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	<id>https://powerbase.info/api.php?action=feedcontributions&amp;feedformat=atom&amp;user=Phil+Miller</id>
	<title>Powerbase - User contributions [en]</title>
	<link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://powerbase.info/api.php?action=feedcontributions&amp;feedformat=atom&amp;user=Phil+Miller"/>
	<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php/Special:Contributions/Phil_Miller"/>
	<updated>2026-05-31T04:00:41Z</updated>
	<subtitle>User contributions</subtitle>
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	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Oakington_IRC&amp;diff=228535</id>
		<title>Oakington IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Oakington_IRC&amp;diff=228535"/>
		<updated>2015-12-02T09:45:22Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: /* 2005 BBC undercover */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Oakington IRC]] was a UK immigration removal centre. It opened in March 2000, under [[Group 4]]/[[Group 4 Falck]] and its subsidiary [[Global Solutions Ltd.]](GSL). GSL was later acquired by [[G4S]], who continued to run the centre. Oakington closed in 2010 after repeated scandals.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-11741466 Oakington immigration centre officially closes], BBC, 12 November 2010&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2000 escapes==&lt;br /&gt;
Within its first month of opening, six detainees escaped from Oakington.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/693476.stm Refugees vanish from detention centre], BBC, 28 March 2000&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2005 BBC undercover==&lt;br /&gt;
In March 2005, when Oakington was run by [[Global Solutions Ltd.]] (GSL), BBC journalists got jobs at the centre and produced 'Detention Undercover – the Real Story'.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/real_story/4309709.stm 'Probe into immigrant abuse claims'], BBC, 1 March 2005&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The programme included secret filming of GSL employees verbally abusing and threatening inmates, and talking about using physical violence when out of sight of any CCTV cameras, for example in lifts and vans.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the screening of the programme, GSL released a statement purporting to be 'shocked and dismayed' by its contents, eager to reassure everyone that the activities described were only carried out by a violent minority. However, this abuse had been going on for a long time, and the fact that the company does nothing about it until being exposed on national TV was hardly encouraging. Visitors to detainees confirmed that the problem was much wider than a violent minority, and were not remotely surprised by the contents of the programme.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4312187.stm 'Asylum abuse “is not surprising”'], BBC, 2 March 2005&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the screening of the programme, immigration minister [[Des Browne]] called for an official independent investigation into the allegations made in the programme; GSL undertook an internal investigation. A further inquiry was made by prison ombudsman [[Stephen Shaw]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2010 death of Eliud Nguli Nyenze==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 15 April 2010, Eliud Nguli Nyenze, &amp;quot;a 40-year-old Kenyan man died at Oakington removal centre in Cambridge after apparently suffering a heart attack. Campaigners and other detainees alleged that he had been refused medical care. Following his death a disturbance erupted at Oakington and at least sixty people were transferred to prisons. In the days following his death, G4S, which operated the centre, was stripped of its British Safety Council award for its ‘commitment to improving health and safety’. An inquest in October 2010 was told that Eliud had collapsed in his room and had earlier been refused paracetamol despite complaining that he was unwell. An ambulance took twenty minutes to reach the centre and the nurse who went to treat him did not take a defibrillator with her. The Home Office pathologist could find no cause of death but suggested sudden adult death syndrome. The inquest jury recorded a verdict that he died of natural causes, a verdict Eliud’s family were unhappy with&amp;quot;, according to the Institute of Race Relations.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Oakington_IRC&amp;diff=228534</id>
		<title>Oakington IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Oakington_IRC&amp;diff=228534"/>
		<updated>2015-12-02T09:44:24Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Oakington IRC]] was a UK immigration removal centre. It opened in March 2000, under [[Group 4]]/[[Group 4 Falck]] and its subsidiary [[Global Solutions Ltd.]](GSL). GSL was later acquired by [[G4S]], who continued to run the centre. Oakington closed in 2010 after repeated scandals.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-11741466 Oakington immigration centre officially closes], BBC, 12 November 2010&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2000 escapes==&lt;br /&gt;
Within its first month of opening, six detainees escaped from Oakington.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/693476.stm Refugees vanish from detention centre], BBC, 28 March 2000&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2005 BBC undercover==&lt;br /&gt;
In March 2005, when Oakington was run by [[Global Solutions Ltd.]] (GSL), BBC journalists got jobs at the centre and produced 'Detention Undercover – the Real Story'.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/real_story/4309709.stm 'Probe into immigrant abuse claims'], BBC, 1 March 2005&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The programme included secret filming of GSL employees verbally abusing and threatening inmates, and talking about using physical violence when out of sight of any CCTV cameras, for example in lifts and vans.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the screening of the programme, GSL released a statement purporting to be 'shocked and dismayed' by its contents, eager to reassure everyone that the activities described were only carried out by a violent minority. However, this abuse had been going on for a long time, and the fact that the company does nothing about it until being exposed on national TV was hardly encouraging. Visitors to detainees confirmed that the problem was much wider than a violent minority, and were not remotely surprised by the contents of the programme.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4312187.stm 'Asylum abuse “is not surprising”'], BBC, 2 March 2005&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the screening of the programme, immigration minister [[Des Browne]] called for an official independent investigation into the allegations made in the programme; GSL undertook an internal investigation. A further inquiry was made by prison ombudsman [[Stephen Shaw]], due for publication in June 2005.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2010 death of Eliud Nguli Nyenze==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 15 April 2010, Eliud Nguli Nyenze, &amp;quot;a 40-year-old Kenyan man died at Oakington removal centre in Cambridge after apparently suffering a heart attack. Campaigners and other detainees alleged that he had been refused medical care. Following his death a disturbance erupted at Oakington and at least sixty people were transferred to prisons. In the days following his death, G4S, which operated the centre, was stripped of its British Safety Council award for its ‘commitment to improving health and safety’. An inquest in October 2010 was told that Eliud had collapsed in his room and had earlier been refused paracetamol despite complaining that he was unwell. An ambulance took twenty minutes to reach the centre and the nurse who went to treat him did not take a defibrillator with her. The Home Office pathologist could find no cause of death but suggested sudden adult death syndrome. The inquest jury recorded a verdict that he died of natural causes, a verdict Eliud’s family were unhappy with&amp;quot;, according to the Institute of Race Relations.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Dungavel_IRC&amp;diff=228533</id>
		<title>Dungavel IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Dungavel_IRC&amp;diff=228533"/>
		<updated>2015-12-02T09:40:53Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Dungavel IRC]] is an immigration removal centre. It opened in 2001, initially under [[Premier Prison Services]], which at that time was a subsidiary jointly owned by [[Serco]] and [[Wackenhut Corporation]].&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/1350222.stm Former jail to house asylum seekers]  BBC, 25 May 2001&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  The centre continued under Serco management until 2006, when it was taken over by [[G4S]] up to 2011. Since September 2011 it has been run by the [[Geo Group UK]] under a five year [[Home Office]] contract.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===List of centre managers===&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Ken Paul]] for [[Serco]] from 2004 to 2005 and then for [[G4S]] from 2006 to 2011&lt;br /&gt;
*[[John McClure]] for the [[Geo Group UK]] from September 2011 to June 2015 (ongoing)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2003 detention of the Ay family===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Four Kudish children from the Ay family were detained for 13 months, mostly in Dungavel. Eight years later they were award a six-figure compensation payout for their detention, which was the longest of any child detainees.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/jan/06/child-asylum-seekers-win-compensation Child asylum seekers win compensation for 13-month detention], Guardian, 6 January 2012&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2004 death of Tran Quang Tung===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 23 July 2004, Tran Quang Tung (aka Pham Kim Hoan or Houan), &amp;quot;a 35-year-old Vietnamese man was found hanged in Dungavel immigration removal centre. He had been transferred days earlier from [[Harmondsworth IRC]] following the disturbance after the death of Sergey Baranyuk&amp;quot;, according to the Institute of Race Relations. &amp;quot;On 18 July he was arrested after a raid on his home and sent to Harmondsworth. A nurse who saw him at Harmondsworth did not know what language he spoke nor did she use an interpreter. On 21 July he was transferred to Dungavel by bus with fifty-nine others after the disturbance. Medical staff who examined him at Dungavel (run by Premier Detention Services) were again unable to communicate with him. When an immigration officer served him with his removal notice, for 27 July, she did not have an interpreter with her. A solicitor saw him on the day of his death and was unable to have any ‘meaningful’ discussion as Tran spoke such little English. The fatal accident inquiry recommended that detained people, who did not speak English well, should have access to interpreters during interviews and that documents should also be translated.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Colnbrook_IRC&amp;diff=228532</id>
		<title>Colnbrook IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Colnbrook_IRC&amp;diff=228532"/>
		<updated>2015-12-02T09:17:31Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: /* Death of Kenny Peter */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Colnbrook IRC]] is an immigration removal centre. It was opened by [[Premier_Prison_Services|Premier Detention Services]] (a [[Serco]] subsidiary) in August 2004, and run by [[Serco]] until September 2014 when it was taken over by [[Mitie Care and Custody]] and 'merged' with [[Harmondsworth IRC]] to form what is sometimes called [[Heathrow IRC]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Centre Managers==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Ken Paul]] for [[Serco]] in 2005&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Craig Thomson]] was contract director for [[Serco]] at [[Colnbrook IRC]] from 2006 to December 2009.&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Michael Guy]] for [[Serco]] from April 2012 to April 2014&lt;br /&gt;
*[[James Wilkinson]] was contract Director for [[Serco]] at [[Colnbrook IRC]] from April 2014 to September 2014.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Senior staff==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Paul Rennie]] was deputy contract director for [[Serco]] at [[Colnbrook IRC]] from September 2008 to April 2009. He had &amp;quot;Operational responsibility for the contract, including procedural, physical and dynamic security elements, business operations and organic growth opportunities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Ian Scrupps]] was deputy contract director for [[Serco]] at [[Colnbrook IRC]] from August 2008 to January 2010. &lt;br /&gt;
*[[Jon Palmer]] was an assistant director at [[Serco]] in the UK from May 2005 to April 2012 with some involvement at [[Colnbrook IRC]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2004 death of Kenny Peter==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 7 November 2004, Kenny Peter, a 24-year-old asylum seeker died in hospital, &amp;quot;nearly three weeks after sustaining serious injuries after jumping from a second-floor landing at Colnbrook.&amp;quot; According to the Institute of Race Relations, &amp;quot;He suffered from mental health problems and while held in detention it was recommended at least six times that he be referred to a psychiatrist – yet this was never followed up. The inquest in September 2006 recorded a lengthy narrative verdict that listed numerous deficiencies and failures by immigration staff, staff at the centre and in the healthcare unit at Colnbrook.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The jury's inquistion identified failures includings:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;*A failure in the healthcare unit of Colnbrook to pursue the matter of prescribed anti-depressants;&lt;br /&gt;
*A failure in the healthcare unit to ensure Kenny was seen by a doctor within 24 hours of admission;&lt;br /&gt;
*A failure in the healthcare unit to arrange assessment by a psychiatrist, counsellor or Registered Mental Nurse (RMN) following referrals and the first suicide attempt;&lt;br /&gt;
*A failure of communication within the healthcare department;&lt;br /&gt;
*A failure to assume professional responsibility for follow-up within the healthcare department;&lt;br /&gt;
*A failure in the continuity of care and personal handover (both Healthcare staff and custodial staff);&lt;br /&gt;
*A failure to seek out Kenny’s previous medial records;&lt;br /&gt;
*‘Deficiencies in the system’ resulted in ‘missed opportunities’ (by the immigration service) to review Kenny’s detention;&lt;br /&gt;
*Failure in communications within Colnbrook (in general), after medical staff suspected ‘suicidal ideation’ yet failed to inform the centre manager;&lt;br /&gt;
*Failure in communications between Colnbrook staff and immigration staff on issues surrounding Kenny’s mental health;&lt;br /&gt;
*Failure of Colnbrook immigration staff to make further enquiries of Colnbrook healthcare staff after they knew that Kenny was under SHARF ['Self-harm at risk'] review;&lt;br /&gt;
*Failure in communications between Colnbrook immigration officers and Felixstowe immigration officers about Kenny being under SHARF review.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/kenny-peters-inquest-points-to-asylum-failures/ Kenny Peters inquest points to asylum failures], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 5 October 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2011 deaths of two men==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 2 July 2011, Muhammad Shukat, &amp;quot;a 47-year-old Pakistani man died after suffering a heart attack in Colnbrook (run by Serco). In May 2012, an inquest jury recorded a highly critical verdict that found that neglect contributed to his death. &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 31 July 2011, Brian Dalrymple, &amp;quot;a 31-year-old American man with significant health problems died in Colnbrook (run by Serco) a few days after being moved from Harmondsworth (which is next door to Colnbrook). In July 2014, and inquest jury recorded a verdict that Bran died of natural causes contributed to by neglect.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Colnbrook_IRC&amp;diff=228531</id>
		<title>Colnbrook IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Colnbrook_IRC&amp;diff=228531"/>
		<updated>2015-12-02T09:15:36Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Colnbrook IRC]] is an immigration removal centre. It was opened by [[Premier_Prison_Services|Premier Detention Services]] (a [[Serco]] subsidiary) in August 2004, and run by [[Serco]] until September 2014 when it was taken over by [[Mitie Care and Custody]] and 'merged' with [[Harmondsworth IRC]] to form what is sometimes called [[Heathrow IRC]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Centre Managers==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Ken Paul]] for [[Serco]] in 2005&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Craig Thomson]] was contract director for [[Serco]] at [[Colnbrook IRC]] from 2006 to December 2009.&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Michael Guy]] for [[Serco]] from April 2012 to April 2014&lt;br /&gt;
*[[James Wilkinson]] was contract Director for [[Serco]] at [[Colnbrook IRC]] from April 2014 to September 2014.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Senior staff==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Paul Rennie]] was deputy contract director for [[Serco]] at [[Colnbrook IRC]] from September 2008 to April 2009. He had &amp;quot;Operational responsibility for the contract, including procedural, physical and dynamic security elements, business operations and organic growth opportunities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Ian Scrupps]] was deputy contract director for [[Serco]] at [[Colnbrook IRC]] from August 2008 to January 2010. &lt;br /&gt;
*[[Jon Palmer]] was an assistant director at [[Serco]] in the UK from May 2005 to April 2012 with some involvement at [[Colnbrook IRC]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Death of Kenny Peter==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 7 November 2004, Kenny Peter, a 24-year-old asylum seeker died hospital, &amp;quot;nearly three weeks after sustaining serious injuries after jumping from a second-floor landing at Colnbrook.&amp;quot; According to the Institute of Race Relations, &amp;quot;He suffered from mental health problems and while held in detention it was recommended at least six times that he be referred to a psychiatrist – yet this was never followed up. The inquest in September 2006 recorded a lengthy narrative verdict that listed numerous deficiencies and failures by immigration staff, staff at the centre and in the healthcare unit at Colnbrook.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The jury's inquistion identified failures includings:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;*A failure in the healthcare unit of Colnbrook to pursue the matter of prescribed anti-depressants;&lt;br /&gt;
*A failure in the healthcare unit to ensure Kenny was seen by a doctor within 24 hours of admission;&lt;br /&gt;
*A failure in the healthcare unit to arrange assessment by a psychiatrist, counsellor or Registered Mental Nurse (RMN) following referrals and the first suicide attempt;&lt;br /&gt;
*A failure of communication within the healthcare department;&lt;br /&gt;
*A failure to assume professional responsibility for follow-up within the healthcare department;&lt;br /&gt;
*A failure in the continuity of care and personal handover (both Healthcare staff and custodial staff);&lt;br /&gt;
*A failure to seek out Kenny’s previous medial records;&lt;br /&gt;
*‘Deficiencies in the system’ resulted in ‘missed opportunities’ (by the immigration service) to review Kenny’s detention;&lt;br /&gt;
*Failure in communications within Colnbrook (in general), after medical staff suspected ‘suicidal ideation’ yet failed to inform the centre manager;&lt;br /&gt;
*Failure in communications between Colnbrook staff and immigration staff on issues surrounding Kenny’s mental health;&lt;br /&gt;
*Failure of Colnbrook immigration staff to make further enquiries of Colnbrook healthcare staff after they knew that Kenny was under SHARF ['Self-harm at risk'] review;&lt;br /&gt;
*Failure in communications between Colnbrook immigration officers and Felixstowe immigration officers about Kenny being under SHARF review.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/kenny-peters-inquest-points-to-asylum-failures/ Kenny Peters inquest points to asylum failures], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 5 October 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Brook_House_IRC&amp;diff=228530</id>
		<title>Brook House IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Brook_House_IRC&amp;diff=228530"/>
		<updated>2015-12-02T09:01:35Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: /* 2013 forgery */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Image:Brook-House-building.jpg|240px|right|thumb|'''Brook House under construction in 2008, Indymedia''']]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Brook House IRC]] is an immigration removal centre run by [[G4S]]. It is part of the 'Gatwick cluster' of immigration removal centres together with [[Tinsley House IRC]] and [[Cedars PDA]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Brook House was built by [[Global Solutions Ltd.]](GSL). The company was acquired by [[G4S]] and the centre opened in 2009 under [[G4S]]' management.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Ben Saunders]] became Director for G4S of the Gatwick cluster of immigration removal centres in 2012 (ongoing).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2013 forgery==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November 2013, High Court judge Mr Justice Mostyn said G4S guards at Brook House had forged documents. He asked prosecutors to consider charging them, saying they had &amp;quot;behaved disgracefully&amp;quot;. G4S said two members of staff had been suspeneded. The case related to a man who was deported from the UK. Court documents showed that:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The claimant's case is that the Secretary of State by her servants or agents caused confidential documents to be placed in his baggage prior to his removal. These confidential documents related to his failed asylum claim and to his participation in the activities of Organisation 1. These confidential documents came to the attention of government agents of Country A on his arrival at the airport of the capital. He was detained, taken to a distant place, and brutally tortured. The following day, 29 October 2010, by virtue of a bribe paid by his aunt to a colonel in the army, he was released since when he has been in hiding in Country A&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Admin/2013/3453.html AB v SSHD], BAILII&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The judge said that the G4S guards ([[Tamara Burns]], [[Marilyn Bennett]] and [[Matthew Newman]]) who packed the man's luggage prior to his deportation from Brook House had falsified the record regarding what documents they placed in his bags. Mr Justice Mostyn said in his judgement that:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The conduct of the Secretary of State's agents in falsifying the room clearance certificate is corrupt and truly shocking. When agents of the state falsify documents it undermines, if not fatally, then certainly very seriously, the trust of the people in the operation of the rule of law. It makes no difference if, as here, the agents are private contractors to whom the Secretary of State has outsourced her powers. Corruption by state officials is insidious and corrosive and it is the duty of the authorities where it is found to root it out ruthlessly. In judicial review proceedings, where the evidence is almost invariably given on paper and not subject to cross examination (unlike this case), it is especially important that deterrent measures are taken where such conduct is exposed.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In this case I am satisfied that there is prima facie evidence of the offence of forgery and I direct that a copy of this judgment be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions along with the relevant documents. Further, to make a false witness statement is a contempt of court. Proceedings for such contempt are a matter for the Attorney General, and I direct that this judgment and the relevant papers be sent to him also.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Brook_House_IRC&amp;diff=228529</id>
		<title>Brook House IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Brook_House_IRC&amp;diff=228529"/>
		<updated>2015-12-02T09:01:07Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: /* 2013 forgery */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Image:Brook-House-building.jpg|240px|right|thumb|'''Brook House under construction in 2008, Indymedia''']]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Brook House IRC]] is an immigration removal centre run by [[G4S]]. It is part of the 'Gatwick cluster' of immigration removal centres together with [[Tinsley House IRC]] and [[Cedars PDA]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Brook House was built by [[Global Solutions Ltd.]](GSL). The company was acquired by [[G4S]] and the centre opened in 2009 under [[G4S]]' management.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Ben Saunders]] became Director for G4S of the Gatwick cluster of immigration removal centres in 2012 (ongoing).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2013 forgery==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November 2013, High Court judge Mr Justice Mostyn said G4S guards at Brook House had forged documents. He asked prosecutors to consider charging them, saying they had &amp;quot;behaved disgracefully&amp;quot;. G4S said two members of staff had been suspeneded. The case related to a man who was deported from the UK. Court documents showed that:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The claimant's case is that the Secretary of State by her servants or agents caused confidential documents to be placed in his baggage prior to his removal. These confidential documents related to his failed asylum claim and to his participation in the activities of Organisation 1. These confidential documents came to the attention of government agents of Country A on his arrival at the airport of the capital. He was detained, taken to a distant place, and brutally tortured. The following day, 29 October 2010, by virtue of a bribe paid by his aunt to a colonel in the army, he was released since when he has been in hiding in Country A (although he has not been forced so deep underground that he has not been able to arrange through the British Embassy attendance at the United Nations building in order to participate in these proceedings by video link).&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Admin/2013/3453.html AB v SSHD], BAILII&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The judge said that the G4S guards ([[Tamara Burns]], [[Marilyn Bennett]] and [[Matthew Newman]]) who packed the man's luggage prior to his deportation from Brook House had falsified the record regarding what documents they placed in his bags. Mr Justice Mostyn said in his judgement that:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The conduct of the Secretary of State's agents in falsifying the room clearance certificate is corrupt and truly shocking. When agents of the state falsify documents it undermines, if not fatally, then certainly very seriously, the trust of the people in the operation of the rule of law. It makes no difference if, as here, the agents are private contractors to whom the Secretary of State has outsourced her powers. Corruption by state officials is insidious and corrosive and it is the duty of the authorities where it is found to root it out ruthlessly. In judicial review proceedings, where the evidence is almost invariably given on paper and not subject to cross examination (unlike this case), it is especially important that deterrent measures are taken where such conduct is exposed.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In this case I am satisfied that there is prima facie evidence of the offence of forgery and I direct that a copy of this judgment be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions along with the relevant documents. Further, to make a false witness statement is a contempt of court. Proceedings for such contempt are a matter for the Attorney General, and I direct that this judgment and the relevant papers be sent to him also.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Brook_House_IRC&amp;diff=228528</id>
		<title>Brook House IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Brook_House_IRC&amp;diff=228528"/>
		<updated>2015-12-02T09:00:17Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Image:Brook-House-building.jpg|240px|right|thumb|'''Brook House under construction in 2008, Indymedia''']]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Brook House IRC]] is an immigration removal centre run by [[G4S]]. It is part of the 'Gatwick cluster' of immigration removal centres together with [[Tinsley House IRC]] and [[Cedars PDA]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Brook House was built by [[Global Solutions Ltd.]](GSL). The company was acquired by [[G4S]] and the centre opened in 2009 under [[G4S]]' management.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Ben Saunders]] became Director for G4S of the Gatwick cluster of immigration removal centres in 2012 (ongoing).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2013 forgery==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November 2013, High Court judge Mr Justice Mostyn said G4S guards at Brook House had forged documents. He asked prosecutors to consider charging them, saying they had &amp;quot;behaved disgracefully&amp;quot;. G4S said two members of staff had been suspeneded. The case related to a man who was deported from the UK. Court documents showed that:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The claimant's case is that the Secretary of State by her servants or agents caused confidential documents to be placed in his baggage prior to his removal. These confidential documents related to his failed asylum claim and to his participation in the activities of Organisation 1. These confidential documents came to the attention of government agents of Country A on his arrival at the airport of the capital. He was detained, taken to a distant place, and brutally tortured. The following day, 29 October 2010, by virtue of a bribe paid by his aunt to a colonel in the army, he was released since when he has been in hiding in Country A (although he has not been forced so deep underground that he has not been able to arrange through the British Embassy attendance at the United Nations building in order to participate in these proceedings by video link).&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Admin/2013/3453.html AB v SSHD], BAILII&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The judge said that the G4S guards (names as [[Tamara Burns]], [[Marilyn Bennett]] and [[Matthew Newman]]) who packed the man's luggage prior to his deportation from Brook House had falsified the record regarding what documents they placed in his bags. Mr Justice Mostyn said in his judgement that:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The conduct of the Secretary of State's agents in falsifying the room clearance certificate is corrupt and truly shocking. When agents of the state falsify documents it undermines, if not fatally, then certainly very seriously, the trust of the people in the operation of the rule of law. It makes no difference if, as here, the agents are private contractors to whom the Secretary of State has outsourced her powers. Corruption by state officials is insidious and corrosive and it is the duty of the authorities where it is found to root it out ruthlessly. In judicial review proceedings, where the evidence is almost invariably given on paper and not subject to cross examination (unlike this case), it is especially important that deterrent measures are taken where such conduct is exposed.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In this case I am satisfied that there is prima facie evidence of the offence of forgery and I direct that a copy of this judgment be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions along with the relevant documents. Further, to make a false witness statement is a contempt of court. Proceedings for such contempt are a matter for the Attorney General, and I direct that this judgment and the relevant papers be sent to him also.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Brook_House_IRC&amp;diff=228527</id>
		<title>Brook House IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Brook_House_IRC&amp;diff=228527"/>
		<updated>2015-12-02T08:36:02Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Image:Brook-House-building.jpg|240px|right|thumb|'''Brook House under construction in 2008, Indymedia''']]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Brook House IRC]] is an immigration removal centre run by [[G4S]]. It is part of the 'Gatwick cluster' of immigration removal centres together with [[Tinsley House IRC]] and [[Cedars PDA]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Brook House was built by [[Global Solutions Ltd.]](GSL). The company was acquired by [[G4S]] and the centre opened in 2009.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Ben Saunders]] became Director for G4S of the Gatwick cluster of immigration removal centres in 2012 (ongoing).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=File:Brook-House-building.jpg&amp;diff=228526</id>
