himself to HMS Wormwood Scrubs yesterday
morning and taken back into custody. On Tuesday Buckingham fooled prison
guards by begging them to let him use the toilet before they left the court,
and then escaped on foot at around 4.20pm. Buckingham faced charges of
aggravated vehicle theft, taking a vehicle without consent, assault
occasioning actual bodily harm, another charge of theft and attempting to
steal a car, all in February. It is not known how Buckingham fled from prison
guards. Police launched a London wide appeal for Buckingham, who has three
scars across his face and cops warned members of the public he could be
dangerous. A spokesman for Serco, which transports prisoners to and from
court, said: “We can confirm that a prisoner who was in the care of our court
escort service escaped from Isleworth Crown Court. “We are working closely
with the Metropolitan Police and the court authorities to ensure that this
individual is returned to custody as quickly as possible. “This incident is
regrettable and we will conduct a full investigation into how it occurred.”
Serco refused to comment on how Buckingham gave its guards the slip. A
Ministry of Justice spokesman confirmed it was investigating the
circumstances which led to Buckingham’s escape.
April
29, 2009 Bromley Times
A PRISON van driver ran over and killed a woman in "a moment of complete
madness" after she started dancing in the street, a court heard. Andrew
Curtis, 49, of The Ridge, Orpington, edged forward into Naomi Benjamin, 34,
until she slipped and fell under the wheels of the vehicle on April 22 last
year. He then drove over her body, twisting her head until her neck was
broken and dragging her 10 metres along the road, jurors were told at his
murder trial at the Old Bailey this week. Horrified witnesses surrounded the
driver and beat on the sides of the van in anger after the incident in
Brixton. Bystander Susan Fraser, giving evidence on Tuesday, said: "She
was in front of the prison van dancing, waving [her] arms around and
shouting. There was a lot of action going on. "The prison van eventually
moved forwards and Naomi moved backwards. The van moved forwards again and
almost touched her. She was obstructing the vehicle, she was shouting but I
couldn't understand any words." She then jumped up and pulled the
passenger windscreen wiper down before tumbling to the floor. Ms Fraser
added: "That was when the prison van escalated. She fell under the wheel
and the van continued moving up the hill and she was underneath it. I was in
shock. "I remained there until she was run over and I made my way
towards the van. "There was an immediate rush
of people towards the van, screaming and shouting at the van to stop.
"It was very nasty. Things got a bit nasty." Curtis, who had worked
for Serco for six years, was transporting prisoners from a court in
Westminster to Brixton prison during rush hour. He had stopped at the traffic
lights outside the KFC in the middle of the three-lane carriageway heading
southbound on Brixton Road. Prosecutor Simon Denison said: "She was
killed suddenly and utterly needlessly by this defendant in a moment of
complete madness. "She slipped and fell in
front of the centre of the van. You may think he must have realised what had
happened but quite incredibly he continued to drive the van forward and he
went over her." The victim was still alive when the first paramedic
arrived but by the time she could be moved from under the vehicle she was
dead. Describing Ms Benjamin, Mr Denison said: "She was well known in
the community, a local character. She was often dressed in brightly coloured
clothes. She was outgoing and a loud person. Unfortunately she was often
drunk." The trial continues.
March
30, 2009 The Sun
AN arsonist was on the run last night after escaping from jail by clinging to
the underside of a prison van. Frenchman Julien Chautard, 39, was among ten
lags who had just arrived at Pentonville jail.
Chautard, who was starting a seven-year stretch at the North London prison
after being convicted on Friday, crept under the van belonging to security
firm Serco while the others filed into a reception area. A source said: “The
van went into the prison’s secure area, then they unloaded the prisoners.
“Normally as prisoners come off the vehicle and into the building there is
somebody who searches and escorts them — but there wasn’t this time.. “Chautard didn’t go into the building and the van left.
“When the van was checked afterwards they found foot prints and finger hold
marks on the underside.”
January
16, 2009 BBC
A man facing assault and burglary charges who went on the run after a
prison van was stopped by an armed man has been recaptured. Wayne Joseph
Connor, 20, fled when the van was stopped a short distance from Feltham Young
Offenders' Institution in west London on Monday. A Serco van was forced to
pull over by two men, one of them with a shotgun. Police said Connor was
arrested at the Clumber Park Hotel in Worksop, Nottinghamshire. Shortly after
midnight detectives from the Specialist Crime Directorate of the Metropolitan
Police along with officers from Nottinghamshire Police entered the hotel room
and arrested Connor. He had been missing since Monday when the Serco van was
stopped near the Clockhouse Roundabout in Feltham at about 0730 GMT. Two men,
one of them armed with a shotgun, threatened the security staff before
driving off with Connor. He had been due to appear at Woolwich Crown Court
accused of three charges of assault and three of burglary.
January
12, 2009 BBC
A suspected burglar escaped when an armed man held up a prison van carrying
him to court. The Serco van was forced to pull over and two men wearing
balaclavas smashed the driver's window and threatened him with shotgun.
Prisoner Wayne Connor, 20, was driven away after the raid, a short distance
from Feltham Young Offenders' Institution in west London. No shots were fired
and the driver has been treated for cuts and bruises. Mr Connor has been
charged with racially aggravated burglary and two counts of actual bodily
harm. An unknown number of other offenders were also being transported, but
were secured at the scene, police said. Prisoner transfer -- Police
investigating the raid on Monday morning have cordoned off several streets
near Bedfont Road. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "Local officers
and London Ambulance Service attended. "The
driver of the van is believed to have been assaulted. "He was taken by
London Ambulance Service to hospital and is in a stable condition." The
van was driving suspects from Feltham Young Offenders' Institution to
Woolwich Crown Court, said a spokesman for Serco, the private firm contracted
to provide prisoner transfers. Another member of staff was unhurt during the
incident.
December
23, 2008 New Ham Recorder
A "DANGEROUS" sex offender has escaped from court, prompting a
warning from police not to approach him. Paul Reid, 32, formerly of Haldane
Road, East Ham, is a convicted rapist and burglar. He was sentenced to two
years in jail for indecent assault at Inner London Crown Court last week. He
was at the same court on Monday for an appeal hearing when he escaped while
in the custody of a private security firm which moves prisoners. It is at
least the third time Reid has managed to flee from custody. In September 2001
he vaulted the dock at Snaresbrook crown Court and made good his escape
through the judge's chambers. He was arrested next day in East Ham. Two
months earlier he was handed a six month sentence for an earlier escape from
Redbridge Court. In July 1997 Reid was caged for six years after a jury found
him guilty of beating and raping a 16-year-old girl in Ilford Police said
Reid is known to frequent the Plaistow neighbourhoods. He is black, 5ft 10in
tall and muscular. He was last seen wearing a black fleece jacket and blue
jeans. A spokesman for private security company Serco, responsible fro
transferring prisoners, said: "This incident is regrettable and we will
conduct a full investigation into how it occurred. "We
are working closely with the Metropolitan Police and the court authorities to
ensure that this individual is returned to custody as quickly as possible.
December
16, 2008 Guardian
A Kurdish asylum seeker who sewed up his mouth in an attempt to avoid
being returned to Iraq last week had the stitches forcibly removed and was
still put on the plane the next day, it emerged yesterday. He was among 49
rejected asylum seekers who were put on a special charter flight to northern
Iraq last Wednesday, which took off six hours late from Stansted and was
forced to return to Britain after being refused permission to land in Iraq.
The flight's take-off was delayed because two asylum seekers had to be
removed from the cabin. One had smuggled a blade on board and slashed his
stomach, while a second concussed himself by banging his head against the
window. A witness on the plane said many of the 76 Group 4 Securicor guards
who accompanied the deportees were shocked by what happened. Some deportees
were in handcuffs and others in leg irons.
October
17, 2008 BBC
A prison van driver has denied murdering a woman who was killed when she
was knocked down by the vehicle in south-west London. Andrew Curtis, 48, from
Orpington, south-east London, is charged with the murder of Nyaraui Benjamin,
34. Ms Benjamin was knocked down and trapped under the van carrying 11
prisoners in Brixton Road on 22 April. Mr Curtis, who worked for Serco Court
Escort Services, was granted bail by the Old Bailey to face trial in April.
July
12, 2008 BBC
A prison van driver accused of murdering a woman by hitting her with his
vehicle has appeared in court. Andrew Curtis, 48, of Serco Court Escort
Services, is charged with the murder of Nyaraui Benjamin, 34, in Brixton,
south-west London. Ms Benjamin was trapped under the van carrying 11
prisoners in Brixton Road, south-west London, on 22 April. Mr Curtis was
remanded in custody at Camberwell Green Magistrates' Court, to appear at the
Old Bailey on 17 October.
July
1, 2008 The Independent
The government is investigating claims that a 26-year-old asylum-seeker
from Cameroon was so badly assaulted during her forced removal on a British
Airways flight that she has to use a wheelchair. Stephanie Toumi claims that
British security guards kicked her in the back of the leg and held her head
down for two hours on a flight from Heathrow to Brussels earlier this month.
Her injuries were so serious that Belgian immigration officials refused to
allow the escort team to fly her on to Cameroon, claims Toumi, who fled her
home in March after being tortured and abused by a village chief. In April,
the Home Office rejected Toumi's asylum claim and fast-tracked her case to
Yarl's Wood detention centre in Bedfordshire for an early removal flight from
the UK on June 5. Toumi alleges she was assaulted by four Group 4 Securicor
(G4S) guards when she approached BA staff on the plane to inquire about her
luggage. She alleges: "The escorts threw themselves on me. One scraped
me and I fell on my stomach, the other trapped my arms, twisting them behind
and the other two put on handcuffs. I felt a very severe pain in my body and
I wanted to twist my right foot to get up, but one of them totally paralysed
this foot by giving me a sharp blow with his knee. "When they finished
handcuffing me one of them caught hold of my hair to lift me up. I felt ill
as I have never felt ill all my life." She alleges that when she started
crying, the guards said: "Shut up." At Brussels airport, where the
escort and the asylum-seeker were due to catch a flight to Cameroon, Belgian
immigration officers noticed Toumi was now unable to walk unaided and
informed the escorts they would have to take her back to the UK. An
independent doctor's report found her injuries were due to the alleged
assault. Toumi has lost the use of the wheelchair, so cannot make her way to
the Yarl's Wood dining hall. Yesterday a report by the Independent Asylum
Commission (IAC) called on the Home Office to only employ forced removals as
a last resort and authorise "dawn raids" by immigration officers
only in extreme circumstances. Eight months ago another woman was so badly
injured during her removal that the Cameroon government refused her entry and
sent her back to Britain. Beatrice Guessie, 29, returned to the UK in a
wheelchair but the Home Office dismissed her allegations of abuse. Both women
are bringing legal actions against the Home Office. Emma Ginn, of the
National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, said that these kind of cases are "depressingly familiar". She
added: "This story of a torture victim coming back injured and then
denied appropriate care in detention is a shocking disgrace. It is one of
hundreds we have documented. This is state-sanctioned abuse." A UK
Border Agency (UKBA) spokesman said that the government treated all
allegations of assault extremely seriously. "The UKBA expects the
highest levels of integrity from those carrying out duties on our behalf. The
majority of staff carry out their roles with
professionalism and integrity. It is standard procedure where physical or
racial abuse is alleged to refer the case to the police and UKBA for
investigation." The spokesman added: "The UKBA is committed to
ensuring removals are always carried out in the most sensitive way possible,
treating those being removed with courtesy and dignity." In a separate
statement, G4S Justice Services (UK) said: "Escorting detainees is a
very sensitive task. G4S will not tolerate inappropriate behaviour. Any staff
member found to have acted improperly would be dealt with under robust
disciplinary procedures."
June
6, 2008 BBC
A police force has been accused of "pantomime" by an MP after a
security van travelled 57 miles to transport a prisoner just 200 yards. The
prisoner was not allowed to walk across the road from Northampton Crown Court
to the magistrates' court as it infringed his human rights. Northamptonshire
Police said it was inappropriate for prisoners to be escorted in view of the
public. Brian Binley, MP for Northampton South, likened the move to a Carry
On film. The defendant was charged with stealing cable from a railway. He was
taken to Northampton Crown Court after he was wrongly listed to appear before
a judge on Tuesday morning. When it was decided the matter should be dealt
with by magistrates, a security van was diverted from Cambridge to drive him
there. Mr Binley said: "The situation is total nonsense, but most
importantly it is about people in the public sector not caring about how they
spend the public's money. "The police could
simply have put the guy in the back of a police car and driven to the
magistrates' court. "Public money should be treated with more care than
any other money but it isn't, it is the opposite." Calling for a
"common sense approach", he added: "It is pantomime, isn't it?
If you saw this in a Carry On film you'd be amazed. "We should have a
new film called Carry On Carrying those Detained by
the Police." Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the TaxPayers'
Alliance, said: "No wonder our prisons are in such a state of chaos, if
they can't even manage to escort a prisoner 200 yards between buildings. 'Possibility of escape' A Northamptonshire Police
spokesman said the force was not responsible for the van and could not
comment on how far it had travelled, but backed the decision not to allow the
prisoner to walk. The spokesman said that until someone had been convicted it
was inappropriate for them to be "escorted across a very busy main road
in handcuffs in full view of the public". He said it would also be
inappropriate for prisoners to walk in a public area while in custody because
of public safety issues as well as the possibility of escape and injury. A
spokeswoman for Global Solutions Limited said the company
do not discuss individual cases.
May
18, 2008 Sunday Mirror
A sex attacker escaped his guards - by jumping out of a lift as the doors
closed. Hardeep Singh, 25, due to be deported to India after finishing a
sentence at Chelmsford Prison, Essex, for indecent assault, was appearing
before an immigration tribunal in North London when he fled. He was being
escorted by Group 4 Securicor guards. A spokesman for G4S said: "We are
conducting a thorough investigation."
April
22, 2008 BBC
A woman has died after being trapped under a prison van in south London,
the Metropolitan police have said. The victim, aged about 30, was hit as the
van turned from Acre Lane into Brixton Hill at 1735 BST on Tuesday. She was
pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the van has been arrested in
connection with the incident. The vehicle involved was a Serco van
transporting 11 prisoners. All of its passengers were accounted for and
no-one was injured. 'Heartfelt sympathies' The driver is being held in
custody at a south London police station. A Serco spokesman said: "I can
confirm that one of our prison escort vans was involved in a fatal incident
earlier today outside Brixton Town Hall. "We
would like to extend our heartfelt sympathies to the family of the woman who
has lost her life in this tragic accident." The incident is being
investigated by the Met's collision investigation unit.
October
5, 2007 The Independent
Hundreds of failed asylum-seekers deported from the United Kingdom have
been beaten and racially abused by British escort teams who are paid to take
them back to their home countries. The scale of the alleged abuse has been
uncovered in a joint investigation by The Independent and a group
co-coordinating the representation and medical care of failed asylum-seekers.
A dossier of 200 cases, collated by doctors, lawyers, immigration centre
visitors and campaign groups over the past two years, has unearthed shocking
claims of physical and mental mistreatment of some of the most vulnerable
people in our asylum system. Many of the claims include allegations of
physical and sexual assault and racist abuse which took place during the long
journey from Britain to their home countries. One of the cases of alleged
abuse is that of Armand Tchuibeu, a Cameroon national who claimed asylum in
the United Kingdom in February 2000. His application was refused last year.
He was then arrested and prepared for removal. On 29 January 2007 he was
collected from Tinsley House removal centre in East Sussex by four escort
officers who drove him to Heathrow to catch a 9pm flight to Cameroon, as
pictured on the front page from CCTV footage inside the van. He claims
handcuffs were applied to his right arm. Mr Tchuibeu says he told the guards
that there was no need to handcuff him as he had no intention of obstructing
his removal. But he alleges that officers started to manhandle him and, while
his arms were held, one of the officers punched him in his ribs and on his
neck and told him words to the effect "You will go to your fucking
country today, we will fucking show you what illegal people deserve in our
country". Another officer is alleged to have held his head down so they
could apply a leg strap. Eventually, Mr Tchuibeu convinced the escort
officers he had been injured and the deportation was aborted. Mr Tchuibeu was
taken to the Hillingdon Hospital where he was examined and treated. His knee
was placed in a cylinder cast which he wore for four weeks. Mr Tchuibeu, who
is being represented by the London solicitors Birnberg Peirce, is now
bringing a civil claim for assault against the security company. The authors
of the 200-case dossier accuse the Government of turning a blind eye to the
abuse in order to meet arbitrary targets for the forced repatriation of
asylum-seekers. They say some of the cases they are investigating are worse
than the torture and abuse the refugee suffered before making their asylum
claim in this country. In nearly every case, the allegation of mistreatment
is made against private security contractors employed by the Government to
carry out enforced removals of asylum-seekers. Mr Tchuibeu appears to be far
from an isolated case. Milton Apollo Okello, 25, who was tortured by the
Ugandan security services, claims that, after his asylum claim was rejected,
he was frogmarched on to a plane and tied to his seat by British guards. But
when word came through that he had won an eleventh-hour reprieve, Mr Okello
claims he was taken to a van and beaten and racially abused. Mr Okello said:
"The driver opened the sliding door and I was pushed into the middle of
the seat. Two of the officers got on one side of me and the others came in on
the other side. Officer A then punched me hard in the face and he said
"These black monkeys don't want to go back to their country ..." A
24-year-old man who escaped to Britain after being imprisoned and tortured in
the Republic of Congo claims that when he refused to sign a document presented
to him by his escorts, three of them forced both hands backwards. One of the
escorts is said to have told him: "This is the key to going home."
