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| Feltham young offenders institute condemned for violence and baton-use | |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| Prison staff drew and threatened to use extendable batons on more than 100 occasions last year to curb high levels of violence inside Britain's largest youth jail, prison inspectors have revealed. | Prison staff drew and threatened to use extendable batons on more than 100 occasions last year to curb high levels of violence inside Britain's largest youth jail, prison inspectors have revealed. |
| The chief inspector of prisons, Nick Hardwick, says staff at Feltham young offenders' institution in west London drew batons 108 times and used them 25 times in 2012. | The chief inspector of prisons, Nick Hardwick, says staff at Feltham young offenders' institution in west London drew batons 108 times and used them 25 times in 2012. |
| "This was beyond anything we have seen in other establishments and suggested use had become normalised to an extent at odds with the Prison Service's own instructions," the chief inspector says in a report he describes as "one of the most concerning published recently". | "This was beyond anything we have seen in other establishments and suggested use had become normalised to an extent at odds with the Prison Service's own instructions," the chief inspector says in a report he describes as "one of the most concerning published recently". |
| Hardwick says the high frequency with which staff threatened to use or did use their batons was unprecedented and significantly out of line with what prison inspectors expect to see. | Hardwick says the high frequency with which staff threatened to use or did use their batons was unprecedented and significantly out of line with what prison inspectors expect to see. |
| The chief inspector says some of the incidents they reviewed involved excessive use of force. | The chief inspector says some of the incidents they reviewed involved excessive use of force. |
| "We were given little assurance that this was always as a last resort, proportionate to the risk posed or subject to appropriate subsequent managerial scrutiny. In the CCTV footage we watched, we saw baton use that constituted an excessive use of force and referred this to the management team for investigation," said Hardwick. | "We were given little assurance that this was always as a last resort, proportionate to the risk posed or subject to appropriate subsequent managerial scrutiny. In the CCTV footage we watched, we saw baton use that constituted an excessive use of force and referred this to the management team for investigation," said Hardwick. |
| "This picture also conflicted with the relevant prison service instruction 1,600, which stated that batons should only be used by officers in extreme circumstances as a defensive mechanism. We did not accept the explanation offered by managers that the drawing of batons was a de-escalation technique," he said. | "This picture also conflicted with the relevant prison service instruction 1,600, which stated that batons should only be used by officers in extreme circumstances as a defensive mechanism. We did not accept the explanation offered by managers that the drawing of batons was a de-escalation technique," he said. |
| Two reports on unannounced inspections of Feltham published on Wednesday record "unacceptably high levels of violence" at the youth jail and conclude that a radical rethink is needed about its future role. | Two reports on unannounced inspections of Feltham published on Wednesday record "unacceptably high levels of violence" at the youth jail and conclude that a radical rethink is needed about its future role. |
| In the first report, covering Feltham A, which holds up to 250 young teenagers mostly aged 16 and 17, the prison inspectors voiced concern that there were on average almost two fights or assaults every day. Some of the attacks were very serious and involved groups of young people in very violent, premeditated attacks on an individual. Many young people said they were frightened at the time of the inspection and had little confidence in the staff to keep them safe. Gang-related graffiti was endemic. | In the first report, covering Feltham A, which holds up to 250 young teenagers mostly aged 16 and 17, the prison inspectors voiced concern that there were on average almost two fights or assaults every day. Some of the attacks were very serious and involved groups of young people in very violent, premeditated attacks on an individual. Many young people said they were frightened at the time of the inspection and had little confidence in the staff to keep them safe. Gang-related graffiti was endemic. |
| The security department in this part of the young offenders' institution was effective in managing gang-related activity, and CCTV recordings showed that staff put themselves in harm's way to protect young people. The inspectors said the force used to break-up fights was proportionate and necessary. | The security department in this part of the young offenders' institution was effective in managing gang-related activity, and CCTV recordings showed that staff put themselves in harm's way to protect young people. The inspectors said the force used to break-up fights was proportionate and necessary. |
| But some children were segregated for prolonged periods of isolation of up to 10 days, which the inspectors say was unacceptable. | But some children were segregated for prolonged periods of isolation of up to 10 days, which the inspectors say was unacceptable. |
| In the other half of the institution, Feltham B, which holds up to 522 young male adults aged 18 to 21, the situation was worse. The inspectors found that levels of violence remained high despite the work being done to reduce it, including the overuse of batons. | In the other half of the institution, Feltham B, which holds up to 522 young male adults aged 18 to 21, the situation was worse. The inspectors found that levels of violence remained high despite the work being done to reduce it, including the overuse of batons. |
| The inspectors found there had been 321 incidents involving the use of force in the previous six months. Many of them had only required low-level or minimal physical coercion but had been dealt with by staff through the threat of using batons. | The inspectors found there had been 321 incidents involving the use of force in the previous six months. Many of them had only required low-level or minimal physical coercion but had been dealt with by staff through the threat of using batons. |
| "Feltham as a whole is an unacceptably violent place. Despite excellent work in some cases, staff were unable to prevent a high number of very concerning incidents that carried a significant risk of serious injury," said Hardwick. | "Feltham as a whole is an unacceptably violent place. Despite excellent work in some cases, staff were unable to prevent a high number of very concerning incidents that carried a significant risk of serious injury," said Hardwick. |
| Michael Spurr, the chief executive of the National Offender Management Service, said the report reflected his concerns about the level of gang-related violence amongst those sent to Feltham. He praised the "remarkable work that staff do on a daily basis" at Feltham and said that the removal of young adult remand prisoners from the jail this autumn would increase stability and provide greater flexibility in the management of this group of prisoners. On the use of batons he said: "Batons must only be used when absolutely necessary to defend staff or other prisoners from harm. At Feltham B (young adult site) batons were used on 25 occasions in 2012. This is higher that comparable establishments and I have commissioned a review to establish how use can be reduced. The use of batons at Feltham and across the estate will continue to be monitored closely." | Michael Spurr, the chief executive of the National Offender Management Service, said the report reflected his concerns about the level of gang-related violence amongst those sent to Feltham. He praised the "remarkable work that staff do on a daily basis" at Feltham and said that the removal of young adult remand prisoners from the jail this autumn would increase stability and provide greater flexibility in the management of this group of prisoners. On the use of batons he said: "Batons must only be used when absolutely necessary to defend staff or other prisoners from harm. At Feltham B (young adult site) batons were used on 25 occasions in 2012. This is higher that comparable establishments and I have commissioned a review to establish how use can be reduced. The use of batons at Feltham and across the estate will continue to be monitored closely." |
| The Howard League for Penal Reform said it was the worst inspection report it had seen in a decade. "If you want to see the effects of keeping hundreds of troubled boys cooped up in a prison, you need look no further than Feltham. This frightening, violent, ineffective and astoundingly costly institution should shame our politicians into a serious rethink of whether prison is ever a place for a child," said campaigns director, Andrew Neilson. | The Howard League for Penal Reform said it was the worst inspection report it had seen in a decade. "If you want to see the effects of keeping hundreds of troubled boys cooped up in a prison, you need look no further than Feltham. This frightening, violent, ineffective and astoundingly costly institution should shame our politicians into a serious rethink of whether prison is ever a place for a child," said campaigns director, Andrew Neilson. |