		<title>File:Brook-House-building.jpg</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=File:Brook-House-building.jpg&amp;diff=228526"/>
		<updated>2015-12-02T08:34:31Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Walter_MacGowan&amp;diff=228465</id>
		<title>Walter MacGowan</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Walter_MacGowan&amp;diff=228465"/>
		<updated>2015-12-01T19:10:40Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Walter MacGowan]] worked in the prison service from 1970 to 1992, before joining [[Group 4]] until 2004. He became a key executive of [[Geo Group UK]], a detention centre company.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1992 Strangeways to Group 4==&lt;br /&gt;
In July, MacGowan was briefly governor of Strangeways prison, which was earmarked for privatisation. He caused controversy when he resigned after just six weeks.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Times, “Jail head quits - Walter MacGowan” 24 July 1992&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; In August, he joined private security giant [[Group 4]] as director of prisons, and was &amp;quot;involved in projects related to the privatisation of prisons and prisoner escort services.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Times, “Jail chief goes private” 19 August 1992&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1993 Wolds prison==&lt;br /&gt;
In April, MacGowan was made director of [[Group 4]]'s Wolds remand prison.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Times, “Group 4 moves prison chief” 29 April 1993&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In August, an inspection of Wolds by Judge Stephen Tumim found that “drug use was unacceptably high” and it criticised &amp;quot;weaknesses in the contract between the Home Office and Group 4 and the lack of financial checks which made it 'impossible&amp;quot; to determine whether the jail offered value for money'.”&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Independent, “Inmates find Wolds 'civilised': A relaxed regime diffuses tension at the privately run jail criticised for 'corrupting lethargy', Adam Sage finds” 26 August 1993&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; It said there had been a “high incidence of assault”.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;His report found that in the 12 months to March 31 there had been 29 recorded assaults by inmates on staff, 21 attacks on other inmates, two incidents of food refusal, three rooftop incidents and nine concerted acts of indiscipline. Drugs had been found on 46 occasions and some prisoners said drugs, including heroin and cocaine, were easier to obtain at The Wolds than at other prisons. The report estimated that it cost £312 a week to keep a prisoner, excluding the cost of gas, electricity and water.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Independent, “Inmates find Wolds 'civilised': A relaxed regime diffuses tension at the privately run jail criticised for 'corrupting lethargy', Adam Sage finds” 26 August 1993&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The report also found that inmates were paid £1 per day for work inside the jail.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
“Walter MacGowan, director of the Wolds, says that it would make little difference if there were more staff in each unit: two officers could be overpowered as easily as one. 'If you introduce more than one member of staff, you don't necessarily introduce supervision. What you do find is that staff start talking to each other rather than to the prisoners.' Like the inmates, he was adamant that there were no more drugs in the Wolds than in other jails, pointing out the difficulties of eliminating them altogether. For instance, drugs had recently been found in a baby's nappy. However, with better checks on visitors there were fewer drugs coming into the prison than when Judge Stephen Tumim, the Chief Inspector of Prisons, visited it in May, he said.”&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Independent, “Inmates find Wolds 'civilised': A relaxed regime diffuses tension at the privately run jail criticised for 'corrupting lethargy', Adam Sage finds” 26 August 1993&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1995, a journalist interviewed MacGowan at Wolds.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Financial Times “Business jailers - Andrew Adonis looks at the advance of privatisation in the prison service”  21 June 1995&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The Financial Times reported that at Wolds only seven out of 190 staff were former prison service staff. MacGowan claimed that &amp;quot;the ability to mould custody officers from scratch is a net gain.&amp;quot; The article said &amp;quot;For private operators, staff flexibility and commitment is critical to the cost savings enabling them to undercut the Prison Service.&amp;quot; MacGowan claimed that he fulfilled the contract &amp;quot;including allowing prisoners out of cells for the unusually long period of 13 or 14 hours a day - with about four-fifths of the staff employed by equivalent Prison Service establishments.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1996 Buckley Hall prison==&lt;br /&gt;
In 1996, MacGowan was [[Group 4]]'s director of operations at HMP Buckley Hall. At an emergency debate in Parliament to discuss problems at the prison, MacGowan was 'smuggled' into the house of commons and sat next to Home Secretary Michael Howard &amp;quot;in a specially-reserved box of seats next to the Government front bench.&amp;quot; Liberal Democrat Ms Lynne said: &amp;quot;You can't have private companies briefing ministers on the floor of the House.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Sunday Mirror, “Howard in dock over jail chief” 21 April 1996&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2001 Altcourse prison==&lt;br /&gt;
In 2001, MacGowan was Director of [[Group 4]]'s Altcourse prison in Liverpool, housing 615 inmates.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Financial Times “The prison service finds the best of both worlds” 2 October 2001&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; MacGowan told a reporter that, &amp;quot;We deliberately avoided people with experience of prison work because we didn't want to bring the problems of the state system into our prison&amp;quot;. Altcourse employed fewer prison officers per prisoner than state prisons and paid them less.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 2003, he told another reported that private prisons were like &amp;quot;having a blank sheet. You can make your prison design fit the managerial structures and operational options that you have. We operate to a contract. It is clearly specified what is expected and we are subjected to quite a few performance measures to make sure we deliver.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Daily post, “The case for privatisation” 9 April 2003&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; At that time, Altcourse was 392 prisoners over capacity.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2004-2011 Geo Group UK==&lt;br /&gt;
In 2004, MacGowan co-founded [[Geo Group UK]], the British division of American private prison giant [[Geo Group Inc]]. He set up the company alongside [[Colin Dobell]], who had previously worked for [[Global Solutions Ltd.]], which was part of [[Group 4]]. [[Geo Group UK]] won Home Office contracts to run [[Campsfield House IRC]] from May 2006 to May 2011, [[Harmondsworth IRC]] from June 2009 to September 2014, and [[Dungavel IRC]] from 2011 to 2016.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2012 Ubiquitous Consulting==&lt;br /&gt;
In 2012, MacGowan set up his own criminal justice consultancy firm, working in the UK and internationally.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://uk.linkedin.com/in/walter-macgowan-6708161b Walter MacGowan], LinkedIn&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Staff]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Colin_Dobell&amp;diff=228464</id>
		<title>Colin Dobell</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Colin_Dobell&amp;diff=228464"/>
		<updated>2015-12-01T19:08:19Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: /* Geo Group UK */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Colin Dobell]] is an accountant who played a key role in several companies that have run immigration detention centres in the UK.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'[https://uk.linkedin.com/pub/colin-dobell/9/a23/7a Colin Dobell]', ''LinkedIn'', accessed 30 June 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Global Solutions Ltd==&lt;br /&gt;
*Dobell was a financial controller at [[Global Solutions Ltd.]] (GSL) from 1998-1999. He led a finance team with a £200m PPP/PFI porfolio coving custodial, educational and enviromental services in the UK.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* He was a Commerical Director at GSL from 2000-2004, working on their UK PPP/PFI contracts. Dobell says he &amp;quot;Established excellent relationships with all major customers including the Home Office&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Geo Group UK==&lt;br /&gt;
Dobell was one of two directors (along with [[Walter MacGowan]]) who established the [[Geo Group UK]], a subsidiary of the American private prison giant the [[Geo Group Inc]]. He served as company secretary, Finance Director and Chief Operating Office of the [[Geo Group UK]] from 2005 to August 2009. During this time, the company won Home Office contracts to run [[Campsfield House IRC]] and [[Harmondsworth IRC]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Mitie Care &amp;amp; Custody==&lt;br /&gt;
Dobell was instrumental in establishing [[Mitie Care and Custody]] in September 2009 as a subsidiary of the [[Mitie Group]]. He is Managing Director of Mitie Care &amp;amp; Custody and has won several Home Office contracts from the Geo Group UK, notably [[Campsfield House IRC]] and [[Harmondsworth IRC]], as well as taking over [[Colnbrook IRC]] from [[Serco]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Dobell created a joint venture with logisitics firm [[DHL]] in 2011 in a failed attempt to win a 'prisoner escorting' contract from the [[Ministry of Justice]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Staff]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Walter_MacGowan&amp;diff=228461</id>
		<title>Walter MacGowan</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Walter_MacGowan&amp;diff=228461"/>
		<updated>2015-12-01T18:57:34Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Walter MacGowan]] worked in the prison service from 1970 to 1992, before joining [[Group 4]]. He became a key executive of [[Geo Group UK]], a detention centre company.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1992 Strangeways to Group 4==&lt;br /&gt;
In July, MacGowan was briefly governor of Strangeways prison, which was earmarked for privatisation. He caused controversy when he resigned after just six weeks.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Times, “Jail head quits - Walter MacGowan” 24 July 1992&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; In August, he joined private security giant [[Group 4]] as director of prisons, and was &amp;quot;involved in projects related to the privatisation of prisons and prisoner escort services.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Times, “Jail chief goes private” 19 August 1992&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1993 Wolds prison==&lt;br /&gt;
In April, MacGowan was made director of [[Group 4]]'s Wolds remand prison.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Times, “Group 4 moves prison chief” 29 April 1993&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In August, an inspection of Wolds by Judge Stephen Tumim found that “drug use was unacceptably high” and it criticised &amp;quot;weaknesses in the contract between the Home Office and Group 4 and the lack of financial checks which made it 'impossible&amp;quot; to determine whether the jail offered value for money'.”&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Independent, “Inmates find Wolds 'civilised': A relaxed regime diffuses tension at the privately run jail criticised for 'corrupting lethargy', Adam Sage finds” 26 August 1993&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; It said there had been a “high incidence of assault”.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;His report found that in the 12 months to March 31 there had been 29 recorded assaults by inmates on staff, 21 attacks on other inmates, two incidents of food refusal, three rooftop incidents and nine concerted acts of indiscipline. Drugs had been found on 46 occasions and some prisoners said drugs, including heroin and cocaine, were easier to obtain at The Wolds than at other prisons. The report estimated that it cost £312 a week to keep a prisoner, excluding the cost of gas, electricity and water.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Independent, “Inmates find Wolds 'civilised': A relaxed regime diffuses tension at the privately run jail criticised for 'corrupting lethargy', Adam Sage finds” 26 August 1993&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The report also found that inmates were paid £1 per day for work inside the jail.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
“Walter MacGowan, director of the Wolds, says that it would make little difference if there were more staff in each unit: two officers could be overpowered as easily as one. 'If you introduce more than one member of staff, you don't necessarily introduce supervision. What you do find is that staff start talking to each other rather than to the prisoners.' Like the inmates, he was adamant that there were no more drugs in the Wolds than in other jails, pointing out the difficulties of eliminating them altogether. For instance, drugs had recently been found in a baby's nappy. However, with better checks on visitors there were fewer drugs coming into the prison than when Judge Stephen Tumim, the Chief Inspector of Prisons, visited it in May, he said.”&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Independent, “Inmates find Wolds 'civilised': A relaxed regime diffuses tension at the privately run jail criticised for 'corrupting lethargy', Adam Sage finds” 26 August 1993&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1995, a journalist interviewed MacGowan at Wolds.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Financial Times “Business jailers - Andrew Adonis looks at the advance of privatisation in the prison service”  21 June 1995&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The Financial Times reported that at Wolds only seven out of 190 staff were former prison service staff. MacGowan claimed that &amp;quot;the ability to mould custody officers from scratch is a net gain.&amp;quot; The article said &amp;quot;For private operators, staff flexibility and commitment is critical to the cost savings enabling them to undercut the Prison Service.&amp;quot; MacGowan claimed that he fulfilled the contract &amp;quot;including allowing prisoners out of cells for the unusually long period of 13 or 14 hours a day - with about four-fifths of the staff employed by equivalent Prison Service establishments.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1996 Buckley Hall prison==&lt;br /&gt;
In 1996, MacGowan was [[Group 4]]'s director of operations at HMP Buckley Hall. At an emergency debate in Parliament to discuss problems at the prison, MacGowan was 'smuggled' into the house of commons and sat next to Home Secretary Michael Howard &amp;quot;in a specially-reserved box of seats next to the Government front bench.&amp;quot; Liberal Democrat Ms Lynne said: &amp;quot;You can't have private companies briefing ministers on the floor of the House.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Sunday Mirror, “Howard in dock over jail chief” 21 April 1996&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2001 Altcourse prison==&lt;br /&gt;
2001, October. Director//Group 4///HMP Altcourse&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
“        One way of looking at the issue is to narrow it down to a single sector. The prisons service, for example, has had a private element since management of the Wolds prison, in Yorkshire, was handed over to Group 4 in 1992.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Two further prisons have since been placed under private management and eight have been built under design, construct, manage and finance (DCMF) contracts under which companies deliver and manage new prisons.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Much of the criticism of private prisons has focused on contract terms drawn up when companies demanded a substantial risk premium. There has also been criticism of refinancing deals.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Yet little attention has been paid to the operational perform-ance of private prisons, or to their impact on the prison service as a whole.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Altcourse, a &amp;quot;core local&amp;quot; prison in Fazakerley, Liverpool, was built by Group 4 in 1997 to house up to 615 inmates sentenced in an area stretching from Manchester to North Wales.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        The site is dominated by flowers; tended by the prisoners, they grow almost everywhere. Strict security is combined with an appearance more akin to a technical college than a prison. All staff wear name badges and prisoners choose to be referred to by their first names or as &amp;quot;Mr X&amp;quot;. The prison's modern design and facilities allow an extensive system of privileges for good behaviour.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Altcourse provides more &amp;quot;purposeful&amp;quot; activity - positively occupied time outside cells - than any other local prison. But it is not a hotbed of bleeding heart liberals. Walter MacGowan, the prison's director, says there is no-one in his jail who does not deserve to be there. But prisoners do seem to appreciate the regime. &amp;quot; They treat you a lot better here than in the state prisons,&amp;quot; says one armed robber.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Sir David Ramsbotham, the recently retired chief inspector of prisons, said in 1999 that Altcourse was the best local prison he had inspected. For the first time, said Sir David, he left a prison feeling optimistic.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        But does this demonstrate that private sector provision is inherently better than the public sector model?&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Holme House prison in Stockton-on-Tees is also a local prison, handling just under 1,000 inmates. Built in 1992, to a 1980s design, it is one of 126 prisons in England and Wales still within the state system.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        There are few flowers at Holme House. Prisoners are not asked how they would like to be addressed, space and facilities are limited and prisoners spend less time on purposeful activity.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        But Holme House has the lowest running costs of any prison and the lowest incidence of assaults. It makes strenuous efforts to encourage education and runs a number of ground-breaking schemes, including a highly praised wing for reformed drug addict prisoners and the prison service's first scheme giving toddlers educational time with their fathers.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Richard Crouch, the governor, admits that there are problems. &amp;quot; We are very conscious that in many ways (prisons such as Altcourse are) an example that we need to follow,&amp;quot; he says.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        But the two prison directors show a surprising degree of agreement about the differences in performance between the prisons. Both say that much of Altcourse's success flows from its highly efficient, state-of-the-art design and its largely inexperienced workforce.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        &amp;quot;We deliberately avoided people with experience of prison work because we didn't want to bring the problems of the state system into our prison,&amp;quot; says Mr MacGowan. Like other private prisons, Altcourse employs fewer prison officers per prisoner than state prisons and pays them less - explaining, in part, the opposition to such prisons from prison unions. Holme House, by contrast, has a relatively old-fashioned infrastructure and its workforce has proved less open to innovation. Name badges, for example, are worn only by managers.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        &amp;quot;A lot of established prisons have staff who were selected at a time when it was considered quite desirable to shout at prisoners. The majority of staff already treat prisoners and each other with courtesy but there are some who don't,&amp;quot; says Mr Crouch.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Martin Narey, the prison service director, is one of many managers who opposed privatisation. He says: &amp;quot;I was one of those who thought there might be something immoral in getting profit out of prisons. I don't believe that now.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        &amp;quot;Prisons like Altcourse are patently very good indeed. It costs a lot of money and the contract at Altcourse is constructed in a way that I would not (agree to) now - but nevertheless it and the other private prisons are running very successfully.&amp;quot; One key contribution of the private sector, has been the ability to operate in new ways, which has set operational benchmarks for the rest of the service. &amp;quot; It has allowed me to introduce a competitive element into the prison service which we otherwise could not have had,&amp;quot; says Mr Narey.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        The results, he says, have been surprising. The private sector achieved a &amp;quot;massive step forward&amp;quot; in the flexible use of staff but the companies have been caught - perhaps even overtaken - by the state sector.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        &amp;quot;They have become, in running prisons, a bit complacent. They have not been as imaginative as this service has had to become in terms of utilising staff - and, of course, they have to take a profit out of this.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        &amp;quot;It may be that one or two of them are looking backwards to the days of very much higher profit margins,&amp;quot; says Mr Narey.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Two prisons run by the private sector have recently been transferred back to the state sector after competitions between private and in-house teams. This suggests that the private sector's cost advantages in running existing prisons are being whittled away. Contract terms for managing existing prisons have also been tightened, reducing the potential for easy savings.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Perhaps as a result, the private sector appears less interested in taking over existing prisons. There were no bidders for a contract to run Brixton prison earlier this year and Group 4 managers say that they are unlikely to be interested in such contracts in future.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Nevertheless, says Mr Narey, the private sector retains substantial advantages in designing, financing and building new prisons, suggesting that there will be a continuing market for the private sector to cope with expansion of the system and the replacement of older prisons. Sotto voce, prison service officials are talking of possible joint bids in future, under which new prisons would be designed, financed and built by private companies, with management provided by the state sector.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Private companies, says Mr Narey, remain enthusiastic about new prison contracts and there has been substantial competition for the next two. The winners will be disclosed shortly.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        In the longer term, private bidders say that a mixed system will work only if the government removes uncertainty about its acceptability - in part by persuading its own supporters that the use of private capital makes sense.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        &amp;quot;The private sector can't be seen just as a sort of rescue mission coming in every time there is a problem in the system,&amp;quot; says Amanda McIntyre, head of the modernising government group at the Confederation of British Industry. &amp;quot; This has to be more than a hobby or a sort of sideline for Group 4 and the other companies or they won't continue to innovate.&amp;quot;7&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
        “LIVERPOOL's second prison,HMP Altcourse opened in Fazakerley five years ago.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        The first privately built jail in Britain,it was funded under the Government's Private Finance Initiative (PFI) and is run by Group 4 Securitas.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Speaking to the Daily Post last night,Altcourse's director Walter MacGowan said private sector companies can improve the running of British jails.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        He said: ``It is like having a blank sheet. You can make your prison design fit the managerial structures and operational options that you have.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        ``We operate to a contract. It is clearly specified what is expected and we are subjected to quite a few performance measures to make sure we deliver.''&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Mr MacGowan believes not every private jail has to be built from scratch and that a private company could run HMP Liverpool at its present site.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Prison Reform Trust figures show Altcourse as the seventh most over- crowded prison in the country - it is housing 392 more prisoners than it was designed for.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Mr MacGowan said: ``Yes, we are an over-crowded prison at Altcourse but the prisoners do not suffer because of it. They are still unlocked for 13 hours a day and receive the full list of activities that they are entitled to.''&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        He said he thought that Liverpool Prison's governor John Smith would keep the jail in state hands,although he hinted Group 4 may bid if the Government did decide to privatise.”8&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
2002, June. Director//Group 4///HMP Altcourse (Cat A)&lt;br /&gt;
2003, June. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
NAO: “Out of the 12 private prisons in the UK, Altcourse was ranked joint top with Parc in South Wales.”9&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2004-2011 Geo Group UK==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2012 Ubiquitous Consulting==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Staff]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Walter_MacGowan&amp;diff=228460</id>
		<title>Walter MacGowan</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Walter_MacGowan&amp;diff=228460"/>
		<updated>2015-12-01T18:53:40Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Walter MacGowan]] worked in the prison service from 1970 to 1992, before joining [[Group 4]]. He became a key executive of [[Geo Group UK]], a detention centre company.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1992 Strangeways to Group 4==&lt;br /&gt;
In July, MacGowan was briefly governor of Strangeways prison, which was earmarked for privatisation. He caused controversy when he resigned after just six weeks.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Times, “Jail head quits - Walter MacGowan” 24 July 1992&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; In August, he joined private security giant [[Group 4]] as director of prisons, and was &amp;quot;involved in projects related to the privatisation of prisons and prisoner escort services.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Times, “Jail chief goes private” 19 August 1992&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1993 Wolds prison==&lt;br /&gt;
In April, MacGowan was made director of [[Group 4]]'s Wolds remand prison.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Times, “Group 4 moves prison chief” 29 April 1993&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In August, an inspection of Wolds by Judge Stephen Tumim found that “drug use was unacceptably high” and it criticised &amp;quot;weaknesses in the contract between the Home Office and Group 4 and the lack of financial checks which made it 'impossible&amp;quot; to determine whether the jail offered value for money'.”&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Independent, “Inmates find Wolds 'civilised': A relaxed regime diffuses tension at the privately run jail criticised for 'corrupting lethargy', Adam Sage finds” 26 August 1993&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; It said there had been a “high incidence of assault”.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;His report found that in the 12 months to March 31 there had been 29 recorded assaults by inmates on staff, 21 attacks on other inmates, two incidents of food refusal, three rooftop incidents and nine concerted acts of indiscipline. Drugs had been found on 46 occasions and some prisoners said drugs, including heroin and cocaine, were easier to obtain at The Wolds than at other prisons. The report estimated that it cost £312 a week to keep a prisoner, excluding the cost of gas, electricity and water.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Independent, “Inmates find Wolds 'civilised': A relaxed regime diffuses tension at the privately run jail criticised for 'corrupting lethargy', Adam Sage finds” 26 August 1993&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The report also found that inmates were paid £1 per day for work inside the jail.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
“Walter MacGowan, director of the Wolds, says that it would make little difference if there were more staff in each unit: two officers could be overpowered as easily as one. 'If you introduce more than one member of staff, you don't necessarily introduce supervision. What you do find is that staff start talking to each other rather than to the prisoners.' Like the inmates, he was adamant that there were no more drugs in the Wolds than in other jails, pointing out the difficulties of eliminating them altogether. For instance, drugs had recently been found in a baby's nappy. However, with better checks on visitors there were fewer drugs coming into the prison than when Judge Stephen Tumim, the Chief Inspector of Prisons, visited it in May, he said.”&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Independent, “Inmates find Wolds 'civilised': A relaxed regime diffuses tension at the privately run jail criticised for 'corrupting lethargy', Adam Sage finds” 26 August 1993&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1995, a journalist interviewed MacGowan at Wolds.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Financial Times “Business jailers - Andrew Adonis looks at the advance of privatisation in the prison service”  21 June 1995&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The Financial Times reported that at Wolds only seven out of 190 staff were former prison service staff. MacGowan claimed that &amp;quot;the ability to mould custody officers from scratch is a net gain.&amp;quot; The article said &amp;quot;For private operators, staff flexibility and commitment is critical to the cost savings enabling them to undercut the Prison Service.&amp;quot; MacGowan claimed that he fulfilled the contract &amp;quot;including allowing prisoners out of cells for the unusually long period of 13 or 14 hours a day - with about four-fifths of the staff employed by equivalent Prison Service establishments.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1996 Buckley Hall prison==&lt;br /&gt;
1996, April. Director of operations//Group 4///HMP Buckley Hall&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A furious Betty Boothroyd carpeted the Home Secretary after the boss of a private firm was &amp;quot;smuggled&amp;quot; into the Commons to help out his hapless ministers.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        The Speaker told Michael Howard to make sure the flagrant breach of protocol never happens again.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Group 4 chief Walter MacGowan sat in a specially-reserved box of seats next to the Government front bench.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Only the Speaker can give permission for people to sit there. Mr MacGowan, director of operations at Buckley Hall prison in Rochdale, which is run by Group 4, was let in for an emergency debate.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        But his presence sparked protests from MP Liz Lynne, who had called the debate to discuss the privately-run jail's poor record.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
 &lt;br /&gt;
        Liberal Democrat Ms Lynne said: &amp;quot;You can't have private companies briefing ministers on the floor of the House. &amp;quot;6&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2001 Altcourse prison==&lt;br /&gt;
2001, October. Director//Group 4///HMP Altcourse&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