A doctor who later conducted an examination of Mr A,
wrote: "The fourth metacarpal of the left hand has undoubtedly suffered
a fracture. This is highly consistent with excessive use of force during or
after a failed attempt to remove him from the UK." Dr Frank Arnold, a
volunteer doctor with the Medical Justice Network, who has examined more than
100 detained asylum-seekers, says many of the injuries suffered during
removal are not taken seriously enough by the British immigration
authorities. He said: "Some of these injuries have been so bad that
police officers who saw them appear to have been genuinely shocked. But it is
my experience that medical staff who examine
asylum-seekers when they are taken back into detention have greatly
underestimated the severity of the injuries, including fractures and nerve
damage from forcible traction on handcuffs." In the past two years
government figures show that 1,173 attempts to remove failed asylum-seekers,
such as Mr Tchuibeu have failed. The majority of those are due to the
disruptive behaviour of the detainee on board the aircraft or because of an
eleventh-hour judicial intervention. But others fail because of injuries
suffered or the deterioration in the physical or mental health of the
asylum-seeker during the removal process. Last month Mr Tchuibeu was returned
to the Cameroon. After a police investigation, no one has been charged with
an offence. The company denies the allegations of brutality made against its
staff. A spokesman for the Border and Immigration Agency which contracts the
security companies to help carry out the removals said: "Any allegations
of misconduct are thoroughly investigated and all allegations of physical and
racial abuse are referred to the police." Three security firms are on
the Government's approved list for the forced removal of failed
asylum-seekers. They are Group4Securicor, International Training Academy and
GEO, an American company. A spokesman said Group4- Securicor was aware of
complaints made but said they had never been proven – adding the company
would condemn any such action. GEO and International Training Academy both
declined to comment.
December
14, 2006 Daily Mail
A failed asylum seeker is on the run after escaping deportation when he
was allowed off a coach heading for the airport to have a cigarette. The man
was part of a group of a dozen men and women due to be thrown out of Britain
on a specially chartered flight to Baku in Azerbaijan. Yet incredibly when
they approached Stansted airport in Essex where the plane was waiting, some
of the men were allowed off to have a cigarette --- there was no smoking on
the coach. In what appeared to have been a pre-planned break, seven of the
men are said to have tried to run off but all bar one were recaptured. An
Essex police helicopter and sniffer dogs joined the search but last night he
had still not been recaptured. A spokesman for Group 4 security, who were escorting the unidentified man to the airport, said
yesterday an investigation was underway but refused to comment further. He
did not say why the men had been allowed off the coach to have a cigarette.
The escape and its circumstances are hugely embarrasing for the immigration
authorities. All the men had been refused political asylum and their appeals
against the decision had been turned down. To prevent them escaping, they had
been held in detention centres at Colnbrook, near Heathrow, Campsfield in
Oxfordshire, and Dover, Kent, --- some for several weeks. An immigration
officer specialising in rounding-up failed asylum seekers yesterday said : "We have issues with the way these men are
escorted. It takes considerable time and trouble to track down and 'house'
them and to allow one to disappear in such circumstances is really
sickening." He added ironically : "I
suppose it is Christmas time and the word 'Pantomine' comes to mind...quite
appropriate when someone disappeared after a puff of smoke." The case
comes five months after Group 4 security was forced to launch an
investigation into how a Somali asylum seeker convicted of sex attacks was
able to slip his guards and escape from a van while being transported to a
deportation hearing.
July
26, 2006 BBC
Police say a sex attacker who escaped from a
security van in Manchester may still be in the city. Greater Manchester
Police are investigating sightings of Mustafa Ismail, 35, in the Fallowfield
area and the city centre. Ismail, a Somali asylum seeker, was being
transported from prison in Preston, Lancashire, to a deportation hearing in
Manchester when he escaped. He was at the end of a five-year sentence for
attempted rape. His female victim described him as "very, very dangerous"
and had appealed for anyone sheltering him to contact police. Ismail was
travelling in an escort van run by Group 4 Securicor when he escaped near the
Asylum and Immigration Tribunal Court in Manchester's Piccadilly on 13 July.
July
21, 2006 BBC
The victim of a sex offender who escaped from a security vehicle in
Manchester has appealed for the public's help to catch him. Mustafa Ismail, a
Somali asylum seeker, was being transported to a deportation hearing when he
escaped last week. He had come to the end of his five-year prison sentence
for attempting to rape a woman in Longsight in 2001. His victim described him
as "very, very dangerous" and appealed for anyone sheltering him to
contact police. Officers from Greater Manchester Police are working with the
Somali community to try to trace the 35-year-old. They have been circulating
leaflets and posters in south Manchester but are also investigating the
possibility he may have travelled to Bristol or Hull. Members of the public
are being warned not to approach him but to contact police on 999. He was
travelling in an escort van run by Group 4 Securicor when he escaped near the
Asylum and Immigration Tribunal Court in Manchester's Piccadilly. It is
believed he was being handcuffed when he pushed over one of the guards and
fled on foot.
July
17, 2006 Preston Today
Police are still hunting a sex attacker from Preston Prison who escaped on
his way to court. Mustafa Ismail, 35, was being taken from Preston Prison to
the Manchester Asylum and Immigration Tribunal Court when he escaped from the
Group 4 Securicor vehicle. It is understood he was being handcuffed when he
pushed over a guard and fled the scene, near to Manchester's Piccadilly, on
Thursday morning. Security staff gave chase couldn't catch him. The Somalian
had just completed a five-year sentence for attempted rape and was on remand
in Preston.
July
15, 2006 Preston Today
Police have launched a manhunt after a rapist from Preston prison escaped
on his way to court. Mustafa Ismail, 35, was being taken from HMP Preston to
the Manchester Asylum and Immigration Tribunal Court when he escaped from the
Group 4 Securicor vehicle. Detectives are appealing to the public for
information about Ismail but warning not to approach him. The Somalian was at
the end of a five year sentence for rape. He was on remand at HMP Preston
pending a decision over his deportation. The hearing he was due to attend was
to hear his application for asylum in the UK. Police have described him as a
black man with black hair and brown eyes, about 6ft (1.8m) tall and of slim
build. He was travelling in an escort van when he escaped near the Asylum and
Immigration Tribunal Court in Manchester's Piccadilly, at about 11.30am on
Thursday. It is believed he was being handcuffed when he pushed over one of
the guards and fled on foot. A Home Office spokeswoman said: "We can
confirm that on 13 July, at approximately 11.15am, an immigration detainee
escaped from our care at Manchester Asylum and Tribunal Court. "Greater Manchester Police were informed and we are
working closely with them to ensure the apprehension of the detainee.
"The incident will be fully investigated and any necessary action will
be taken in conjunction with the Home Office." Group 4 guards were
trying to handcuff Ismail when he fled. They took chase but were unable to
catch him. Nobody was injured. CCTV footage from the van is now being
examined, as well as cameras from the local vicinity.
February
1, 2006 The Guardian
Heavily pregnant prisoners are being forced to travel hundreds of miles in
claustrophobic prison vans known to inmates as "sweatboxes", the
Guardian has learned. The women are being transported in conditions which
campaigners have criticised as "unethical and barbaric", often
spending many hours in cramped cells measuring 860mm by 620mm (34in by 24in),
with hard seats and no seatbelts. Beverley Beech, chairwoman of the
Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services, called for the Prison
Service to stop using cellular vehicles to transport pregnant prisoners.
"It is time this unethical and barbaric practice was stopped," she
said. "Women in advanced pregnancy are in no position to run away and
they should be treated with humanity and awareness of their condition."
A source within Styal prison in Cheshire said a 27-year-old inmate had spent
four hours in a van the day before her baby was due. She expected to be taken
to court in Liverpool by taxi and complained when told she would travel in a
prison van. She was then offered a thin cushion. The trip from Styal to
Liverpool should have taken less than an hour but lasted two and half hours
because the vehicle had to drop off other prisoners. The prisoner was allowed
one toilet break. After an hour-long court hearing, she made a 90-minute
journey back to Styal. Global Solutions, which operates a fleet of 400 prison
vehicles, said specifications were agreed with the Home Office. A spokesman
said there was provision for people with special needs, including pregnant
women, and the company was not aware of any complaints regarding the
transport of pregnant women.
Probation Trusts
Group 4, Serco
March 27, 2012 The Guardian
After all the furore over the proposed radical extension of the role of the
private sector in policing, what should we make of G4S and Serco advertising
to recruit probation officers? The role of private security companies in the
prisons has been well-established for nearly 20 years but the core work of
probation services has been sacrosanct. Indeed, the 2007 Offender Management
Act, which was designed to open up probation services to potential voluntary
and private sector providers, specifically reserved the provision of advice
and assistance to the courts for the public sector. So it is something of a
surprise to see that G4S is looking to recruit probation officers to work
with "public sector clients". The security company says the typical
work undertaken by its probation officers will involve providing pre-sentence
court and bail information reports, assessing offenders' risk and threat to
the public, and overseeing unpaid work programmes for offenders. The justice
minister, Crispin Blunt, sent a shiver through the world of probation earlier
this month when he told the Probation Chiefs' Association that he was considering
repealing section 15 of the 2007 act, which reserves the production of
175,000 probation reports for the courts to the probation services. Blunt was
warned by John Fassenfelt, the chairman of the Magistrates' Association, that
the courts would not be impressed by such a development. Fassenfelt says he
worries that a privately employed probation officer might be tempted to give
advice that favoured their company's local tagging and curfew programme. He
says such a loss of confidence because of a feared conflict of interest could
result in more courts playing it safe and jailing more offenders.
March
2, 2012 Yorkshire Post
Probation workers may take industrial action after they were ordered out of
three Yorkshire prisons in a row over jail privatisation. Sixteen South
Yorkshire probation officers have been expelled from Lindholme, Moorland and
Hatfield prisons after a governor learned their trust had formed an alliance
with private firm G4S to take over the running of the jails. Lindholme prison
governor Bob Mullen is understood to have taken the decision to protect the
“commercial confidentiality” of a rival public-sector bid to run the jails,
which have effectively been put out for tender by Justice Secretary Ken
Clarke. MPs have tabled parliamentary questions on the issue and the Justice
Unions Parliamentary Group is to convene an urgent meeting of South Yorkshire
MPs. According to an internal email seen by the Yorkshire Post, probation
staff “were effectively marched of (sic) prison premises and had their
identity badges and keys taken away and were effectively locked out of their
place of work.” The assistant general secretary of the probation officers’
union Napo, Harry Fletcher, said South Yorkshire members would meet to
discuss whether to declare a dispute with the trust on the grounds they were
not informed of its agreement with G4S. Such a declaration would put the
branch on the road towards industrial action, he added. Mr Fletcher said Mr
Mullen’s decision was “extraordinary and unparalleled”, adding there was a
“clear conflict of interest for South Yorkshire Probation Trust”. “The
decision has had the effect of alienating staff in both prisons and probation
and puts all employees in an impossible position,” he said. Napo is appalled
that the publicly run trust is entering into an agreement with a privately
run company to make profits from publicly owned jails.” Mr Fletcher said he
understood a public-sector bid to run the jails involves Humberside Probation
Trust, effectively putting two neighbouring trusts in direct competition with
each other. In an internal memo to staff, the South Yorkshire trust’s lead
officer for prisons, Jan Hannant, wrote: “It is not known at this stage how
the prisons intend to deliver the services currently performed by our staff
and we are trying to maintain a professional working relationship with our
key contacts in each of the three locations whilst a resolution is being
sought. “This decision has come as a complete surprise to the trust and we
are working hard to try and resolve this situation at the earliest
opportunity.” Probation staff normally based in the prisons
have instead been allocated work for the trust’s four local delivery
units, located in Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield. The trust has
offered to pay staff their extra mileage. In an official statement, it said
it had an agreement with each of the three prisons to deliver offender
management services. “Our staff in these prisons perform essential tasks
that, we believe, require their skills and expertise, supervising high risk
offenders and reducing their risk of reoffending once released from custody.
“We recognise that we are working in a competitive market and we are
committed to play our part, as appropriate, in the competitions run by the National
Offender Management Service. “We believe we offer the public purse the best
possible value as an Offender Management Organisation, reducing reoffending
by 12.4 per cent against the national average of 0.70 per cent.” A Ministry
of Justice spokesman said: “Arrangements are in place to ensure that
probation staff are able to undertake their duties
and we are confident that the situation will be resolved swiftly.”
Rainsbrook
Secure Training Centre
Group 4 (Rebound)
July
18, 2010 AP
Brutal techniques to restrain children held in private prisons have been made
public after mounting pressure from children's rights groups. The Observer
disclosed details of the techniques used to train staff in restraining young
offenders in the country's four privately-run secure training centres. The
secret manual, Physical Control in Care, was created by the HM Prison Service
and approved by the Department of Justice in 2005. The government's Youth
Justice Board (YJB) had initially fought the Information Commissioner's order
to hand over the documents. When the Children's Rights Alliance (CRAE) called
on the Justice Secretary to hold an independent judicial inquiry, YJB finally
relented. The Observer revealed that control measures authorised for staff to
use include "an inverted knuckle into the trainee's sternum and drive
inward and upward," "alternate elbow strikes to the young person's
ribs until a release is achieved," and "drive straight fingers into
the young person's face, and then quickly drive the straightened fingers of
the same hand downwards into the young person's groin area." The manual
went so far as to warn staff that some techniques risk a "fracture to
the skull" and "temporary or permanent blindness caused by rupture
to eyeball or detached retina." One passage states in regard to
administering a head-hold that "if breathing is compromised the
situation ceases to be a restraint and becomes a medical emergency."
Carolyne Willow, CRAE's national co-ordinator stated, "Until now, we've
seen a compulsive reliance on secrecy and an absolute failure to face up
publicly to the disgraceful and unlawful treatment of children the State
officially describes as vulnerable." The campaign to make the information
public came after the deaths of two children, Gareth Myatt, 15, and Adam
Rickwood, 14, who died in the custody of Rainsbrook and Hassockfield secure
training centres in 2004.
May
11, 2010 Children & Young People Now
A private company running a secure training centre (STC) has defended its
practices following a stinging attack from a prison reform campaigner.
Frances Crook, director of the Howard League for Penal Reform, criticised
private prisons in a blog post after former team leader at Rainsbrook STC
near Daventry, Neil Hanna, was given a 40-week suspended prison sentence last
month after dragging a teenage boy across the floor. "This story did not
reach the national headlines, partly because of the general election and
partly because nobody much cares if children in custody are mistreated; that
is the scandal," she said. "Rainsbrook is a jail for young children that is run for profit by a private security
company. These children's jails for profit are a stain on our justice system
and should be closed down." Crook added that the story was all the more
distressing given that the assault, committed in September 2008, happened at
the same jail where 15-year-old Gareth Myatt died while being physically
restrained by staff in April 2004. Crook's comments come despite glowing
praise for the regime at Rainsbrook following an Ofsted inspection last June
in which the STC was rated "outstanding". The report said
Rainsbrook holds some "very challenging yet needy young people",
but praised "clear and detailed" behaviour management policies and
"good" staff training. "This reflects the robust and
reflective arrangements in place to support young people placed at the
centre, which have led to a continuous reduction in the use of physical
restraint every year since 2002," it said. A spokesman for Rebound, the
company running the STC, said: "The welfare and safety of the children
who are in our care is of paramount importance to us and Hanna's actions were
not in line with our laid down policies and procedures.
"He was therefore dismissed from our employment. We are
constantly reviewing and updating our policies and procedures." Rebound
also runs Oakhill STC in Milton Keynes and Medway STC in Kent.
July
19, 2007 The Guardian
The coroner who presided over the inquest into the death of a 15-year-old
who died after being restrained in a child jail has warned the justice
secretary, Jack Straw, that it would be "wholly unforgivable" if
the lessons were delayed by a general review of the use of restraint
announced yesterday. The retired judge, Richard Pollard, who presided over
the inquest into the death of Gareth Myatt, the youngest person to die in
custody, sent a 17-page letter to Mr Straw yesterday detailing 34
recommendations needed to prevent similar deaths happening in the network of
privately-run secure training centres that hold the most persistent teenage
offenders in the country. He believes the changes should be made immediately,
but in the face of a potential Lords defeat over new regulations widening the
circumstances in which restraint can be used by staff in child jails
ministers last night announced a joint review of the issue, not only in STCs
but also in young offender institutions and local authority secure units. The
review will have an independent chair and will look at the medical safety and
"operational efficacy" of the restraint techniques as well as ways
of better managing the behaviour of children locked in secure units. It is
expected to report within six months. Judge Pollard told Mr Straw the inquest
jury had made clear that one of the factors that contributed to Gareth's
death in Rainsbrook STC, Northamptonshire, was the failure by the Youth
Justice Board and the Home Office to undertake such a review of the medical
safety of the "physical control in care", or PCC, restraint
techniques that were used in the private jail.
