SERIOUS safety flaws and risks to inmates and staff have been exposed at Guernsey Prison. A damning report by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons said that it was not able effectively to separate women from men and children from adults, which left unacceptable risks of abuse and bullying.
First night arrangements were weak, bullying was not being tackled appropriately and procedures to prevent suicide and self-harm were inadequate, the inspection found.
Educational provision for vulnerable prisoners was minimal and as its provision to mixed sex and age groups was hard to supervise, reports were received of inappropriate behaviour and relationships.
Inspectors found serious shortcomings in some basic aspects of care for the diverse groups of prisoners and had serious concerns about the situation of women, children and untried ones.
‘It is not realistic to expect the establishment to attain standards expected elsewhere in the British Isles while such a diverse population is housed under one roof - and matters are compounded by the inexorable rise in the prison population,’ said the chief inspector, Anne Owers.
Generally caring staff were severely stretched and there was an urgent need for a wholesale review of staffing levels and deployment.
‘Managers and staff at Guernsey Prison deserve credit for struggling with a complex mix of prisoners for which they are neither sufficiently trained nor resourced,’ said the report.
‘The majority of adult male prisoners receive appropriate treatment and adequate preparation for release, but the more vulnerable groups do not.
‘In particular, until separate accommodation is secured for women and children, the prison is unlikely to ever fully meet our expectations for these groups.’
The leaked 100-plus page report, contents of which was sent to Jersey but not Guernsey media initially yesterday, follows the announced inspection between 27 June and 1 July.
Little had been done to implement recommendations from an investigation into a death of a man in custody in 2004 or to establish what could be learned from near-death incidents, the inspectors found.
The last previous inspection, which was unannounced, was in July 2001.
Article posted on 7th April, 2006 - 12.00am
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