“        One way of looking at the issue is to narrow it down to a single sector. The prisons service, for example, has had a private element since management of the Wolds prison, in Yorkshire, was handed over to Group 4 in 1992.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Two further prisons have since been placed under private management and eight have been built under design, construct, manage and finance (DCMF) contracts under which companies deliver and manage new prisons.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Much of the criticism of private prisons has focused on contract terms drawn up when companies demanded a substantial risk premium. There has also been criticism of refinancing deals.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Yet little attention has been paid to the operational perform-ance of private prisons, or to their impact on the prison service as a whole.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Altcourse, a &amp;quot;core local&amp;quot; prison in Fazakerley, Liverpool, was built by Group 4 in 1997 to house up to 615 inmates sentenced in an area stretching from Manchester to North Wales.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        The site is dominated by flowers; tended by the prisoners, they grow almost everywhere. Strict security is combined with an appearance more akin to a technical college than a prison. All staff wear name badges and prisoners choose to be referred to by their first names or as &amp;quot;Mr X&amp;quot;. The prison's modern design and facilities allow an extensive system of privileges for good behaviour.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Altcourse provides more &amp;quot;purposeful&amp;quot; activity - positively occupied time outside cells - than any other local prison. But it is not a hotbed of bleeding heart liberals. Walter MacGowan, the prison's director, says there is no-one in his jail who does not deserve to be there. But prisoners do seem to appreciate the regime. &amp;quot; They treat you a lot better here than in the state prisons,&amp;quot; says one armed robber.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Sir David Ramsbotham, the recently retired chief inspector of prisons, said in 1999 that Altcourse was the best local prison he had inspected. For the first time, said Sir David, he left a prison feeling optimistic.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        But does this demonstrate that private sector provision is inherently better than the public sector model?&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Holme House prison in Stockton-on-Tees is also a local prison, handling just under 1,000 inmates. Built in 1992, to a 1980s design, it is one of 126 prisons in England and Wales still within the state system.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        There are few flowers at Holme House. Prisoners are not asked how they would like to be addressed, space and facilities are limited and prisoners spend less time on purposeful activity.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        But Holme House has the lowest running costs of any prison and the lowest incidence of assaults. It makes strenuous efforts to encourage education and runs a number of ground-breaking schemes, including a highly praised wing for reformed drug addict prisoners and the prison service's first scheme giving toddlers educational time with their fathers.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Richard Crouch, the governor, admits that there are problems. &amp;quot; We are very conscious that in many ways (prisons such as Altcourse are) an example that we need to follow,&amp;quot; he says.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        But the two prison directors show a surprising degree of agreement about the differences in performance between the prisons. Both say that much of Altcourse's success flows from its highly efficient, state-of-the-art design and its largely inexperienced workforce.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        &amp;quot;We deliberately avoided people with experience of prison work because we didn't want to bring the problems of the state system into our prison,&amp;quot; says Mr MacGowan. Like other private prisons, Altcourse employs fewer prison officers per prisoner than state prisons and pays them less - explaining, in part, the opposition to such prisons from prison unions. Holme House, by contrast, has a relatively old-fashioned infrastructure and its workforce has proved less open to innovation. Name badges, for example, are worn only by managers.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        &amp;quot;A lot of established prisons have staff who were selected at a time when it was considered quite desirable to shout at prisoners. The majority of staff already treat prisoners and each other with courtesy but there are some who don't,&amp;quot; says Mr Crouch.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Martin Narey, the prison service director, is one of many managers who opposed privatisation. He says: &amp;quot;I was one of those who thought there might be something immoral in getting profit out of prisons. I don't believe that now.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        &amp;quot;Prisons like Altcourse are patently very good indeed. It costs a lot of money and the contract at Altcourse is constructed in a way that I would not (agree to) now - but nevertheless it and the other private prisons are running very successfully.&amp;quot; One key contribution of the private sector, has been the ability to operate in new ways, which has set operational benchmarks for the rest of the service. &amp;quot; It has allowed me to introduce a competitive element into the prison service which we otherwise could not have had,&amp;quot; says Mr Narey.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        The results, he says, have been surprising. The private sector achieved a &amp;quot;massive step forward&amp;quot; in the flexible use of staff but the companies have been caught - perhaps even overtaken - by the state sector.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        &amp;quot;They have become, in running prisons, a bit complacent. They have not been as imaginative as this service has had to become in terms of utilising staff - and, of course, they have to take a profit out of this.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        &amp;quot;It may be that one or two of them are looking backwards to the days of very much higher profit margins,&amp;quot; says Mr Narey.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Two prisons run by the private sector have recently been transferred back to the state sector after competitions between private and in-house teams. This suggests that the private sector's cost advantages in running existing prisons are being whittled away. Contract terms for managing existing prisons have also been tightened, reducing the potential for easy savings.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Perhaps as a result, the private sector appears less interested in taking over existing prisons. There were no bidders for a contract to run Brixton prison earlier this year and Group 4 managers say that they are unlikely to be interested in such contracts in future.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Nevertheless, says Mr Narey, the private sector retains substantial advantages in designing, financing and building new prisons, suggesting that there will be a continuing market for the private sector to cope with expansion of the system and the replacement of older prisons. Sotto voce, prison service officials are talking of possible joint bids in future, under which new prisons would be designed, financed and built by private companies, with management provided by the state sector.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Private companies, says Mr Narey, remain enthusiastic about new prison contracts and there has been substantial competition for the next two. The winners will be disclosed shortly.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        In the longer term, private bidders say that a mixed system will work only if the government removes uncertainty about its acceptability - in part by persuading its own supporters that the use of private capital makes sense.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        &amp;quot;The private sector can't be seen just as a sort of rescue mission coming in every time there is a problem in the system,&amp;quot; says Amanda McIntyre, head of the modernising government group at the Confederation of British Industry. &amp;quot; This has to be more than a hobby or a sort of sideline for Group 4 and the other companies or they won't continue to innovate.&amp;quot;7&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
        “LIVERPOOL's second prison,HMP Altcourse opened in Fazakerley five years ago.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        The first privately built jail in Britain,it was funded under the Government's Private Finance Initiative (PFI) and is run by Group 4 Securitas.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Speaking to the Daily Post last night,Altcourse's director Walter MacGowan said private sector companies can improve the running of British jails.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        He said: ``It is like having a blank sheet. You can make your prison design fit the managerial structures and operational options that you have.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        ``We operate to a contract. It is clearly specified what is expected and we are subjected to quite a few performance measures to make sure we deliver.''&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Mr MacGowan believes not every private jail has to be built from scratch and that a private company could run HMP Liverpool at its present site.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Prison Reform Trust figures show Altcourse as the seventh most over- crowded prison in the country - it is housing 392 more prisoners than it was designed for.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Mr MacGowan said: ``Yes, we are an over-crowded prison at Altcourse but the prisoners do not suffer because of it. They are still unlocked for 13 hours a day and receive the full list of activities that they are entitled to.''&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        He said he thought that Liverpool Prison's governor John Smith would keep the jail in state hands,although he hinted Group 4 may bid if the Government did decide to privatise.”8&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
2002, June. Director//Group 4///HMP Altcourse (Cat A)&lt;br /&gt;
2003, June. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
NAO: “Out of the 12 private prisons in the UK, Altcourse was ranked joint top with Parc in South Wales.”9&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2004-2011 Geo Group UK==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2012 Ubiquitous Consulting==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Staff]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Walter_MacGowan&amp;diff=228455</id>
		<title>Walter MacGowan</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Walter_MacGowan&amp;diff=228455"/>
		<updated>2015-12-01T18:40:17Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Walter MacGowan]] was a prison governor and executive of a detention centre company.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1992 Strangeways to Group 4==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In July, MacGowan was briefly governor of Strangeways prison, which was earmarked for privatisation. He caused controversy when he resigned after just six weeks.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Times, “Jail head quits - Walter MacGowan” 24 July 1992&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; In August, he joined private security giant [[Group 4]] as director of prisons, and was &amp;quot;involved in projects related to the privatisation of prisons and prisoner escort services.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Times, “Jail chief goes private” 19 August 1992&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1993 Wolds prison==&lt;br /&gt;
1993, April. Director//Group 4///HMP Wolds&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Times, “Group 4 moves prison chief” 29 April 1993&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
        “THE head of Britain's first privately managed remand jail has been moved to a new post in the wake of conflicting reports on its achievements. Stephen Twinn, director of Wolds prison on Humberside, has been put in charge of communications at Group 4's prison and court services, with immediate effect.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Mr Twinn is replaced by Walter MacGowan, a former governor of two remand prisons in the public sector. The company denied last night that the move was linked to a highly critical report by the Prison Reform Trust, which said that life at Wolds was boring and aimless. The appointments came amid further embarrassment for Group 4, which has been seeking to recover face after a series of escapes from prisoners in its care that has discomfited ministers and made the company the target of comedians and cartoonists.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
1995, June. Director/Group 4//HMP Wolds (remand)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
“             'Only those who can't get bail are on remand, and they are among the most unsettled and difficult prisoners to deal with,' says Walter MacGowan, a former state prison governor who is now director of prison operations at Group 4, the private security company.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
  How much has prison management changed under privatisation? From visits to two private prisons - Blakenhurst near Redditch run by UKDS, and the Wolds on Humberside run by Group 4 - a subtle picture emerges. While change is undeniable, it appears to have as much to do with the new 'contract culture' which has accompanied privatisation - and is extending to the state sector - as with the introduction of private management per se.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Apart from company logos on signboards and uniforms, the immediately striking change is the absence of a governor. In private prisons the functions of the traditional governor are shared between a director and a controller.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        The director, employed by the contractor, is responsible for managing the prison staff and services; the controller, appointed by the Prison Service on behalf of the Home Office, is responsible for monitoring performance of the private contract and for exercising disciplinary powers.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        The underlying principle is that penalties or force should only be inflicted on prisoners by a senior, accredited Prison Service representative. This makes the controller far more than a typical contract compliance officer. In order to exercise disciplinary powers, controllers must be of governor rank, and they are present full-time on the prison premises. ' Adjudicating' punishments and requests often takes a large slice of their mornings. They need to be on hand thereafter to provide any necessary authorisations.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Derek Lewis, director-general of the Prison Service, defends the twin-headed regime as inevitable, otherwise private companies would have a say in determining the length and nature of sentences. He also believes it has advantages as a means of spreading best practice across the prison service.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Not all directors are convinced. Bernard Higgins, director of Blakenhurst and previously a senior Prison Service officer, says: 'By managing adjudication you get to know a lot about your prison. I miss all that here.' He stresses his cordial relations with his controller, but any friction between the two might impose severe strains on prison management.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Private prisons are staffed mainly with recruits from outside the Prison Service. Of Blakenhurst's 320 staff, only eight - including Higgins - were previously with the Prison Service; at the Wolds the figure was seven out of 190. Higgins concedes that a few more experienced middle managers would have been 'useful', but both he and MacGowan claim that the ability to mould custody officers from scratch is a net gain.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        The private operators in turn contract for many internal services. At Blakenhurst, UKDS contracts with Mowlem Training for the provision of education and work-related services, and with Worcester Royal Infirmary - an NHS trust - for the medical service.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Almost all the custody officers at Blakenhurst and the Wolds were recruited locally. For private operators, staff flexibility and commitment is critical to the cost savings enabling them to undercut the Prison Service.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Higgins and MacGowan claim that they fulfil their contracts - including allowing prisoners out of cells for the unusually long period of 13 or 14 hours a day - with about four-fifths of the staff employed by equivalent Prison Service establishments.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        UKDS pays its custody officers about 7 per cent less than Prison Service staff; Group 4 pays closer to Prison Service levels. The Prison Officers' Association, the public sector union, opposes privatisation and has not sought to organise in private prisons. No unions are present at Blakenhurst, which has a staff association. Group 4 recognises GMB, the general workers' union, and about two-thirds of staff at the Wolds are GMB members.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        With the growth in privatisation, an international business in prison management may not be far off. One of the three companies engaged in the UKDS consortium is Corrections Corporation of America, the largest private prison operator in the US.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Higgins has visited one of CCA's prisons in southern Louisiana. ' I learnt a different style of handling prisoners than we have here, giving much more emphasis to 'normalisation'. For instance, the inmates go to bed at 10.30pm or 11pm, far later than in the UK.'&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        In the UK there has yet to be a comprehensive study of the impact of privatisation. But Nicholas Hopkins, a director of UKDS, has no doubt about the main lesson: 'The government always expects more of the private sector than of itself - and we can't afford to fail.'”3&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
1993, August. Director//Group4///HMP Wolds (remand prison)4&lt;br /&gt;
		HMIP: “drug use was unacceptably high”&lt;br /&gt;
		“criticises weaknesses in the contract between the Home Office and Group 4 and the lack of financial checks which made it ``impossible&amp;quot; to determine whether the jail offered value for money.”	&lt;br /&gt;
		“high incidence of assault”&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	 His report found that in the 12 months to March 31 there had been 29 recorded assaults by inmates on staff, 21 attacks on other inmates, two incidents of food refusal, three rooftop incidents and nine concerted acts of indiscipline. Drugs had been found on 46 occasions and some prisoners said drugs, including heroin and cocaine, were easier to obtain at The Wolds than at other prisons. The report estimated that it cost Pounds 312 a week to keep a prisoner, excluding the cost of gas, electricity and water.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Walter MacGowan, director of The Wolds, yesterday defended the prison's regime and denied that inmates lived a ``pampered&amp;quot; existence. He admitted that small amounts of heroin and cocaine had been found but said staff had at first been naive in dealing with sophisticated criminals. ``I don't believe now that they are hoodwinked by anybody.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Mary Bentall, chairman of the prison's board of visitors, said the only way to encourage more prisoners to work would be to pay them more. Inmates are paid Pounds 1 per day for work inside the jail.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
“Walter MacGowan, director of the Wolds, says that it would make little difference if there were more staff in each unit: two officers could be overpowered as easily as one. 'If you introduce more than one member of staff, you don't necessarily introduce supervision. What you do find is that staff start talking to each other rather than to the prisoners.' Like the inmates, he was adamant that there were no more drugs in the Wolds than in other jails, pointing out the difficulties of eliminating them altogether. For instance, drugs had recently been found in a baby's nappy. However, with better checks on visitors there were fewer drugs coming into the prison than when Judge Stephen Tumim, the Chief Inspector of Prisons, visited it in May, he said.”5&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1996 Buckley Hall prison==&lt;br /&gt;
1996, April. Director of operations//Group 4///HMP Buckley Hall&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A furious Betty Boothroyd carpeted the Home Secretary after the boss of a private firm was &amp;quot;smuggled&amp;quot; into the Commons to help out his hapless ministers.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        The Speaker told Michael Howard to make sure the flagrant breach of protocol never happens again.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Group 4 chief Walter MacGowan sat in a specially-reserved box of seats next to the Government front bench.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Only the Speaker can give permission for people to sit there. Mr MacGowan, director of operations at Buckley Hall prison in Rochdale, which is run by Group 4, was let in for an emergency debate.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        But his presence sparked protests from MP Liz Lynne, who had called the debate to discuss the privately-run jail's poor record.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
 &lt;br /&gt;
        Liberal Democrat Ms Lynne said: &amp;quot;You can't have private companies briefing ministers on the floor of the House. &amp;quot;6&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2001 Altcourse prison==&lt;br /&gt;
2001, October. Director//Group 4///HMP Altcourse&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
“        One way of looking at the issue is to narrow it down to a single sector. The prisons service, for example, has had a private element since management of the Wolds prison, in Yorkshire, was handed over to Group 4 in 1992.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Two further prisons have since been placed under private management and eight have been built under design, construct, manage and finance (DCMF) contracts under which companies deliver and manage new prisons.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Much of the criticism of private prisons has focused on contract terms drawn up when companies demanded a substantial risk premium. There has also been criticism of refinancing deals.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Yet little attention has been paid to the operational perform-ance of private prisons, or to their impact on the prison service as a whole.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Altcourse, a &amp;quot;core local&amp;quot; prison in Fazakerley, Liverpool, was built by Group 4 in 1997 to house up to 615 inmates sentenced in an area stretching from Manchester to North Wales.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        The site is dominated by flowers; tended by the prisoners, they grow almost everywhere. Strict security is combined with an appearance more akin to a technical college than a prison. All staff wear name badges and prisoners choose to be referred to by their first names or as &amp;quot;Mr X&amp;quot;. The prison's modern design and facilities allow an extensive system of privileges for good behaviour.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Altcourse provides more &amp;quot;purposeful&amp;quot; activity - positively occupied time outside cells - than any other local prison. But it is not a hotbed of bleeding heart liberals. Walter MacGowan, the prison's director, says there is no-one in his jail who does not deserve to be there. But prisoners do seem to appreciate the regime. &amp;quot; They treat you a lot better here than in the state prisons,&amp;quot; says one armed robber.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Sir David Ramsbotham, the recently retired chief inspector of prisons, said in 1999 that Altcourse was the best local prison he had inspected. For the first time, said Sir David, he left a prison feeling optimistic.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        But does this demonstrate that private sector provision is inherently better than the public sector model?&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Holme House prison in Stockton-on-Tees is also a local prison, handling just under 1,000 inmates. Built in 1992, to a 1980s design, it is one of 126 prisons in England and Wales still within the state system.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        There are few flowers at Holme House. Prisoners are not asked how they would like to be addressed, space and facilities are limited and prisoners spend less time on purposeful activity.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        But Holme House has the lowest running costs of any prison and the lowest incidence of assaults. It makes strenuous efforts to encourage education and runs a number of ground-breaking schemes, including a highly praised wing for reformed drug addict prisoners and the prison service's first scheme giving toddlers educational time with their fathers.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Richard Crouch, the governor, admits that there are problems. &amp;quot; We are very conscious that in many ways (prisons such as Altcourse are) an example that we need to follow,&amp;quot; he says.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        But the two prison directors show a surprising degree of agreement about the differences in performance between the prisons. Both say that much of Altcourse's success flows from its highly efficient, state-of-the-art design and its largely inexperienced workforce.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        &amp;quot;We deliberately avoided people with experience of prison work because we didn't want to bring the problems of the state system into our prison,&amp;quot; says Mr MacGowan. Like other private prisons, Altcourse employs fewer prison officers per prisoner than state prisons and pays them less - explaining, in part, the opposition to such prisons from prison unions. Holme House, by contrast, has a relatively old-fashioned infrastructure and its workforce has proved less open to innovation. Name badges, for example, are worn only by managers.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        &amp;quot;A lot of established prisons have staff who were selected at a time when it was considered quite desirable to shout at prisoners. The majority of staff already treat prisoners and each other with courtesy but there are some who don't,&amp;quot; says Mr Crouch.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Martin Narey, the prison service director, is one of many managers who opposed privatisation. He says: &amp;quot;I was one of those who thought there might be something immoral in getting profit out of prisons. I don't believe that now.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        &amp;quot;Prisons like Altcourse are patently very good indeed. It costs a lot of money and the contract at Altcourse is constructed in a way that I would not (agree to) now - but nevertheless it and the other private prisons are running very successfully.&amp;quot; One key contribution of the private sector, has been the ability to operate in new ways, which has set operational benchmarks for the rest of the service. &amp;quot; It has allowed me to introduce a competitive element into the prison service which we otherwise could not have had,&amp;quot; says Mr Narey.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        The results, he says, have been surprising. The private sector achieved a &amp;quot;massive step forward&amp;quot; in the flexible use of staff but the companies have been caught - perhaps even overtaken - by the state sector.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        &amp;quot;They have become, in running prisons, a bit complacent. They have not been as imaginative as this service has had to become in terms of utilising staff - and, of course, they have to take a profit out of this.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        &amp;quot;It may be that one or two of them are looking backwards to the days of very much higher profit margins,&amp;quot; says Mr Narey.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Two prisons run by the private sector have recently been transferred back to the state sector after competitions between private and in-house teams. This suggests that the private sector's cost advantages in running existing prisons are being whittled away. Contract terms for managing existing prisons have also been tightened, reducing the potential for easy savings.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Perhaps as a result, the private sector appears less interested in taking over existing prisons. There were no bidders for a contract to run Brixton prison earlier this year and Group 4 managers say that they are unlikely to be interested in such contracts in future.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Nevertheless, says Mr Narey, the private sector retains substantial advantages in designing, financing and building new prisons, suggesting that there will be a continuing market for the private sector to cope with expansion of the system and the replacement of older prisons. Sotto voce, prison service officials are talking of possible joint bids in future, under which new prisons would be designed, financed and built by private companies, with management provided by the state sector.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Private companies, says Mr Narey, remain enthusiastic about new prison contracts and there has been substantial competition for the next two. The winners will be disclosed shortly.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        In the longer term, private bidders say that a mixed system will work only if the government removes uncertainty about its acceptability - in part by persuading its own supporters that the use of private capital makes sense.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        &amp;quot;The private sector can't be seen just as a sort of rescue mission coming in every time there is a problem in the system,&amp;quot; says Amanda McIntyre, head of the modernising government group at the Confederation of British Industry. &amp;quot; This has to be more than a hobby or a sort of sideline for Group 4 and the other companies or they won't continue to innovate.&amp;quot;7&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
        “LIVERPOOL's second prison,HMP Altcourse opened in Fazakerley five years ago.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        The first privately built jail in Britain,it was funded under the Government's Private Finance Initiative (PFI) and is run by Group 4 Securitas.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Speaking to the Daily Post last night,Altcourse's director Walter MacGowan said private sector companies can improve the running of British jails.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        He said: ``It is like having a blank sheet. You can make your prison design fit the managerial structures and operational options that you have.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        ``We operate to a contract. It is clearly specified what is expected and we are subjected to quite a few performance measures to make sure we deliver.''&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Mr MacGowan believes not every private jail has to be built from scratch and that a private company could run HMP Liverpool at its present site.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Prison Reform Trust figures show Altcourse as the seventh most over- crowded prison in the country - it is housing 392 more prisoners than it was designed for.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Mr MacGowan said: ``Yes, we are an over-crowded prison at Altcourse but the prisoners do not suffer because of it. They are still unlocked for 13 hours a day and receive the full list of activities that they are entitled to.''&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        He said he thought that Liverpool Prison's governor John Smith would keep the jail in state hands,although he hinted Group 4 may bid if the Government did decide to privatise.”8&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
2002, June. Director//Group 4///HMP Altcourse (Cat A)&lt;br /&gt;
2003, June. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
NAO: “Out of the 12 private prisons in the UK, Altcourse was ranked joint top with Parc in South Wales.”9&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2004-2011 Geo Group UK==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2012 Ubiquitous Consulting==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Staff]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Walter_MacGowan&amp;diff=228452</id>
		<title>Walter MacGowan</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Walter_MacGowan&amp;diff=228452"/>