July
13, 2007 The Guardian
A quarter of young offenders at a troubled privately run child jail have
been moved out and a new director appointed after official concern over the
rising use of restraint by staff to control violent teenagers. The Youth
Justice Board said last night it had acted after two unpublished inspection
reports confirmed concerns about control at the Oakhill secure training
centre, near Milton Keynes. The latest figures show it recorded the highest
use of distraction restraint techniques, which involve inflicting pain on a
youngster's nose or thumb, in the child jail network. They were used on 110
occasions in 2006 in a centre which holds only 80 trainees. Non-painful
restraint was used 921 times. The centre is run by G4S, formerly Group 4. The
announcement was made as MPs debated the outcome of the inquest into the
death of Gareth Myatt, 15, who died in nearby Rainsbrook secure training
centre after being restrained. The outcome is uncertain of a Lords vote next
week on regulations expanding the circumstances in which restraint can be
used in child jails. The YJB admitted that recruiting staff to Oakhill had
been a problem. It said it had cut the number of children there from 80 to 60
because "without the required staff on duty there will always be a
risk". A YJB statement said: "There has
been a rise in the number of incidents of violence by young people on other
young people and against staff, as a result of which the use of restraint has
increased. This happens from time to time." The YJB said it would
continue to monitor the situation at Oakhill to ensure that restraint was
used as a last resort: "With the new director in post we will expect to
see rapid improvements in the centre." The centre, one of five in the
national network of child jails for the most persistent teenage offenders,
has had a troubled history. A 2005 inspection report said it had been
struggling to care for trainees with limited staff, and a "difficult and
challenging period" at the end of 2004 led to its first management
shake-up. The second director, Lee Barnes, left two months ago. The new
director, Malcolm Stephens, who joined on Monday, said he was committed to
working with the YJB to provide the highest standards of specialist care. The
director of the Howard League for Penal Reform, Frances Crook, described the
change of director at Oakhill as significant, particularly bearing in mind
the recent change to the rules on the use of physical restraint at secure
training centres. "If staff at Oakhill have experienced difficulties
with order and control, then replacing rules that explicitly spelt out
appropriate circumstances for restraint with catch-all terminology and
ultra-vague references to 'good order and discipline' will only make things
worse."
February
11, 2007 The Observer
Damaging questions about the treatment of teenagers in jail will be
revealed this week during the inquest into how a 15-year-old boy died in
custody after being restrained by three adult members of staff. Gareth Myatt
lost consciousness after being held in a Home Office-approved armlock that
has since been banned. He is the youngest person in living memory to die in
such a way in a British prison. The inquest into the death of Gareth, who
weighed less than seven stone and was 4ft 10in tall, will raise questions
over the standard of care and discipline in what critics call 'child jails'.
His mother, who will give evidence at the inquest, told The Observer that she
has still not been told all the facts about her son's death in April 2004 at
the privately run jail in Northamptonshire. Pam Wilton, of Stoke-on-Trent,
said: 'I'm very angry at the government and the firm that ran the prison. I
cannot believe the restraint could even have passed safety tests.' Among the
witnesses scheduled to give evidence is Dr Nat Carey, one of Britain's most
eminent forensic pathologists, who is expected to give testimony on the
restraint technique used in Gareth's death. Fundamentally the hearing is
likely to explore why such an allegedly dangerous method of restraint was
given ministerial and governmental approval to be used on teenagers. 'I have
no medical experience and would say that type of restraint was in no way
safe. You wouldn't need two brain cells to know that,' said Wilton. Following
a police investigation into Gareth's death, officers recommended that use of
the restraint be suspended and the Home Office later banned its use. Months
before the teenager's death, the parliamentary joint committee on human
rights had warned about the risks of restraining children. Gareth was just
four days into a 12-month sentence at the Rainsbrook training centre, which
is operated by a subsidiary of Group 4, for theft and assault when he was
sent to his room after a disturbance. He was visited by officers in a bid to
calm him down. There it is understood that Gareth, who allegedly attacked one
officer, was restrained by three members of staff using a technique known as
the 'seated double embrace', which involves grabbing children in an
interlocking hold while they are seated. The details of a Northamptonshire
police investigation and two government inquiries have yet to be fully
published. The police inquiry led to a file being sent to the Crown
Prosecution Service, which decided that no one should be charged over the
teenager's death. 'What could be more shocking and in need of proper scrutiny
than the death of a child in a state institution?' said Deborah Coles of
Inquest, a charity that examines deaths in custody. Campaigners hope that the
inquest will disclose which individuals approved the restraint system and
why. They also hope that it will prove whether the use of force in Gareth's
death was unlawful and whether the type of restraint used was in accordance
with agreed training. The hearing will intensify scrutiny over the continued
use of high levels of restraint in secure training centres and young offender
institutions. Ministers and the government-appointed Youth Justice Board,
which oversees the treatment of young people in custody, say the painful
restraint is used sparingly, when teenagers are being extremely violent.
During 2004-05, restraint was used 768 times, resulting in 51 injuries. An
independent inquiry instigated following Gareth's death found that young
prisoners were being subjected to treatment that would prompt abuse
investigations elsewhere. Teenagers told investigators of broken and bloodied
noses and of breathlessness during restraint. Lord Carlile of Berriew, who
headed the inquiries, admitted being 'shocked' by what he found. Six months
after the death of Gareth, the United Nations demanded urgent action to
reduce the numbers of vulnerable teenagers behind bars in Britain. Numbers,
however, remain the same as then, with about 2,700 people aged from 10 to 17
held in British jails. A spokesman for the Youth Justice Board said that
restraint was used only when the safety of youngsters and staff was an issue.
September
26, 2005 Guardian
Staff in privately run child jails have been told they can use a painful
"karate chop to the nose" technique to control troublesome
teenagers as a result of an internal review of restraint methods after the
death of a 15-year-old last year, the Guardian has learned. The government's
Youth Justice Board has permanently suspended the use of a technique known as
the "seated double embrace" on the recommendation of
Northamptonshire police, who investigated the death of Gareth Myatt at
Rainsbrook secure training centre, near Daventry, which is run by Rebound, a
subsidiary of Group 4. But ministers have now quietly approved a new control
and restraint system to deal with offenders, aged 12 to 17, held in the network of four secure training centres in
England and Wales. MPs have voiced strong concerns over the system used to
control the 200 persistent young offenders held at any one time in STCs.
Children in STCs have been restrained in more than 11,500 incidents in the
last five years. The system, known as "physical control in care",
is a children's version of restraint techniques used in adult prisons, and is
supposed not to rely on inflicting pain. It involves a series of holds
suitable for up to three staff. Although the system is not meant to inflict
pain, three "distraction" techniques intended to deliver a short,
sharp pain aimed at the nose, ribs or thumb are allowed if, for example,
there is a need to get a teenager to release his or her grip on another
person. A former Labour minister, Sally Keeble, MP for Northampton North, who
has been pressing ministers over the death of Gareth Myatt, said it should
not have taken the death of a boy to get a dangerous restraint technique
banned. "The risk should have been spotted well before such a tragedy.
It is also clear that staff in STCs will still be allowed to inflict severe pain
on children in such risky situations that close medical supervision is needed
and that the staff involved need training in resuscitation," she said.
Ms Keeble said that "nose distraction" meant "punching kids on
the nose" and that clear records should be published of the injuries
from these techniques. "On the face of it there are some vicious
techniques for hurting children, without any explanation or justification of
who developed them and why. This paints a very grim picture of what happens inside
secure training centres. It seems we abolished the birch only to let people
punch children on the nose instead." Frances Crook, of the Howard League
for Penal Reform, said the use of "nose distraction" techniques had
increased. "It is a bit like a karate chop to
the nose. It can break your nose. We have had heard allegations of children
who have been badly injured."
September
7, 2004 BBC
An independent inquiry will examine the way detainees are restrained and
strip searched in 'child jails'. Lord Carlile of Berriew QC will chair the
investigation, which was set-up by the Howard League for Penal Reform. The
study was announced on Tuesday, just months after 15-year-old Gareth Myatt
died in a secure training centre while being restrained by three staff.
Gareth, from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, lost consciousness while being
restrained at Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre (STC), in Northamptonshire,
on 19 April. The three STCs, which are operated by private companies, hold
children aged 12 to 17. A subsidiary of Group 4, Rebound ECD, runs
Rainsbrook, as well as Medway in Kent. Premier Training Services Ltd runs
Hassockfield, in County Durham, where 14-year-old remand prisoner Adam
Rickwood was found hanged last month.
April 25, 2004
Last
Monday a short, skinny 15-year-old called Gareth Myatt died three days into
his detention at Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre. Sentinel exclusive:
see Monday's Sentinel for an interview with Gareth's mother The
Stoke-on-Trent teenager, just five foot tall, lost consciousness while being
restrained by three prison officers and died an hour later in hospital.
Rainsbrook, which had previously been praised by inspectors for providing a
"positive and rehabilitative experience" for the 70 or so young
offenders housed there, is one of just three Secure Training Centres in the
UK and one of two run by Rebound, a subsidiary of global security giant Group
4. Gareth Myatt's death will do little to improve public perception of
Group 4 which, since it won the contract to run the UK's first privatised
prison in Humberside in 1991, has become the butt of jokes about escaped
prisoners and bungled security operations. But beyond the
headline-grabbing mistakes in the UK, it is the world's second largest
private security services group - responsible for managing prisons and
shepherding offenders in 84 countries. (The Sentinel)
Reliance
January 4, 2010 BBC
A prisoner has admitted escaping from the crown court in Swansea after
using a shoe lace to tamper with a lock. James Stevenson, who is 30, also
admitted separate charges of stealing 28 gold rings and assault with intent
to resist arrest. Stevenson, who fled the Guildhall court in October after
being given a five-year term for firearm offences
appeared via video link at Swansea Crown Court. He also asked Judge John
Diehl to be sentenced via video link. The judge said he would be sentenced as
soon as possible and that sentencing could be as early as Tuesday as no
pre-sentence report was required. The court heard Stevenson had used a shoe
lace to tamper with a latch on his cell door during the escape. He remained
at large for 17 days before being arrested. Following his arrest questions
were raised about security at the court building. Judge Diehl heard private
security firm Reliance had completed its own internal investigation into the
escape, and he would be provided with a copy at the sentencing hearing.
October
5, 2009 BBC
A "dangerous" prisoner who escaped from a Swansea court just after
being sentenced had previously broken out of prison, it has been reported.
James Stevenson, 29, who has a previous conviction for manslaughter, fled
court on Friday after being given a five-year jail term for a firearms
offence. The South Wales Evening Post has reported he had briefly escaped
from a prison in Dorset in 2005. Questions are now being asked about the
security at the Guildhall building. Rene Kinzett, leader of the Conservative
group on Swansea council, said the escape was worrying for residents of the
city. South Wales Police have warned the public not to approach him. In 2002,
Stevenson killed his mother's boyfriend by stuffing newspaper in his mouth
and gagging him. He then dumped his body in a river. At his trial later that
year, Stevenson denied murder but pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced
to five years. He escaped from a Dorset prison in 2005 but was caught after
half an hour, the Evening Post said. It is thought Stevenson managed to leave
a basement custody suite at the Guildhall building before fleeing on Friday
afternoon after being jailed for breaching the terms of his licence and
possessing a .410 shotgun. He should have been taken from Swansea to Cardiff
prison to begin his sentence, with the private security firm Reliance making
the transfer, before he absconded at about 1300 BST. According to an
eyewitness, he made his way across the flat roof of the court building before
clambering down a drainpipe and escaping into the city. Reliance has launched
an investigation into how Stevenson was able to escape and is working with police
to return him to custody. The firm said incidents like this were
"extremely rare". The National Offender Management Service is also
carrying out its own investigation. The court building he absconded from is
often used as an overspill for the nearby main court. Sanctions -- Mr Kinzett
said that Stevenson's escape raised a number of questions, including whether
the Guildhall was secure enough for high-profile cases. He also wanted to
know what role Reliance played in what happened and what sanctions it could
face if it is at fault. "I am very worried that people of Swansea have
been put at risk," he said. "They have been exposed to a huge risk
through the escape of this dangerous man and obviously people need to
co-operate with the police."
September
15, 2006 BBC
Prison escort agency Reliance assured a sheriff in Shetland it would improve
procedures after being called to court for failing to deliver a prisoner.
Sheriff Graeme Napier ordered the firm to Lerwick Sheriff Court on a possible
contempt of court charge after flight problems left a prisoner in Aberdeen.
Reliance pledged to use the ferry to transfer prisoners to the islands when
the weather was bad. Sheriff Napier accepted the assurances and did not
pursue any contempt charge. Reliance area director Mike Pirie appeared in
court on Friday in connection with the problems earlier this week. The
sheriff was given assurances Reliance would review and improve its procedures
for transferring prisoners to court in Shetland. The company also apologised
to the sheriff for the inconvenience it had caused. Sheriff Napier said he
accepted the company's assurances and decided there was no merit in a
contempt of court charge.
September
14, 2006 BCC
A chief officer from prison escort agency Reliance has not made it to
Shetland to answer questions about failing to deliver a prisoner on time. A
man had been due at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday to face a variety of
charges but did not appear. Sheriff Graeme Napier ordered the Reliance's
director of operations to appear in court - with the possibility of a
contempt charge. However, no officer appeared and the case was continued to
Friday. The prisoner had originally been left stranded in Aberdeen due to fog
and flight problems. Sheriff Napier was expecting to address the possible
contempt issue after Wednesday's problems. The Reliance area manager is now
expected to appear before the sheriff, along with a company lawyer, on
Friday.
July
25, 2006 BBC
An investigation is under way after a woman working for a prisoner escort
firm took her dog to work. The Reliance worker arrived at Paisley Sheriff
Court with the dog two weeks ago and let a female prisoner walk the pet
around the cells. A supervisor at the court has been suspended for letting
the woman bring the animal into the building, a spokesman for the firm said.
He said: "A member of staff has been suspended pending an
investigation."
April
12, 2006 Evening Times
A PRIVATE prison security firm came under fire today after it took
prisoners to the wrong courts and held up proceedings twice in one day. A
Reliance driver took a rapist to a court 50 miles from where he should have
appeared and delayed his sentencing by 24 hours. Staff from
Reliance Custodial Services picked up Felice Cariello from Saughton Prison in
Edinburgh and were supposed to take him to the High Court in Glasgow.
But they took him to the High Court in Edinburgh, where he had been
convicted, instead. The bungle happened the same day two money launderers
were taken to Edinburgh's Sheriff Court instead of the High Court, delaying
their appearance by hours.
October 26, 2004 Scotsman
MSPs today called into question official claims that handing prison
escort duties to private security company Reliance will save taxpayers £20
million a year. Scottish Nationalist Andrew Welsh claimed the estimate was
"poorly based" and "largely speculative". And Labour
backbencher Margaret Jamieson suggested it "may not be very
robust". The comments came as the parliament’s audit committee quizzed
Auditor General Robert Black on his report into the contracting-out of the
escort role from the Scottish Prison Service to Reliance. Mr Black told the committee the SPS had not kept
information on the cost of escort duties.
October 19, 2004 Scotsman
THE hi-tech arm of the controversial prisoner
security firm Reliance - widely criticised for its performance in Scotland -
has lost one of its key government contracts south of the border. Reliance Monitoring Services, whose sister company
Reliance Custodial Services has come under intense criticism in Scotland for
accidently releasing a string of prisoners, has lost an £18 million-a-year
Home Office deal to supply electronic tagging equipment to prison authorities
in southern England. Details of the latest blow to the company come as
Reliance’s custodial-services arm - which recently took on a £120 million
seven-year contract to escort prisoners across Scotland - continues to come
under increasing scrutiny after admitting the accidental release of 12
prisoners, including a convicted murderer, leading to regular calls for Cathy
Jamieson, Scotland’s Justice Minister, to resign. The loss of the lucrative
contract south of the Border will present serious concerns to Reliance
Monitoring Services in Scotland, whose own multi-million-pound deal with the
Scottish Executive is up for renewal early next year and is expected to be
put out to tender sometime in March. The firm lost the contract in England in
the wake of a number of allegations surrounding malfunctioning equipment. In
one case, in Gloucester, an electronically-tagged defendant awaiting trial on
kidnap and assault charges was caught on CCTV breaking the terms of his
tagging order without Reliance Monitoring Service picking up his absence. At the time Reliance press spokeswoman Yoma Anighoro,
revealed that they had encountered problems with around 20 per cent of their
assigned cases.
With the Government under increasing criticism for turning crime and
punishment into a profit-making opportunity for the private sector, electronic
tagging has become the latest money-spinner for firms like Reliance, which
created its monitoring-services arm in a bid to corner the market.
Rye Hill Prison
Rugby, England
Group 4 (formerly Global Solutions bought by Group 4)
May 12, 2011 Oxford Mail
A WOMAN who hid drugs up her sleeve to smuggle them into a prison has been
jailed. Patricia Taylor of Paradise Street, Oxford, was jailed for three and
a half years on Tuesday after earlier admitting possessing Class A, B and C
drugs with intent to supply. Prosecutor Michael Waterfield told Northampton
Crown Court staff at Rye Hill prison near Daventry became suspicious when the
drug addict started shaking as they went to search the 40-year-old after she
arrived for a visit at the Category B jail last September 10. They found a
package containing 12 grams of heroin in seven packages, along with two grams
of cocaine, cannabis and 100 steroid tablets. The court was told the street
value of the drugs was £1,000, but they would have been worth more in jail.
Taylor told police she had built up a significant drug debt and agreed to
smuggle the drugs after threats were made against her mother.
November
22, 2010 Daily Mail Reporter
A woman prison teacher was suspended for filming a pornography DVD of her
having sex in jail with a murderer. Beverley Van-de-Velde, 59, and Richard
Francis, 29, shot the scenes in the staffroom of HMP Rye Hill, Warwickshire.
