Labour demands investigation into ‘broken’ youth custody system run by private firms

© PA

Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre

– PA

Labour has demanded an independent investigation into England’s “broken system” of privately-run youth custody centres after the government was forced to pull all children out of a facility in Warwickshire.

Sir Keir Starmer’s party said it was time to examine the “dangerous deterioration” of conditions at youth custody facilities run by contractors after damning failures were found at Rainsbrook secure training centre.

Ministers had to step in after the US-based contractor MTC failed to fix serious failings at Rainsbrook – where some children were found to have been locked in their rooms for more than 23 hours a day.

Last month justice secretary Robert Buckland announced all young people at the centre would be moved elsewhere, after it emerged children as young as 15 were only allowed out for half an hour a day.

Mr Buckland said on Friday that all the children had been safely moved to other facilities – and he was now “considering all options” regarding the future of Rainsbrook.

Writing to Ofsted’s chief inspector Amanda Spielman, the justice secretary said: “I am currently considering all options regarding the future of Rainsbrook. When these commercial discussions have concluded, I will of course update you regarding the outcome.”

Labour MP Anna McMorrin, shadow minister for victims and youth justice, said it was a “pitiful” response to the crisis in conditions.

Ms McMorrin said an independent review was needed into the system to understand why things had gone so badly wrong.

“The Tories have overseen a dangerous deterioration of conditions in youth custody which undermines the rehabilitation of children and puts working people and families at risk of increased reoffending and crime,” said the MP.

“Conditions at Rainsbrook secure centre, including threats to the lives of children and staff, are not isolated incidents, but a damning reflection of the Conservatives’ appalling mishandling of the youth justice system.”

Ms McMorrin added: “Labour is calling for an urgent independent review of private youth custody to understand why the broken system is failing children and the public, and for ministers to urgently get a grip of the crisis they have created.”

Ofsted, the Inspectorate of Prisons and the Care Quality Commission had warned the government in December 2020 about “continued poor care” at Rainsbrook and raised concerns that vulnerable children were being subjected to a “bleak regime”.

Another joint warning was issued in June, after children at Rainsbrook told inspectors that they did not feel safe and feared someone at the facility was “going to die or to be seriously harmed”.

Earlier this week prisons and probation minister Alex Chalk revealed that at least half of the 30 or so children at Rainsbrook had been transferred to young offender institutions (YOIs) – youth jails for which they would previously have been considered too vulnerable.

The others were being moved to secure children’s homes and a privately-run youth custody centre in Oakhill, near Milton Keynes, according to the junior minister.

Ms McMorrin said she would write to the justice secretary outlining Labour’s concerns about conditions at Rainsbrook, the relocation of children and the use of private contracts in the youth custody system.

She said events at Rainsbrook followed an “alarming” pattern of failure – following a “worrying” 2021 inspectorate report into Oakhill and the 2020 closure of Medway youth custody centre following serious safeguarding concerns.

“It took two urgent calls before ministers acted [at Rainsbrook] and we are witnessing an alarming pattern of failure across all youth facilities,” the Labour MP added.