		<updated>2015-12-01T18:33:33Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: Created page with &amp;quot;Walter MacGowan was a prison governor and executive of a detention centre company.  ==1992 Strangeways to Group 4== 1992, July. Governor//Prison Service///HMP Strangeways ...&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Walter MacGowan]] was a prison governor and executive of a detention centre company.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1992 Strangeways to Group 4==&lt;br /&gt;
1992, July. Governor//Prison Service///HMP Strangeways&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
“Walter MacGowan, governor of Strangeways prison in Manchester, has resigned after six weeks. He becomes the fourth governor in two years to leave the jail. He is thought to be taking up a post involving privatising parts of the prison service.”1&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
“A former governor of Strangeways prison in Manchester, which the government plans to privatise, has joined the private sector as director of projects with Group 4, the organisation that has the contract to run the Wolds prison in Humberside. Walter MacGowan joined Group 4 two weeks ago and is involved in projects related to the privatisation of prisons and prisoner escort services.”2&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
1992, August- Director of Projects//Group 4&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1993 Wolds prison==&lt;br /&gt;
1993, April. Director//Group 4///HMP Wolds&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Times, “Group 4 moves prison chief” 29 April 1993&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
        “THE head of Britain's first privately managed remand jail has been moved to a new post in the wake of conflicting reports on its achievements. Stephen Twinn, director of Wolds prison on Humberside, has been put in charge of communications at Group 4's prison and court services, with immediate effect.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Mr Twinn is replaced by Walter MacGowan, a former governor of two remand prisons in the public sector. The company denied last night that the move was linked to a highly critical report by the Prison Reform Trust, which said that life at Wolds was boring and aimless. The appointments came amid further embarrassment for Group 4, which has been seeking to recover face after a series of escapes from prisoners in its care that has discomfited ministers and made the company the target of comedians and cartoonists.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
1995, June. Director/Group 4//HMP Wolds (remand)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
“             'Only those who can't get bail are on remand, and they are among the most unsettled and difficult prisoners to deal with,' says Walter MacGowan, a former state prison governor who is now director of prison operations at Group 4, the private security company.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
  How much has prison management changed under privatisation? From visits to two private prisons - Blakenhurst near Redditch run by UKDS, and the Wolds on Humberside run by Group 4 - a subtle picture emerges. While change is undeniable, it appears to have as much to do with the new 'contract culture' which has accompanied privatisation - and is extending to the state sector - as with the introduction of private management per se.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Apart from company logos on signboards and uniforms, the immediately striking change is the absence of a governor. In private prisons the functions of the traditional governor are shared between a director and a controller.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        The director, employed by the contractor, is responsible for managing the prison staff and services; the controller, appointed by the Prison Service on behalf of the Home Office, is responsible for monitoring performance of the private contract and for exercising disciplinary powers.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        The underlying principle is that penalties or force should only be inflicted on prisoners by a senior, accredited Prison Service representative. This makes the controller far more than a typical contract compliance officer. In order to exercise disciplinary powers, controllers must be of governor rank, and they are present full-time on the prison premises. ' Adjudicating' punishments and requests often takes a large slice of their mornings. They need to be on hand thereafter to provide any necessary authorisations.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Derek Lewis, director-general of the Prison Service, defends the twin-headed regime as inevitable, otherwise private companies would have a say in determining the length and nature of sentences. He also believes it has advantages as a means of spreading best practice across the prison service.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Not all directors are convinced. Bernard Higgins, director of Blakenhurst and previously a senior Prison Service officer, says: 'By managing adjudication you get to know a lot about your prison. I miss all that here.' He stresses his cordial relations with his controller, but any friction between the two might impose severe strains on prison management.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Private prisons are staffed mainly with recruits from outside the Prison Service. Of Blakenhurst's 320 staff, only eight - including Higgins - were previously with the Prison Service; at the Wolds the figure was seven out of 190. Higgins concedes that a few more experienced middle managers would have been 'useful', but both he and MacGowan claim that the ability to mould custody officers from scratch is a net gain.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        The private operators in turn contract for many internal services. At Blakenhurst, UKDS contracts with Mowlem Training for the provision of education and work-related services, and with Worcester Royal Infirmary - an NHS trust - for the medical service.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Almost all the custody officers at Blakenhurst and the Wolds were recruited locally. For private operators, staff flexibility and commitment is critical to the cost savings enabling them to undercut the Prison Service.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Higgins and MacGowan claim that they fulfil their contracts - including allowing prisoners out of cells for the unusually long period of 13 or 14 hours a day - with about four-fifths of the staff employed by equivalent Prison Service establishments.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        UKDS pays its custody officers about 7 per cent less than Prison Service staff; Group 4 pays closer to Prison Service levels. The Prison Officers' Association, the public sector union, opposes privatisation and has not sought to organise in private prisons. No unions are present at Blakenhurst, which has a staff association. Group 4 recognises GMB, the general workers' union, and about two-thirds of staff at the Wolds are GMB members.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        With the growth in privatisation, an international business in prison management may not be far off. One of the three companies engaged in the UKDS consortium is Corrections Corporation of America, the largest private prison operator in the US.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Higgins has visited one of CCA's prisons in southern Louisiana. ' I learnt a different style of handling prisoners than we have here, giving much more emphasis to 'normalisation'. For instance, the inmates go to bed at 10.30pm or 11pm, far later than in the UK.'&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        In the UK there has yet to be a comprehensive study of the impact of privatisation. But Nicholas Hopkins, a director of UKDS, has no doubt about the main lesson: 'The government always expects more of the private sector than of itself - and we can't afford to fail.'”3&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
1993, August. Director//Group4///HMP Wolds (remand prison)4&lt;br /&gt;
		HMIP: “drug use was unacceptably high”&lt;br /&gt;
		“criticises weaknesses in the contract between the Home Office and Group 4 and the lack of financial checks which made it ``impossible&amp;quot; to determine whether the jail offered value for money.”	&lt;br /&gt;
		“high incidence of assault”&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	 His report found that in the 12 months to March 31 there had been 29 recorded assaults by inmates on staff, 21 attacks on other inmates, two incidents of food refusal, three rooftop incidents and nine concerted acts of indiscipline. Drugs had been found on 46 occasions and some prisoners said drugs, including heroin and cocaine, were easier to obtain at The Wolds than at other prisons. The report estimated that it cost Pounds 312 a week to keep a prisoner, excluding the cost of gas, electricity and water.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Walter MacGowan, director of The Wolds, yesterday defended the prison's regime and denied that inmates lived a ``pampered&amp;quot; existence. He admitted that small amounts of heroin and cocaine had been found but said staff had at first been naive in dealing with sophisticated criminals. ``I don't believe now that they are hoodwinked by anybody.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Mary Bentall, chairman of the prison's board of visitors, said the only way to encourage more prisoners to work would be to pay them more. Inmates are paid Pounds 1 per day for work inside the jail.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
“Walter MacGowan, director of the Wolds, says that it would make little difference if there were more staff in each unit: two officers could be overpowered as easily as one. 'If you introduce more than one member of staff, you don't necessarily introduce supervision. What you do find is that staff start talking to each other rather than to the prisoners.' Like the inmates, he was adamant that there were no more drugs in the Wolds than in other jails, pointing out the difficulties of eliminating them altogether. For instance, drugs had recently been found in a baby's nappy. However, with better checks on visitors there were fewer drugs coming into the prison than when Judge Stephen Tumim, the Chief Inspector of Prisons, visited it in May, he said.”5&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1996 Buckley Hall prison==&lt;br /&gt;
1996, April. Director of operations//Group 4///HMP Buckley Hall&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A furious Betty Boothroyd carpeted the Home Secretary after the boss of a private firm was &amp;quot;smuggled&amp;quot; into the Commons to help out his hapless ministers.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        The Speaker told Michael Howard to make sure the flagrant breach of protocol never happens again.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Group 4 chief Walter MacGowan sat in a specially-reserved box of seats next to the Government front bench.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Only the Speaker can give permission for people to sit there. Mr MacGowan, director of operations at Buckley Hall prison in Rochdale, which is run by Group 4, was let in for an emergency debate.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        But his presence sparked protests from MP Liz Lynne, who had called the debate to discuss the privately-run jail's poor record.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
 &lt;br /&gt;
        Liberal Democrat Ms Lynne said: &amp;quot;You can't have private companies briefing ministers on the floor of the House. &amp;quot;6&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2001 Altcourse prison==&lt;br /&gt;
2001, October. Director//Group 4///HMP Altcourse&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
“        One way of looking at the issue is to narrow it down to a single sector. The prisons service, for example, has had a private element since management of the Wolds prison, in Yorkshire, was handed over to Group 4 in 1992.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Two further prisons have since been placed under private management and eight have been built under design, construct, manage and finance (DCMF) contracts under which companies deliver and manage new prisons.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Much of the criticism of private prisons has focused on contract terms drawn up when companies demanded a substantial risk premium. There has also been criticism of refinancing deals.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Yet little attention has been paid to the operational perform-ance of private prisons, or to their impact on the prison service as a whole.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Altcourse, a &amp;quot;core local&amp;quot; prison in Fazakerley, Liverpool, was built by Group 4 in 1997 to house up to 615 inmates sentenced in an area stretching from Manchester to North Wales.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        The site is dominated by flowers; tended by the prisoners, they grow almost everywhere. Strict security is combined with an appearance more akin to a technical college than a prison. All staff wear name badges and prisoners choose to be referred to by their first names or as &amp;quot;Mr X&amp;quot;. The prison's modern design and facilities allow an extensive system of privileges for good behaviour.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Altcourse provides more &amp;quot;purposeful&amp;quot; activity - positively occupied time outside cells - than any other local prison. But it is not a hotbed of bleeding heart liberals. Walter MacGowan, the prison's director, says there is no-one in his jail who does not deserve to be there. But prisoners do seem to appreciate the regime. &amp;quot; They treat you a lot better here than in the state prisons,&amp;quot; says one armed robber.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Sir David Ramsbotham, the recently retired chief inspector of prisons, said in 1999 that Altcourse was the best local prison he had inspected. For the first time, said Sir David, he left a prison feeling optimistic.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        But does this demonstrate that private sector provision is inherently better than the public sector model?&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Holme House prison in Stockton-on-Tees is also a local prison, handling just under 1,000 inmates. Built in 1992, to a 1980s design, it is one of 126 prisons in England and Wales still within the state system.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        There are few flowers at Holme House. Prisoners are not asked how they would like to be addressed, space and facilities are limited and prisoners spend less time on purposeful activity.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        But Holme House has the lowest running costs of any prison and the lowest incidence of assaults. It makes strenuous efforts to encourage education and runs a number of ground-breaking schemes, including a highly praised wing for reformed drug addict prisoners and the prison service's first scheme giving toddlers educational time with their fathers.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Richard Crouch, the governor, admits that there are problems. &amp;quot; We are very conscious that in many ways (prisons such as Altcourse are) an example that we need to follow,&amp;quot; he says.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        But the two prison directors show a surprising degree of agreement about the differences in performance between the prisons. Both say that much of Altcourse's success flows from its highly efficient, state-of-the-art design and its largely inexperienced workforce.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        &amp;quot;We deliberately avoided people with experience of prison work because we didn't want to bring the problems of the state system into our prison,&amp;quot; says Mr MacGowan. Like other private prisons, Altcourse employs fewer prison officers per prisoner than state prisons and pays them less - explaining, in part, the opposition to such prisons from prison unions. Holme House, by contrast, has a relatively old-fashioned infrastructure and its workforce has proved less open to innovation. Name badges, for example, are worn only by managers.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        &amp;quot;A lot of established prisons have staff who were selected at a time when it was considered quite desirable to shout at prisoners. The majority of staff already treat prisoners and each other with courtesy but there are some who don't,&amp;quot; says Mr Crouch.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Martin Narey, the prison service director, is one of many managers who opposed privatisation. He says: &amp;quot;I was one of those who thought there might be something immoral in getting profit out of prisons. I don't believe that now.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        &amp;quot;Prisons like Altcourse are patently very good indeed. It costs a lot of money and the contract at Altcourse is constructed in a way that I would not (agree to) now - but nevertheless it and the other private prisons are running very successfully.&amp;quot; One key contribution of the private sector, has been the ability to operate in new ways, which has set operational benchmarks for the rest of the service. &amp;quot; It has allowed me to introduce a competitive element into the prison service which we otherwise could not have had,&amp;quot; says Mr Narey.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        The results, he says, have been surprising. The private sector achieved a &amp;quot;massive step forward&amp;quot; in the flexible use of staff but the companies have been caught - perhaps even overtaken - by the state sector.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        &amp;quot;They have become, in running prisons, a bit complacent. They have not been as imaginative as this service has had to become in terms of utilising staff - and, of course, they have to take a profit out of this.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        &amp;quot;It may be that one or two of them are looking backwards to the days of very much higher profit margins,&amp;quot; says Mr Narey.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Two prisons run by the private sector have recently been transferred back to the state sector after competitions between private and in-house teams. This suggests that the private sector's cost advantages in running existing prisons are being whittled away. Contract terms for managing existing prisons have also been tightened, reducing the potential for easy savings.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Perhaps as a result, the private sector appears less interested in taking over existing prisons. There were no bidders for a contract to run Brixton prison earlier this year and Group 4 managers say that they are unlikely to be interested in such contracts in future.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Nevertheless, says Mr Narey, the private sector retains substantial advantages in designing, financing and building new prisons, suggesting that there will be a continuing market for the private sector to cope with expansion of the system and the replacement of older prisons. Sotto voce, prison service officials are talking of possible joint bids in future, under which new prisons would be designed, financed and built by private companies, with management provided by the state sector.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Private companies, says Mr Narey, remain enthusiastic about new prison contracts and there has been substantial competition for the next two. The winners will be disclosed shortly.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        In the longer term, private bidders say that a mixed system will work only if the government removes uncertainty about its acceptability - in part by persuading its own supporters that the use of private capital makes sense.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        &amp;quot;The private sector can't be seen just as a sort of rescue mission coming in every time there is a problem in the system,&amp;quot; says Amanda McIntyre, head of the modernising government group at the Confederation of British Industry. &amp;quot; This has to be more than a hobby or a sort of sideline for Group 4 and the other companies or they won't continue to innovate.&amp;quot;7&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
        “LIVERPOOL's second prison,HMP Altcourse opened in Fazakerley five years ago.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        The first privately built jail in Britain,it was funded under the Government's Private Finance Initiative (PFI) and is run by Group 4 Securitas.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Speaking to the Daily Post last night,Altcourse's director Walter MacGowan said private sector companies can improve the running of British jails.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        He said: ``It is like having a blank sheet. You can make your prison design fit the managerial structures and operational options that you have.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        ``We operate to a contract. It is clearly specified what is expected and we are subjected to quite a few performance measures to make sure we deliver.''&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Mr MacGowan believes not every private jail has to be built from scratch and that a private company could run HMP Liverpool at its present site.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Prison Reform Trust figures show Altcourse as the seventh most over- crowded prison in the country - it is housing 392 more prisoners than it was designed for.&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        Mr MacGowan said: ``Yes, we are an over-crowded prison at Altcourse but the prisoners do not suffer because of it. They are still unlocked for 13 hours a day and receive the full list of activities that they are entitled to.''&lt;br /&gt;
        &lt;br /&gt;
        He said he thought that Liverpool Prison's governor John Smith would keep the jail in state hands,although he hinted Group 4 may bid if the Government did decide to privatise.”8&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
2002, June. Director//Group 4///HMP Altcourse (Cat A)&lt;br /&gt;
2003, June. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
NAO: “Out of the 12 private prisons in the UK, Altcourse was ranked joint top with Parc in South Wales.”9&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2005 Geo Group UK==&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Harmondsworth_IRC&amp;diff=228450</id>
		<title>Harmondsworth IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Harmondsworth_IRC&amp;diff=228450"/>
		<updated>2015-12-01T18:26:57Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Harmondsworth IRC]] is an immigration removal centre. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Introduction==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Harmondsworth opened in 1970 as a small detention facility near Heathrow airport. Over the years it has expanded and become the largest detention site in Europe. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It was initially run by [[Securicor]]. In 1988 [[Group 4]] took over the management of Harmondsworth. The centre was run by [[Burns International]] from 1999 to 2001, before [[Sodexho]] subsidiary [[UK Detention Services]] (UKDS) started an eight year contract worth £180m in 2001. (In 2006 UKDS was rebranded as [[Kalyx]]). The [[Geo Group UK]] ran Harmondsworth from June 2009 until September 2014 when it was taken over by [[Mitie Care and Custody]] and 'merged' with [[Colnbrook IRC]] to form what is sometimes called [[Heathrow IRC]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==List of centre managers==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Joanne Henney]] from June 2009 to November 2012&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Alan Hunt]] from December 2012 to December 2013&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Paul Morrison]] from September 2014&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1970-1987 Securicor==&lt;br /&gt;
[[Securicor]] ran Harmondsworth after it opened. In 1978, parliament was told that &amp;quot;Discipline is kept to the minimum necessary to ensure the safe custody of detainees and the trouble-free running of the centres. Detainees are informed of the facilities available for telephone calls, meals and medical care. Securicor staff are required to comply with any lawful instructions given by an immigration officer or the Home Office and are told that they must treat detainees with humanity, kindness, courtesy and sympathetic understanding. Securicor is responsible, under contract, to the Home Office for the performance of its duties in connection with Immigration Act detainees.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1978/mar/16/detention-centres-harmondsworth-and Hansard], HC Deb 16 March 1978 vol 946 cc292-3W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1987, immigration minister David Waddington told Parliament that: &amp;quot;The estimated daily cost of detaining a person in immigration service detention centres, including Harmondsworth, is £115. This figure includes transport, escort and running costs, and the cost of employing staff from Securicor Ltd. The cost per day of detaining a person held under the Immigration Act 1971 in a prison department establishment, though not entirely comparable, is estimated at £34.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1987/mar/30/harmondsworth-detention-centre Hansard], HC Deb 30 March 1987 vol 113 cc344-5W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1988-1998 Group 4==&lt;br /&gt;
By 1988, [[Group 4]] had taken over the running of Harmondsworth from Securicor. (These companies would later merge to form [[G4S]]). &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1988, an MP asked &amp;quot;the Secretary of State for the Home Department:&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;quot;(1) what experience the company Group 4 had demonstrated in running a secure holding centre or prisons prior to being offered the contract for Harmondsworth holding centre;&lt;br /&gt;
*(2) what procedure is followed to vet the staff of private security firms who work at Harmondsworth holding centre; and how these (a) were applied to Securicor employees and (b) will be applied to Group 4 employees;&lt;br /&gt;
*(3) what measures will be taken to ensure that a smooth changeover of management will be secured at Harmondsworth holding centre when Securicor hand over the running to Group 4;&lt;br /&gt;
*(4) what were his reasons for deciding (a) to terminate the contract between the Home Office and Securicor for the management and staffing of Harmondsworth holding centre and (b) to award the contract to Group 4;&lt;br /&gt;
*(5) how many of those held at Harmondsworth holding centre have escaped in the time that it has been under the management of Securicor.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The immigration minister Tim Renton replied that:&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The contract for the provision of Group 4 staff at the Harmondsworth, Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester immigration detention units was awarded to the company following receipt of competitive tenders. The decision took account of a number of factors, including value for money and a detailed evaluation of the company's ability to provide the high quality of service specified.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The nature of the contract is unique in the United Kingdom and only Securicor Ltd. has so far had direct experience in this area. But Group 4 is a company of high standing. The tendering exercise enabled it to demonstrate satisfactorily its ability to provide a reliable service. Both Securicor Ltd. and Group 4 Total Security Ltd are members of the British Security Industry Association which lays down rigorous recruitment and vetting standards. Both companies fully meet those standards, including the vetting of candidates over a period extending back 20 years.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A series of meetings has been arranged between immigration service officials and senior managers within both Securicor and Group 4 to ensure a smooth transition. These discussions and detailed arrangements are progressing well. Responsibility for managing the detention units will not alter as a result of the change in contractor; that will remain firmly with the Home Office.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1987, 78 persons absconded from immigration service detention units; in 1988 up to 31 October the figure is 75. Figures for earlier years are not readily available. These details were not included in the factors taken into account when awarding the contract of Group 4.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1988/nov/11/group-4-holding-centre-contract Hansard],HC Deb 11 November 1988 vol 140 cc337-8W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===1989 death of Siho Iyugiven===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 5 October 1989, Siho Iyugiven, &amp;quot;a 27-year-old Kurdish refugee burned to death after barricading himself in his cell at Harmondsworth. His asylum claim had failed and he was facing deportation. He and his cellmate went on hunger strike, barricaded themselves in and set bedding alight as a protest. Smoke detectors were not working, few fire extinguishers worked and there were no sprinklers. An inquest recorded a misadventure verdict&amp;quot;, according to the Institute of Race Relations.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===1990 death of Kimpua Nsimba===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 15 June 1990, Kimpua Nsimba, &amp;quot;a 24-year-old Zairean man was found hanged in Harmondsworth, where he was detained because the Home Office could not find an interpreter. No one had spoken to him since his arrival over four days earlier. An inquest recorded a suicide verdict.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1999-2001 Burns International==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Burns International]] ran Harmondsworth from November 1999 to 2001.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2000 death of Robertas Grabys===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 4 January 2000, Robertas Grabys, &amp;quot;a 49-year-old Lithuanian was was found hanged in Harmondsworth on the day he was due to be deported. A report on his death criticised the company that was in charge of Harmondsworth at the time (Burns International). An internal Home Office inquiry found that the company did not have a formal policy to prevent suicides and that there was insufficient care. (His body was not found for over one hour as guards did not check the room, although he was known to suffer from a depressive illness.) An inquest recorded an open verdict.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2001-2006 UK Detention Services==&lt;br /&gt;
Sodexho-subsidiary UKDS started running Harmondsworth in 2001. It held 550 people, including children as young as 4 years old.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2001 detainee work scheme proposed===&lt;br /&gt;
It was alleged at the time of commencing the contract that Sodexho planned for asylum-seekers at Harmondsworth to work for almost nothing so that the company could cut its operating costs. A Home Office document obtained by the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, showed that the Government intended to suspend the minimum wage at Harmondsworth so that Sodexho could pay asylum seekers £12 a week, which works out at 34p an hour (92% below the minimum wage) to do the work of painters, cleaners and caterers. If they refused work but complied with an 'agreed activity programme', they would be paid £6. If they refused to cooperate at all, they would be given £4 for cleaning their rooms.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Asylum industry cashes in on vouchers and dispersals, Martin Bright &amp;amp; Conal Walsh, 2/9/01. The Observer viewed 25/08/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The scheme did not proceed at that time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2002 escape===&lt;br /&gt;
On February 22, 2002, The London Times reported that nine detainees escaped from Harmondsworth, breaking a window, scaling a 15’ fence and using towels to get over the razor wire surrounding the facility.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;The Times, 22/2/2002 www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-215410,00.html viewed 18/12/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2003 inspection and death of Olga Blaskevica===&lt;br /&gt;