Bosses discovered the 17-minute video among hundreds of love letters she
wrote to the gang leader in his cell. Van-de-Velde denied the relationship
but was frog-marched out of the G4S-run private prison, on November 3. Her
employer, Manchester College, which is contracted by the jail to run its
education service, has suspended her pending an investigation. The DVD, which
was seen by The Sun newspaper, shows her having unprotected sex with Francis,
who was jailed for 13 years for murder in 2002 after he stabbed a reveller in
the chest in a New Year's Day brawl in Croydon, South London. The film even
features a credits page and slide-show of still pictures of the pair in
action.
December
17, 2009 Liverpool Daily Post
A LIVERPOOL prison is among five in the country allowing its inmates to
watch satellite television. More than 4,000 prisoners enjoy the privilege in
private jails nationwide. Altcourse Prison, in Fazakerley, is among the
contractor-run prisons allowing access to a “limited number” of satellite
channels. The number of prisoners allowed to watch
satellite varies according to behaviour. But Justice minister and city MP
Maria Eagle revealed the number was currently around 4,070. The Garston MP
was responding to a written question from Tory MP Philip Davies. She said no
inmates in public sector jails have access to satellite in their quarters.
But they do at Altcourse and other GS4-run prisons in South Wales and
Warwickshire. The other private prisons offering satellite television are run
by Serco in Staffordshire and Nottingham. Ms Eagle said: “In these
establishments, satellite television in cells is generally only available to
prisoners on the enhanced or standard level of the incentives and earned
privileges scheme.” There are 84,500 prisoners in England and Wales, meaning
around one in 20 has access to satellite TV.
September
23, 2009 BBC
The treatment of a Ukrainian man who died while on suicide watch in jail was
"appalling and at times unacceptable", a coroner has said. Aleksey
Baranovsky, 33, died while on suicide watch at HMP Rye Hill, Warwickshire, in
June 2006. He had been eligible for parole but was due to be deported upon
his release and had been self-harming in protest. A jury found there were
serious failures and inadequacies that contributed to the death. Assistant
deputy coroner for Northamptonshire Tom Osbourne made his comments as the
jury returned its verdict. The inquest, held at Rushden and Diamonds Football
Club in Irthlingborough, had heard Mr Baranovsky, who was serving a
seven-year sentence, had repeatedly self-harmed while in prison. He had
feared deportation, saying he would be killed. Mr Baranovsky was transferred
to Rye Hill in February 2006 after serving the early part of his sentence in
other prisons. He was found in his cell during the early hours of 10 June.
The inquest heard he had been placed on constant supervision, but was found
unconscious, kneeling on the ground with his head and arms on his bed.
Ambulance crews were unable to resuscitate him. He "lost so much blood
that was not replaced, he died", the jury heard. 'Inadequate systems' --
The jury returned a narrative verdict, saying he died following a prolonged
period of deliberate self-harm by way of cutting himself and regularly
refusing food. They also said there was a failure to assess healthcare needs
and to draw up a detailed care plan, as well as inadequate systems and processes
regarding communication between healthcare staff, prison security and prison
management. The jury also ruled there was insufficient training and knowledge
of some prison policies, a failure to carry out and follow agreed actions and
"inadequate interventions". They gave the cause of death as anaemia
due to chronic blood loss and under nutrition. Mr Osbourne said: "The
treatment that Aleksey received during the period he was at Rye Hill was both
appalling and at times unacceptable. "I have no
hesitation in adopting the words of Stephen Shaw from the Prison and
Probation Ombudsman when he said it was "shameful." He added he did
not feel the need to make any recommendations as changes had already been
made at the prison. The inquest heard a psychiatric assessment recommended
after a meeting at the jail was not carried out as staff did not feel it was
necessary. Several staff members said Mr Baranovsky refused food and
treatment, despite their efforts. Security manager Liz Clay told how, on one
occasion, blood was left in the cell for more than 12 hours before it was
cleaned. A chaplain also said he thought there had been a "lack of care
and compassion" towards the inmate. Speaking after the verdict, Jerry
Petherick, managing director of offender management at GSL, which runs Rye
Hill, said there had been huge changes. "I think we have learned from
this enormously and from the ombudsman's report."
June
29, 2009 Independent
Figures obtained by More4 show four of Britain's 10 private prisons
received the second-lowest rating in Government tests. Britain's private
prisons are performing worse than those run by the state, according to data
obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. The findings, based on the
overall performances of 132 prisons in England and Wales, appear to undermine
claims by ministers that the greater use of private jails is raising
standards for the accommodation of more than 83,000 prisoners held across
both sectors. Separate figures, also released under the right-to-know law,
show that nearly twice as many prisoner complaints are upheld in private
prisons as they are in state-run institutions. The Government is committed to
building five more private prisons to accommodate the growing prison
population, which is predicted to rise to 96,000 by 2014. But the poor
performance ratings among 40 per cent of private prisons in England and Wales
throw into question the cost savings and other benefits of using outside
businesses to tackle the prison crisis. The data obtained by More4 News shows
that four of the 10 private prisons scored the second lowest rating of 2,
"requiring development", and only one above an assessment of
"serious concern." The Ministry of Justice introduced the Prison
Performance Assessment Tool (PPAT) last year, providing the first direct
comparison between public and private prisons. It ranks the prisons out of
four gradings using a wide range of measurements, including escapes, assaults
and rehabilitation. In the second quarter of last year, the average overall
score for prisons in the private sector was 2.7. For the 123 public sector
prisons the average was 2.83. In the following quarter this gap had widened
to 2.6 and 2.85. This is a difference of almost 10 per cent. No private
prison attained the top mark of 4, defined as "exceptional
performance." There were also disparities in the number of complaints
upheld in private and state-run prisons. Rye Hill Prison, a private prison
run by G4S, which has been a focus of particular criticism since it opened in
2001, saw a total of 22 complaints, well above the average in both the public
and private sectors.
February
10, 2009 The Times
Staff at a privately run jail failed to do all they could to ensure the
safety of an inmate who killed himself while suffering a mental illness, a
coroner’s jury ruled yesterday. In a highly critical verdict, the jury said
the inmate’s death could have been avoided if staff at Rye Hill prison had
carried out proper observations of him. They said a lack of trained and
experienced staff in the segregation unit at the jail, then run by GSL
private seucurity firm, made it an unsafe place to hold Michael Bailey. Tom
Osborne, assistant deputy coroner for Northamptonshire said the death of
Bailey, 23, from Birmingham was avoidable. He added that it was shameful that
the prisoner had not been transferrred to hospital because of his mental
health problems. Bailey, serving a four year sentence for drug offences, was
found dead in his cell in the segregation unit at the prison in March 2005.
He had suddenly changed from being a fit, confident young man to being quiet
and subdued in the days before his death. His mother Caroline Bailey told the
inquest she tried to express concerns after noticing marks on her son’s neck
during a visit on March 22. But nothing was done and he was found dead in his
cell on March 24. The jury was highly critical of staff at the prison when
they answered a number of questions surrounding his death as part of their
verdict. They said there had been a failure of communication between the segregation
unit and health care staff. There had also been a failure to carry out a full
or adequate mental health assessment during the time Bailey was in the unit
and prison officers, healthcare staff, and doctors knew or should have known
he was under a “real and immediate risk of self-harm or suicide”. The jury
said Bailey’s death could have been avoided if observations had been properly
carried out, if he had been given appropriate medication, and if he had been
placed on constant observations. The verdict also said a lack of trained and
experienced staff and effective management on the segregation unit created an
unsafe environment to hold him. “There was a failure on the part of all staff
to take responsibility for ensuring Michael Bailey’s safety. The prison
staff, healthcare staff and doctors did not do all that could be expected of
them to prevent Michael Bailey hanging himself”, the jury said. Mr Osborne,
the assistant coroner, said he would to write to both the Ministry of Justice
and the Department of Health about the lack of availability of secure beds in
the prison and the health service. He said: “I believe that in this day and
age it is shameful that there is not the ability to transfer somebody who is
in urgent need of medical attention to an appropriate hospital. The inquest,
which started last month, heard the Category B prison run by private company
GSL experienced problems with “illicit items” being brought in, including
drugs and mobile phones. In the month following the death, the chief inspector
of prisons found the jail was “an unsafe and unstable environment, both for
prisoners and staff”. Jeremy Petherick, managing director of offender
management and immigration services for Group Four Securicor, which took over
running Rye Hill from GSL, said the prison is a very different place now. He
said: “My reaction is one of sorrow about the incident happening at all and I
would like to express my condolences to the family.”
July
16, 2008 BBC
The stab death of a prisoner at a jail seen as unsafe was "possibly
avoidable", ministers have admitted. Wayne Reid, 44, of Birmingham, was
stabbed in the chest by another inmate at HMP Rye Hill, on the Warwickshire
and Northamptonshire border. Three men were sentenced in April 2006 over his
murder, which happened days before he was due to be released. Prisons
Minister David Hanson told Parliament the running of the jail was currently
under examination. Mr Hanson said they were hoping to find out "what
lessons could be learned". An inquest jury ruled last month that the
prison was "unsafe and unstable". A statement issued by the jail
said that since Reid's death in 2005 changes had been made. 'Tragic death' --
Leicestershire North West MP David Taylor asked the minister in the House of
Commons what was being done to improve safety at that jail and others across
the UK. Mr Hanson said the government had received a letter from the coroner
who carried out the inquest, outlining some of the issues that had been
raised in the hearing. He said: "We are working to see whether lessons
can be learnt from the coroner's verdict into Wayne Reid's tragic and
possibly avoidable death." Rye Hill is a category-B prison run by
private security company GSL. Bisharat Chaudry, of Slough, Berkshire, and
Ibrahim Musone, of Cricklewood, London, were
convicted of Reid's murder. Deedar Syed, 26, of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire,
was also jailed for disposing of a blood-stained jacket.
July
7, 2008 The Guardian
At the end of last month, a Northampton inquest jury delivered their
verdict on the death of a prisoner, Wayne Reid, at Rye Hill prison, a
privately run jail, near Rugby. Reid, 44, from Birmingham, was stabbed to
death in April 2005. Two prisoners were later jailed for life for the
killing. The inquest jury concluded that "knives were brought into the
prison undetected because the security searches carried out were inadequate,
especially those on members of staff". It found that the prison
authorities did not do all that reasonably could be expected of them to
prevent the risk of harm to Reid and other prisoners and concluded that bad
management, inexperienced staff and lack of security contributed to the
death. It is not the first time that the category B jail, holding 600 serious
offenders and operated by Global Solutions Ltd (GSL), has come under fire.
Reid's murder took place while a prisons inspectorate team was in the jail.
In the scathing report that followed, the chief inspector, Anne Owers, said
the prison had deteriorated - since the last inspection - to the extent that
it was an "unsafe and unstable environment, both for prisoners and
staff". Owers took the highly unusual step of informing government
ministers of her fears. She questioned whether inexperienced and poorly
supported staff were fully in control of undermanned
wings. During their visit, inspectors were shown illicit mobile phones in the
possession of prisoners who also reported the presence drugs, alcohol and
knives. The jury was told that a "criminal subculture" existed at
Rye Hill at the time of the murder and that a security report posted two days
before Reid died warned that a knife, believed to have been smuggled in by a
member of staff, was hidden on the wing where Reid was housed. It also found
that management at the jail ought to have been aware that a "contract"
had been taken out on Reid. A seasoned prison governor told the jury that
searches for illicit items were not carried out properly, with jail records
showing two cells being searched by the same officer at exactly the same
time. One witness told the coroner the prison was approaching a state where
"you can do what you like and get away with it". The solicitor who
represented the Reid family at the inquest says that evidence emerged showing
the contract between the private prison and the Home Office provided a
financial incentive not to carry out proper cell searches, which meant that
knives were available on the wing. She said that a dispute that could have
resulted in a black eye ended up as a fatal stabbing. Two weeks before Reid
was murdered, another prisoner at Rye Hill, Michael Bailey, apparently took
his own life in the jail's segregation unit. Bailey had made serious
allegations of corruption against an officer at Rye Hill. Three members of
staff were later charged with the manslaughter, by gross negligence, of the
23-year- old. They were cleared on the direction of the judge at Northampton
crown court. After the verdict, one of the defendants, Paul Smith, who
managed the segregation unit at the time of Bailey's death, said that GSL
"failed me and failed Michael Bailey. In my role as manager I did not
have the opportunity to do the job properly. I expressed concern about the
level of support and training to senior management and they didn't do
anything." In June, 2006, another prisoner at Rye Hill, Oleksiy
Baronovsky died, apparently from self-inflicted injuries. The prison
ombudsman's report on Baronovsky's death is complete, but its contents will
not be revealed until the inquest, but impeccable sources have described it
as a "shocking document" castigating the lack of medical treatment
for a man who was clearly seriously ill. Every private jail has in place a
controller, appointed by the Ministry of Justice, to monitor the regime.
During a Panorama/ Guardian undercover inquiry into Rye Hill in 2006, it
emerged that few, if any, staff knew of the controller's existence. A
spokesman for the MOJ said that the Offender Management Bill enabled some
duties, previously undertaken by the controller, to be transferred to the
contractor. The first private prison in this country opened in 1994 and there
are nine now operating in England and Wales. Critics of non-state jails say
that the legislation came in by stealth and the morality of profiting from
punishment was never debated in parliament. Deborah Coles, co-director of
Inquest, said that where prisons are run for profit, the health, safety and
welfare of prisoners will always run second to financial interests. She says
that these three deaths and the two critical reports into Rye Hill show the
role of controllers are subsumed within the culture of the private sector and
she accuses the Ministry of Justice of "washing its hands" of the
failings of private jails. An MoJ spokesman said the
ministry remain concerned about Rye Hill and the prison is still subject to a
rectification notice (requiring GSL to rectify failures in performance
covered by the contract). He said that the contract is being robustly managed
and progress is being made to take forward the chief inspector's
recommendations. Three avoidable deaths and two damning chief inspector's
reports on, Rye Hill continues to operate as a jail for serious offenders,
despite clear evidence that it is an unsafe place for both prisoners and
staff. The catalogue of continuing failings begs the question: how many more
mistakes, or fatalities, will it take before the Ministry of Justice decides
that GSL is not fit to run this dangerous prison?
June
26, 2008 BBC
A prison where an inmate was stabbed to death was "unsafe and
unstable" for both prisoners and staff, an inquest jury has ruled. Wayne
Reid, 44, of Birmingham, was stabbed in the chest by another inmate at HMP
Rye Hill, on the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire border. Three men were
sentenced in April 2006 over his murder. A statement issued by the prison
after the inquest said since Reid's death in 2005 system changes had been
made. The jury gave its verdict in a series of nine individual statements at
the end of a two-week inquest held at Rushden and Diamonds Football Club in
Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire. These included findings that staff were
inadequately supported by management, the prison's cell-searching system had
failed and lax security meant knives could be taken in. The final three
statements said: "The prison authorities ought to have known that Mr
Reid was under a real and immediate risk of harm from other prisoners. "The prison authorities did not do all that
reasonably could be expected of them to prevent the risk of harm to Mr Reid
or any other prisoner. "We conclude that our above findings in relation
to Rye Hill prison created an environment that contributed to the death of
Wayne Reid." Rye Hill prison is a category-B prison run by private
security company GSL. 'Run ragged' -- A solicitor for Mr Reid's family said
they were pleased with the verdict but added a penalty point system for
finding banned items in the prison was a disincentive for management to
search properly. "That's the most disturbing thing that's emerged,"
she said. The inquest heard there was only two custody officers overseeing
Reid's wing of 70 prisoners when he died. Inspectors also said there was a
"criminal subculture" at Rye Hill, searches were not taking place
properly and inexperienced officers were being "run ragged by
experienced prisoners". A spokesman for GSL said: "Managing a
prison is an extremely complex task and since 2005 a number of changes have
taken place, including the appointment of several experienced managers and
staff, to move the prison forward." Bisharat Chaudry, of Slough,
Berkshire, and Ibrahim Musone, of Cricklewood, London, have
been convicted of Reid's murder. Deedar Syed, 26, of Peterborough,
Cambridgeshire, was also jailed for disposing of a blood-stained jacket.
June
26, 2008 Channel 14 News
The jury at an inquest holds a private prison company partly to blame for the
death of an inmate. Simon Israel reports. Wayne Reid was stabbed by another
prisoner at Rye Hill jail in Warwickshire, run by the private security group
GSL. The jury found that knives were allowed in because of inadequate
searches of staff. Channel 4 News has learned that under a penalty point
system imposed by the government, the discovery of weapons was not thought as
important an offence as an assault.
June
16, 2008 BBC
Inspectors had described a jail where a prisoner was stabbed to death by
fellow inmates as "unsafe", an inquest heard. Wayne Reid, 44, from
Birmingham, was killed at HMP Rye Hill, in Willoughby, on the borders of
Warwickshire and Northamptonshire, in April 2005. Bisharat Chaudry, of
Slough, Berkshire, and Ibrahim Musone, of Cricklewood, London, were convicted of his murder. Reid's inquest at Rushden
and Diamonds Football Club, Northamptonshire, is expected to last two weeks.
