Chronology of events |
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June 1998 | Prison Service signs a contract with Premier Prison Services to design, build and manage a Young Offenders Institution (18-21-year-olds). In response to the rise in the juvenile population (under 18-year-olds), the Prison Service renegotiates the category of the establishment between contract signature and opening to accommodate juveniles in addition to the Young Offenders. |
November 1999 | Ashfield opens to accommodate juveniles on remand, convicted/unsentenced or sentenced, and unsentenced Young Offenders. Premier Prison Services' Director (the equivalent of a public sector Governor) is a former Prison Service Governor. |
December 1999 | The Youth Justice Board (YJB) contacts Prison Service to alert them that a key element of YJB policy and funding are not in the contract between the Prison Service and Premier. |
January 2000 | The Prison Service Controller at Ashfield goes on long-term sick leave and does not return. The Deputy Controller acts up into the post until a permanent replacement is appointed in February 2002. |
April 2000 | The YJB assumes responsibility for commissioning and purchasing all secure accommodation for under-18s, as well as monitoring and setting standards. |
October 2000 | The Board of Visitors publishes its annual report covering the first seven months at Ashfield. It notes some teething problems and expresses particular concern over the high level of staff turnover. |
November 2000 | The Director at Ashfield resigns to return to the Prison Service as Governor of Feltham YOI. He is replaced by a private sector Director. |
April 2001 | Ashfield becomes part of the newly-created Juvenile Operations Management Group (JOMG) at the Prison Service. |
May 2001 | The establishment is re-roled at short notice to accommodate sentenced Young Offenders previously held at Gloucester. The population of Young Offenders prior to this date had been entirely unsentenced. Prison Service policy requires sentenced and unsentenced prisoners to be accommodated separately. |
May-December 2001 | Recruitment and retention of staff continues to be a problem. During this period Ashfield operated with an average of 11 per cent fewer Prison Custody Officers (PCOs) than its target staffing level of 148. |
August 2001 | A hostage situation in the segregation unit is resolved without injury to staff or prisoners. |
December 2001 | The Director of Ashfield resigns. A Director of Operations from Premier is installed until a permanent replacement can be recruited. First Notice issued from the Prison Service to Premier for failure to provide contracted hours out of cell. |
February 2002 | A hostage situation on one of the wings is resolved without injury to staff or prisoners. 2nd First Notice regarding insufficient staff to meet Tornado commitments. |
March 2002 | 42 trainees refuse to return to the wing from the exercise yard. The situation is resolved satisfactorily. |
April 2002 | The Prison Service introduces a new performance measure which specifies the minimum number of staff on each wing. The YJB raises concerns about standards at Ashfield. |
April-May 2002 | The Director General of the Prison Service makes two unannounced visits to Ashfield. Following his second visit, the Director General imposes Section 88 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 and appoints a Prison Service team to take control of Ashfield. |
September 2002 | The Prison Service serves a rectification notice on Premier regarding the Personal Officer Scheme and Anti-Bullying Strategy. This specifies conditions at Ashfield which constitute an event of default under the contract. Premier is required to produce a rectification plan and carry it out within a period of two months. If the event of default is not rectified within the specified period, the Prison Service may proceed to terminate the contract. |
October 2002 | The Prison Service hands back Ashfield to Premier. A former public sector Governor is appointed as Director. |
November 2002 | The YJB lifts its compliance failure notice. |
January 2003 | The YJB issues a second compliance failure notice following renewed concerns about the staffing levels at Ashfield. Second rectification notice. |
February 2003 | Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons publishes the report of an inspection held in July. She describes Ashfield as 'an establishment that was failing by some margin to provide a safe and decent environment for children' and said that Premier were 'unable . . . to look beyond the terms of the contract in meeting the needs of juveniles'. In response, the YJB announce they will withdraw sentenced juveniles from Ashfield as soon as alternative placements can be found. This will leave just 40 juveniles on remand. |
April 2003 | Following a visit, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman concluded that Ashfield was now providing custodial care of a good quality. However, he also noted that it was at half of its operating capacity but with a full complement of staff. |