3.10 In Part 1 we discussed how Ashfield was brought back under Prison Service control for a period of time (Appendix 2) and how Dovegate has incurred financial deductions due to poor performance. Rye Hill, another recently-opened PFI prison, appears to be suffering from high labour turnover. Hence there appears to be a risk that the price of recent PFI contracts is so tightly scoped as to affect the performance of the prison. Evidence of this is presented in Figure 18 which shows staff/prisoner ratios. For example, at Lowdham Grange (opened 1998, Category B 'training', Premier) there are less than four prisoners per PCO, whereas at Rye Hill (opened 2001, Category B 'training', Group 4) this ratio has increased to five prisoners per PCO. These figures echo the concerns expressed about Manchester (see paragraph 3.6).
3.11 The PFI prisons Rye Hill, Dovegate and Ashfield also appear unable to offer salaries which are sufficiently attractive to meet the staffing levels stipulated in their contract bids. This can have serious consequences for staffing levels, the quality of staff employed and their retention levels. For example, the Controller at Ashfield noted that in May 2002 there was a shortfall of 22 PCOs out of a total complement of 132. An internal Youth Justice Board (YJB) report on Ashfield28 suggested that the poor quality of education at Ashfield was due to the high turnover and quality of staff (10 per cent of teaching staff were leaving each month and approximately half of teaching staff were agency employed). The Prison Service has responded by threatening to penalise private companies who do not meet their contractual staffing levels.
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28 Following an unannounced visit on Wednesday 14th and Thursday 15th August 2002.