News

Seven former young offenders, who claim they were assaulted by prison officers at Portland Young Offenders’ Institution in Dorset, have been awarded £120,000 by the Prison Service in an out of court settlement, writes Clare Jerrom.

The prisoners were aged between 16 and 21 at the time and claim they were punched, kicked, slapped and had their heads slammed repeatedly against the floor in the segregation block by prison officers, who also tore their clothes off them during strip searches.

“These seven are only the tip of an iceberg,” said Nogah Ofer, solicitor for the young offenders. “The police investigated 53 cases dating back to the 1980s.”

“A culture of intimidation and brutality has been deeply entrenched in Portland for decades,” the solicitor added.

In some cases, which emerged as a result of an inquiry by the Howard League for Penal Reform, the prisoners were put on false charges of assaulting officers and punished by having extra days added to their sentences.

A three-week trial was due to begin at Weymouth county court next week.