Detained kids kept in cells 22 hours a day during pandemic

PRISON SERVICE SAYS RESTRICTIONS IMPOSED AT FELTHAM ‘HELPED SAVE ‘MANY LIVES

CHILDREN detained in Feltham Young Offenders Institution (YOI) were locked up in their cells for more than 22 hours every day during the coronavirus pandemic, inspectors have revealed.

In a damning report following a visit to the institution on July 7, Her Majesty’s chief inspector of prisons, Peter Clarke, said it was a “main concern” that some children had been subjected to the “disproportionate and avoidable” conditions for 15 weeks before the inspection took place.

Mr Clarke said the main reason was due to face-to-face education being stopped, despite government guidance urging for vulnerable children to continue with direct learning and other centres being able to do this. Instead, children were given tailored work packs in their cells, which staff marked and provided feedback. They were allowed out of their spaces once a week, to eat their three daily meals communally, and were able to do exercise sessions on the sports pitch once or twice a week.

Inspectors found most children left their cells for about two hours a day to shower, exercise and do youth club activities.

Mr Clarke said: “Children...told us they initially understood and largely accepted the need for the restrictions, but after 15 weeks of being locked up for more than 22 hours a day some were understandably frustrated about the slow progress in implementing activity, particularly as they saw restrictions easing in the community.”

On education he added: “Governors...wanted

to provide education and had, months before our visits, prepared plans that would have enabled it to be delivered. These plans were stopped by HMPPS and national staff associations. The lack of face-to-face education provision in YCS-run [Youth Custody Service] YOIs was in stark contrast to the provision at other establishments holding children, delivered by other providers.

“After an initial suspension to put health and safety measures in place, every YOI, secure training centre and secure children’s home managed by private or local authority providers has been able to deliver face-to-face education throughout the pandemic.”

The report however noted Feltham YOI was expecting to restart face-to-face learning two weeks after the inspectors’ visit, allowing for two days a week in the classroom.

The inspection also revealed Feltham YOI had an outbreak of coronavirus which infected around 20 inmates across the young adult and children’s site at the end of March.

Inspectors added there was a “significant shortfall” in testing, which meant just five tests were provided, one of which was refused.

“Three of the remaining four tests were positive, which included one child. There were other symptomatic children who were not able to be tested during this time,” the report said.

“The outbreak was successfully contained by 20 April and since this date no child had displayed symptoms of the virus.” However praise was also given to the institute for boosting the delivery of youth work at the site during the pandemic and PE staff-led exercise sessions outdoors.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) for health care staff and prison officers were also noted as “sufficient and suitable”, and release packs for detainees of face masks, gloves or hand sanitiser had clear guidelines with Covid-19 information, inspectors found.

A Prison Service spokesperson said: “The decision to impose restrictions on daily life helped save many lives but we know this was also difficult for children. That is why mental health support and inroom learning continued throughout, with self-harm falling during the pandemic. We have now restarted children’s face-to-face education and are safely relaxing other restrictions.”