Deedar Syed, 26, of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, was also jailed alongside
Reid's killers in April 2006 for disposing of a blood-stained jacket. The
hearing, in Irthlingborough, was told inspectors visited the prison around
the time of the prisoner's death on 13 April 2005, which happened only days
before he was due to be released. 'Unsafe and unstable' -- Tom Osbourne,
assistant deputy coroner for Northamptonshire, said the report said:
"The prison had deteriorated to the extent that we considered that it
was at that time an unsafe and unstable environment both for prisoners and
staff." Prison custody officer Ronald Lewis, who still works at Rye
Hill, was asked by Mr Osbourne if he had ever felt unsafe there. He said that
it could be "interpreted in that way" because on Reid's wing there
were only two officers for 70 prisoners. Rye Hill is a category B prison run
by private security company GSL. Mr Osborne told the jury Reid, who came from
the Handsworth area of Birmingham, had been seen arguing with fellow inmate
Musone several times previously. 'Stay with us' -- Prison officer Mr Lewis
told the inquest that on the day of the stabbing he had come out of the
office to see Reid clutching his chest. He said he could not explain why he
had called a 'Code 2' instead of a 'Code 1', which was normally used when someone
is injured seriously, to inform his fellow officers of the incident. He said
it was the "shock of what happened" which meant he also momentarily
left Reid to let another inmate onto the wing. However, Mr Lewis said he then
returned and held Reid's hand and told him to "stay with us". Mr
Reid's mother Joan Winstanley and sister Correna Platt were both at the
inquest. The inquest continues.
March
7, 2008 Northampton Chronicle
Managers of a privately-run prison in Northamptonshire have refuted a
judge's claim it is "not fit for purpose". Judge Richard Bray
branded HMP Rye Hill, near Daventry, as a failing prison "with a
"culture of drugs and violence" after a member of staff was
acquitted of drugs smuggling. A jury accepted Lenworth Beecher, 44, had acted
out of duress due to threats from inmates after he was caught with £12,000 of
heroin, cannabis and steroids. Mr Beecher called on the Government to
investigate the private prison, which opened in 2001, while Judge Bray said
the case revealed "a shocking state of affairs" within the prison.
Anne Owers, HM Inspector of Prisons, concluded after a surprise visit last
year that it was difficult to determine whether the guards or inmates were
running the wings. But a spokesman for GSL said progress had been made since
a spate of drugs arrests last year and with the appointment of a new
director. GSL says mandatory drug testing of five per cent of the prison
population had resulted in a seven-fold fall in positive tests since the
series of arrests during the second half of 2007. He said: "Rye Hill
Prison works in close partnership with Northamptonshire Police to develop
intelligence to combat the problems faced by all prisons including people
smuggling in drugs. "We're concerned and
disappointed about the judge's comments and feel he may not be aware of the
significant progress that has been made at Rye Hill over many months which
includes mandatory drug testing." "We acknowledge Rye Hill has gone
through some considerable difficulties but the one thing that is true of all
prisons, is that the most experienced people are the inmates."
December
11, 2007 BBC
Gordon Hacker, of Corbett Street, Rugby, admitted conspiring to smuggle
cannabis into HMP Rye Hill between November 2004 and April 2005. The
44-year-old was jailed for four years at Northampton Crown Court. Convicted
armed robbers Steven McCluskey and Thomas Zealand, both from Coventry, were
jailed for five years and four-and-a-half years respectively. McCluskey, 25,
admitted conspiracy to supply cannabis while Zealand, 27, also admitted
supplying heroin and ecstasy. The court heard Hacker had advised the inmates
when the best times were for drugs to be thrown over the prison wall. He
claimed he had not been rewarded for his actions and had helped the inmates
because he felt under pressure. "He was surrounded by prisoners who knew
the prison inside out. What he did was try to create a favour to get an easy
shift," Peter Hunter, defending, said. Sentencing Hacker, Judge Richard
Bray said: "A depressing picture has been painted of Rye Hill Prison, of
the availability of drugs within the prison and of low morale among inmates
and prison officers. 'Breach of trust' "You
knew what was going on and facilitated the process by giving notice to those
involved of the best times to throw drugs over the prison wall. "I
appreciate what was said about the regime at Rye Hill Prison but that cannot
excuse what you did, it was a grave breach of trust." The court heard
Zealand's girlfriend Sheree Williams, 23, of Charity Road, Coventry, controlled
bank accounts used by prisoners to pay for the drugs and stored 9kg of
cannabis in her son's wardrobe. She was jailed for two-and-a-half years.
Zealand's 26-year-old sister Stephanie, of Thompsons Road, Coventry, who was
McCluskey's girlfriend, admitted possession of class A drugs with intent to
supply and money laundering. She was jailed for two-and-a-half years.
November
19, 2007 BBC News
A former prison officer has pleaded guilty to helping inmates smuggle drugs
into a private prison in Warwickshire. Gordon Hacker, from Rugby, conspired
with inmates serving at HMP Rye Hill between November 2004 and April 2005,
Northampton Crown Court heard. Hacker, 44, tipped off inmates about the best
times for accomplices to throw drugs into the prison over the prison wall,
the court was told. He was remanded on conditional bail and is due to be
sentenced in December. Hacker, 44, was charged along with four co-defendants,
all of whom had already pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply controlled
drugs at Rye Hill. Elaborate conspiracy -- They are Stephen McClusky and
Thomas Zealand, who were inmates at Rye Hill at the time of the conspiracy,
and Sheree Williams and Stephanie Zealand, the two men's girlfriends. They
are all also due to be sentenced in December. Judge Richard Bray, presiding,
described the elaborate drug-trafficking conspiracy at Rye Hill. He told the
court: "It consisted of using moneys that had been earned in prison
through prison work, or moneys used by relatives of inmates in prison to fund
a bank account used by one of the girlfriends of the prisoners." Drugs
were then bought with the money on the outside and thrown over the prison
walls at night to inmates who were waiting on the inside, the court heard.
Judge Bray told the court Hacker's involvement was "by telling them when
was a good time to throw stuff over the wall, and
doubtless turning a blind eye to what was going on". Telephone records
revealed that Hacker had received frequent and regular telephone calls over
the four-month period from 2004 to 2005 from Stephen McClusky and Thomas
Zealand. Rachel Brand QC, prosecuting, told the court: "Sometimes he was
being called by these men several times, many times, in the course of one
day." Ms Brand told the court that although the calls often lasted no
more than a few seconds, it was "enough, I suppose, for someone to say I
need to speak to you, come and see me". Ecstasy, diamorphine, heroin --
There was insufficient evidence to prove whether Hacker had actually brought
drugs into the prison himself, or whether he realised the scale of the
trafficking, the court was told. But payments ranging from £20 to more than
£800 were made into the bank account being used for the conspiracy. The
payments to the account held by Sheree Williams amounted to £6,390; and large
quantities of drugs were found at the homes of Sheree Williams and Stephanie
Zealand, the court was told. The drugs included cannabis resin, ecstasy
pills, diamorphine and heroin. Speaking outside the court, Det Sgt Andy
Blaize of Northamptonshire Police, said postal orders were sent from
"numerous" prisoners to addresses across Coventry. He said:
"When you look at these addresses, there is some link with an inmate,
and Stephanie Zealand has gone to collect the majority of these postal orders."
Judge Bray said: "As to the scale of all this, we're not talking about
the odd throw over the prison walls here. This is serious stuff." In
2005, a report by the chief inspector of prisons found HMP Rye Hill to be
"unsafe for staff and inmates alike". The report of the inspection
was described by the Prison Reform Trust as "one of the most damning we
have ever seen".
October
9, 2007 The Guardian
One of the most troubled privately-run jails in Britain urgently needs a team
of public sector managers to come in and bail it out, according to a report
by the chief inspector of prisons published today. Prisoners, rather than the
often young and inexperienced staff, are in control in parts of Rye Hill
prison near Rugby, Warwickshire, which is run by the private security firm
GSL, Anne Owers warns. At least 100 inmates should be moved out to other
jails, she says. In her third inspection since the prison opened in 2001, the
chief inspector says that safety remains "fundamentally fragile"
with 52% of the 660 inmates, including 150 lifers, saying they felt unsafe.
When prison inspectors visited Rye Hill in June they were told of 617
reportable incidents so far this year, including two rooftop protests, drug
finds and assaults. Ten weapons had been found in the previous four weeks and
glass bottles available from the canteen had been used as weapons in violent
assaults. The inspectors say prisoners were not only verbally aggressive
towards staff but had also managed to subvert the incentives scheme to such a
point that many of the most badly behaved were actually on the
"enhanced" or "super-enhanced" levels of the scheme,
which include extra visits and even meals with families. The Prison Service
said last night that a decision had been taken in August to reduce Rye Hill's
population from 664 to 600. But it rejected the chief inspector's demand for
a team of experienced public sector managers to be sent in to stabilise the
prison. Instead a "rectification notice" has been issued against
GSL, which has appointed a new director. The chief inspector's report follows
disclosures by an undercover reporter working for Guardian Films who earlier
this year uncovered routine bullying of staff by prisoners who had easy
access to drugs and mobile phones. Ms Owers says many prisoners and staff
told inspectors that prisoners were inadequately supervised on the wings,
often by only one member of staff: "There was some evidence that violent
incidents were not consistently followed up or investigated, which led to
prisoners stating that they, rather than the staff, were in control of the
units."
August
11, 2007 Northampton Chronicle
An organised gang who smuggled drugs into a privately-run prison in
Northamptonshire have been warned to expect long prison sentences. Two
inmates at HMP Rye Hill, near Daventry, arranged for their girlfriends to be
paid by either inmates sending out postal orders as payment or for friends
and family to deposit money in a bank account before they would supply
prisoners with cannabis, ecstasy or heroin. Prisoner Thomas Zealand, 24, who is currently serving six-and-a-half years at neighbouring
HMP Onley, his girlfriend Sheree Williams, 22, fellow inmate Steven
McCluskey, 26, and his girlfriend Stephanie Zealand, 26, Thomas's sister,
have all admitted their roles involved in supplying drugs. They were charged
after the police investigation into the death of Michael Bailey, who was found hanged in his cell at the jail sited on the
Warwickshire-Northamptonshire border in March 2006. At Northampton Crown
Court Thomas Zealand pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cannabis between
August 2004 and July 2005. Due for release next month, he reacted with anger
and abuse after Judge Richard Bray refused an application for him to be
released on bail pending sentence. Stephanie Zealand admitted possessing
cannabis, ecstasy and heroin with intent to supply as well being concerned in
retaining criminal property by having postal orders sent to her Coventry home
as payment for prison drugs supplied. Once payment was made, word was sent
into the prison for the drugs to be supplied. Williams admitted possessing
nine kilos of cannabis found at her home in July 2005 and a similar money
laundering charge in using her bank account to deposit payments for drugs.
Rachel Brand QC said prisoners' friends and family would pay money in for
drugs to be supplied to their loved ones inside HMP Rye Hill. Judge Richard
Bray, who has previously criticised both Rye Hill and Wellingborough Prisons
for their record on drugs, said the gang should expect to receive lengthy
prison sentences. Releasing the two women on conditional bail, he said:
"These are serious charges they have pleaded to. Let me say this, they
would be very, very foolish if they do not turn up on the day they are
required to do so because there will be consecutive sentences for breach of
bail." Heroin addict McCluskey, who is serving nine years for armed
robbery, has already pleaded guilty to the cannabis conspiracy charge and
three offences of being concerned in the supply of cannabis, ecstasy and
heroin. He will be sentenced later this year. Gordon Hacker, aged 44, of
Corbett Street, Rugby, who worked as a prison guard, denies conspiracy to
supply class C cannabis. He was released on bail pending his trial in
November.
June
25, 2007 BBC
A group of prisoners has caused a disturbance at a privately run jail in
Warwickshire. The inmates took control of one wing at Rye Hill prison during
the incident on Monday afternoon. A team of specially trained and equipped
staff regained control of the wing after two hours. A spokesman for GSL,
which runs Rye Hill, said that despite some damage at the prison, there were
no injuries to either staff or inmates.
April
16, 2007 Guardian Unlimited
The Home Office has pledged to review the management of a privately run
prison where an investigation by Guardian Films and the BBC uncovered routine
bullying of staff by prisoners at the jail. A reporter working undercover as
a prison officer at the troubled Rye Hill jail found widespread intimidation
of staff and incidents where diligent custody officers were urged to
"back off" by senior colleagues for fear of upsetting inmates. It
also found that prisoners had easy access to drugs and mobile phones. The
investigation, which will be shown tonight, comes after the jail had already
been heavily criticised by inspectors over the murder of an inmate and the
"avoidable" suicides of prisoners. The Home Office insisted that
Global Solutions Limited (GSL), the private firm that runs Rye Hill, has
already been penalised for failings at the jail. But it added that the
management would be reviewed again after tonight's broadcast. In a statement
a spokeswoman said: "The regional offender manager will continue to work
closely with the Commercial and Competitions Unit of Noms [the National
Offender Manager Service] and the Home Office controller in considering
whether further remedial action is required to ensure compliance by GSL
against the contract. A review will be held following the showing of the
Panorama programme and the response received from the contractor, as to
whether additional action is required." The statement also admitted
there had been failings at the jail. It said: "There have been undoubted
failures in the past performance of GSL against their contract to deliver the
required service in a number of areas. Both the current contract holder, the
regional offender manager for the East Midlands, and the previous holder, the
head of the office for contracted prisons, have sought to remedy these
failings through robust contract management. "Contract management of Rye
Hill has involved financial penalties related to specific incidents
(escapes), the withholding of invoices and penalty points to reflect poor
performance, which translate into further financial penalties."
April
16, 2007 BBC
An undercover reporter has unearthed evidence of intimidation and corruption
at a privately-run prison, a Panorama investigation will say. The reporter,
who worked at Rye Hill, a category B prison in Warwickshire, for five months,
says prisoners openly threatened a newly qualified officer. He also says he
was asked by inmates to smuggle in mobile phones and drugs. GSL, which runs
the jail, said inmates' behaviour was unacceptable but accused the reporter
of ignoring his training. Murder in cell: HMP Rye Hill is one of a growing
number of private prisons in the country intended to help deal with a rising
prison population. It houses 600 prisoners nearing the end of sentences of at
least four years, including criminals from the Iranian embassy siege and
Strangeways prison riots. However in the last two years, there have been one
murder and two suicides, and government inspectors have given it two damning
reports. During one inspection, prisoner Wayne Reid was stabbed through the
heart in his cell by two other prisoners, both with criminal records for
violence and knife crime. Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers said even
before the murder, her team had "established to their own satisfaction
that they felt it was unsafe and unstable for both prisoners and staff".
She shouldn't be frightened - she's fully supported. As part of the
investigation by Guardian Films on behalf of the BBC, the reporter, a former
SAS ex-British Army soldier, undertook a 13-week training period to become a
newly qualified prison officer. He was earning £250 a week - a third less
than officers in the state sector. During his time on the wings, he said a
new recruit was threatened for enforcing prison rules too keenly. At one
point, she was threatened with a pool cue by one prisoner, the programme
says. The officer said: "I'm not feeling safe because of the staff. "And I don't know if I can be bothered with it for
the money. They're going to kill me I do believe." Smuggling cannabis:
GSL's director of communications, John Bates, said: "People shouldn't be
surprised by the fact that prisoners in a prison seek to coerce staff into
making their lives easier and we don't hide from that fact, and that's why
during the training, we return to that theme regularly." And of the
officer, he said: "She shouldn't be frightened. She's fully
supported." In another incident, the undercover reporter says he was
openly approached by inmates seeking to "groom" him into a
smuggler. He reports being offered £200 for a standard mobile phone and up to
£750 for a camera phone, to be paid to him by telephone banking. Another
prisoner offered him up to £1,500 - more than he earns in a month from GSL -
for one delivery of cannabis. Mr Bates said the prisoners' behaviour was
"completely unacceptable" and the reporter knew what they were
doing was illegal. "If that officer had done what he had been trained to
do - that matter would have been dealt with. He failed his colleagues and he
put himself at risk," he added. Panorama: Life Behind Bars can be seen on
BBC1 at 2030 BST on Monday 16 April.
June
8, 2006 BBC News
Four prison officers have appeared in court over charges relating to the
death of a prisoner in March last year. Michael Bailey, 23, was found dead in
his cell at HMP Rye Hill, on the Northants and Warwickshire border. Daniel
Daymond, Paul Smith, Samantha Prime and Ben King appeared at Daventry
Magistrates' Court to face charges over his death. The four were granted
unconditional bail and will reappear at Northampton Crown Court on 23 June.
Mr Daymond, 23, of Rugby, is accused of manslaughter by gross negligence and
conspiring to pervert the course of justice. Mr Smith, 39, of Birchwood,
Warrington, and Ms Prime, 28, of Rugby, both face a single charge of causing
manslaughter by gross negligence. Mr King, 21, of Southbrook, Daventry, is
charged with conspiring to pervert the course of justice.
April
23, 2006 24 DASH
Prison officers are calling for all jail wardens to be better armed claiming
they should be given metal batons in order to defend themselves from assault.
The Prison Officers Association (POA) conference next month will vote on
whether the extendable baton should be allowed in many more prisons. The
union's national general secretary Brian Caton said he supported the
proposals and predicted the motions would be passed. Currently, staff at private prisons such as Doncaster do not carry
batons. "We would say that's wrong," Mr Caton said. "Prisoners
in private prisons are no less violent, they're no less difficult. "You are twice as likely to be attacked in a
private prison as in a public prison." Last July the Chief Inspector of
Prisons warned that staff at a privately-run prison were
being bullied by inmates. Anne Owers demanded urgent action after discovering
unsafe conditions at Rye Hill jail, near Rugby in Warwickshire, which is run
by GSL UK Ltd. Inexperienced officers were ignoring misbehaviour and evidence
of contraband in order to "survive" on the wings, the report said.
April
6, 2006 BBC
Two prisoners who murdered a fellow inmate in his cell five days before
his release have been jailed for life. Wayne Reid, 44, of Birmingham, was
stabbed at Rye Hill Prison, near Rugby, Northampton Crown Court heard.
