HMP Birmingham , which was run by G4S,has been placed back into the temporary control of the public sector. This has been instigated by MoJ after a report by the Prison Inspectors which was damning of the management and operation of the privately run prison.
The Prison Inspectors issued the “urgent notification” procedures on 16th August (HMP Birmingham Urgent Notification (705.97 kB), which gives the MoJ a deadline to respond, and it appears that they have done so swiftly.
The basics of the move is that a new experienced governor is being seconded to the prison, with a strengthened senior management team, that the number of inmates held at the establishment will be reduced by 300, and that a number of more experienced prison officers will be seconded to the prison. The prison will be run by the public sector until the MoJ is satisfied that it is operating correctly; no date has been set for its eventual return to G4S control.
HMP Birmingham has recently been in the media/press after a number of cars were burned out in its staff car park. The whole spectrum of opinions and political/social views are being widely expressed in the main stream media, but hard facts are thin on the ground. When ,or if, real factual information emerges we will publish it here.