Young adults on remand in prison wing with sex offenders

The chief inspector of prisons has raised concerns about young
adults on remand being held together with adult prisoners at Holme
House prison in the north-east, writes Clare
Jerrom.

Anne Owers said that without rigorous supervision and risk
assessments they could be exposed to harm.

She said some young prisoners were held in the vulnerable
prisoner unit, with adults, some of whom were sex offenders. Staff
had drawn the inspection team’s attention to one example of
the potential ‘grooming’ of a young prisoner.

“The practice of holding young prisoners, particularly
those who are vulnerable and may previously have been exposed to
abuse, on adult vulnerable prisoner units is inherently unsafe and
should cease,” Owers said in the inspection report.

There was no specific regime for the remanded 18-20-year-olds,
the report found. The prison was operating under considerable
pressures because of numbers, and anti-bullying strategies were
undeveloped, it said.

 

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