Ten Things We Learned about Youth Custody

 

New Prison Minister Victoria Atkins gave evidence to the Justice Committee about the two privately run Secure Training Centres (STCs), Rainsbrook and Oakhill, both of which have been subject to Urgent Notifications by Inspectors to the Justice Secretary in recent months. Ofsted and the Prisons Inspectorate have had significant concerns about the treatment and conditions of the children detained there producing reports that were in the words of Committee Chair Bob Neill “utterly dire.” Ms Atkins was flanked by the Head of the Youth Custody Service (YCS), who oversees the STCs and the Head of the Prison service, who oversees the YCS. So what did we find out?

1 Rainsbrook STC has closed down, but whether temporarily or permanently isn’t clear. Negotiations with the provider MTC are nearing conclusion so we’ll presumably find out soon if it will re-open and if so under whose management.

2. In the meantime 84 staff from MTC have been transferred to help Home Office with immigration contracts working in an unspecified “open service”. This saves the MoJ £200,000 a month from the bill they are paying for an empty facility.

3. Up to 5 girls were moved from Rainsbrook to the Keppel unit at Wetherby Young Offender Institution in the summer. This was hitherto an all-male establishment. Committee member, ex Prisons Minister Maria Eagle was particularly concerned about a fundamental policy shift but was told it’s a temporary measure. Longer term plans will be set out in a YCS strategy on girls next year.

4. As for Oakhill, there are 32 boys there and they are still taking admissions. The operational capacity has been reduced from 80 to 40 and will remain until a follow up Ofsted inspection takes place.

5. The MoJ have issued 4 “rectification notices” since March and have been concerned about problems at Oakhill since January. The MoJ asked Ofsted to visit in September. Ms Atkins hauled in the MD of G4S within two days of taking up her post and visited Oakhill last week.

6. The pledge in the Action Plan that “a full refurbishment plan for Oakhill STC will be developed by the end of December 2021 and work will commence thereafter” appears exaggerated. “Sprucing up” was the term used by Committee member Rob Butler.

7. It’s not clear who is paying for these refurbishment works. The PFI/ SPV (Private Finance Initiative Special Purpose Vehicle) pays for it said the Head of YCS. So no extra money from the MoJ said Mr Butler. I can’t remember what those initials stand for said the Minister, referring to the SPV. “Goodness knows what it does frankly”. She is not a fan of the contracts for either of the STCs.

8. Ms Atkins and her boss, who she always referred to as the Deputy Prime Minister, are looking at all aspects of the MoJ’s work including the viability of Secure Training Centres. As part of their review, they are considering "all contractual options" which seems to be code for pulling the plug on a PFI contract with 8 years to run. But do they want a big bill and a falling out with G4S who are due to open a big new prison in February?

9. Enabling work to re-convert the old Medway STC into a suitable building for the new Secure School seems only just to have got underway. Delays are due to Ofsted’s exacting design standards- including that  no stairs are allowed. But no one asked how likely the Medway Secure School is to open next September.

10. Ms Atkins told the MPs that at Oakhill she met four young men facing very long sentences for serious crimes. One asked her “Will you remember us?” She described their crimes as being a tragedy for the victims and their loved ones. But also for the young men faced with spending all their twenties behind bars. The task is to give them hope, she said. Perhaps that should give us some.

Postscript: The Justice Committee has now published a letter from Ms Atkins dated 16 November confirming much of the above.