In a report that came out in March 2003, the prisons inspectorate expressed “deep concern” about detainees with mental health problems being held at Harmondsworth.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Annual Inspectors Report, March 2003, p12. www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/imbharmondsworthb2002.pdf viewed 25/08/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 7 May 2003, Olga Blaskevica, &amp;quot;a 29-year-old Latvian woman was murdered in the family holding area at Harmondsworth by her mentally ill partner, hours before the pair were due to be deported. In June 2004, Olegs Pavlos denied murder but admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He was found to be suffering from paranoid schizophrenia.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An inspection of Harmondsworth made by the Chief Inspector of Prisons in September 2003 said that:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There were increasing levels of disorder, damage and escape attempts, with an average of seven assaults a week. In spite of an average of one self-harm incident a week, suicide, self-harm and anti-bullying procedures were not effectively managed. Nor was there sufficient mental health support for detainees held in the in-patient ward.” &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;“Harmondsworth – Unsafe Environment despite good work by staff”. Press Release by HM Inspectorate of Prisons. 29/09/03 Viewed at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/harmondsworthirc030929.html 30/09/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In conclusion, the report stated: “Harmondsworth, when we inspected it, did not meet three of our four tests for a healthy custodial environment.”&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2004 death of Sergey Baranyuk and uprising===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 19 July 2004, a 31-year-old Ukrainian asylum-seeker Sergey Baranyuk was found hanged in a shower room at Harmondsworth. According to the Institute of Race Relations, &amp;quot;Staff at the centre and immigration staff had very little contact with him in the two months that he was held in detention. He had been assigned to the fast-track system and detained with no information for over six weeks despite having agreed to voluntary return three days after submitting his asylum claim. The inquest jury recorded a verdict that he ‘took his own life’. The PPO [Prisons and Probation Ombudsman] described the circumstances of his death as ‘sad and shameful’.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; His death sparked a night of disturbances at the centre and all of the detainees were transferred out of the damaged centre.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/sergey-baranyuk-forgotten-at-harmondsworth/ Sergey Baranyuk forgotten at Harmondsworth], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2006-2009 Kalyx==&lt;br /&gt;
In October 2006, [[Sodexho]] changed the name of [[UK Detention Services]] to [[Kalyx]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2006 death of Bereket Yohannes, inspection, riot and fine===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 19 January 2006, Bereket Yohannes, &amp;quot;a 26-year-old Eritrean was found hanged in a shower block at Harmondsworth (run by UK Detention Services – UKDS). According to other detainees at the centre, he was fearful of deportation to Italy and found conditions at Harmondsworth ‘unbearable’. An inquest in March 2007 was told how he had previously tried to take his own life while he was held at Dover immigration removal centre a month prior to his death. The inquest jury found that he took his own life.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November 2006, a major riot took place at Harmondsworth, after the chief inspector of prisons issued her &amp;quot;poorest ever&amp;quot; report on a detention centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Four men were put on trial for conspiracy to commit violent disorder. The men became known as the Harmondsworth 4 by their defence campaign. In February 2008, a jury at Southwark Crown Court found them not guilty. &amp;quot;At the end of the trial the judge commented that ‘one might feel sympathy’ for people detained in immigration detention centres&amp;quot;, according to the Institute of Race Relations.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/campaigners-celebrate-acquittal-of-harmondsworth-4/ Campaigners celebrate acquittal of Harmondsworth 4], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2006, Kalyx was fined £5,096,000 by the Home Office for performance failures.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Neither Kalyx nor the Home Office would be drawn on why the company has had to pay such a sizeable sum. But [Home Office minister Baroness] Scotland suggested it was at least partly to do with the company's failure to manage the centre properly.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She told the Lords that 'rigorous attempts to manage the situation in Harmondsworth' had now been put in place. 'That was the basis of the concerns expressed and of the disagreement... between management,' Scotland said.&lt;br /&gt;
...&lt;br /&gt;
A Home Office spokeswoman confirmed Kalyx would soon be paying out. 'The Immigration and Nationality Directorate has been in dispute with HDSL (a subsidiary of Kalyx) over its contractual performance at Harmondsworth,' the spokeswoman said. 'The dispute reached mediation point in summer 2006 and reached an agreed settlement; the details of this are being finalised by lawyers with full completion anticipated by the end of this month.'&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.theguardian.com/society/2006/dec/10/immigrationandasylum.immigrationasylumandrefugees Asylum riot firm hit by £5m penalty],  Jamie Doward and Martha Alexander, Observer, 10 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2009-2014 Geo Group==&lt;br /&gt;
The [[Geo Group UK]] ran Harmondsworth from 2009 to 2014, in which time they expanded the size of the centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2011 deaths of three men shortly after leaving Harmondsworth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 2 July 2011, Muhammad Shukat, &amp;quot;a 47-year-old Pakistani man died after suffering a heart attack in Colnbrook (run by Serco). In May 2012, an inquest jury recorded a highly critical verdict that found that neglect contributed to his death. According to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) report into his death, he was transferred from Brook House (near Gatwick) to Harmondsworth on 26 May. He was held at Harmondsworth for nearly a month, during which time he withdrew his claim for asylum and asked for assisted voluntary return. He was moved to Colnbrook on 29 June (at 1am) and died just a few days later. While he was held at Harmondsworth he made a complaint about the healthcare at the centre that was not followed up, staff at the healthcare unit also failed to obtain his medical records despite his written authorisation. These records ‘could have provided significant information that could have assisted healthcare staff [at Colnbrook] on the morning he died.’ The PPO made a number of recommendations following his investigation into Muhammad Shukat’s care at Harmondsworth, in relation to healthcare and the complaints process at Harmondsworth&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 31 July 2011, Brian Dalrymple, &amp;quot;a 31-year-old American man with significant health problems died in Colnbrook (run by Serco) a few days after being moved from Harmondsworth (which is next door to Colnbrook). In July 2014, and inquest jury recorded a verdict that Bran died of natural causes contributed to by neglect.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The jury found that, “throughout Mr Dalrymple’s detention at Harmondsworth medical record keeping was shambolic” and said neglect contributed to his death. Geo made a “significant” settlement to the Dalrymple family.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://corporatewatch.org/company-profiles/inquests GEO Group inquests], Corporate Watch&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 6 December 2011, an unnamed homeless French man died in hospital after release from Harmondsworth. He died &amp;quot;after coughing up massive amounts of blood – as the result of a tuberculosis (TB) infection ... The PPO [Prisons and Probation Ombudsman] had concerns over the use of restraint when the man was admitted to hospital for the second time and that attempts were not made to assess the risk he posed or consideration of infection to staff. The report is critical of the UKBA and Harmondsworth staff (GEO Group Inc) for failing to find and inform the man’s family – this was left to French judicial authorities, although the man had given Harmondsworth staff contact details for his parents in France, and they were also contained in his passport, which was in the possession of the UKBA. Neither organisation showed any support for the family or made any effort to return the body or tell the family about financial assistance for that.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/insti tutional-indifference-in-life-and-death/ Institutional indifference in life and death], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 13 October 2013&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2012 deaths of two men===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 30 October 2012, Prince Kwabena Fosu, &amp;quot;a 31-year-old Ghanaian detainee was found dead at Harmondsworth (run by the GEO Group Ltd). Other people detained at the centre issued a statement following the death that made a number of serious allegations about what happened to Prince Ofosu and about the poor treatment of others at the centre. They alleged that guards at the centre restrained Prince while in the ‘block’ (segregation unit) and that he had been held naked in his unheated cell.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 17 November 2012, Mr Chowdhury &amp;quot;died in hospital having been there for several days. He was placed in intensive care during the evening of 16 November and was only at that point released from detention at Harmondsworth. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) decided not to investigate this death because of ‘insufficient staff resources’.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The Home Office Professional Standards Unit investigated and produced an internal report, which HMIP described as &amp;quot;critical&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2013 death of Alois Dvorzak===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 10 February 2013, Alois Dvorzak, &amp;quot;an 84-year-old Canadian man (of Slovenian descent) suffering from Alzheimer’s died in hospital after becoming ill at Harmondsworth (run by the GEO Group Ltd). He was said to have been ‘extremely distressed’ before being rushed to hospital after suffering a suspected heart attack.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; He died shackled to a Geo security guard by a six foot chain. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman said that Dvorzak's death was “a tragic indictment of the system”, which “is likely to have reached the threshold of inhuman and degrading treatment.” The Ombudsman said that the privatised character of the immigration detention system might have led to the excessive use of handcuffs. Multiple doctors had warned that Dvorzak was not fit to be in detention.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://corporatewatch.org/company-profiles/alois-dvorzak-inquest-day-nine Alois Dvorzak inquest day nine], Corporate Watch&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2014 inspection===&lt;br /&gt;
In January the chief inspector of prisons, Nick Hardwick, published a critical report of Harmondsworth. He referred to the deaths of Mr Dvorzak and Mr Chowdhury as &amp;quot;shocking cases where a sense of humanity was lost&amp;quot;. Hardwick said: &amp;quot;These were truly shocking cases, and they weren't isolated, and they reflected a culture where too often the individual human needs of the people who were being held were simply being forgotten. And in the worst case, this frail, elderly Canadian gentleman with dementia died in the most undignified and disgraceful circumstances possible.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-25749685 Immigration detainee 'died in handcuffs'], BBC, 20 January 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The report said Harmondsworth felt in &amp;quot;a state of drift&amp;quot;, with doubts about its future management.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The centre did not seem to be progressing and some services were being poorly managed,&amp;quot; he said. &amp;quot;Most importantly, there needed to be a refocusing on individual needs of the most vulnerable people in detention, some of whom had been utterly failed by the system.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2014 Mitie==&lt;br /&gt;
In September 2014 [[Mitie Care and Custody]] took over running Harmondsworth. Most of the company's senior management had worked for the [[Geo Group UK]] previously.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2015 secret filming and hunger strike===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;youtube size=&amp;quot;medium&amp;quot; align=&amp;quot;right&amp;quot; caption=&amp;quot;Inside Harmondsworth: 'I don't want to die in here', Channel 4 News &amp;quot;&amp;gt;0W3pV9YcdIE&amp;lt;/youtube&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
In March, Corporate Watch and Channel 4 News released secret filming showing conditions inside Harmondsworth.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://corporatewatch.org/news/2015/mar/04/harmondsworth-immigration-detention-centre-secret-filming-mitie 'It's gonna break': life in UK's biggest detention centre], Corporate Watch, 4 March 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The videos revealed:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Home Office staff admitting that conditions in Harmondsworth are “shit”, and that detainees are not allowed cameras to photograph inside the centre because the government “don't want the bad publicity that would entail”.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* A guard saying that the new Mitie management has “fucked this place up”, making staff work more shifts and get less rest. “It's just gonna break. There's only so much people can take”, the guard warns.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Paul Morrison]], Mitie's most senior manager at Harmondsworth, telling detainees that they will be locked inside their cells for two hours longer at night as part of the company's new contract.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Detainees living in unhygienic conditions with pigeons flying around inside, overflowing drains, rotting food in the kitchen and bed bugs in their cells.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* A detainee suffering injuries from what appear to be epileptic fits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Mitie guards selling counterfeit clothes to detainees that had been confiscated at customs by the UK Border Force.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Days after the footage was broadcast, detainees at Harmondsworth occupied a courtyard and went on hunger strike.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.channel4.com/news/harmondsworth-immigration-detention-centre-hunger-strike Harmondsworth detainees launch hunger strike],Channel 4 News, 9 March 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The protests spread to other detention centres across the UK.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Harmondsworth_IRC&amp;diff=228422</id>
		<title>Harmondsworth IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Harmondsworth_IRC&amp;diff=228422"/>
		<updated>2015-12-01T12:39:55Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: /* 2014 Mitie */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Harmondsworth IRC]] is an immigration removal centre. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Introduction==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Harmondsworth opened in 1970 as a small detention facility near Heathrow airport. Over the years it has expanded and become the largest detention site in Europe. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It was initially run by [[Securicor]]. In 1988 [[Group 4]] took over the management of Harmondsworth. The centre was run by [[Burns International]] from 1999 to 2001, before [[Sodexho]] subsidiary [[UK Detention Services]] (UKDS) started an eight year contract worth £180m in 2001. (In 2006 UKDS was rebranded as [[Kalyx]]). The [[Geo Group UK]] ran Harmondsworth from June 2009 until September 2014 when it was taken over by [[Mitie Care and Custody]] and 'merged' with [[Colnbrook IRC]] to form what is sometimes called [[Heathrow IRC]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==List of centre managers==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Joanne Henney]] from June 2009 to November 2012&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Alan Hunt]] from December 2012 to December 2013&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Paul Morrison]] from September 2014&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1970-1987 Securicor==&lt;br /&gt;
[[Securicor]] ran Harmondsworth after it opened. In 1978, parliament was told that &amp;quot;Discipline is kept to the minimum necessary to ensure the safe custody of detainees and the trouble-free running of the centres. Detainees are informed of the facilities available for telephone calls, meals and medical care. Securicor staff are required to comply with any lawful instructions given by an immigration officer or the Home Office and are told that they must treat detainees with humanity, kindness, courtesy and sympathetic understanding. Securicor is responsible, under contract, to the Home Office for the performance of its duties in connection with Immigration Act detainees.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1978/mar/16/detention-centres-harmondsworth-and Hansard], HC Deb 16 March 1978 vol 946 cc292-3W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1987, immigration minister David Waddington told Parliament that: &amp;quot;The estimated daily cost of detaining a person in immigration service detention centres, including Harmondsworth, is £115. This figure includes transport, escort and running costs, and the cost of employing staff from Securicor Ltd. The cost per day of detaining a person held under the Immigration Act 1971 in a prison department establishment, though not entirely comparable, is estimated at £34.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1987/mar/30/harmondsworth-detention-centre Hansard], HC Deb 30 March 1987 vol 113 cc344-5W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1988-1998 Group 4==&lt;br /&gt;
By 1988, [[Group 4]] had taken over the running of Harmondsworth from Securicor. (These companies would later merge to form [[G4S]]). &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1988, an MP asked &amp;quot;the Secretary of State for the Home Department:&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;quot;(1) what experience the company Group 4 had demonstrated in running a secure holding centre or prisons prior to being offered the contract for Harmondsworth holding centre;&lt;br /&gt;
*(2) what procedure is followed to vet the staff of private security firms who work at Harmondsworth holding centre; and how these (a) were applied to Securicor employees and (b) will be applied to Group 4 employees;&lt;br /&gt;
*(3) what measures will be taken to ensure that a smooth changeover of management will be secured at Harmondsworth holding centre when Securicor hand over the running to Group 4;&lt;br /&gt;
*(4) what were his reasons for deciding (a) to terminate the contract between the Home Office and Securicor for the management and staffing of Harmondsworth holding centre and (b) to award the contract to Group 4;&lt;br /&gt;
*(5) how many of those held at Harmondsworth holding centre have escaped in the time that it has been under the management of Securicor.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The immigration minister Tim Renton replied that:&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The contract for the provision of Group 4 staff at the Harmondsworth, Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester immigration detention units was awarded to the company following receipt of competitive tenders. The decision took account of a number of factors, including value for money and a detailed evaluation of the company's ability to provide the high quality of service specified.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The nature of the contract is unique in the United Kingdom and only Securicor Ltd. has so far had direct experience in this area. But Group 4 is a company of high standing. The tendering exercise enabled it to demonstrate satisfactorily its ability to provide a reliable service. Both Securicor Ltd. and Group 4 Total Security Ltd are members of the British Security Industry Association which lays down rigorous recruitment and vetting standards. Both companies fully meet those standards, including the vetting of candidates over a period extending back 20 years.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A series of meetings has been arranged between immigration service officials and senior managers within both Securicor and Group 4 to ensure a smooth transition. These discussions and detailed arrangements are progressing well. Responsibility for managing the detention units will not alter as a result of the change in contractor; that will remain firmly with the Home Office.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1987, 78 persons absconded from immigration service detention units; in 1988 up to 31 October the figure is 75. Figures for earlier years are not readily available. These details were not included in the factors taken into account when awarding the contract of Group 4.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1988/nov/11/group-4-holding-centre-contract Hansard],HC Deb 11 November 1988 vol 140 cc337-8W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===1989 death of Siho Iyugiven===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 5 October 1989, Siho Iyugiven, &amp;quot;a 27-year-old Kurdish refugee burned to death after barricading himself in his cell at Harmondsworth. His asylum claim had failed and he was facing deportation. He and his cellmate went on hunger strike, barricaded themselves in and set bedding alight as a protest. Smoke detectors were not working, few fire extinguishers worked and there were no sprinklers. An inquest recorded a misadventure verdict&amp;quot;, according to the Institute of Race Relations.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===1990 death of Kimpua Nsimba===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 15 June 1990, Kimpua Nsimba, &amp;quot;a 24-year-old Zairean man was found hanged in Harmondsworth, where he was detained because the Home Office could not find an interpreter. No one had spoken to him since his arrival over four days earlier. An inquest recorded a suicide verdict.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1999-2001 Burns International==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Burns International]] ran Harmondsworth from November 1999 to 2001.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2000 death of Robertas Grabys===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 4 January 2000, Robertas Grabys, &amp;quot;a 49-year-old Lithuanian was was found hanged in Harmondsworth on the day he was due to be deported. A report on his death criticised the company that was in charge of Harmondsworth at the time (Burns International). An internal Home Office inquiry found that the company did not have a formal policy to prevent suicides and that there was insufficient care. (His body was not found for over one hour as guards did not check the room, although he was known to suffer from a depressive illness.) An inquest recorded an open verdict.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2001-2006 UK Detention Services==&lt;br /&gt;
Sodexho-subsidiary UKDS started running Harmondsworth in 2001. It held 550 people, including children as young as 4 years old.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2001 detainee work scheme proposed===&lt;br /&gt;
It was alleged at the time of commencing the contract that Sodexho planned for asylum-seekers at Harmondsworth to work for almost nothing so that the company could cut its operating costs. A Home Office document obtained by the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, showed that the Government intended to suspend the minimum wage at Harmondsworth so that Sodexho could pay asylum seekers £12 a week, which works out at 34p an hour (92% below the minimum wage) to do the work of painters, cleaners and caterers. If they refused work but complied with an 'agreed activity programme', they would be paid £6. If they refused to cooperate at all, they would be given £4 for cleaning their rooms.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Asylum industry cashes in on vouchers and dispersals, Martin Bright &amp;amp; Conal Walsh, 2/9/01. The Observer viewed 25/08/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The scheme did not proceed at that time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2002 escape===&lt;br /&gt;
On February 22, 2002, The London Times reported that nine detainees escaped from Harmondsworth, breaking a window, scaling a 15’ fence and using towels to get over the razor wire surrounding the facility.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;The Times, 22/2/2002 www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-215410,00.html viewed 18/12/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2003 inspection and death of Olga Blaskevica===&lt;br /&gt;
In a report that came out in March 2003, the prisons inspectorate expressed “deep concern” about detainees with mental health problems being held at Harmondsworth.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Annual Inspectors Report, March 2003, p12. www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/imbharmondsworthb2002.pdf viewed 25/08/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 7 May 2003, Olga Blaskevica, &amp;quot;a 29-year-old Latvian woman was murdered in the family holding area at Harmondsworth by her mentally ill partner, hours before the pair were due to be deported. In June 2004, Olegs Pavlos denied murder but admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He was found to be suffering from paranoid schizophrenia.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An inspection of Harmondsworth made by the Chief Inspector of Prisons in September 2003 said that:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There were increasing levels of disorder, damage and escape attempts, with an average of seven assaults a week. In spite of an average of one self-harm incident a week, suicide, self-harm and anti-bullying procedures were not effectively managed. Nor was there sufficient mental health support for detainees held in the in-patient ward.” &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;“Harmondsworth – Unsafe Environment despite good work by staff”. Press Release by HM Inspectorate of Prisons. 29/09/03 Viewed at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/harmondsworthirc030929.html 30/09/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In conclusion, the report stated: “Harmondsworth, when we inspected it, did not meet three of our four tests for a healthy custodial environment.”&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2004 death of Sergey Baranyuk and uprising===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 19 July 2004, a 31-year-old Ukrainian asylum-seeker Sergey Baranyuk was found hanged in a shower room at Harmondsworth. According to the Institute of Race Relations, &amp;quot;Staff at the centre and immigration staff had very little contact with him in the two months that he was held in detention. He had been assigned to the fast-track system and detained with no information for over six weeks despite having agreed to voluntary return three days after submitting his asylum claim. The inquest jury recorded a verdict that he ‘took his own life’. The PPO [Prisons and Probation Ombudsman] described the circumstances of his death as ‘sad and shameful’.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; His death sparked a night of disturbances at the centre and all of the detainees were transferred out of the damaged centre.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/sergey-baranyuk-forgotten-at-harmondsworth/ Sergey Baranyuk forgotten at Harmondsworth], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2006-2009 Kalyx==&lt;br /&gt;
In October 2006, [[Sodexho]] changed the name of [[UK Detention Services]] to [[Kalyx]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2006 death of Bereket Yohannes, inspection, riot and fine===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 19 January 2006, Bereket Yohannes, &amp;quot;a 26-year-old Eritrean was found hanged in a shower block at Harmondsworth (run by UK Detention Services – UKDS). According to other detainees at the centre, he was fearful of deportation to Italy and found conditions at Harmondsworth ‘unbearable’. An inquest in March 2007 was told how he had previously tried to take his own life while he was held at Dover immigration removal centre a month prior to his death. The inquest jury found that he took his own life.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November 2006, a major riot took place at Harmondsworth, after the chief inspector of prisons issued her &amp;quot;poorest ever&amp;quot; report on a detention centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2006, Kalyx was fined £5,096,000 by the Home Office for performance failures.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Neither Kalyx nor the Home Office would be drawn on why the company has had to pay such a sizeable sum. But [Home Office minister Baroness] Scotland suggested it was at least partly to do with the company's failure to manage the centre properly.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She told the Lords that 'rigorous attempts to manage the situation in Harmondsworth' had now been put in place. 'That was the basis of the concerns expressed and of the disagreement... between management,' Scotland said.&lt;br /&gt;
...&lt;br /&gt;
A Home Office spokeswoman confirmed Kalyx would soon be paying out. 'The Immigration and Nationality Directorate has been in dispute with HDSL (a subsidiary of Kalyx) over its contractual performance at Harmondsworth,' the spokeswoman said. 'The dispute reached mediation point in summer 2006 and reached an agreed settlement; the details of this are being finalised by lawyers with full completion anticipated by the end of this month.'&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.theguardian.com/society/2006/dec/10/immigrationandasylum.immigrationasylumandrefugees Asylum riot firm hit by £5m penalty],  Jamie Doward and Martha Alexander, Observer, 10 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2009-2014 Geo Group==&lt;br /&gt;
The [[Geo Group UK]] ran Harmondsworth from 2009 to 2014, in which time they expanded the size of the centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2011 deaths of three men shortly after leaving Harmondsworth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 2 July 2011, Muhammad Shukat, &amp;quot;a 47-year-old Pakistani man died after suffering a heart attack in Colnbrook (run by Serco). In May 2012, an inquest jury recorded a highly critical verdict that found that neglect contributed to his death. According to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) report into his death, he was transferred from Brook House (near Gatwick) to Harmondsworth on 26 May. He was held at Harmondsworth for nearly a month, during which time he withdrew his claim for asylum and asked for assisted voluntary return. He was moved to Colnbrook on 29 June (at 1am) and died just a few days later. While he was held at Harmondsworth he made a complaint about the healthcare at the centre that was not followed up, staff at the healthcare unit also failed to obtain his medical records despite his written authorisation. These records ‘could have provided significant information that could have assisted healthcare staff [at Colnbrook] on the morning he died.’ The PPO made a number of recommendations following his investigation into Muhammad Shukat’s care at Harmondsworth, in relation to healthcare and the complaints process at Harmondsworth&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 31 July 2011, Brian Dalrymple, &amp;quot;a 31-year-old American man with significant health problems died in Colnbrook (run by Serco) a few days after being moved from Harmondsworth (which is next door to Colnbrook). In July 2014, and inquest jury recorded a verdict that Bran died of natural causes contributed to by neglect.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The jury found that, “throughout Mr Dalrymple’s detention at Harmondsworth medical record keeping was shambolic” and said neglect contributed to his death. Geo made a “significant” settlement to the Dalrymple family.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://corporatewatch.org/company-profiles/inquests GEO Group inquests], Corporate Watch&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 6 December 2011, an unnamed homeless French man died in hospital after release from Harmondsworth. He died &amp;quot;after coughing up massive amounts of blood – as the result of a tuberculosis (TB) infection ... The PPO [Prisons and Probation Ombudsman] had concerns over the use of restraint when the man was admitted to hospital for the second time and that attempts were not made to assess the risk he posed or consideration of infection to staff. The report is critical of the UKBA and Harmondsworth staff (GEO Group Inc) for failing to find and inform the man’s family – this was left to French judicial authorities, although the man had given Harmondsworth staff contact details for his parents in France, and they were also contained in his passport, which was in the possession of the UKBA. Neither organisation showed any support for the family or made any effort to return the body or tell the family about financial assistance for that.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/insti tutional-indifference-in-life-and-death/ Institutional indifference in life and death], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 13 October 2013&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2012 deaths of two men===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 30 October 2012, Prince Kwabena Fosu, &amp;quot;a 31-year-old Ghanaian detainee was found dead at Harmondsworth (run by the GEO Group Ltd). Other people detained at the centre issued a statement following the death that made a number of serious allegations about what happened to Prince Ofosu and about the poor treatment of others at the centre. They alleged that guards at the centre restrained Prince while in the ‘block’ (segregation unit) and that he had been held naked in his unheated cell.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 17 November 2012, Mr Chowdhury &amp;quot;died in hospital having been there for several days. He was placed in intensive care during the evening of 16 November and was only at that point released from detention at Harmondsworth. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) decided not to investigate this death because of ‘insufficient staff resources’.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The Home Office Professional Standards Unit investigated and produced an internal report, which HMIP described as &amp;quot;critical&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2013 death of Alois Dvorzak===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 10 February 2013, Alois Dvorzak, &amp;quot;an 84-year-old Canadian man (of Slovenian descent) suffering from Alzheimer’s died in hospital after becoming ill at Harmondsworth (run by the GEO Group Ltd). He was said to have been ‘extremely distressed’ before being rushed to hospital after suffering a suspected heart attack.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; He died shackled to a Geo security guard by a six foot chain. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman said that Dvorzak's death was “a tragic indictment of the system”, which “is likely to have reached the threshold of inhuman and degrading treatment.” The Ombudsman said that the privatised character of the immigration detention system might have led to the excessive use of handcuffs. Multiple doctors had warned that Dvorzak was not fit to be in detention.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://corporatewatch.org/company-profiles/alois-dvorzak-inquest-day-nine Alois Dvorzak inquest day nine], Corporate Watch&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2014 inspection===&lt;br /&gt;
