The UK Ministry of Justice on Monday took over the running of Her Majesty's (HM) Prison Birmingham from security services company G4S for an initial period of six months amid concerns over safety and decency in the facility, the ministrys press service said.
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th August, 2018) The UK Ministry of Justice on Monday took over the running of Her Majesty's (HM) Prison Birmingham from security services company G4S for an initial period of six months amid concerns over safety and decency in the facility, the ministrys press service said.
Earlier in the day, Peter Clarke, Chief Inspector of Prisons for England and Wales, said in an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today that the authorities had registered a "dramatic deterioration" in conditions at the facility, with prisoners engaged in violent actions and the use of drugs.
"The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) has today (20 August) taken over the running of HMP Birmingham for an initial six-month period at no additional cost to the taxpayer. This follows an extended period during which HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) has worked with the operator, G4S, in an attempt to drive up standards at the prison amid serious concerns over safety, security and decency," the ministry said in a statement.
According to the statement, the six-month period may be prolonged and the prison will not be handed back until the facility lives up to the required standards.
The stabilizing measures will include strengthening the prison's senior management, supporting the existing staff and deploying additional officers, as well as "reducing the prisons capacity by 300 places while improvement action is underway," the statement added.
"What we have seen at Birmingham is unacceptable and it has become clear that drastic action is required to bring about the improvements we require. This step in means that we can provide additional resources to the prison while insulating the taxpayer from the inevitable cost this entails," Prisons Minister Rory Stewart said, as quoted in a statement.
HM Prison Birmingham was hit by a series of riots involving hundreds of inmates, which prompted the government to carry out an inspection.
