July 15th 2024.
The news has been buzzing with reports of Feltham Young Offenders Institution being named the most violent prison in the country. This troubled children's jail, located in west London, has been catching the attention of many after a recent investigation by a watchdog. Chief inspector of prisons, Charlie Taylor, expressed his deep concern over the findings, revealing that there were six times more reported violent incidents at Feltham A than at one of the most dangerous adult prisons in the UK.
Upon further inspection, it was discovered that within a span of 12 months, there were 410 violent incidents at Feltham A involving 84 children. This equated to a rate of 488 incidents per 100 children. To put this into perspective, the latest inspection of HMP Bedford, one of the most violent adult prisons, only recorded a rate of 80.6 incidents per 100 prisoners. This stark contrast led Mr. Taylor to state, "It was disappointing to return and find that standards had deteriorated, with Feltham A now having the highest levels of violence in the country."
During their visit in March, inspectors found alarming levels of violence and a rise in self-harm among the young inmates. Incidents of disorder had tripled since the last inspection, prompting the closure of the education block for several weeks. It was revealed that rather than being grouped with children of similar interests and abilities, boys were placed in classes based on which inmates they would not fight with. This was just one of the concerning factors mentioned in the report.
Another major issue highlighted by the watchdog was the "worryingly prolonged" segregation of some of the child prisoners. Shockingly, it was revealed that seven children had been separated for more than 50 days, with two of them being isolated for over 100 days. These troubling findings have only added to the string of concerns raised about Feltham A over the years.
In response to the report, the Government stopped sending children to Feltham A in 2019 after the then chief inspector of prisons demanded immediate action over the "extraordinary" decline in safety levels. However, Mr. Taylor did acknowledge the efforts of the governor and her leadership team in trying to address the issues and improve the situation. He also commended the frontline staff for their dedication and ability to maintain positive and supportive relationships with the challenging children in their care, despite the violence around them.
The Ministry of Justice has been contacted for a statement regarding the concerning findings at Feltham A. It remains to be seen what steps will be taken to improve the safety and well-being of the young inmates at this notorious institution.
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