In January the chief inspector of prisons, Nick Hardwick, published a critical report of Harmondsworth. He referred to the deaths of Mr Dvorzak and Mr Chowdhury as &amp;quot;shocking cases where a sense of humanity was lost&amp;quot;. Hardwick said: &amp;quot;These were truly shocking cases, and they weren't isolated, and they reflected a culture where too often the individual human needs of the people who were being held were simply being forgotten. And in the worst case, this frail, elderly Canadian gentleman with dementia died in the most undignified and disgraceful circumstances possible.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-25749685 Immigration detainee 'died in handcuffs'], BBC, 20 January 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The report said Harmondsworth felt in &amp;quot;a state of drift&amp;quot;, with doubts about its future management.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The centre did not seem to be progressing and some services were being poorly managed,&amp;quot; he said. &amp;quot;Most importantly, there needed to be a refocusing on individual needs of the most vulnerable people in detention, some of whom had been utterly failed by the system.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2014 Mitie==&lt;br /&gt;
In September 2014 [[Mitie Care and Custody]] took over running Harmondsworth. Most of the company's senior management had worked for the [[Geo Group UK]] previously.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2015 secret filming and hunger strike===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;youtube size=&amp;quot;medium&amp;quot; align=&amp;quot;right&amp;quot; caption=&amp;quot;Inside Harmondsworth: 'I don't want to die in here', Channel 4 News &amp;quot;&amp;gt;0W3pV9YcdIE&amp;lt;/youtube&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
In March, Corporate Watch and Channel 4 News released secret filming showing conditions inside Harmondsworth.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://corporatewatch.org/news/2015/mar/04/harmondsworth-immigration-detention-centre-secret-filming-mitie 'It's gonna break': life in UK's biggest detention centre], Corporate Watch, 4 March 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The videos revealed:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Home Office staff admitting that conditions in Harmondsworth are “shit”, and that detainees are not allowed cameras to photograph inside the centre because the government “don't want the bad publicity that would entail”.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* A guard saying that the new Mitie management has “fucked this place up”, making staff work more shifts and get less rest. “It's just gonna break. There's only so much people can take”, the guard warns.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Paul Morrison]], Mitie's most senior manager at Harmondsworth, telling detainees that they will be locked inside their cells for two hours longer at night as part of the company's new contract.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Detainees living in unhygienic conditions with pigeons flying around inside, overflowing drains, rotting food in the kitchen and bed bugs in their cells.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* A detainee suffering injuries from what appear to be epileptic fits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Mitie guards selling counterfeit clothes to detainees that had been confiscated at customs by the UK Border Force.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Days after the footage was broadcast, detainees at Harmondsworth occupied a courtyard and went on hunger strike.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.channel4.com/news/harmondsworth-immigration-detention-centre-hunger-strike Harmondsworth detainees launch hunger strike],Channel 4 News, 9 March 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The protests spread to other detention centres across the UK.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Harmondsworth_IRC&amp;diff=228419</id>
		<title>Harmondsworth IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Harmondsworth_IRC&amp;diff=228419"/>
		<updated>2015-12-01T12:35:06Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: /* 2009-2014 Geo Group */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Harmondsworth IRC]] is an immigration removal centre. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Introduction==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Harmondsworth opened in 1970 as a small detention facility near Heathrow airport. Over the years it has expanded and become the largest detention site in Europe. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It was initially run by [[Securicor]]. In 1988 [[Group 4]] took over the management of Harmondsworth. The centre was run by [[Burns International]] from 1999 to 2001, before [[Sodexho]] subsidiary [[UK Detention Services]] (UKDS) started an eight year contract worth £180m in 2001. (In 2006 UKDS was rebranded as [[Kalyx]]). The [[Geo Group UK]] ran Harmondsworth from June 2009 until September 2014 when it was taken over by [[Mitie Care and Custody]] and 'merged' with [[Colnbrook IRC]] to form what is sometimes called [[Heathrow IRC]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==List of centre managers==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Joanne Henney]] from June 2009 to November 2012&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Alan Hunt]] from December 2012 to December 2013&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Paul Morrison]] from September 2014&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1970-1987 Securicor==&lt;br /&gt;
[[Securicor]] ran Harmondsworth after it opened. In 1978, parliament was told that &amp;quot;Discipline is kept to the minimum necessary to ensure the safe custody of detainees and the trouble-free running of the centres. Detainees are informed of the facilities available for telephone calls, meals and medical care. Securicor staff are required to comply with any lawful instructions given by an immigration officer or the Home Office and are told that they must treat detainees with humanity, kindness, courtesy and sympathetic understanding. Securicor is responsible, under contract, to the Home Office for the performance of its duties in connection with Immigration Act detainees.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1978/mar/16/detention-centres-harmondsworth-and Hansard], HC Deb 16 March 1978 vol 946 cc292-3W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1987, immigration minister David Waddington told Parliament that: &amp;quot;The estimated daily cost of detaining a person in immigration service detention centres, including Harmondsworth, is £115. This figure includes transport, escort and running costs, and the cost of employing staff from Securicor Ltd. The cost per day of detaining a person held under the Immigration Act 1971 in a prison department establishment, though not entirely comparable, is estimated at £34.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1987/mar/30/harmondsworth-detention-centre Hansard], HC Deb 30 March 1987 vol 113 cc344-5W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1988-1998 Group 4==&lt;br /&gt;
By 1988, [[Group 4]] had taken over the running of Harmondsworth from Securicor. (These companies would later merge to form [[G4S]]). &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1988, an MP asked &amp;quot;the Secretary of State for the Home Department:&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;quot;(1) what experience the company Group 4 had demonstrated in running a secure holding centre or prisons prior to being offered the contract for Harmondsworth holding centre;&lt;br /&gt;
*(2) what procedure is followed to vet the staff of private security firms who work at Harmondsworth holding centre; and how these (a) were applied to Securicor employees and (b) will be applied to Group 4 employees;&lt;br /&gt;
*(3) what measures will be taken to ensure that a smooth changeover of management will be secured at Harmondsworth holding centre when Securicor hand over the running to Group 4;&lt;br /&gt;
*(4) what were his reasons for deciding (a) to terminate the contract between the Home Office and Securicor for the management and staffing of Harmondsworth holding centre and (b) to award the contract to Group 4;&lt;br /&gt;
*(5) how many of those held at Harmondsworth holding centre have escaped in the time that it has been under the management of Securicor.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The immigration minister Tim Renton replied that:&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The contract for the provision of Group 4 staff at the Harmondsworth, Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester immigration detention units was awarded to the company following receipt of competitive tenders. The decision took account of a number of factors, including value for money and a detailed evaluation of the company's ability to provide the high quality of service specified.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The nature of the contract is unique in the United Kingdom and only Securicor Ltd. has so far had direct experience in this area. But Group 4 is a company of high standing. The tendering exercise enabled it to demonstrate satisfactorily its ability to provide a reliable service. Both Securicor Ltd. and Group 4 Total Security Ltd are members of the British Security Industry Association which lays down rigorous recruitment and vetting standards. Both companies fully meet those standards, including the vetting of candidates over a period extending back 20 years.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A series of meetings has been arranged between immigration service officials and senior managers within both Securicor and Group 4 to ensure a smooth transition. These discussions and detailed arrangements are progressing well. Responsibility for managing the detention units will not alter as a result of the change in contractor; that will remain firmly with the Home Office.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1987, 78 persons absconded from immigration service detention units; in 1988 up to 31 October the figure is 75. Figures for earlier years are not readily available. These details were not included in the factors taken into account when awarding the contract of Group 4.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1988/nov/11/group-4-holding-centre-contract Hansard],HC Deb 11 November 1988 vol 140 cc337-8W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===1989 death of Siho Iyugiven===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 5 October 1989, Siho Iyugiven, &amp;quot;a 27-year-old Kurdish refugee burned to death after barricading himself in his cell at Harmondsworth. His asylum claim had failed and he was facing deportation. He and his cellmate went on hunger strike, barricaded themselves in and set bedding alight as a protest. Smoke detectors were not working, few fire extinguishers worked and there were no sprinklers. An inquest recorded a misadventure verdict&amp;quot;, according to the Institute of Race Relations.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===1990 death of Kimpua Nsimba===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 15 June 1990, Kimpua Nsimba, &amp;quot;a 24-year-old Zairean man was found hanged in Harmondsworth, where he was detained because the Home Office could not find an interpreter. No one had spoken to him since his arrival over four days earlier. An inquest recorded a suicide verdict.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1999-2001 Burns International==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Burns International]] ran Harmondsworth from November 1999 to 2001.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2000 death of Robertas Grabys===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 4 January 2000, Robertas Grabys, &amp;quot;a 49-year-old Lithuanian was was found hanged in Harmondsworth on the day he was due to be deported. A report on his death criticised the company that was in charge of Harmondsworth at the time (Burns International). An internal Home Office inquiry found that the company did not have a formal policy to prevent suicides and that there was insufficient care. (His body was not found for over one hour as guards did not check the room, although he was known to suffer from a depressive illness.) An inquest recorded an open verdict.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2001-2006 UK Detention Services==&lt;br /&gt;
Sodexho-subsidiary UKDS started running Harmondsworth in 2001. It held 550 people, including children as young as 4 years old.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2001 detainee work scheme proposed===&lt;br /&gt;
It was alleged at the time of commencing the contract that Sodexho planned for asylum-seekers at Harmondsworth to work for almost nothing so that the company could cut its operating costs. A Home Office document obtained by the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, showed that the Government intended to suspend the minimum wage at Harmondsworth so that Sodexho could pay asylum seekers £12 a week, which works out at 34p an hour (92% below the minimum wage) to do the work of painters, cleaners and caterers. If they refused work but complied with an 'agreed activity programme', they would be paid £6. If they refused to cooperate at all, they would be given £4 for cleaning their rooms.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Asylum industry cashes in on vouchers and dispersals, Martin Bright &amp;amp; Conal Walsh, 2/9/01. The Observer viewed 25/08/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The scheme did not proceed at that time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2002 escape===&lt;br /&gt;
On February 22, 2002, The London Times reported that nine detainees escaped from Harmondsworth, breaking a window, scaling a 15’ fence and using towels to get over the razor wire surrounding the facility.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;The Times, 22/2/2002 www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-215410,00.html viewed 18/12/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2003 inspection and death of Olga Blaskevica===&lt;br /&gt;
In a report that came out in March 2003, the prisons inspectorate expressed “deep concern” about detainees with mental health problems being held at Harmondsworth.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Annual Inspectors Report, March 2003, p12. www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/imbharmondsworthb2002.pdf viewed 25/08/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 7 May 2003, Olga Blaskevica, &amp;quot;a 29-year-old Latvian woman was murdered in the family holding area at Harmondsworth by her mentally ill partner, hours before the pair were due to be deported. In June 2004, Olegs Pavlos denied murder but admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He was found to be suffering from paranoid schizophrenia.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An inspection of Harmondsworth made by the Chief Inspector of Prisons in September 2003 said that:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There were increasing levels of disorder, damage and escape attempts, with an average of seven assaults a week. In spite of an average of one self-harm incident a week, suicide, self-harm and anti-bullying procedures were not effectively managed. Nor was there sufficient mental health support for detainees held in the in-patient ward.” &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;“Harmondsworth – Unsafe Environment despite good work by staff”. Press Release by HM Inspectorate of Prisons. 29/09/03 Viewed at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/harmondsworthirc030929.html 30/09/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In conclusion, the report stated: “Harmondsworth, when we inspected it, did not meet three of our four tests for a healthy custodial environment.”&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2004 death of Sergey Baranyuk and uprising===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 19 July 2004, a 31-year-old Ukrainian asylum-seeker Sergey Baranyuk was found hanged in a shower room at Harmondsworth. According to the Institute of Race Relations, &amp;quot;Staff at the centre and immigration staff had very little contact with him in the two months that he was held in detention. He had been assigned to the fast-track system and detained with no information for over six weeks despite having agreed to voluntary return three days after submitting his asylum claim. The inquest jury recorded a verdict that he ‘took his own life’. The PPO [Prisons and Probation Ombudsman] described the circumstances of his death as ‘sad and shameful’.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; His death sparked a night of disturbances at the centre and all of the detainees were transferred out of the damaged centre.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/sergey-baranyuk-forgotten-at-harmondsworth/ Sergey Baranyuk forgotten at Harmondsworth], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2006-2009 Kalyx==&lt;br /&gt;
In October 2006, [[Sodexho]] changed the name of [[UK Detention Services]] to [[Kalyx]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2006 death of Bereket Yohannes, inspection, riot and fine===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 19 January 2006, Bereket Yohannes, &amp;quot;a 26-year-old Eritrean was found hanged in a shower block at Harmondsworth (run by UK Detention Services – UKDS). According to other detainees at the centre, he was fearful of deportation to Italy and found conditions at Harmondsworth ‘unbearable’. An inquest in March 2007 was told how he had previously tried to take his own life while he was held at Dover immigration removal centre a month prior to his death. The inquest jury found that he took his own life.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November 2006, a major riot took place at Harmondsworth, after the chief inspector of prisons issued her &amp;quot;poorest ever&amp;quot; report on a detention centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2006, Kalyx was fined £5,096,000 by the Home Office for performance failures.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Neither Kalyx nor the Home Office would be drawn on why the company has had to pay such a sizeable sum. But [Home Office minister Baroness] Scotland suggested it was at least partly to do with the company's failure to manage the centre properly.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She told the Lords that 'rigorous attempts to manage the situation in Harmondsworth' had now been put in place. 'That was the basis of the concerns expressed and of the disagreement... between management,' Scotland said.&lt;br /&gt;
...&lt;br /&gt;
A Home Office spokeswoman confirmed Kalyx would soon be paying out. 'The Immigration and Nationality Directorate has been in dispute with HDSL (a subsidiary of Kalyx) over its contractual performance at Harmondsworth,' the spokeswoman said. 'The dispute reached mediation point in summer 2006 and reached an agreed settlement; the details of this are being finalised by lawyers with full completion anticipated by the end of this month.'&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.theguardian.com/society/2006/dec/10/immigrationandasylum.immigrationasylumandrefugees Asylum riot firm hit by £5m penalty],  Jamie Doward and Martha Alexander, Observer, 10 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2009-2014 Geo Group==&lt;br /&gt;
The [[Geo Group UK]] ran Harmondsworth from 2009 to 2014, in which time they expanded the size of the centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2011 deaths of three men shortly after leaving Harmondsworth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 2 July 2011, Muhammad Shukat, &amp;quot;a 47-year-old Pakistani man died after suffering a heart attack in Colnbrook (run by Serco). In May 2012, an inquest jury recorded a highly critical verdict that found that neglect contributed to his death. According to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) report into his death, he was transferred from Brook House (near Gatwick) to Harmondsworth on 26 May. He was held at Harmondsworth for nearly a month, during which time he withdrew his claim for asylum and asked for assisted voluntary return. He was moved to Colnbrook on 29 June (at 1am) and died just a few days later. While he was held at Harmondsworth he made a complaint about the healthcare at the centre that was not followed up, staff at the healthcare unit also failed to obtain his medical records despite his written authorisation. These records ‘could have provided significant information that could have assisted healthcare staff [at Colnbrook] on the morning he died.’ The PPO made a number of recommendations following his investigation into Muhammad Shukat’s care at Harmondsworth, in relation to healthcare and the complaints process at Harmondsworth&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 31 July 2011, Brian Dalrymple, &amp;quot;a 31-year-old American man with significant health problems died in Colnbrook (run by Serco) a few days after being moved from Harmondsworth (which is next door to Colnbrook). In July 2014, and inquest jury recorded a verdict that Bran died of natural causes contributed to by neglect.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The jury found that, “throughout Mr Dalrymple’s detention at Harmondsworth medical record keeping was shambolic” and said neglect contributed to his death. Geo made a “significant” settlement to the Dalrymple family.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://corporatewatch.org/company-profiles/inquests GEO Group inquests], Corporate Watch&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 6 December 2011, an unnamed homeless French man died in hospital after release from Harmondsworth. He died &amp;quot;after coughing up massive amounts of blood – as the result of a tuberculosis (TB) infection ... The PPO [Prisons and Probation Ombudsman] had concerns over the use of restraint when the man was admitted to hospital for the second time and that attempts were not made to assess the risk he posed or consideration of infection to staff. The report is critical of the UKBA and Harmondsworth staff (GEO Group Inc) for failing to find and inform the man’s family – this was left to French judicial authorities, although the man had given Harmondsworth staff contact details for his parents in France, and they were also contained in his passport, which was in the possession of the UKBA. Neither organisation showed any support for the family or made any effort to return the body or tell the family about financial assistance for that.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/insti tutional-indifference-in-life-and-death/ Institutional indifference in life and death], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 13 October 2013&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2012 deaths of two men===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 30 October 2012, Prince Kwabena Fosu, &amp;quot;a 31-year-old Ghanaian detainee was found dead at Harmondsworth (run by the GEO Group Ltd). Other people detained at the centre issued a statement following the death that made a number of serious allegations about what happened to Prince Ofosu and about the poor treatment of others at the centre. They alleged that guards at the centre restrained Prince while in the ‘block’ (segregation unit) and that he had been held naked in his unheated cell.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 17 November 2012, Mr Chowdhury &amp;quot;died in hospital having been there for several days. He was placed in intensive care during the evening of 16 November and was only at that point released from detention at Harmondsworth. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) decided not to investigate this death because of ‘insufficient staff resources’.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The Home Office Professional Standards Unit investigated and produced an internal report, which HMIP described as &amp;quot;critical&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2013 death of Alois Dvorzak===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 10 February 2013, Alois Dvorzak, &amp;quot;an 84-year-old Canadian man (of Slovenian descent) suffering from Alzheimer’s died in hospital after becoming ill at Harmondsworth (run by the GEO Group Ltd). He was said to have been ‘extremely distressed’ before being rushed to hospital after suffering a suspected heart attack.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; He died shackled to a Geo security guard by a six foot chain. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman said that Dvorzak's death was “a tragic indictment of the system”, which “is likely to have reached the threshold of inhuman and degrading treatment.” The Ombudsman said that the privatised character of the immigration detention system might have led to the excessive use of handcuffs. Multiple doctors had warned that Dvorzak was not fit to be in detention.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://corporatewatch.org/company-profiles/alois-dvorzak-inquest-day-nine Alois Dvorzak inquest day nine], Corporate Watch&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2014 inspection===&lt;br /&gt;
In January the chief inspector of prisons, Nick Hardwick, published a critical report of Harmondsworth. He referred to the deaths of Mr Dvorzak and Mr Chowdhury as &amp;quot;shocking cases where a sense of humanity was lost&amp;quot;. Hardwick said: &amp;quot;These were truly shocking cases, and they weren't isolated, and they reflected a culture where too often the individual human needs of the people who were being held were simply being forgotten. And in the worst case, this frail, elderly Canadian gentleman with dementia died in the most undignified and disgraceful circumstances possible.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-25749685 Immigration detainee 'died in handcuffs'], BBC, 20 January 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The report said Harmondsworth felt in &amp;quot;a state of drift&amp;quot;, with doubts about its future management.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The centre did not seem to be progressing and some services were being poorly managed,&amp;quot; he said. &amp;quot;Most importantly, there needed to be a refocusing on individual needs of the most vulnerable people in detention, some of whom had been utterly failed by the system.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2014 Mitie==&lt;br /&gt;
In September 2014 [[Mitie Care and Custody]] took over running Harmondsworth. Most of the company's senior management had worked for the [[Geo Group UK]] previously.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2015 secret filming===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;youtube size=&amp;quot;medium&amp;quot; align=&amp;quot;right&amp;quot; caption=&amp;quot;Inside Harmondsworth: 'I don't want to die in here', Channel 4 News &amp;quot;&amp;gt;0W3pV9YcdIE&amp;lt;/youtube&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
In March, Corporate Watch and Channel 4 News released secret filming showing conditions inside Harmondsworth.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://corporatewatch.org/news/2015/mar/04/harmondsworth-immigration-detention-centre-secret-filming-mitie 'It's gonna break': life in UK's biggest detention centre], Corporate Watch, 4 March 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The videos revealed:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Home Office staff admitting that conditions in Harmondsworth are “shit”, and that detainees are not allowed cameras to photograph inside the centre because the government “don't want the bad publicity that would entail”.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* A guard saying that the new Mitie management has “fucked this place up”, making staff work more shifts and get less rest. “It's just gonna break. There's only so much people can take”, the guard warns.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Paul Morrison]], Mitie's most senior manager at Harmondsworth, telling detainees that they will be locked inside their cells for two hours longer at night as part of the company's new contract.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Detainees living in unhygienic conditions with pigeons flying around inside, overflowing drains, rotting food in the kitchen and bed bugs in their cells.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* A detainee suffering injuries from what appear to be epileptic fits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Mitie guards selling counterfeit clothes to detainees that had been confiscated at customs by the UK Border Force.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Harmondsworth_IRC&amp;diff=228418</id>
		<title>Harmondsworth IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Harmondsworth_IRC&amp;diff=228418"/>
		<updated>2015-12-01T12:34:41Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: /* 2014 Mitie */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Harmondsworth IRC]] is an immigration removal centre. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Introduction==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Harmondsworth opened in 1970 as a small detention facility near Heathrow airport. Over the years it has expanded and become the largest detention site in Europe. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It was initially run by [[Securicor]]. In 1988 [[Group 4]] took over the management of Harmondsworth. The centre was run by [[Burns International]] from 1999 to 2001, before [[Sodexho]] subsidiary [[UK Detention Services]] (UKDS) started an eight year contract worth £180m in 2001. (In 2006 UKDS was rebranded as [[Kalyx]]). The [[Geo Group UK]] ran Harmondsworth from June 2009 until September 2014 when it was taken over by [[Mitie Care and Custody]] and 'merged' with [[Colnbrook IRC]] to form what is sometimes called [[Heathrow IRC]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==List of centre managers==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Joanne Henney]] from June 2009 to November 2012&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Alan Hunt]] from December 2012 to December 2013&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Paul Morrison]] from September 2014&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1970-1987 Securicor==&lt;br /&gt;
[[Securicor]] ran Harmondsworth after it opened. In 1978, parliament was told that &amp;quot;Discipline is kept to the minimum necessary to ensure the safe custody of detainees and the trouble-free running of the centres. Detainees are informed of the facilities available for telephone calls, meals and medical care. Securicor staff are required to comply with any lawful instructions given by an immigration officer or the Home Office and are told that they must treat detainees with humanity, kindness, courtesy and sympathetic understanding. Securicor is responsible, under contract, to the Home Office for the performance of its duties in connection with Immigration Act detainees.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1978/mar/16/detention-centres-harmondsworth-and Hansard], HC Deb 16 March 1978 vol 946 cc292-3W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1987, immigration minister David Waddington told Parliament that: &amp;quot;The estimated daily cost of detaining a person in immigration service detention centres, including Harmondsworth, is £115. This figure includes transport, escort and running costs, and the cost of employing staff from Securicor Ltd. The cost per day of detaining a person held under the Immigration Act 1971 in a prison department establishment, though not entirely comparable, is estimated at £34.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1987/mar/30/harmondsworth-detention-centre Hansard], HC Deb 30 March 1987 vol 113 cc344-5W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1988-1998 Group 4==&lt;br /&gt;
