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Rainsbrook G4S youth prison slammed by Ofsted report as children suffer 'racist', 'degrading' abuse from guards high on drugs Rainsbrook G4S youth prison slammed by Ofsted report as children suffer 'racist', 'degrading' abuse from guards high on drugs
(33 minutes later)
A G4S-run youth detention centre in Warwickshire has been declared “inadequate” in a damning assessment by Ofsted, in what a charity has described as “the worst report on a prison ever seen”. Children held at a prison run by the outsourcing giant G4S were subjected to “degrading treatment” and “racist comments” at the hands of staff who were under the influence of illegal drugs, a damning report by the education watchdog has revealed.
The Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre, which is overseen by the Youth Justice Board (YJB), was found to have subjected children to “degrading treatment” and “racist comments”. Ofsted inspectors who visited Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre in Northamptonshire earlier this year found that staff behaved “extremely inappropriately” with the young people in their care, causing them “distress and humiliation”.
Ofsted said there had been serious incidents of gross misconduct by staff, including some who were in leadership positions, and that some staff even helped young offenders settle debts and take drugs. Its report said that doctors’ advice was often overruled by senior managers – meaning that one young inmate did not receive medical treatment for a fracture for 15 hours.
Children were cared for in some cases by staff who were under the influence of illegal drugs, and inspectors found that there had been delays in children receiving essential medical diagnosis and treatment. Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “This is the worst report on a prison I have ever seen because it is a catalogue of abusive practices that have been inflicted on young children who have no escape. (Getty) The centre, which is managed by the private firm G4S, is designed to house up to 87 male and female young people aged  between 12 and 18 who have been given a custodial sentence or are on remand.
Frances Crook, Chief Executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “This is the worst report on a prison I have ever seen because it is a catalogue of abusive practices that have been inflicted on young children who have no escape.” Ofsted said the full details of a number of incidents involving children were so serious that they were being withheld to protect their confidentiality. Its report gave Rainsbrook the lowest rating of “inadequate”.
In a statement, the YJB said it acknowledged the joint report by HMI Prisons and Ofsted, giving Rainsbrook the worst possible rating. Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “This is the worst report on a prison I have ever seen because it is a catalogue of abusive practices that have been inflicted on young children who have no escape.
Lin Hinnigan, chief executive of the YJB, said: “Earlier this year, Ofsted informed the YJB of serious concerns in performance at Rainsbrook STC. As the safety and wellbeing of young people in custody is of paramount importance, and the YJB sets high standards to ensure it is maintained, we immediately required G4S to address the issues swiftly and effectively. “I visited Rainsbrook some years ago and found it to be claustrophobic and obsessed with security, a recipe for exactly the disaster now happening. These child jails run for profit are secretive and should never have been set up in the first place. Rainsbrook should be closed immediately. No child is safe in this jail.”
The Ministry of Justice said the report raised “issues of serious concern”. A spokesperson added: “The safety and welfare of young people in custody is vital. Urgent action will be taken to tackle the unacceptable failures raised in this report.”
Lin Hinnigan, chief executive of the Youth Justice Board (YJB), said: “Earlier this year, Ofsted informed the YJB of serious concerns in performance at Rainsbrook STC. As the safety and wellbeing of young people in custody is of paramount importance, and the YJB sets high standards to ensure it is maintained, we immediately required G4S to address the issues swiftly and effectively.
“Rainsbrook has new leadership in place and an action plan to improve recruitment and training is being implemented. We are confident that Rainsbrook will return to the high levels of performance and care it previously delivered.”“Rainsbrook has new leadership in place and an action plan to improve recruitment and training is being implemented. We are confident that Rainsbrook will return to the high levels of performance and care it previously delivered.”
G4S said the report was “extremely disappointing”, adding that it was the first time in 16 years that inspectors had rated Rainsbrook anything other than “good” or “outstanding”. At least six staff have been dismissed in the wake of the incidents and a new management team has been put in place.