A freedom of information request has revealed that of the 102 complaints made by prisoners against prison officers between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2025, only five were upheld, with 97 dismissed.
Prison management has faced criticism in recent months following the deaths of two prisoners, which are still under investigation, and prison governor John De Carteret stepping aside.
The FOI, which was released after a 10-week delay, consisted of leading questions about complaints made at Les Nicolles towards staff and the prison governor.
Ninety-five percent of all complaints were dismissed.
There were no upheld complaints in 2023 and 2024, and the total number of complaints had doubled from 14 in 2021 to 28 in 2024.
The questions included complaints made about prison officers, both from inmates and others; whether any officers have been suspended as a result; numbers of complaints made against prison governor John De Carteret, who stepped aside from his duties at the beginning of April after investigations were made into allegations about his conduct; and how many staff have quit.
The questions also directly addressed complaints made against probation staff and the outcome of those complaints.
However, data for questions relating to the outcome of specific complaints and who the complaints were submitted against was blocked under FOI exemptions.
‘Due to ongoing operational procedures, at this time it is neither appropriate nor practicable to provide details regarding the number of complaints, and associated outcomes, submitted by individuals other than prisoners,’ said the Committee for Home Affairs in its response.
Information was also requested on the case of a convicted sex offender who is alleged to have been able to interact with women and children and move freely around a hospital ward without adequate security or safeguarding.
‘The Code is not intended to be used to facilitate the disclosure of information which is relevant to specific cases or individuals,’ said the committee.
‘As such, the questions relating to the Guernsey Probation Service and a specific individual’s period of care at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital are therefore deemed to fall outside of the scope of the Freedom of Information Code.’
The questions were submitted in mid-March and were met with concern from a politician when they were not turned around in the 20-day Freedom of Information period, or an extension added.
Questions were also asked about staff turnover.
Data showed that overall staff turnover fluctuated.
In 2022, the turnover was 21.2%, which declined and then rose to 16.3% in 2025.
Last year there were nine starters and 14 leavers, compared to seven starters and seven leavers in 2024.