By 1988, [[Group 4]] had taken over the running of Harmondsworth from Securicor. (These companies would later merge to form [[G4S]]). &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1988, an MP asked &amp;quot;the Secretary of State for the Home Department:&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;quot;(1) what experience the company Group 4 had demonstrated in running a secure holding centre or prisons prior to being offered the contract for Harmondsworth holding centre;&lt;br /&gt;
*(2) what procedure is followed to vet the staff of private security firms who work at Harmondsworth holding centre; and how these (a) were applied to Securicor employees and (b) will be applied to Group 4 employees;&lt;br /&gt;
*(3) what measures will be taken to ensure that a smooth changeover of management will be secured at Harmondsworth holding centre when Securicor hand over the running to Group 4;&lt;br /&gt;
*(4) what were his reasons for deciding (a) to terminate the contract between the Home Office and Securicor for the management and staffing of Harmondsworth holding centre and (b) to award the contract to Group 4;&lt;br /&gt;
*(5) how many of those held at Harmondsworth holding centre have escaped in the time that it has been under the management of Securicor.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The immigration minister Tim Renton replied that:&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The contract for the provision of Group 4 staff at the Harmondsworth, Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester immigration detention units was awarded to the company following receipt of competitive tenders. The decision took account of a number of factors, including value for money and a detailed evaluation of the company's ability to provide the high quality of service specified.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The nature of the contract is unique in the United Kingdom and only Securicor Ltd. has so far had direct experience in this area. But Group 4 is a company of high standing. The tendering exercise enabled it to demonstrate satisfactorily its ability to provide a reliable service. Both Securicor Ltd. and Group 4 Total Security Ltd are members of the British Security Industry Association which lays down rigorous recruitment and vetting standards. Both companies fully meet those standards, including the vetting of candidates over a period extending back 20 years.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A series of meetings has been arranged between immigration service officials and senior managers within both Securicor and Group 4 to ensure a smooth transition. These discussions and detailed arrangements are progressing well. Responsibility for managing the detention units will not alter as a result of the change in contractor; that will remain firmly with the Home Office.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1987, 78 persons absconded from immigration service detention units; in 1988 up to 31 October the figure is 75. Figures for earlier years are not readily available. These details were not included in the factors taken into account when awarding the contract of Group 4.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1988/nov/11/group-4-holding-centre-contract Hansard],HC Deb 11 November 1988 vol 140 cc337-8W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===1989 death of Siho Iyugiven===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 5 October 1989, Siho Iyugiven, &amp;quot;a 27-year-old Kurdish refugee burned to death after barricading himself in his cell at Harmondsworth. His asylum claim had failed and he was facing deportation. He and his cellmate went on hunger strike, barricaded themselves in and set bedding alight as a protest. Smoke detectors were not working, few fire extinguishers worked and there were no sprinklers. An inquest recorded a misadventure verdict&amp;quot;, according to the Institute of Race Relations.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===1990 death of Kimpua Nsimba===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 15 June 1990, Kimpua Nsimba, &amp;quot;a 24-year-old Zairean man was found hanged in Harmondsworth, where he was detained because the Home Office could not find an interpreter. No one had spoken to him since his arrival over four days earlier. An inquest recorded a suicide verdict.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1999-2001 Burns International==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Burns International]] ran Harmondsworth from November 1999 to 2001.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2000 death of Robertas Grabys===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 4 January 2000, Robertas Grabys, &amp;quot;a 49-year-old Lithuanian was was found hanged in Harmondsworth on the day he was due to be deported. A report on his death criticised the company that was in charge of Harmondsworth at the time (Burns International). An internal Home Office inquiry found that the company did not have a formal policy to prevent suicides and that there was insufficient care. (His body was not found for over one hour as guards did not check the room, although he was known to suffer from a depressive illness.) An inquest recorded an open verdict.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2001-2006 UK Detention Services==&lt;br /&gt;
Sodexho-subsidiary UKDS started running Harmondsworth in 2001. It held 550 people, including children as young as 4 years old.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2001 detainee work scheme proposed===&lt;br /&gt;
It was alleged at the time of commencing the contract that Sodexho planned for asylum-seekers at Harmondsworth to work for almost nothing so that the company could cut its operating costs. A Home Office document obtained by the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, showed that the Government intended to suspend the minimum wage at Harmondsworth so that Sodexho could pay asylum seekers £12 a week, which works out at 34p an hour (92% below the minimum wage) to do the work of painters, cleaners and caterers. If they refused work but complied with an 'agreed activity programme', they would be paid £6. If they refused to cooperate at all, they would be given £4 for cleaning their rooms.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Asylum industry cashes in on vouchers and dispersals, Martin Bright &amp;amp; Conal Walsh, 2/9/01. The Observer viewed 25/08/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The scheme did not proceed at that time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2002 escape===&lt;br /&gt;
On February 22, 2002, The London Times reported that nine detainees escaped from Harmondsworth, breaking a window, scaling a 15’ fence and using towels to get over the razor wire surrounding the facility.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;The Times, 22/2/2002 www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-215410,00.html viewed 18/12/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2003 inspection and death of Olga Blaskevica===&lt;br /&gt;
In a report that came out in March 2003, the prisons inspectorate expressed “deep concern” about detainees with mental health problems being held at Harmondsworth.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Annual Inspectors Report, March 2003, p12. www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/imbharmondsworthb2002.pdf viewed 25/08/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 7 May 2003, Olga Blaskevica, &amp;quot;a 29-year-old Latvian woman was murdered in the family holding area at Harmondsworth by her mentally ill partner, hours before the pair were due to be deported. In June 2004, Olegs Pavlos denied murder but admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He was found to be suffering from paranoid schizophrenia.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An inspection of Harmondsworth made by the Chief Inspector of Prisons in September 2003 said that:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There were increasing levels of disorder, damage and escape attempts, with an average of seven assaults a week. In spite of an average of one self-harm incident a week, suicide, self-harm and anti-bullying procedures were not effectively managed. Nor was there sufficient mental health support for detainees held in the in-patient ward.” &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;“Harmondsworth – Unsafe Environment despite good work by staff”. Press Release by HM Inspectorate of Prisons. 29/09/03 Viewed at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/harmondsworthirc030929.html 30/09/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In conclusion, the report stated: “Harmondsworth, when we inspected it, did not meet three of our four tests for a healthy custodial environment.”&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2004 death of Sergey Baranyuk and uprising===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 19 July 2004, a 31-year-old Ukrainian asylum-seeker Sergey Baranyuk was found hanged in a shower room at Harmondsworth. According to the Institute of Race Relations, &amp;quot;Staff at the centre and immigration staff had very little contact with him in the two months that he was held in detention. He had been assigned to the fast-track system and detained with no information for over six weeks despite having agreed to voluntary return three days after submitting his asylum claim. The inquest jury recorded a verdict that he ‘took his own life’. The PPO [Prisons and Probation Ombudsman] described the circumstances of his death as ‘sad and shameful’.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; His death sparked a night of disturbances at the centre and all of the detainees were transferred out of the damaged centre.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/sergey-baranyuk-forgotten-at-harmondsworth/ Sergey Baranyuk forgotten at Harmondsworth], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2006-2009 Kalyx==&lt;br /&gt;
In October 2006, [[Sodexho]] changed the name of [[UK Detention Services]] to [[Kalyx]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2006 death of Bereket Yohannes, inspection, riot and fine===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 19 January 2006, Bereket Yohannes, &amp;quot;a 26-year-old Eritrean was found hanged in a shower block at Harmondsworth (run by UK Detention Services – UKDS). According to other detainees at the centre, he was fearful of deportation to Italy and found conditions at Harmondsworth ‘unbearable’. An inquest in March 2007 was told how he had previously tried to take his own life while he was held at Dover immigration removal centre a month prior to his death. The inquest jury found that he took his own life.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November 2006, a major riot took place at Harmondsworth, after the chief inspector of prisons issued her &amp;quot;poorest ever&amp;quot; report on a detention centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2006, Kalyx was fined £5,096,000 by the Home Office for performance failures.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Neither Kalyx nor the Home Office would be drawn on why the company has had to pay such a sizeable sum. But [Home Office minister Baroness] Scotland suggested it was at least partly to do with the company's failure to manage the centre properly.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She told the Lords that 'rigorous attempts to manage the situation in Harmondsworth' had now been put in place. 'That was the basis of the concerns expressed and of the disagreement... between management,' Scotland said.&lt;br /&gt;
...&lt;br /&gt;
A Home Office spokeswoman confirmed Kalyx would soon be paying out. 'The Immigration and Nationality Directorate has been in dispute with HDSL (a subsidiary of Kalyx) over its contractual performance at Harmondsworth,' the spokeswoman said. 'The dispute reached mediation point in summer 2006 and reached an agreed settlement; the details of this are being finalised by lawyers with full completion anticipated by the end of this month.'&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.theguardian.com/society/2006/dec/10/immigrationandasylum.immigrationasylumandrefugees Asylum riot firm hit by £5m penalty],  Jamie Doward and Martha Alexander, Observer, 10 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2009-2014 Geo Group==&lt;br /&gt;
The [[Geo Group]] ran Harmondsworth from 2009 to 2014, in which time they expanded the size of the centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2011 deaths of three men shortly after leaving Harmondsworth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 2 July 2011, Muhammad Shukat, &amp;quot;a 47-year-old Pakistani man died after suffering a heart attack in Colnbrook (run by Serco). In May 2012, an inquest jury recorded a highly critical verdict that found that neglect contributed to his death. According to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) report into his death, he was transferred from Brook House (near Gatwick) to Harmondsworth on 26 May. He was held at Harmondsworth for nearly a month, during which time he withdrew his claim for asylum and asked for assisted voluntary return. He was moved to Colnbrook on 29 June (at 1am) and died just a few days later. While he was held at Harmondsworth he made a complaint about the healthcare at the centre that was not followed up, staff at the healthcare unit also failed to obtain his medical records despite his written authorisation. These records ‘could have provided significant information that could have assisted healthcare staff [at Colnbrook] on the morning he died.’ The PPO made a number of recommendations following his investigation into Muhammad Shukat’s care at Harmondsworth, in relation to healthcare and the complaints process at Harmondsworth&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 31 July 2011, Brian Dalrymple, &amp;quot;a 31-year-old American man with significant health problems died in Colnbrook (run by Serco) a few days after being moved from Harmondsworth (which is next door to Colnbrook). In July 2014, and inquest jury recorded a verdict that Bran died of natural causes contributed to by neglect.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The jury found that, “throughout Mr Dalrymple’s detention at Harmondsworth medical record keeping was shambolic” and said neglect contributed to his death. Geo made a “significant” settlement to the Dalrymple family.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://corporatewatch.org/company-profiles/inquests GEO Group inquests], Corporate Watch&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 6 December 2011, an unnamed homeless French man died in hospital after release from Harmondsworth. He died &amp;quot;after coughing up massive amounts of blood – as the result of a tuberculosis (TB) infection ... The PPO [Prisons and Probation Ombudsman] had concerns over the use of restraint when the man was admitted to hospital for the second time and that attempts were not made to assess the risk he posed or consideration of infection to staff. The report is critical of the UKBA and Harmondsworth staff (GEO Group Inc) for failing to find and inform the man’s family – this was left to French judicial authorities, although the man had given Harmondsworth staff contact details for his parents in France, and they were also contained in his passport, which was in the possession of the UKBA. Neither organisation showed any support for the family or made any effort to return the body or tell the family about financial assistance for that.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/insti tutional-indifference-in-life-and-death/ Institutional indifference in life and death], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 13 October 2013&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2012 deaths of two men===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 30 October 2012, Prince Kwabena Fosu, &amp;quot;a 31-year-old Ghanaian detainee was found dead at Harmondsworth (run by the GEO Group Ltd). Other people detained at the centre issued a statement following the death that made a number of serious allegations about what happened to Prince Ofosu and about the poor treatment of others at the centre. They alleged that guards at the centre restrained Prince while in the ‘block’ (segregation unit) and that he had been held naked in his unheated cell.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 17 November 2012, Mr Chowdhury &amp;quot;died in hospital having been there for several days. He was placed in intensive care during the evening of 16 November and was only at that point released from detention at Harmondsworth. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) decided not to investigate this death because of ‘insufficient staff resources’.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The Home Office Professional Standards Unit investigated and produced an internal report, which HMIP described as &amp;quot;critical&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2013 death of Alois Dvorzak===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 10 February 2013, Alois Dvorzak, &amp;quot;an 84-year-old Canadian man (of Slovenian descent) suffering from Alzheimer’s died in hospital after becoming ill at Harmondsworth (run by the GEO Group Ltd). He was said to have been ‘extremely distressed’ before being rushed to hospital after suffering a suspected heart attack.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; He died shackled to a Geo security guard by a six foot chain. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman said that Dvorzak's death was “a tragic indictment of the system”, which “is likely to have reached the threshold of inhuman and degrading treatment.” The Ombudsman said that the privatised character of the immigration detention system might have led to the excessive use of handcuffs. Multiple doctors had warned that Dvorzak was not fit to be in detention.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://corporatewatch.org/company-profiles/alois-dvorzak-inquest-day-nine Alois Dvorzak inquest day nine], Corporate Watch&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2014 inspection===&lt;br /&gt;
In January the chief inspector of prisons, Nick Hardwick, published a critical report of Harmondsworth. He referred to the deaths of Mr Dvorzak and Mr Chowdhury as &amp;quot;shocking cases where a sense of humanity was lost&amp;quot;. Hardwick said: &amp;quot;These were truly shocking cases, and they weren't isolated, and they reflected a culture where too often the individual human needs of the people who were being held were simply being forgotten. And in the worst case, this frail, elderly Canadian gentleman with dementia died in the most undignified and disgraceful circumstances possible.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-25749685 Immigration detainee 'died in handcuffs'], BBC, 20 January 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The report said Harmondsworth felt in &amp;quot;a state of drift&amp;quot;, with doubts about its future management.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The centre did not seem to be progressing and some services were being poorly managed,&amp;quot; he said. &amp;quot;Most importantly, there needed to be a refocusing on individual needs of the most vulnerable people in detention, some of whom had been utterly failed by the system.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2014 Mitie==&lt;br /&gt;
In September 2014 [[Mitie Care and Custody]] took over running Harmondsworth. Most of the company's senior management had worked for the [[Geo Group UK]] previously.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2015 secret filming===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;youtube size=&amp;quot;medium&amp;quot; align=&amp;quot;right&amp;quot; caption=&amp;quot;Inside Harmondsworth: 'I don't want to die in here', Channel 4 News &amp;quot;&amp;gt;0W3pV9YcdIE&amp;lt;/youtube&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
In March, Corporate Watch and Channel 4 News released secret filming showing conditions inside Harmondsworth.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://corporatewatch.org/news/2015/mar/04/harmondsworth-immigration-detention-centre-secret-filming-mitie 'It's gonna break': life in UK's biggest detention centre], Corporate Watch, 4 March 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The videos revealed:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Home Office staff admitting that conditions in Harmondsworth are “shit”, and that detainees are not allowed cameras to photograph inside the centre because the government “don't want the bad publicity that would entail”.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* A guard saying that the new Mitie management has “fucked this place up”, making staff work more shifts and get less rest. “It's just gonna break. There's only so much people can take”, the guard warns.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Paul Morrison]], Mitie's most senior manager at Harmondsworth, telling detainees that they will be locked inside their cells for two hours longer at night as part of the company's new contract.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Detainees living in unhygienic conditions with pigeons flying around inside, overflowing drains, rotting food in the kitchen and bed bugs in their cells.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* A detainee suffering injuries from what appear to be epileptic fits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Mitie guards selling counterfeit clothes to detainees that had been confiscated at customs by the UK Border Force.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Harmondsworth_IRC&amp;diff=228417</id>
		<title>Harmondsworth IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Harmondsworth_IRC&amp;diff=228417"/>
		<updated>2015-12-01T12:33:44Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Harmondsworth IRC]] is an immigration removal centre. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Introduction==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Harmondsworth opened in 1970 as a small detention facility near Heathrow airport. Over the years it has expanded and become the largest detention site in Europe. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It was initially run by [[Securicor]]. In 1988 [[Group 4]] took over the management of Harmondsworth. The centre was run by [[Burns International]] from 1999 to 2001, before [[Sodexho]] subsidiary [[UK Detention Services]] (UKDS) started an eight year contract worth £180m in 2001. (In 2006 UKDS was rebranded as [[Kalyx]]). The [[Geo Group UK]] ran Harmondsworth from June 2009 until September 2014 when it was taken over by [[Mitie Care and Custody]] and 'merged' with [[Colnbrook IRC]] to form what is sometimes called [[Heathrow IRC]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==List of centre managers==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Joanne Henney]] from June 2009 to November 2012&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Alan Hunt]] from December 2012 to December 2013&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Paul Morrison]] from September 2014&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1970-1987 Securicor==&lt;br /&gt;
[[Securicor]] ran Harmondsworth after it opened. In 1978, parliament was told that &amp;quot;Discipline is kept to the minimum necessary to ensure the safe custody of detainees and the trouble-free running of the centres. Detainees are informed of the facilities available for telephone calls, meals and medical care. Securicor staff are required to comply with any lawful instructions given by an immigration officer or the Home Office and are told that they must treat detainees with humanity, kindness, courtesy and sympathetic understanding. Securicor is responsible, under contract, to the Home Office for the performance of its duties in connection with Immigration Act detainees.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1978/mar/16/detention-centres-harmondsworth-and Hansard], HC Deb 16 March 1978 vol 946 cc292-3W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1987, immigration minister David Waddington told Parliament that: &amp;quot;The estimated daily cost of detaining a person in immigration service detention centres, including Harmondsworth, is £115. This figure includes transport, escort and running costs, and the cost of employing staff from Securicor Ltd. The cost per day of detaining a person held under the Immigration Act 1971 in a prison department establishment, though not entirely comparable, is estimated at £34.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1987/mar/30/harmondsworth-detention-centre Hansard], HC Deb 30 March 1987 vol 113 cc344-5W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1988-1998 Group 4==&lt;br /&gt;
By 1988, [[Group 4]] had taken over the running of Harmondsworth from Securicor. (These companies would later merge to form [[G4S]]). &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1988, an MP asked &amp;quot;the Secretary of State for the Home Department:&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;quot;(1) what experience the company Group 4 had demonstrated in running a secure holding centre or prisons prior to being offered the contract for Harmondsworth holding centre;&lt;br /&gt;
*(2) what procedure is followed to vet the staff of private security firms who work at Harmondsworth holding centre; and how these (a) were applied to Securicor employees and (b) will be applied to Group 4 employees;&lt;br /&gt;
*(3) what measures will be taken to ensure that a smooth changeover of management will be secured at Harmondsworth holding centre when Securicor hand over the running to Group 4;&lt;br /&gt;
*(4) what were his reasons for deciding (a) to terminate the contract between the Home Office and Securicor for the management and staffing of Harmondsworth holding centre and (b) to award the contract to Group 4;&lt;br /&gt;
*(5) how many of those held at Harmondsworth holding centre have escaped in the time that it has been under the management of Securicor.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The immigration minister Tim Renton replied that:&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The contract for the provision of Group 4 staff at the Harmondsworth, Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester immigration detention units was awarded to the company following receipt of competitive tenders. The decision took account of a number of factors, including value for money and a detailed evaluation of the company's ability to provide the high quality of service specified.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The nature of the contract is unique in the United Kingdom and only Securicor Ltd. has so far had direct experience in this area. But Group 4 is a company of high standing. The tendering exercise enabled it to demonstrate satisfactorily its ability to provide a reliable service. Both Securicor Ltd. and Group 4 Total Security Ltd are members of the British Security Industry Association which lays down rigorous recruitment and vetting standards. Both companies fully meet those standards, including the vetting of candidates over a period extending back 20 years.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A series of meetings has been arranged between immigration service officials and senior managers within both Securicor and Group 4 to ensure a smooth transition. These discussions and detailed arrangements are progressing well. Responsibility for managing the detention units will not alter as a result of the change in contractor; that will remain firmly with the Home Office.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1987, 78 persons absconded from immigration service detention units; in 1988 up to 31 October the figure is 75. Figures for earlier years are not readily available. These details were not included in the factors taken into account when awarding the contract of Group 4.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1988/nov/11/group-4-holding-centre-contract Hansard],HC Deb 11 November 1988 vol 140 cc337-8W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===1989 death of Siho Iyugiven===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 5 October 1989, Siho Iyugiven, &amp;quot;a 27-year-old Kurdish refugee burned to death after barricading himself in his cell at Harmondsworth. His asylum claim had failed and he was facing deportation. He and his cellmate went on hunger strike, barricaded themselves in and set bedding alight as a protest. Smoke detectors were not working, few fire extinguishers worked and there were no sprinklers. An inquest recorded a misadventure verdict&amp;quot;, according to the Institute of Race Relations.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===1990 death of Kimpua Nsimba===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 15 June 1990, Kimpua Nsimba, &amp;quot;a 24-year-old Zairean man was found hanged in Harmondsworth, where he was detained because the Home Office could not find an interpreter. No one had spoken to him since his arrival over four days earlier. An inquest recorded a suicide verdict.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1999-2001 Burns International==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Burns International]] ran Harmondsworth from November 1999 to 2001.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2000 death of Robertas Grabys===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 4 January 2000, Robertas Grabys, &amp;quot;a 49-year-old Lithuanian was was found hanged in Harmondsworth on the day he was due to be deported. A report on his death criticised the company that was in charge of Harmondsworth at the time (Burns International). An internal Home Office inquiry found that the company did not have a formal policy to prevent suicides and that there was insufficient care. (His body was not found for over one hour as guards did not check the room, although he was known to suffer from a depressive illness.) An inquest recorded an open verdict.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2001-2006 UK Detention Services==&lt;br /&gt;
Sodexho-subsidiary UKDS started running Harmondsworth in 2001. It held 550 people, including children as young as 4 years old.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2001 detainee work scheme proposed===&lt;br /&gt;
It was alleged at the time of commencing the contract that Sodexho planned for asylum-seekers at Harmondsworth to work for almost nothing so that the company could cut its operating costs. A Home Office document obtained by the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, showed that the Government intended to suspend the minimum wage at Harmondsworth so that Sodexho could pay asylum seekers £12 a week, which works out at 34p an hour (92% below the minimum wage) to do the work of painters, cleaners and caterers. If they refused work but complied with an 'agreed activity programme', they would be paid £6. If they refused to cooperate at all, they would be given £4 for cleaning their rooms.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Asylum industry cashes in on vouchers and dispersals, Martin Bright &amp;amp; Conal Walsh, 2/9/01. The Observer viewed 25/08/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The scheme did not proceed at that time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2002 escape===&lt;br /&gt;
On February 22, 2002, The London Times reported that nine detainees escaped from Harmondsworth, breaking a window, scaling a 15’ fence and using towels to get over the razor wire surrounding the facility.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;The Times, 22/2/2002 www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-215410,00.html viewed 18/12/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2003 inspection and death of Olga Blaskevica===&lt;br /&gt;
In a report that came out in March 2003, the prisons inspectorate expressed “deep concern” about detainees with mental health problems being held at Harmondsworth.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Annual Inspectors Report, March 2003, p12. www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/imbharmondsworthb2002.pdf viewed 25/08/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 7 May 2003, Olga Blaskevica, &amp;quot;a 29-year-old Latvian woman was murdered in the family holding area at Harmondsworth by her mentally ill partner, hours before the pair were due to be deported. In June 2004, Olegs Pavlos denied murder but admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He was found to be suffering from paranoid schizophrenia.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An inspection of Harmondsworth made by the Chief Inspector of Prisons in September 2003 said that:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There were increasing levels of disorder, damage and escape attempts, with an average of seven assaults a week. In spite of an average of one self-harm incident a week, suicide, self-harm and anti-bullying procedures were not effectively managed. Nor was there sufficient mental health support for detainees held in the in-patient ward.” &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;“Harmondsworth – Unsafe Environment despite good work by staff”. Press Release by HM Inspectorate of Prisons. 29/09/03 Viewed at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/harmondsworthirc030929.html 30/09/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In conclusion, the report stated: “Harmondsworth, when we inspected it, did not meet three of our four tests for a healthy custodial environment.”&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2004 death of Sergey Baranyuk and uprising===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 19 July 2004, a 31-year-old Ukrainian asylum-seeker Sergey Baranyuk was found hanged in a shower room at Harmondsworth. According to the Institute of Race Relations, &amp;quot;Staff at the centre and immigration staff had very little contact with him in the two months that he was held in detention. He had been assigned to the fast-track system and detained with no information for over six weeks despite having agreed to voluntary return three days after submitting his asylum claim. The inquest jury recorded a verdict that he ‘took his own life’. The PPO [Prisons and Probation Ombudsman] described the circumstances of his death as ‘sad and shameful’.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; His death sparked a night of disturbances at the centre and all of the detainees were transferred out of the damaged centre.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/sergey-baranyuk-forgotten-at-harmondsworth/ Sergey Baranyuk forgotten at Harmondsworth], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2006-2009 Kalyx==&lt;br /&gt;