Inmates Ibrahim Musone, of Cricklewood, north London, and Bisharat Chaudry,
of Slough, Berks, will serve at least 15 years and 14 years respectively.
Deedar Syed, 26, of Peterborough, Cambs, was jailed for 30 months for
disposing of a blood-stained jacket.
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."
August
5, 2005 The Guardian
Police investigating the death of a prisoner in the segregation unit of a
privately run jail have referred the case to the
Crown Prosecution Service. Michael Bailey, 24, was found hanging in his cell
at Rye Hill prison, near Rugby, in March. Prisoners at the jail told the
Guardian at the time that he had been segregated after giving staff the name
of an officer who had been supplying drugs. Following the death, six staff were suspended from the prison and two custody officers
remain on police bail. Officers from the homicide and major crime unit of
Northamptonshire police are investigating allegations of supplying controlled
drugs to the prison. Rye Hill, operated by Global Solutions Ltd, holds 600
serious offenders. After an inspection in April, the chief inspector of
prisons said the jail was "unsafe for staff and inmates alike". The
report of the inspection, published last month, was described by the Prison
Reform Trust as "one of the most damning we have ever seen". In
April, another prisoner, 44-year-old Wayne Reid, died from stab wounds. Reid
had been due to be released a few days after he died. Three men have been
charged with his murder. Detective Chief Inspector Pete Windridge, of
Northamptonshire police, said the force had investigated the death of Michael
Bailey and had sent its preliminary findings to the CPS. He added that
"an investigation into the supply of controlled drugs into the prison is
ongoing. Two prison custody officers, a 21-year-old man from Bedworth [near
Coventry] and a 42-year-old man from Warwickshire, remain on police bail pending
further inquiries. "A further two men who are
prison inmates and three women not connected with the prison have also been
arrested and bailed in relation to this investigation."
July
29, 2005 Morning Star
The Prison Officers Association called for the return of Rye Hill jail to
public control yesterday, after the Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers
found that staff at the private prison are being
bullied by inmates. In a damning new report, Ms Owers found that
inexperienced prison officers are ignoring inmates' misbehaviour and working
in pairs, just in order to "survive" on the wings of the
Warwickshire jail, which is run by privateers GSL UK Ltd. "We saw
evidence of staff being bullied by prisoners and withdrawing from, rather
than confronting, intimidatory and aggressive behaviour," Ms Owers said.
A POA spokesman explained that, while the union is "extremely
concerned" at the findings, it is not altogether suprised. "We have
been receiving information from our members about the lack of control, as
well as lack of management supervision," he said.
July
28, 2005 Politics
Anne Owers said the situation at Rye Hill prison near Rugby had reached a
point that staff, many of whom were "inexperienced and poorly
supported", were being bullied by
inmates. During her unannounced inspection, a death occurred that
resulted in a murder investigation, while before the team arrived at Rye Hill
the prison had seen a hostage situation. Inspectors reported an increasing
number of inmates testing positive for drugs and found knives, drugs and
alcohol were all available on the wings at the prison, some of which were
only staffed by two officers. Inmates at the prison, which is owned and
operated by private company GSL UK, reported that they sorted out fights and
bullying themselves. "So great were the concerns that I
immediately informed ministers and urged the chief executive of the National
Offender Management Service to take immediate and decisive action," Ms
Owers said. Rye Hill is a category B jail and has a capacity of about
600 inmates. GSL has been fined £95,000 as a result of its poor
performance. The Prison Reform Trust said today's report was "one
of the most damning reports of a prison we have seen", which painted a
picture of an institution run not by private company but by the prisoners
themselves. Ms Owers' report comments on the "keenness and
enthusiasm" of residential staff but criticises their lack of training
and adequate management support, and highlights the estimated 40 per cent
staff turnover rate.
The director of the Prison Reform Trust, Juliet Lyon, said this turnover
figure would "disgrace many burger bars", saying it was
"hazardous to safety and undermines the work of a prison in guiding
prisoners towards a responsible life on release".
July 28, 2005 The Guardian
A private prison was yesterday described as "unsafe", with
prisoners bullying staff, and drugs, knives and alcohol freely
available. The inspection report into Rye Hill prison, near Rugby, was
described by the Prison Reform Trust as "one of the most damning reports
of a prison we have seen". The trust's director, Juliet Lyon,
said: "This prison appears to be run not by a private company, but by
the prisoners themselves." The chief inspector of prisons, Anne
Owers, said Rye Hill had deteriorated to the extent that, at the time of
inspection, it was "an unsafe and unstable environment".
Inspectors found inexperienced staff on a wing of 70 unlocked prisoners,
"surviving by ignoring misbehaviour or evidence of illicit possessions".
They also witnessed evidence of staff being bullied by prisoners. In
the period immediately before the inspection, in April, the jail, holding 600
serious offenders, had experienced an apparently self-inflicted death in the
segregation unit. A hostage was taken and there had been a 100% rise in the
number of assaults against staff, at a time when assault figures are down
across the service. Staff and prisoners told inspectors that managers
at the jail gave no support to custody staff and were rarely seen on the wings
when prisoners were unlocked. The report also highlighted failings in the
race relations programme at the jail. An analysis of use of force data shown
to inspectors revealed that 57% of all recorded use of force involved black
or ethnic minority prisoners, yet that group accounted for only 37% of the
jail's population.
May
20, 2005 BBC
A prison officer arrested on suspicion of supplying drugs after the death of
an inmate has been released on bail. Michael Bailey, 23, who was serving a
four-year term for supplying drugs, was found hanged in the segregation unit
of Rye Hill prison, Warks, on 24 March. He had been separated from others
amid concerns about his behaviour. Northamptonshire Police, who are investigating the death, said the 42-year-old
Warwickshire man had been released pending further inquiries. He was detained
on Thursday on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of controlled
drugs. Detectives also searched a house in Rugby as part of the
investigation. A 21-year-old officer from Coventry was arrested on 19 April
on the same charge and has since been released on police bail pending further
inquiries. Two staff at the privately-run prison were
suspended in March for alleged irregularities with documentation pending an
internal inquiry but not as a direct result of Mr Bailey's death. Rye Hill is run by GSL and houses 660 male prisoners,
including 150 vulnerable inmates at a purpose-built unit.
April
22, 2005 BBC
Ibrahim Musone, Bisharat Chaudry and Deedar Syed are charged with
murdering Wayne Martin Reid at Rye Hill Prison in Willoughby, near Rugby,
Warwickshire. The men, aged 40, 30 and 25, are accused of stabbing
44-year-old Reid, from Birmingham, on 13 April. A post-mortem examination
revealed that Reid, from Balsall Heath, died of stab wounds. He was serving a seven-year sentence for robbery at the
660-inmate jail, which is run by the private security company GSL.
April
21, 2004
AN ESCAPED Scots murderer was caught in London yesterday after 11 days on the
run. Gordon Topen, 33, gave his private security guards the slip at a
hospital on April 9. But he was held in West Kensington at 5pm
yesterday by the Metropolitan Police Tactical Support Group. They specialise
in dealing with violent thugs. Dundee-born Topen stabbed a millionaire
businessman 19 times in 1992 because he believed the man was having an affair
with his girlfriend. He was taken to Walsgrave Hospital in Coventry
from Rye Hill jail in Warwickshire for a blood transfusion. He told his Group
4 guards he needed to go to the toilet, then walked
out to freedom as they sat by his bed. Police described 6ft 6in Topen
as extremely aggressive and urged people not to approach him. (Daily
Record)
April
19, 2005 BBC
A prison officer has been arrested on suspicion of supplying drugs by police
investigating the death of an inmate at Rye Hill prison in Warwickshire.
Michael Bailey, from Birmingham, was found hanged in his cell in the
segregation unit on 24 March. The 23-year-old had been serving a four-year
sentence for supplying drugs. Northamptonshire Police said they arrested a
21-year-old prison custody officer, from the Coventry area, on Tuesday
morning.
April
14, 2005 BBC
Three prisoners have been arrested on suspicion of murdering a fellow inmate
at a privately-run jail. Wayne Martin Reid, 44, from Balsall Heath,
Birmingham, was stabbed at Rye Hill Prison, near Rugby, Warwickshire. He was
given first aid by officers and medical staff but pronounced dead on
Wednesday afternoon. John Bates, a spokesman for prison operator GSL, which
runs Rye Hill jail, said Reid was stabbed in the chest. "Our condolences
have been passed to the family and friends of Mr Reid," he added.
November
1, 2004 BBC
An investigation is being carried out at a Warwickshire prison after two
inmates finished a rooftop protest. The men came down from the roof of a shed
at Rye Hill prison near Rugby at just after 9.30pm on Saturday evening. It is not clear
what the demonstration at the jail, which is run by Global Solutions Ltd, was
about.
Serco
Companies Use Immigration Crackdown to Turn a Profit:
Expose on immigration by Nina Bernstein at the New York Times,
September 28, 2011
May 14, 2013 huffingtonpost.co.uk
Prison reform campaigners have called for urgent
action at Britain's news private jail, which has been put into
"lock-down" in response to the violent gang warfare behind its
bars. In an inspection report, Serco-run Thameside prison in London was found
to keep some prisoners in their cells 23 hours a day, with 60% locked up all
day, in order for staff to cope with the violent offenders. The Howard League
for Penal Reform called the report "truly alarming" and said it was
an embarrassment to the government. The previous system, where prisoners were
allowed out of their cells for most of the day, had seen an
"unacceptable" level of delinquency, the prison said. The report by
HM Inspectorate of Prisons found that the prison, which opened in March last
year holding 900 male prisoners, had far too high a frequency of assault, and
that staff could not protect prisoners from the violence. "The prison
had taken the unusual step of effectively locking down the prison, severely
curtailing the regime and in particular prisoner access to time unlocked. "The prison had done little to evaluate the success
of this quite extreme strategy and at the time of our visit there seemed only
vague plans to restore the prison to normality. "The data on assaults,
security report reports and use of force that we examined did not show any
improvement from previous months and we were told that some prisoners got
around restrictions by planning to attend activities so that they could
become involved in fights." Andrew Neilson, Director of Campaigns at the
Howard League for Penal Reform, said in a statement: “Conditions at Thameside
are truly alarming. Violence was so common that the Serco management put the
prison in a state of lockdown, and yet this extreme measure has done little
to bring down the number of attacks. “Staff are
inexperienced and often resort to physical force. The prisoners have no
confidence in them. Despite enforcing one of the most restricted regimes ever
seen by inspectors, this is a large private prison out of control. “Today’s
report should embarrass the government. Less than a week after Justice
Secretary Chris Grayling demanded that prisoners work harder to earn
privileges, this flagship private prison is revealed to be locking up inmates
for 23 hours a day because they don’t have anything constructive to do. “With
a pathetic lack of activities and barely any vocational training available,
Thameside is doing nothing to help prisoners turn their lives around. It is
merely making matters worse. “This is what happens
when you hand the justice system over to vast multinational corporations, who
put cost-cutting and the interests of their shareholders ahead of concern for
public safety.” The National Offender Management Service said action had been
taken to address the concerns.
15 February
2013 pulsetoday.co.uk
The private
out-of-hours provider Serco has received another warning from the Care
Quality Commission about staffing problems with its service for NHS Cornwall
and Isles of Scilly. The CQC conducted a surprise inspection in December to
check on whether previous staffing problems had been addressed at the
Truro-based out of hours service. The commission
found that there was a shortage of healthcare assistants on duty and Serco
did not have enough staff to answer phone calls. Last year the service was
told by the CQC that it had to improve the standard of its services and have
a minimum of three GPs per shift. In May 2012 it was found that the OOH
service had only one GP on call to cover more than 500,000 people after the
other GP was taken ill. The company made an undertaking to increase the pool
of GPs and said it was confident it would be able to meet the needs of the
service. When CQC inspectors made an unannounced visit in December to check
on whether action had been taken, they found the service was now compliant
with four of the five essential standards for which they had previously been
found deficient. However, the inspection revealed that there were still
ongoing staffing problems, with not enough health care advisors (HCAs)
employed to handle calls to the service. One in four calls were not being
answered within the minimum time of 60 seconds and 12% of ‘urgent’ patients
were not having a clinical assessment started within the benchmark time of 20
minutes. The HCAs said staff shortages meant they had to work under stress
and for up to seven hours without a break. The number of GPs employed by the
service had increased since the last inspection but a shift manager said that
there were still shortages. Inspectors found that one car was not covered and
a number of clinics in the county had doctors working their shift partly in
cars and partly based at a clinic. There was no GP on duty at the call
centre, but Serco said a GP did not necessarily need to be based at the call
centre and could be on call. The service said it was now using a ‘wider skill
mix’ including nurse advisers and nurse practitioners to provide after hours
care, and GPs’ time was used more effectively by having them take telephone
calls at their clinics, when call numbers were high. The CQC says it has told
Serco to report by 27 February on what action they will take to meet the
standards and the commission will check to make sure that action is taken. A
spokesman for Serco said it welcomed CQC inspection report, which it said
showed the improvement made over the past months. ‘The CQC … recognised that
the number of clinical staff, particularly GPs, employed by the service in
Cornwall has increased. They have also said that we need to further increase
the number of HCAs in order to meet people’s needs and to meet the specific
National Quality Requirement for call handling times and we fully accept
this. We have a recruitment campaign under way and will have more advisors on
the team by the end of February. ‘All our team in Truro have
worked extremely hard to achieve this progress and I have complete confidence
that we have everything needed to provide a high quality service for patients
in Cornwall in 2013,’ said Dr Louis Warren, who manages the service. This
article has been altered to reflect that the CQC found a shortage of
healthcare assistants, and not GPs, in their December inspection as
previously stated.
September 9, 2012 The
Guardian
Home Office ministers have ordered weekly reports on the progress of two new
contracts with the private security companies G4S and Serco to house and
provide support services for thousands of asylum seekers and their families.
The chief executive of the UK Border Agency (UKBA), Rob Whiteman, has
confirmed that serious concerns about the ability of the two companies to
find housing for thousands of asylum seekers across the north of England by
November has led to closer monitoring at the most senior levels of the Home
Office. The £883m a year Compass contract to provide support services for
dispersed asylum seekers is the largest project run by the Home Office. The
two private security companies took over the five-year asylum housing
contracts in four of the six UKBA regions across Britain from social
landlords, including councils, in March. The companies were expected to start
moving people in June. But after a contractual dispute G4S dropped its
housing subcontractor for the Yorkshire and Humberside region, United
Property Management, in June and its new subcontractors have yet to find
enough homes. Two councils, Sheffield and Kirklees, have raised concerns
about their ability to deliver the housing contract within the expected
timetable. Kirklees council said that a fortnight ago, only one family out of
240 asylum seekers had been moved as part of the transition from the council
to the new providers. "There are 240 asylum seekers being assisted. We
understand the subcontractors are finding it difficult to procure
accommodation and the council has been asked to continue to provide
assistance until the end of October. There is no suggestion however that the
council's contract will be renewed after this time," Whiteman has told
the Commons public accounts committee there were also concerns about the two
Serco contracts, one covering north-west England and the other Scotland and
Northern Ireland, including the "speed at which properties are being
acquired". He said the issue had been "escalated" to directly
involve himself and Jeremy Oppenheim, the UKBA director of immigration and
settlement. Weekly reports are also being sent to ministers. "It is not
at this stage anywhere near penalties because they are acting within the
contract in terms of how the work is handed over to them," Whiteman told
MPs. "We do have concerns about mobilisation. We are escalating this and
I have been involved in meetings on that but it is at a relatively early
stage." He added there were other remedies available under the contracts
but he hoped the difficulties would be resolved.
August 17, 2012 Radio
New Zealand
New Zealand's only private prison operator, Serco, has been hit with another
$150,000 fine for letting a second inmate escape. Graham Hay, an inmate at
Auckland's Mt Eden Prison, spent 30 minutes on the run after undergoing an
eye procedure at the Greenlane Clinical Centre in early June. An official
report has found a non-standard pair of handcuffs was used to lock Hay to one
of two guards escorting him to the appointment. The larger-than-usual cuffs
slipped off Hay's wrist, allowing him to escape before he was caught by a
police dog. The report says the incorrect handcuffs were used because prison
officers had not properly checked the equipment beforehand. None of Serco's
staff have been sacked as a result, although managing director Paul Mahoney
says it has issued written warnings to some staff. The company has been
ordered to make operational changes. Last year, Serco was fined $150,000
following the escape of inmate Aaron Forden. The Corrections Department is in
charge of overseeing Serco's $300 million contract with the New Zealand
Government. Deputy chief executive Christine Stevenson says Hay's escape was
avoidable and the fine is warranted.
July 17, 2012 GP
Private provider Serco Ltd has been ordered to improve out-of-hours services
it runs in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly after a report by the Care Quality
Commission (CQC) found they failed to meet quality and safety standards. CQC
inspectors visited the head office of Serco Ltd in April after patients
raised concerns about the service. Following its investigation, the CQC
issued a report stating that the provider was failing to meet four essential
quality and safety standards. The report said Serco had failed to employ
enough skilled staff to meet the needs of patients and that staff often
worked long hours. A CQC inspection revealed that seven GPs were working for
up to 13 hours a day, some from 8am until 7pm and others from 7pm until 8am.
The CQC found that the shortage of doctors had resulted in an increased
number of complaints to the PCT regarding the service. The report also found
that Serco had failed to protect patients by not training all staff in
safeguarding protocols and not making locum GPs aware of local protocols.
