Keeping two youths, 15, in jail criticised
INTERNATIONAL standards have been breached at Guernsey's prison by detaining five children alongside adult prisoners, including two 15-year-old boys studying GCSEs, inspectors have today revealed.
Grave concerns over the 'fundamental' breach, which UK inspectors warned would not happen in any other European country and few others worldwide, has sparked action from prison governor Dave Matthews, pictured.
He had drawn up a business case to introduce a dedicated juvenile facility within Les Nicolles, potentially as early as the beginning of next year.
Described as a 'serious and glaring' anomaly to an 'otherwise positive picture', an inspection team from HM Inspectorate of Prisons, said that the accommodation of the two 15-year-old boys was cramped, there was 'completely inadequate support' from their school and no thought had been given to develop more appropriate physical restraint and disciplinary processes.
Mr Matthews, who revealed the separate care of the two boys cost £20,000 in overtime cover, said that while concerns had been raised in previous inspections over the detention of youths in an adult prison, Guernsey could no longer continue with the status quo.
'I don't think there is an option of doing nothing any more,' he said.
'If anything happened to a child while they were here we would be severely criticised.'
