‘Appalling’ prison could return to private hands
...as police discover huge haul of contraband in staff crackdown
not be ignored, notwithstanding the very real problems that exist, and have existed, with Birmingham.” ANAGEMENT of BirmingThe announcement came in the ham Prison could be handed week police uncovered a huge haul of back to private firm G4S, Juscontraband after searching prison tice Secretary David Gauke has reworkers at the jail. vealed. Staff were caught with everything
The Ministry of Justice last year from prescription drugs and cigatook over management of HMP Birrettes to batteries and phone chargmingham, in Winson Green, afterers. inspectors found it was in “an appallPolice swooped on the prison to ing state” with widespread violence, search employees coming on shift prisoners using drugs and poor conbetween 6am and 9am on Tuesday. trol by terrified staff. Officers were joined by National
It had previously been managed by Crime Agency (NCA) as they vowed private firm G4S. to step up security and crackdown on
But Justice Secretary David Gauke ‘corrupt activity’ at the crisis-hit prisrefused to rule out handing it back to on.
G4S, when he was asked about the Staff were made to go through sevfuture of the prison. eral added measures before heading
Instead he said: “We will not hand into the jail – including a metal detecHMP Birmingham back if it is not tor, sniffer dogs and a physical propsafe for us to do so.” erty search.
He added: “We have to look at the More than 400 prison staff were successes that exist within the prison searched and officers found a “signifsystem, where the private sector has icant” number of contraband items, run very effective prisons. That can- believed to have been smuggled in
Mfor inmates. Officers recovered prescription drugs, lighters, cigarettes, screws, batteries, phone chargers and portable power packs. Sim cards, sprays and lotions, e-cigarette liquids, tweezers and even food wrapped in aluminium foil were also seized from members of staff.
In August, the Ministry of Justice appointed a new governor and 30 senior staff to manage HMP Birmingham.
But the contract with G4S to run the prison was not cancelled. The firm was told to pay for the cost of the Government intervention.
At the same time, HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) published a damning report rating the prison as poor - its lowest assessment – across all key aspects of prison life.
The report stated that many prisoners appeared to be under the influence of drugs when inspectors visited the prison.
Staff were inexperienced, lacking skills and poorly led, and many were said to be “fearful”.
The chaos at Birmingham prison was graphically exposed in 2016, when inmates took part in a 15-hour riot. And there were 1,434 assaults at HMP Birmingham in the 12 months to July 2018, the highest figure of any prison in the country.
The new prison governor, Paul Newton, told MPs in December 2018 that violence inside the prison was beginning to fall.
But he said it had taken time for discipline to be fully restored following the riot.