When the CQC asked staff members about statutory staff training, they were
told it was a bit ‘hit and miss’. In addition to these concerns, Serco also
failed to put an effective system in place to monitor the quality of service
that patients received, the CQC said. Responding to the CQC report, managing
director of Serco’s clinical services Paul Forden said: ‘We can confirm that we
have already implemented actions to ensure that three of the four areas have
made progress and we consider that we have achieved the required standards.
‘On the fourth recommendation on training we are 92% compliant today and will
fully meet the requirement within the next month. ‘We are confident that we
will be able to fully satisfy the CQC that we are meeting all of the
standards required when they next visit the service.’
July 5, 2012 Stuff
Private prison operator Serco has failed to meet half of its performance
targets since taking over Auckland's Mt Eden Prison. A report card on Serco's
performance released today reveals three inmates were wrongly released, one
escaped and there were three wrongful detentions. The percentage of sentenced
prisoners with an appropriate plan in place within required timeframes was
only 28 per cent - two thirds lower than the 90 per cent target. Of 37
targets Serco was to meet in the nine months to April half weren't met.
Corrections said Serco had accepted responsibility for one wrongful release.
To date the final decision on whether they'd be fined on a second wrongful
release had not been made, and discussions between both parties about whether
they'd followed correct operational processes were ongoing. Corrections are
to issue a performance notice for a third wrongful release that occurred in
March. During its first quarter running the prison Serco was fined $150,000
after prisoner Aaron Forden escaped in February. Forden, dubbed
"Houdini" escaped along with another inmate who was caught almost
immediately. The firm was also fined $25,000 for releasing one inmate early
and $50,000 for failing to file progress reports. Escapes and wrongful
releases are listed as zero targets.
June 6, 2012 Auckland
Now
Private prison operator Serco could be slapped with its second $150,000 fine
this year after a prisoner escaped after getting his eyes checked on Sunday. A Mt Eden prisoner spent 30 minutes on the run after
escaping while being escorted from the Greenlane Clinical Centre. The police
dog unit and prison duty staff found him hiding in a garden shed at a
property in Claude Rd, about 600 metres from the clinic. Auckland District
Health Board spokesman Mark Fenwick said the prisoner escaped while being
escorted back to the vehicle after receiving his treatment. The man is back
in prison and faces charges of escaping custody. Serco, who are contracted by
Corrections to manage the prison, would not comment on how the prisoner
escaped. An internal inquiry is underway. Under Serco's contract with
Corrections they can be fined $150,000 every time a prisoner escapes. They
were fined in February after serial escaper Aaron Forden fled the prison
after breaking into a service way in October, 2011.
April 27, 2012 New
Zealand Herald
Private prison operators Serco have failed to meet several key performance
measures since taking over running the Mt Eden Corrections Facility, a
Corrections Department report shows. The report, released under the Official
Information Act, shows two wrongful releases and one wrongful imprisonment in
the eight months since the Mt Eden facility was handed to the British-based
company. It was fined $150,000 when Aaron Stephen Forden, a prisoner dubbed
"Houdini", escaped earlier this year. All of the incidents are listed
as zero tolerance areas under Corrections Departments
standards. Corrections chief executive Ray Smith told Radio New Zealand
Serco's failure to meet several performance measures was "less than we
expect". "We have been actively working with Serco to ensure that
improvements are achieved." Other results showed an 82 per cent
completion rate on random drug tests at the facility - 17 per cent short of
the standard required. Targets for prisoner management plans and telephone
call monitoring were not reached. However, random drug testing showed only a
three per cent return of positive samples. The Public Service Association
said the results showed the failure of privatising prisons. National
Secretary Richard Wagstaff said Serco had jeopardised public safety by
allowing wrongful releases and escapes. "The department may be trying to
write these off as 'teething problems' but they are no such thing - these are
core procedures that should be right from the start. "This
report shows Serco is failing in its number one priority - to keep the public
safe." Mr Wagstaff said the report showed the "folly" of
opening another private prison at Wiri.
April 27, 2012 Scoop
National’s prison privatisation plan needs serious rethinking after failing
to meet basic performance requirements at Mt Eden prison, Labour says.
Labour’s Justice Sector Spokesperson Charles Chauvel says that the
Government’s plans to privatise up to a quarter of New Zealand’s prison
capacity will worsen the already dangerous failure to meet requirements.
“Figures out today reveal worrying trends in Serco’s management of the Mt
Eden Corrections Facility over the last eight months “Of particular concern
are failures to meet drug testing and offender management plan targets,
wrongful releases, and an escape from custody. “Coincidentally I visited Mt
Eden yesterday, as well as the state-run Paremoremo and Auckland Women’s
prisons. “While there is much positive work being done by the staff at each
of them, one of the obvious realities is that a level playing field does not
operate between the public and private sectors. Many of the state-run
institutions have to cope with legacy facilities and procedures, which Serco
is unburdened by. “In light of that – and especially since, under National
Serco’s slice of the corrections pie will double once the new Wiri Prison is
built next year, and up to a quarter of all inmates in the system will be
under their control – the public has a right to expect Serco’s performance
targets to be met.
March
1, 2012 STV
Scotland's first private prison has been criticised by inspectors for the
"limited" activities provided for inmates. HM Chief Inspector of
Prisons Brigadier Hugh Monro has now called for improvements in the work and
education programmes at HMP Kilmarnock. He also called for the overall
standard of healthcare at the facility to be reviewed. The latest inspection
report claimed out-of-cell activities at the jail were "limited and lack
stimulation". It said "too few prisoners" attended the
workshops, and that "too few prisoners also attend education and the
educational facility is under-utilised". The report complained that
"large numbers of prisoners are not engaged in purposeful
activity". It also stated that access to activities was not good enough,
with only 40% of prisoners out of the house blocks during the day. Just 200
prisoners were taking part in work during the latest inspection, and Brig
Monro said: "I was not satisfied that the quality of work was
sufficiently good. In some workshops some prisoners have no work to do and
spend much of the time drinking tea or watching other prisoners who do have
work allocated to them." Brig Monro recommended that access to work,
vocational training and education at the jail is improved, and the quality of
education and work should also be better. The report described the education
programme as "limited and under-developed". It added: "Low
numbers of prisoners access education programmes. A total of 139 prisoners
out of a prison population of approximately 640 regularly attend education
classes. This represents only 22% of the prison population." Brig Monro
accepted there were "good points in the prison's healthcare provision,
not least the mental health area, smoking cessation, dental treatment and
alcohol programme".
November
23, 2011 The Age
THE multinational company that runs Australia's immigration detention network
has been fined $15 million for failing in its duty of care to asylum seekers
and underperformance . The immigration department
has told a federal parliamentary inquiry it had docked $14.8 million from
monthly payments to SERCO between March 2010 and June 2011 because of poor
management of the detention centres, and docked another $215,000 from SERCO's
contract to run immigration housing centres. SERCO was paid $375 million to
run immigration centres last year, and $101 million
in the three months to October 2011. The secretive contract the federal
government signed with SERCO withholds payment for audited ''abatements''
each month. Escapes, failure to secure perimeter fences, not providing
activities or reporting major incidents, not giving access to visitors,
interpreters or legal representatives, poor building conditions and food
safety can trigger fee reductions. The penalty is limited by the contract to
5 per cent of SERCO's monthly fee. The $15 million fine, revealed in written
submissions to the inquiry, is therefore near the upper limit of what the
Immigration Department would have been contractually able to penalise SERCO
in a period plagued by riots, fires, suicides and escalating detainee self
harm.
November
18, 2011 AAP
SECURITY company Serco has been asked to explain why a refugee was locked in
isolation after he suffered an electric shock while scaling a fence at a
Darwin detention centre. The Joint Select Committee on Australia's
Immigration Detention Network is conducting an extensive inquiry into the
effect of detention on detainees, in the wake of a series of detention centre
riots. Serco, which has a contract with the federal government to run the
centres, was questioned today over a refugee being locked in a room by guards
for more than an hour, after he suffered an electric shock while climbing a
fence at Darwin's Northern Immigration Detention Centre on November 15. The
man, who was declared a refugee a year ago and was awaiting security
clearance, was reportedly attempting to see friends in another compound,
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young told the inquiry in Melbourne. Ms
Hanson-Young said he was only taken to hospital after he collapsed, then was again locked up in isolation after he returned.
"In this scenario, which is a real scenario, who made the decision that
this man was to be locked up on his own?" Senator Hanson-Young asked
Serco managing director Chris Manning. Mr Manning told her he would look into
the incident and report back to the committee on his findings. Senator
Hanson-Young also asked him about concerns raised in a recent report by
health and safety authority Comcare over underqualified staff working at
immigration detention centres. "You don't have a client to staff
ratio," she said of the contract the security firm has with the
government. Mr Manning told her staffing levels were reviewed regularly.
"They are based on a number of factors ... if there are safety issues
then we would take a view on whether more staff were
required," he said.
October
16, 2011 BBC
More than 25,000 cab journeys have taken place since August, Serco said. The
Ministry of Justice has admitted a private security firm is using black cabs
to take prison inmates to court. The firm, Serco, has a seven-year deal -
with a further three-year option - worth up to £420m. But the company has
been forced to transport inmates in London and east England in cabs after
their computerised booking system failed. Conservative MP Patrick Mercer said
he would raise the issue with Home Secretary Theresa May. 'Extraordinarily
expensive' -- Mr Mercer said he was worried about the cost of hiring cabs,
and the perception defendants were being driven around in luxury. "I
just think it is ridiculous that a security company such as Serco misjudges
things so badly that prisoners are moved to and fro in black taxis," he
said.
October
10, 2011 3 News
Private prison operator SERCO faces a $150,000 fine
after the man nicknamed “Houdini” escaped from its custody. Aaron Forden
scaled the perimeter fence of Mt Eden Corrections Facility early this
morning. He was pursued by a police dog, but got away in a waiting car.
Forden used knotted bed sheets to escape from Mt Eden Prison in 2008. “I
would consider him to be unpredictable and therefore dangerous and that
members of the public should not approach him,” says Detective Sergeant Iain
Chapman. “But it’s only with assistance from the public and his associates
that we will catch him.” Forden is known to change his appearance to avoid
capture.
August
25, 2011 The West Australian
A former Serco employee at Curtin Detention Centre says treatment of
detainees by some staff members was "outrageously brutal" and they
were bullied constantly. Seven asylum seekers were flown from Curtin and put
in isolation on Christmas Island on Tuesday night because of increased
tensions at the remote centre, 40km from Derby. The Immigration Department
confirmed two men tried to escape on Friday. They climbed an internal fence
but did not get past the electric perimeter fence. A spokeswoman denied the
men were injured in the incident and said they were not among three detainees
denied treatment at Broome Hospital on Tuesday for speaking to a member of
the public in a waiting room. The former employee, who recently resigned and
asked not to be named, spoke of growing tensions at Curtin where there were
three staff who had "no training, no idea and no perceived intention to
provide any welfare" to detainees. "The fact two Serco guards have
committed suicided since April is evidence that not everyone can live with
this on their conscience," they said. An elderly Afghan man who had
asked in July to be moved to a single room because he believed he
"smelled" - a problem attributed to mental health issues - was
manhandled by staff. They claimed a department case manager and Serco welfare
officer called the man a liar after a short interview and, as he tried to
leave the room, two "burly" Serco guards shoved him to the ground.
He spent four days in hospital with back injuries, the former employee said.
Employees were scared to talk to anyone outside the centre about such
incidents, particularly the media, for fear of being identified or sacked.
"The expulsion of the Serco man at Christmas Island recently and the
sacking of the mental health nurse from Darwin last week is evidence that it
is a real threat," they said. Habib, 28, an Afghan asylum seeker
released in July after 15 months in detention, fears for friends inside. He
said some staff were uncaring and detainees were
scared to speak out in case it affected their status. Many were depressed
after waiting many months for interviews. The immigration spokeswoman
rejected claims detainees were treated badly. "We require that our staff
and Serco staff treat detainees with dignity and respect," she said.
There were complaint processes and allegations were always investigated. She
said there were no recent complaints of mistreatment.
August
19, 2011 The Age
A MENTAL health nurse has been sacked from a Darwin detention centre for
saying she believes mandatory detention contributes to mental illness in
asylum seekers. A letter sent by her employer, International Health and
Medical Services (IHMS), and obtained by The Age, says her job was terminated
last Friday after Serco detention centre managers and Immigration Department
staff complained that she was ''expressing negative political opinions''
about detention. The federal government's Detention Health Advisory Group,
the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses and the Australian
Psychological Society yesterday called for mandatory detention to be
abandoned. Their call came after documents submitted to a parliamentary
inquiry showed high levels of self-harm, with 213 detainees treated for self-inflicted
injuries and 700 for ''voluntary starvation'' in the first six months of this
year. The chairwoman of the advisory group, Professor Louise Newman, said she
was concerned that a political view could be held against a health worker.
IHMS spokeswoman Melissa Lysaght said last night that staff were entitled to
political opinions but needed to work in a team environment. ''In fact, that
is not a reason for terminating someone, because everyone is entitled to a
political opinion,'' Ms Lysaght said. ''In hindsight, the phrasing of the
letter was incorrect.'' She said the woman had been sacked for professional
standards reasons, after working there for two weeks. Amanda Gordon, of the
Australian Psychological Society, said yesterday there was clear scientific
evidence of the harm caused by indefinite detention, which ''exacerbates
trauma, and creates mental illness, in contravention of the government's own
commitment to reduce it''. Australian Medical Association president Steve
Hambleton said yesterday his attack on the mandatory detention policy at the
AMA's parliamentary dinner this week had been prompted by ''terrible
stories'' being reported by paediatricians and psychiatrists who went inside
detention centres. Dr Paul Bauert, director of paediatrics at the Royal
Darwin Hospital, said children as young as four and five had been caught up
in hunger strikes that their parents were involved in, and were treated at
his hospital. ''They weren't eating and required intravenous and gastric
drips,'' he said.
August
17, 2011 IT News
Australia's Department of Immigration has blamed IT systems for delays in
turning over detailed information on serious incidents recorded at detention
centres to a parliamentary inquiry. The Joint Select Committee on Australia's
Immigration Detention Network, established 16 June
and convened for the first time last night, received 597 pages of data [pdf]
from the department on incidents recorded at detention facilities since
January 2008. It had sought from the department copies of all incident
reports filed by immigration facility managers Serco and health services
provider International Health and Medical Services (IHMS). The department
said it had received 9157 incident reports from Serco between 1 October 2009
and the 30 June 2011. These were recorded in a Compliance, Case Management,
Detention and Settlement (CCMDS) portal. The department also received 1869
reports from G4S, a firm that managed detention centres before Serco was
contracted. G4S incidents were recorded in a "legacy system" called
the Immigration Services Information System (ISIS). The department claimed
there was no quick way of accessing incident reports, such as use of a batch
process for extraction. "It would take a departmental officer
approximately 919 hours of work (this is equivalent to around 25 weeks of
work for a full time officer) to extract all reports from the system as each
report needs to be extracted individually," the department said.
Instead, the department produced a spreadsheet that aggregated every incident
recorded according to tags such as "escape", "voluntary
starvation" and "self-harm". The department said that getting
to IHMS incident reports prior to January 2010 was difficult because they
were not electronically recorded at this time. Alleged abuse against staff --
The committee had also sought detailed data on actions taken by Serco for
incidents where the contractor's or department's staff had been allegedly
abused or threatened "by detainees or other persons within the Detention
Network". Department figures showed Serco recorded 871 instances of
"alleged or observed inappropriate behaviour... towards Serco
staff" until 30 June this year. "Action taken by Serco in relation
to these incidents are recorded in multiple systems
depending upon the nature of the incident," the department noted.
"The very detailed information sought in the [committee's] question is
not readily available in consolidated form and it would be a major task to
collect and assemble it. "In order to report on
the outcome for each incident, the department would need to manually
interrogate these systems. "The department estimates that this would
take a departmental officer an average of 30 minutes for each incident. This
equates to approximately 58 working days." Figures that were released by
the department showed the number of detainees hospitalised, treated for
starvation and injuries from self-harm.
August
17, 2011 The Age
THE full extent of despair and unrest in Australia's immigration detention
centres has been exposed, with documents showing 1507 detainees were
hospitalised in the first six months of this year, including 72 psychiatric
hospital admissions, and 213 treated for self-inflicted injuries. The
documents, released to a parliamentary committee by the Department of
Immigration, also show more than 700 detainees were treated for ''voluntary
starvation''. And it emerged that police had been notified 264 times of
possible criminal behaviour in detention centres. The figures were released
as Australia's top immigration bureaucrat last night urged MPs to rethink
mandatory detention of asylum seekers and asked whether the hardline policy
actually deterred boat arrivals. In an extraordinary opening address to the
inquiry last night, Andrew Metcalfe, secretary of the Department of
Immigration and Citizenship, urged a more flexible approach. The inquiry was
instigated by the opposition and Greens, and has begun to lift the veil on
the secretive private contractor, Serco, that runs Australia's detention
centres. Hundreds of pages of data supplied to the inquiry by the department
include the time and nature of every recorded incident inside the nation's 19
detention centres. However, Serco is refusing to state how many staff it
employs at each centre, claiming this is sensitive. The department told last
night's hearing that Serco was not required under its contract to meet any
staff-to-detainee ratios. Mr Metcalfe said Serco was refusing to disclose its
staffing ratios because it was concerned detainees would find out. Last night's
hearing was also told that Serco had been fined every month in 2010-11 for
failing to meet contract goals. Serco has reported 871 instances of
inappropriate behaviour towards its staff, and 700 instances of inappropriate
behaviour between detainees. There have been five substantiated complaints
against staff - but no resulting dismissals. In June alone, there were 135
critical incidents across the network, covering multiple serious injuries,
assaults, two escapes and self-harm. Christmas Island is particularly plagued
by suicide attempts. There were 620 self-harm incidents there in the year to
June, including 193 actual acts, 31 serious attempts and 476 threatened acts.
The island's four detention centres were over capacity on 27 occasions.
Hunger strikes were reported at most centres, and at least 17 cases of
children starving themselves were noted in the past year. The surge in
incidents began in mid-2010, coinciding with a rise in boat arrivals.
Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison said the data revealed the
detention system had collapsed, with the government sitting ''in policy
denial'' while centres filled. Greens senator Sarah Hanson Young said she
wanted more details, including the daily cost of operating the network. Mr
Metcalfe said rising unrest, self-harm and suicide were unfortunate and sad,
but ''defy simple solutions''.
August
11, 2011 ABC
The report details a system unable to respond to serious threats like
April's riots in Sydney's Villawood detention centre. ABC1's Lateline has been
given exclusive access to a wide-ranging report delivered by Comcare, the
Federal Government's workplace safety agency. It paints a picture of systemic
under-training of staff and a lack of preparation to deal with the constant
threat of violence, protests and self-harm. The revelations come as yet
another boat carrying 100 asylum seekers arrives on Christmas Island, adding
to overcrowding at the detention centre there. The Comcare report is scathing
about overcrowding issues set to worsen with the new arrivals. Once inside
the detention centre the latest arrivals face a system that places them and
their guards in danger, according to the Comcare report. The report
identifies five major failures by the Department of Immigration across the
detention centre network: •There is no risk management process, despite the
highly volatile environment. •There is no plan to alter staffing levels to
deal with dramatic fluctuations in detainee numbers. •Staff are not trained to the point where they are confident and
competent in their jobs. •There is no effective written plan to deal with
critical incidents like riots and suicide attempts. •And no steps are taken
to manage detainees' religious and cultural needs, detainees are roomed
together even when there's a history of extreme violence between their ethnic
groups in their homes countries. The Federal Opposition obtained the report
under freedom of information. "There are system-wide failures in the
detention network and I think that's what this report bares out, and I think
it totally justifies the Coalition's call for a parliamentary inquiry into
the detention network," Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison
said. The report details a system unable to respond to serious threats to
life and limb like April's riots in Sydney's Villawood detention centre.
"There were clear indicators (that Villawood staff advise
were present at the time) that the riots were reasonably foreseeable. Despite
the apparent clear indications, no critical incident plans were in place for
staff to follow, should such a situation occur," the report said. The
report backs up claims made by guards at detention centres that proper
training is not provided. "Basically, from what I've seen, the new
recruits were just basically put on the floor, no training whatsoever, they
were being told that they would be trained as they were," a Serco guard
said. Serco is the company which runs the detention network on behalf of the
Immigration Department. The lack of training has led to serious ramifications
identified in the Comcare report, which details how Serco staff
are thrown into situations of extreme risk with little idea of how to
respond. "Serco staff provided information about the level of serious
assaults on staff, witnessing the deaths of detainees and the distress of
having to deal with it. Staff also advised of feeling inadequately trained
and the lack of instruction and supervision/support during times of critical
incidents," the report said. 'Damning report' Greens Senator Sarah
Hanson-Young says the report is damning. "They don't have access it
seems in this report [to] a clear plan for dealing with self-harm and
suicide, the report is very damning of a lack of management and management
plans for incidents, and so they are left to their own devices," she
said. "This report is quite damning [in] that there is a culture of
non-disclosure, a culture of secrecy, total lack of transparency and what we
see is we don't know how many cases of self-harm there are, how many
incidents that have had to be escalated to different levels." But
Immigration Department spokesman Sandi Logan says Comcare has "ignored
and made errors" in terms of the training the department is doing
"around cultural awareness, training around detention operations and
training of case managers". Lateline recently obtained a log of
incidents in the Christmas Island detention centre detailing up to 12
incidents of self-harm or attempted suicide per day. The Comcare report
suggests the number could be higher, as could other dangerous events:
"... there is (a) level of under-reporting of notifiable incidents in
accordance with s68 of the OHS Act." Mr Logan rejects the suggestion
that there is under-reporting of incidents in the immigration detention
network. "What in fact there have been at times is where there have been
serious incidents that have occurred is we have had to wait for the full
medical report, the legal report, any police investigation into that incident
before it's been brought to Comcare's attention," Mr Logan said. Comcare
told Lateline it has identified a number of potential breaches by the
Immigration Department of the Occupational Health and Safety Act. It says the
department has got until Monday week to respond, or face the possibility of a
$250,000 fine. The report also details attempts by the Immigration Department
to hamper investigations into its safety performance. Mr Logan rejects any
suggestion there was a lack of cooperation by the department. "We would
reject any suggestion that we did not cooperate with Comcare. I think there
may have been some miscommunication on a couple of occasions," Mr Logan
said. A parliamentary inquiry will look into the immigration detention centre
network next Tuesday.
July
13, 2011 The Australian
THE company running Australia's immigration detention centres is incurring
unsustainable fines from the Department of Immigration for breaches of its
$712 million contract, according to a leaked email from Serco's senior
operations manager at the Christmas Island detention centre. An escape on
July 1 -- about three months after Australian Federal Police were sent to
bolster the security at the centre and insist that electric perimeter fences
be switched on -- is the latest in a string of breaches that will cost Serco
dearly. The company last week appointed a full-time security manager to
prevent further escapes. Guards are now stationed on the perimeter of the
centre under beach umbrellas on 12-hour shifts, complaining it is too hot and
that shade falls on the other side of the fence for several hours each day.
Serco's senior operations manager for the detention centre, Steve Southgate,
addressed colleagues about continued breaches in an email last Monday.
"We can no longer remain where we are," he said. "We are
getting fined for things that should have been completed. We are getting
fined for not paying attention to the detail. We are getting fined for not
doing what we have said we will do. We need to change our culture to a
proactive culture and get ourselves out of this reactive blame culture."
Mr Southgate arrived on the island after mass breakouts, unrest and rioting
in March that led to the AFP taking over the centre temporarily. Those
incidents are likely to have resulted in substantial fines -- called
abatements -- for Serco, though the firm's contract stipulates that fines are
capped at 5 per cent of whatever the company gets paid that month for running
the centre where the breaches occurred. The 5 per cent cap does not apply if
the breaches are deemed "significant or continuous".
May
25, 2011 ABC
The Immigration Department says riots at the Christmas Island and Villawood
detention centres are estimated to have caused about $9 million in damage. A
number of buildings were destroyed during violent protests at both centres
earlier this year. Department spokeswoman Fiona Lynch-Magor told a Senate
hearing the company that runs the centres, Serco, will make an insurance
claim for the damage. "We've made some early assessments of what we
think those costs will be with our insurer," she said. "But Serco
will be pursuing the insurance with their own
insurer." The Immigration Department also says there were not enough
federal police on Christmas Island to arrest asylum seekers who escaped from
the detention centre during protests earlier this year. A large group of
asylum seekers broke through the detention centre fence during the riots and
the Senate hearing heard they were offered a lift back to the detention
centre. Department spokeswoman Jackie Wilson says it was not possible to
arrest the group. "The numbers of police on the island and the need to
secure the airport as a priority did not enable us to have sufficient AFP on
the island to do that," she said. "We were trying to do it in a
peaceful way which required working with the clients rather than using AFP,
which were being used for another purpose at the
time." The Opposition says the lack of federal police left the island in
a vulnerable position. Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison says
it backs his argument for a parliamentary inquiry into the detention network.
"[It's] very concerning that there were not sufficient police on the
island when things broke out," he said. "What makes [this] worse is
the department confirmed that the number and type of incidents were escalating
and getting more serious, which was a clear indication that things were ...
[the] temperature was rising and things were getting out of hand." The
Government has already established a number of inquiries into the detention
network.
May
25, 2011 The Daily Telegraph
THE contrast in lifestyle could not be more stark.
The man in charge of Australia's detention centres lives in this Sydney
Harbour waterfront apartment - a world away from detainees living in
overcrowded conditions just 30km away at the Villawood detention centre.
David Campbell, the boss of Serco, lives in the $2.5 million three-bedroom
apartment at McMahons Point. With estimates the highly-secretive Serco will
make $1 billion from running detention centres until 2014, it is expected,
with bonuses, that Mr Campbell's salary will only rise.
Locals said apartments in the block featured only the best finishes: Spanish
stone on the kitchen floors, eucalyptus granite on benchtops, stone-finished
bathrooms and myrtle-veneer finishes for kitchens. Mr Campbell does not own
the property, but local sources said a typical rent for the apartment would
be $2000 a week. The apartment block is heavily secured - at the same time
our detention centres have suffered some well-publicised breaches in recent
months. A report this month by Amnesty International suggested that
overcrowding at the Serco-run detention centres was a problem. Even Serco
admitted that with boat people arriving in record numbers, there were
"significant pressures on the operation of detention facilities".
But the only boat people Mr Campbell is likely to see at his McMahons Point
pad are the yachtie and motor cruiser set, with eight marina berths
exclusively used by residents. And there is no sign he will have to vacate
his luxury quarters in the near future.
May
6, 2011 Big Pond
A Christmas Island detention centre guard has accused management of a series
of cover-ups. The guard said Serco, a private company that runs Australia's
detention centres, was keeping the immigration department in the dark about
the problems it faces at its facilities. Choosing to remain anonymous, he
told ABC television on Thursday a management officer shredded a report
detailing an incident in which he was attacked. 'You might get an unruly
detainee, and Immigration will say Oh no, you can't do anything, you can't
touch him' even if he pushes you, shoves ya, you just look at him,' the guard
said. 'If you write him up, sometimes it goes into Bin 13 - and that's it.'
He said Bin 13 was code among staff for the shredder. Asked if such cover-ups
were a regular occurrence, he replied: 'I'd say so.' The man also accused
Serco of inflating staff numbers and having guards on the rosters that didn't
exist. 'Yep, they're not on the island, but they're on the roster.' The guard
said he and his colleagues sometimes would go to work drunk, but were never
punished because of the worker shortage. The ABC broadcast statements from
two other Serco guards who agreed staff numbers were low. One said that
during a riot in February, there had been 15 guards watching over 2500
detainees. Serco has been contacted for comment. The cover-up claims come as
Immigration Minister Chris Bowen was forced to rebuke his department for not
alerting him to the discovery of a homemade bomb at Sydney's Villawood Detention
Centre. He conceded he should have been alerted when the primitive device was
found in March, just a month before a riot and major fire broke out, damaging
nine buildings.
March
2, 2011 ABC
The company in charge of Australia's detention facilities has been fined for
a series of escapes by detainees. The Immigration Department claims Serco has
breached the contract conditions to run the detention centres, with almost 50
detainees escaping since June 2009 and 35 still on the run. The fines are
reported to exceed $4 million, but the Government has refused to comment.
Yesterday Opposition spokesman Scott Morrison said an escape from Sydney's
Villawood detention centre was a sign of a system in crisis. On Tuesday
morning a Fijian national being held at the facility after his visa had been
cancelled managed to escape. Six other men also attempted to flee the centre
but were stopped by staff. The department ordered an investigation into the
escape.
February
19, 2011 ABC
The Immigration Department says there are 16 people still missing from the
country's detention centres after they escaped during the past year. The
Department says there has been 41 escapes from detention centres across the
country between July 2010 and January this year. Twenty-five people have been
found but officials have no idea where the remaining 16 are. A spokeswoman
for the Minister for Immigration says the Government considers any escapes
from detention to be unacceptable. She says the company contracted to run the
centres, Serco, has been fined for several escapes, saying the breakouts have
been a breach of the contract conditions. The Government says if further
action is required against Serco, it will not
hesitate to act. It says the number of escapes has decreased significantly
compared to 10 years ago.
January
13, 2011 Streatham Guardian
The escape of a dangerous prisoner from a Wimbledon court has sparked an
investigation – as magistrates voiced concerns about security at the
building. Private security firm Serco, which is contracted to escort
prisoners appearing at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court, has said it will examine
how he was able to climb out of the dock to go on the run for 11 days before
handing himself in to the police in Battersea on Friday. The man, who was not
handcuffed when he appeared in the locked dock last Monday after his arrest
in Wandsworth, climbed on to a bench before hauling himself over a plastic
wall that supposedly sealed the dock from the rest of court number one. The
escape of the 21-year-old from West Norwood prompted police appeals, in which
the public were told he was dangerous and should not be approached. He had
just been told he was to be kept in custody for two months before facing
three charges of robbery, allegedly stealing cash and electrical equipment in
Merton and Wandsworth last year, and one of carrying a bladed weapon. One
magistrate at the Alexandra Road court said they heard there was not enough
security in the court building on the day of the escape. They said: “If he
was on the loose I would have to dive under the table.”
November
1, 2010 BBC
Outsourcing group Serco has abandoned plans to pass on the impact of
government spending cuts to suppliers. Serco, which carries out a host of government
contracts, had asked its largest suppliers to pay a 2.5% rebate. The company
said it now wished to "apologise unreservedly" to its suppliers,
and had retracted letters asking for the rebate. The government is reported
to have been angered by Serco seeking rebates from its suppliers, but has yet
to comment. Serco upbeat despite cuts drive Serco operates a number of public
sector contracts on behalf of the government and local authorities. These
include running four prisons including Doncaster, the maintenance of a number
of RAF bases including Brize Norton, and the operation of London's Docklands
Light Railway. Shares in the firm were down 6% in morning trading on the
London Stock Exchange, making it the biggest faller on the FTSE 100 index.
October
20, 2010 International Business Times
Federal authorities confirmed on Thursday that an investigation is
underway on alleged security loopholes in Darwin's immigration facilities
following the lapses that occurred last month, which was punctuated by a peaceful
protest of detained immigrants who sprung out from the centre. An Immigration
Department spokesman admitted that the Northern Territory Licensing
Commission is conducting an inquiry on Serco, which was tasked by the
department to provide for security on the detention facilities. The same
official told AAP that Serco is delegating some of its responsibilities to
MSS Security though he stressed that the Immigration Department has ensured
that the security firm was duly reminded to only employ trained and licensed
personnel and comply with all relevant laws. The spokesman also revealed that
some former MSS Security employees were facing compliance actions and Serco
has been cooperative so far with the ongoing investigation, which came
following series of incidents in the past few months where asylum seekers
rioted in the facilities, vandalised the centre and staged a protest action
after breaking out of detention. Meanwhile, federal opposition immigration
spokesman Scott Morrison warned that the government would be made responsible
if allegations of unlicensed workers were made to man the immigration centre
were proven true. Mr Morrison told ABC that the government cannot put the
entire blame on security contractors since it has the ultimate responsibility
as he stressed that "the government must ensure that that licensed
operators are only ever used in the care and supervision of people who are
being detained by the state."
May
23, 2010 The Daily Telegraph
Under the scheme, the publicly-funded broadcaster handed over footage to
inmates who earn just £30 a week rather than members of its own 23,000 staff.
Convicts at a privately run Category B jail, the second-highest security
level, transferred tapes of old television shows to computer to save them for
posterity. Senior staff in the BBC’s archives department visited the jail to
watch the work in progress while meetings were held to discuss a landmark
deal for the prisoners to digitise all 1million hours of programmes in its
vaults. Fearful about the controversy the scheme could cause, the BBC never
discussed it publicly and even the broadcasting union, Bectu, was unaware of
it. Details were obtained by this newspaper through a Freedom of Information
request that took more than four months rather than the usual 20 working
days. The BBC insists that it has not given any money to Serco, the private
jail operator, for the secret scheme nor signed any contracts, following the
pilot project last year. However emails disclosed by the corporation show
that it had shown considerable interest in the innovative project proposed by
Serco, which runs four prisons in England. The BBC owns more than 1m hours of
historic content, some of it decades old and at risk of being lost. It
employs 66 people to look after it, at a cost of £5m a year, in its
Information and Archives department. The corporation estimates it would take
10 years to safely copy all 100m items in its collection into longer-lasting
digital formats. In December 2008 it was approached by Serco to become involved
in Artemis – Achieving Rehabilitation Through Establishing a Media Ingest
Service – a new project for prisoners to transfer archive documents to
computers. Serco said it would provide “high-quality employment” and the
chance of an NVQ qualification for inmates and HMP Lowdham Grange, a
628-capacity jail near Nottingham all of whose inmates are serving at least
four years. The firm said this would mean it could provide a “stable work
force”. The BBC was told it would prove a “very cost-effective” way of digitising
its archive, and several meetings were organised to discuss plans. Managers
agreed to hand over 20 hours of old videos, including episodes of Horizon and
Earth Story, so prisoners could transfer them to computer and also add
“meta-data” – typed detailed descriptions of the footage to help producers
search through it more easily. The British Library and National Archives also
provided material for the pilot project. In September last year, five members
of BBC staff visited the jail, where a production workshop had been built,
and were reported to be “pleased” with what they saw of the prisoners’ work
and enthusiasm. However David Crocker, the driving force behind the scheme at
Serco, admitted: “The major concern was around the potential negative newspaper
headlines that the BBC may attract.” The company did discuss the scheme with
one newspaper and one trade magazine but made no reference to the BBC’s
involvement. In November, Mr Crocker told the BBC: “I can’t thank you enough
for finding a project |