In October 2006, [[Sodexho]] changed the name of [[UK Detention Services]] to [[Kalyx]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2006 death of Bereket Yohannes, inspection, riot and fine===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 19 January 2006, Bereket Yohannes, &amp;quot;a 26-year-old Eritrean was found hanged in a shower block at Harmondsworth (run by UK Detention Services – UKDS). According to other detainees at the centre, he was fearful of deportation to Italy and found conditions at Harmondsworth ‘unbearable’. An inquest in March 2007 was told how he had previously tried to take his own life while he was held at Dover immigration removal centre a month prior to his death. The inquest jury found that he took his own life.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November 2006, a major riot took place at Harmondsworth, after the chief inspector of prisons issued her &amp;quot;poorest ever&amp;quot; report on a detention centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2006, Kalyx was fined £5,096,000 by the Home Office for performance failures.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Neither Kalyx nor the Home Office would be drawn on why the company has had to pay such a sizeable sum. But [Home Office minister Baroness] Scotland suggested it was at least partly to do with the company's failure to manage the centre properly.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She told the Lords that 'rigorous attempts to manage the situation in Harmondsworth' had now been put in place. 'That was the basis of the concerns expressed and of the disagreement... between management,' Scotland said.&lt;br /&gt;
...&lt;br /&gt;
A Home Office spokeswoman confirmed Kalyx would soon be paying out. 'The Immigration and Nationality Directorate has been in dispute with HDSL (a subsidiary of Kalyx) over its contractual performance at Harmondsworth,' the spokeswoman said. 'The dispute reached mediation point in summer 2006 and reached an agreed settlement; the details of this are being finalised by lawyers with full completion anticipated by the end of this month.'&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.theguardian.com/society/2006/dec/10/immigrationandasylum.immigrationasylumandrefugees Asylum riot firm hit by £5m penalty],  Jamie Doward and Martha Alexander, Observer, 10 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2009-2014 Geo Group==&lt;br /&gt;
The [[Geo Group]] ran Harmondsworth from 2009 to 2014, in which time they expanded the size of the centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2011 deaths of three men shortly after leaving Harmondsworth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 2 July 2011, Muhammad Shukat, &amp;quot;a 47-year-old Pakistani man died after suffering a heart attack in Colnbrook (run by Serco). In May 2012, an inquest jury recorded a highly critical verdict that found that neglect contributed to his death. According to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) report into his death, he was transferred from Brook House (near Gatwick) to Harmondsworth on 26 May. He was held at Harmondsworth for nearly a month, during which time he withdrew his claim for asylum and asked for assisted voluntary return. He was moved to Colnbrook on 29 June (at 1am) and died just a few days later. While he was held at Harmondsworth he made a complaint about the healthcare at the centre that was not followed up, staff at the healthcare unit also failed to obtain his medical records despite his written authorisation. These records ‘could have provided significant information that could have assisted healthcare staff [at Colnbrook] on the morning he died.’ The PPO made a number of recommendations following his investigation into Muhammad Shukat’s care at Harmondsworth, in relation to healthcare and the complaints process at Harmondsworth&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 31 July 2011, Brian Dalrymple, &amp;quot;a 31-year-old American man with significant health problems died in Colnbrook (run by Serco) a few days after being moved from Harmondsworth (which is next door to Colnbrook). In July 2014, and inquest jury recorded a verdict that Bran died of natural causes contributed to by neglect.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The jury found that, “throughout Mr Dalrymple’s detention at Harmondsworth medical record keeping was shambolic” and said neglect contributed to his death. Geo made a “significant” settlement to the Dalrymple family.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://corporatewatch.org/company-profiles/inquests GEO Group inquests], Corporate Watch&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 6 December 2011, an unnamed homeless French man died in hospital after release from Harmondsworth. He died &amp;quot;after coughing up massive amounts of blood – as the result of a tuberculosis (TB) infection ... The PPO [Prisons and Probation Ombudsman] had concerns over the use of restraint when the man was admitted to hospital for the second time and that attempts were not made to assess the risk he posed or consideration of infection to staff. The report is critical of the UKBA and Harmondsworth staff (GEO Group Inc) for failing to find and inform the man’s family – this was left to French judicial authorities, although the man had given Harmondsworth staff contact details for his parents in France, and they were also contained in his passport, which was in the possession of the UKBA. Neither organisation showed any support for the family or made any effort to return the body or tell the family about financial assistance for that.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/insti tutional-indifference-in-life-and-death/ Institutional indifference in life and death], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 13 October 2013&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2012 deaths of two men===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 30 October 2012, Prince Kwabena Fosu, &amp;quot;a 31-year-old Ghanaian detainee was found dead at Harmondsworth (run by the GEO Group Ltd). Other people detained at the centre issued a statement following the death that made a number of serious allegations about what happened to Prince Ofosu and about the poor treatment of others at the centre. They alleged that guards at the centre restrained Prince while in the ‘block’ (segregation unit) and that he had been held naked in his unheated cell.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 17 November 2012, Mr Chowdhury &amp;quot;died in hospital having been there for several days. He was placed in intensive care during the evening of 16 November and was only at that point released from detention at Harmondsworth. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) decided not to investigate this death because of ‘insufficient staff resources’.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The Home Office Professional Standards Unit investigated and produced an internal report, which HMIP described as &amp;quot;critical&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2013 death of Alois Dvorzak===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 10 February 2013, Alois Dvorzak, &amp;quot;an 84-year-old Canadian man (of Slovenian descent) suffering from Alzheimer’s died in hospital after becoming ill at Harmondsworth (run by the GEO Group Ltd). He was said to have been ‘extremely distressed’ before being rushed to hospital after suffering a suspected heart attack.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; He died shackled to a Geo security guard by a six foot chain. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman said that Dvorzak's death was “a tragic indictment of the system”, which “is likely to have reached the threshold of inhuman and degrading treatment.” The Ombudsman said that the privatised character of the immigration detention system might have led to the excessive use of handcuffs. Multiple doctors had warned that Dvorzak was not fit to be in detention.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://corporatewatch.org/company-profiles/alois-dvorzak-inquest-day-nine Alois Dvorzak inquest day nine], Corporate Watch&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2014 inspection===&lt;br /&gt;
In January the chief inspector of prisons, Nick Hardwick, published a critical report of Harmondsworth. He referred to the deaths of Mr Dvorzak and Mr Chowdhury as &amp;quot;shocking cases where a sense of humanity was lost&amp;quot;. Hardwick said: &amp;quot;These were truly shocking cases, and they weren't isolated, and they reflected a culture where too often the individual human needs of the people who were being held were simply being forgotten. And in the worst case, this frail, elderly Canadian gentleman with dementia died in the most undignified and disgraceful circumstances possible.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-25749685 Immigration detainee 'died in handcuffs'], BBC, 20 January 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The report said Harmondsworth felt in &amp;quot;a state of drift&amp;quot;, with doubts about its future management.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The centre did not seem to be progressing and some services were being poorly managed,&amp;quot; he said. &amp;quot;Most importantly, there needed to be a refocusing on individual needs of the most vulnerable people in detention, some of whom had been utterly failed by the system.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2014 Mitie==&lt;br /&gt;
In September 2014 [[Mitie Care and Custody]] took over running Harmondsworth. Most of the company's senior management had worked for the [[Geo Group]] previously.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2015 secret filming===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;youtube size=&amp;quot;medium&amp;quot; align=&amp;quot;right&amp;quot; caption=&amp;quot;Inside Harmondsworth: 'I don't want to die in here', Channel 4 News &amp;quot;&amp;gt;0W3pV9YcdIE&amp;lt;/youtube&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
In March, Corporate Watch and Channel 4 News released secret filming showing conditions inside Harmondsworth.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://corporatewatch.org/news/2015/mar/04/harmondsworth-immigration-detention-centre-secret-filming-mitie 'It's gonna break': life in UK's biggest detention centre], Corporate Watch, 4 March 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The videos revealed:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Home Office staff admitting that conditions in Harmondsworth are “shit”, and that detainees are not allowed cameras to photograph inside the centre because the government “don't want the bad publicity that would entail”.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* A guard saying that the new Mitie management has “fucked this place up”, making staff work more shifts and get less rest. “It's just gonna break. There's only so much people can take”, the guard warns.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Paul Morrison]], Mitie's most senior manager at Harmondsworth, telling detainees that they will be locked inside their cells for two hours longer at night as part of the company's new contract.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Detainees living in unhygienic conditions with pigeons flying around inside, overflowing drains, rotting food in the kitchen and bed bugs in their cells.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* A detainee suffering injuries from what appear to be epileptic fits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Mitie guards selling counterfeit clothes to detainees that had been confiscated at customs by the UK Border Force.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Harmondsworth_IRC&amp;diff=228416</id>
		<title>Harmondsworth IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Harmondsworth_IRC&amp;diff=228416"/>
		<updated>2015-12-01T12:32:55Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Harmondsworth IRC]] is an immigration removal centre. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Introduction==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Harmondsworth opened in 1970 as a small detention facility near Heathrow airport. Over the years it has expanded and become the largest detention site in Europe. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It was initially run by [[Securicor]]. In 1988 [[Group 4]] took over the management of Harmondsworth. The centre was run by [[Burns International]] from 1999 to 2001, before [[Sodexho]] subsidiary [[UK Detention Services]] (UKDS) started an eight year contract worth £180m in 2001. (In 2006 UKDS was rebranded as [[Kalyx]]). The [[Geo Group UK]] ran Harmondsworth from June 2009 until September 2014 when it was taken over by [[Mitie Care and Custody]] and 'merged' with [[Colnbrook IRC]] to form what is sometimes called [[Heathrow IRC]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==List of centre managers==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Joanne Henney]] from June 2009 to November 2012&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Alan Hunt]] from December 2012 to December 2013&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Paul Morrison]] from September 2014&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1970-1987 Securicor==&lt;br /&gt;
[[Securicor]] ran Harmondsworth after it opened. In 1978, parliament was told that &amp;quot;Discipline is kept to the minimum necessary to ensure the safe custody of detainees and the trouble-free running of the centres. Detainees are informed of the facilities available for telephone calls, meals and medical care. Securicor staff are required to comply with any lawful instructions given by an immigration officer or the Home Office and are told that they must treat detainees with humanity, kindness, courtesy and sympathetic understanding. Securicor is responsible, under contract, to the Home Office for the performance of its duties in connection with Immigration Act detainees.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1978/mar/16/detention-centres-harmondsworth-and Hansard], HC Deb 16 March 1978 vol 946 cc292-3W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1987, immigration minister David Waddington told Parliament that: &amp;quot;The estimated daily cost of detaining a person in immigration service detention centres, including Harmondsworth, is £115. This figure includes transport, escort and running costs, and the cost of employing staff from Securicor Ltd. The cost per day of detaining a person held under the Immigration Act 1971 in a prison department establishment, though not entirely comparable, is estimated at £34.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1987/mar/30/harmondsworth-detention-centre Hansard], HC Deb 30 March 1987 vol 113 cc344-5W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1988-1998 Group 4==&lt;br /&gt;
By 1988, [[Group 4]] had taken over the running of Harmondsworth from Securicor. (These companies would later merge to form [[G4S]]). &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1988, an MP asked &amp;quot;the Secretary of State for the Home Department:&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;quot;(1) what experience the company Group 4 had demonstrated in running a secure holding centre or prisons prior to being offered the contract for Harmondsworth holding centre;&lt;br /&gt;
*(2) what procedure is followed to vet the staff of private security firms who work at Harmondsworth holding centre; and how these (a) were applied to Securicor employees and (b) will be applied to Group 4 employees;&lt;br /&gt;
*(3) what measures will be taken to ensure that a smooth changeover of management will be secured at Harmondsworth holding centre when Securicor hand over the running to Group 4;&lt;br /&gt;
*(4) what were his reasons for deciding (a) to terminate the contract between the Home Office and Securicor for the management and staffing of Harmondsworth holding centre and (b) to award the contract to Group 4;&lt;br /&gt;
*(5) how many of those held at Harmondsworth holding centre have escaped in the time that it has been under the management of Securicor.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The immigration minister Tim Renton replied that:&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The contract for the provision of Group 4 staff at the Harmondsworth, Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester immigration detention units was awarded to the company following receipt of competitive tenders. The decision took account of a number of factors, including value for money and a detailed evaluation of the company's ability to provide the high quality of service specified.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The nature of the contract is unique in the United Kingdom and only Securicor Ltd. has so far had direct experience in this area. But Group 4 is a company of high standing. The tendering exercise enabled it to demonstrate satisfactorily its ability to provide a reliable service. Both Securicor Ltd. and Group 4 Total Security Ltd are members of the British Security Industry Association which lays down rigorous recruitment and vetting standards. Both companies fully meet those standards, including the vetting of candidates over a period extending back 20 years.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A series of meetings has been arranged between immigration service officials and senior managers within both Securicor and Group 4 to ensure a smooth transition. These discussions and detailed arrangements are progressing well. Responsibility for managing the detention units will not alter as a result of the change in contractor; that will remain firmly with the Home Office.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1987, 78 persons absconded from immigration service detention units; in 1988 up to 31 October the figure is 75. Figures for earlier years are not readily available. These details were not included in the factors taken into account when awarding the contract of Group 4.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1988/nov/11/group-4-holding-centre-contract Hansard],HC Deb 11 November 1988 vol 140 cc337-8W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===1989 death of Siho Iyugiven===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 5 October 1989, Siho Iyugiven, &amp;quot;a 27-year-old Kurdish refugee burned to death after barricading himself in his cell at Harmondsworth. His asylum claim had failed and he was facing deportation. He and his cellmate went on hunger strike, barricaded themselves in and set bedding alight as a protest. Smoke detectors were not working, few fire extinguishers worked and there were no sprinklers. An inquest recorded a misadventure verdict&amp;quot;, according to the Institute of Race Relations.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===1990 death of Kimpua Nsimba===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 15 June 1990, Kimpua Nsimba, &amp;quot;a 24-year-old Zairean man was found hanged in Harmondsworth, where he was detained because the Home Office could not find an interpreter. No one had spoken to him since his arrival over four days earlier. An inquest recorded a suicide verdict.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1999-2001 Burns International==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Burns International]] ran Harmondsworth from November 1999 to 2001.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2000 death of Robertas Grabys===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 4 January 2000, Robertas Grabys, &amp;quot;a 49-year-old Lithuanian was was found hanged in Harmondsworth on the day he was due to be deported. A report on his death criticised the company that was in charge of Harmondsworth at the time (Burns International). An internal Home Office inquiry found that the company did not have a formal policy to prevent suicides and that there was insufficient care. (His body was not found for over one hour as guards did not check the room, although he was known to suffer from a depressive illness.) An inquest recorded an open verdict.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2001-2006 UK Detention Services==&lt;br /&gt;
Sodexho-subsidiary UKDS started running Harmondsworth in 2001. It held 550 people, including children as young as 4 years old.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2001 detainee work scheme proposed===&lt;br /&gt;
It was alleged at the time of commencing the contract that Sodexho planned for asylum-seekers at Harmondsworth to work for almost nothing so that the company could cut its operating costs. A Home Office document obtained by the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, showed that the Government intended to suspend the minimum wage at Harmondsworth so that Sodexho could pay asylum seekers £12 a week, which works out at 34p an hour (92% below the minimum wage) to do the work of painters, cleaners and caterers. If they refused work but complied with an 'agreed activity programme', they would be paid £6. If they refused to cooperate at all, they would be given £4 for cleaning their rooms.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Asylum industry cashes in on vouchers and dispersals, Martin Bright &amp;amp; Conal Walsh, 2/9/01. The Observer viewed 25/08/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The scheme did not proceed at that time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2002 escape===&lt;br /&gt;
On February 22, 2002, The London Times reported that nine detainees escaped from Harmondsworth, breaking a window, scaling a 15’ fence and using towels to get over the razor wire surrounding the facility.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;The Times, 22/2/2002 www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-215410,00.html viewed 18/12/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2003 inspection and death of Olga Blaskevica===&lt;br /&gt;
In a report that came out in March 2003, the prisons inspectorate expressed “deep concern” about detainees with mental health problems being held at Harmondsworth.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Annual Inspectors Report, March 2003, p12. www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/imbharmondsworthb2002.pdf viewed 25/08/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 7 May 2003, Olga Blaskevica, &amp;quot;a 29-year-old Latvian woman was murdered in the family holding area at Harmondsworth by her mentally ill partner, hours before the pair were due to be deported. In June 2004, Olegs Pavlos denied murder but admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He was found to be suffering from paranoid schizophrenia.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An inspection of Harmondsworth made by the Chief Inspector of Prisons in September 2003 said that:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There were increasing levels of disorder, damage and escape attempts, with an average of seven assaults a week. In spite of an average of one self-harm incident a week, suicide, self-harm and anti-bullying procedures were not effectively managed. Nor was there sufficient mental health support for detainees held in the in-patient ward.” &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;“Harmondsworth – Unsafe Environment despite good work by staff”. Press Release by HM Inspectorate of Prisons. 29/09/03 Viewed at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/harmondsworthirc030929.html 30/09/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In conclusion, the report stated: “Harmondsworth, when we inspected it, did not meet three of our four tests for a healthy custodial environment.”&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2004 death of Sergey Baranyuk and uprising===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 19 July 2004, a 31-year-old Ukrainian asylum-seeker Sergey Baranyuk was found hanged in a shower room at Harmondsworth. According to the Institute of Race Relations, &amp;quot;Staff at the centre and immigration staff had very little contact with him in the two months that he was held in detention. He had been assigned to the fast-track system and detained with no information for over six weeks despite having agreed to voluntary return three days after submitting his asylum claim. The inquest jury recorded a verdict that he ‘took his own life’. The PPO [Prisons and Probation Ombudsman] described the circumstances of his death as ‘sad and shameful’.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; His death sparked a night of disturbances at the centre and all of the detainees were transferred out of the damaged centre.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/sergey-baranyuk-forgotten-at-harmondsworth/ Sergey Baranyuk forgotten at Harmondsworth], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2006-2009 Kalyx==&lt;br /&gt;
In October 2006, [[Sodexho]] changed the name of [[UK Detention Services]] to [[Kalyx]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2006 death of Bereket Yohannes, inspection, riot and fine===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 19 January 2006, Bereket Yohannes, &amp;quot;a 26-year-old Eritrean was found hanged in a shower block at Harmondsworth (run by UK Detention Services – UKDS). According to other detainees at the centre, he was fearful of deportation to Italy and found conditions at Harmondsworth ‘unbearable’. An inquest in March 2007 was told how he had previously tried to take his own life while he was held at Dover immigration removal centre a month prior to his death. The inquest jury found that he took his own life.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November 2006, a major riot took place at Harmondsworth, after the chief inspector of prisons issued her &amp;quot;poorest ever&amp;quot; report on a detention centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2006, Kalyx was fined £5,096,000 by the Home Office for performance failures.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Neither Kalyx nor the Home Office would be drawn on why the company has had to pay such a sizeable sum. But [Home Office minister Baroness] Scotland suggested it was at least partly to do with the company's failure to manage the centre properly.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She told the Lords that 'rigorous attempts to manage the situation in Harmondsworth' had now been put in place. 'That was the basis of the concerns expressed and of the disagreement... between management,' Scotland said.&lt;br /&gt;
...&lt;br /&gt;
A Home Office spokeswoman confirmed Kalyx would soon be paying out. 'The Immigration and Nationality Directorate has been in dispute with HDSL (a subsidiary of Kalyx) over its contractual performance at Harmondsworth,' the spokeswoman said. 'The dispute reached mediation point in summer 2006 and reached an agreed settlement; the details of this are being finalised by lawyers with full completion anticipated by the end of this month.'&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.theguardian.com/society/2006/dec/10/immigrationandasylum.immigrationasylumandrefugees Asylum riot firm hit by £5m penalty],  Jamie Doward and Martha Alexander, Observer, 10 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2009-2014 Geo Group==&lt;br /&gt;
The [[Geo Group]] ran Harmondsworth from 2009 to 2014, in which time they expanded the size of the centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2011 deaths of three men shortly after leaving Harmondsworth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 2 July 2011, Muhammad Shukat, &amp;quot;a 47-year-old Pakistani man died after suffering a heart attack in Colnbrook (run by Serco). In May 2012, an inquest jury recorded a highly critical verdict that found that neglect contributed to his death. According to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) report into his death, he was transferred from Brook House (near Gatwick) to Harmondsworth on 26 May. He was held at Harmondsworth for nearly a month, during which time he withdrew his claim for asylum and asked for assisted voluntary return. He was moved to Colnbrook on 29 June (at 1am) and died just a few days later. While he was held at Harmondsworth he made a complaint about the healthcare at the centre that was not followed up, staff at the healthcare unit also failed to obtain his medical records despite his written authorisation. These records ‘could have provided significant information that could have assisted healthcare staff [at Colnbrook] on the morning he died.’ The PPO made a number of recommendations following his investigation into Muhammad Shukat’s care at Harmondsworth, in relation to healthcare and the complaints process at Harmondsworth&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 31 July 2011, Brian Dalrymple, &amp;quot;a 31-year-old American man with significant health problems died in Colnbrook (run by Serco) a few days after being moved from Harmondsworth (which is next door to Colnbrook). In July 2014, and inquest jury recorded a verdict that Bran died of natural causes contributed to by neglect.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The jury found that, “throughout Mr Dalrymple’s detention at Harmondsworth medical record keeping was shambolic” and said neglect contributed to his death. Geo made a “significant” settlement to the Dalrymple family.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://corporatewatch.org/company-profiles/inquests GEO Group inquests], Corporate Watch&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 6 December 2011, an unnamed homeless French man died in hospital after release from Harmondsworth. He died &amp;quot;after coughing up massive amounts of blood – as the result of a tuberculosis (TB) infection ... The PPO [Prisons and Probation Ombudsman] had concerns over the use of restraint when the man was admitted to hospital for the second time and that attempts were not made to assess the risk he posed or consideration of infection to staff. The report is critical of the UKBA and Harmondsworth staff (GEO Group Inc) for failing to find and inform the man’s family – this was left to French judicial authorities, although the man had given Harmondsworth staff contact details for his parents in France, and they were also contained in his passport, which was in the possession of the UKBA. Neither organisation showed any support for the family or made any effort to return the body or tell the family about financial assistance for that.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/insti tutional-indifference-in-life-and-death/ Institutional indifference in life and death], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 13 October 2013&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2012 deaths of two men===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 30 October 2012, Prince Kwabena Fosu, &amp;quot;a 31-year-old Ghanaian detainee was found dead at Harmondsworth (run by the GEO Group Ltd). Other people detained at the centre issued a statement following the death that made a number of serious allegations about what happened to Prince Ofosu and about the poor treatment of others at the centre. They alleged that guards at the centre restrained Prince while in the ‘block’ (segregation unit) and that he had been held naked in his unheated cell.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 17 November 2012, Mr Chowdhury &amp;quot;died in hospital having been there for several days. He was placed in intensive care during the evening of 16 November and was only at that point released from detention at Harmondsworth. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) decided not to investigate this death because of ‘insufficient staff resources’.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The Home Office Professional Standards Unit investigated and produced an internal report, which HMIP described as &amp;quot;critical&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2013 death of Alois Dvorzak===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 10 February 2013, Alois Dvorzak, &amp;quot;an 84-year-old Canadian man (of Slovenian descent) suffering from Alzheimer’s died in hospital after becoming ill at Harmondsworth (run by the GEO Group Ltd). He was said to have been ‘extremely distressed’ before being rushed to hospital after suffering a suspected heart attack.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; He died shackled to a Geo security guard by a six foot chain. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman said that Dvorzak's death was “a tragic indictment of the system”, which “is likely to have reached the threshold of inhuman and degrading treatment.” The Ombudsman said that the privatised character of the immigration detention system might have led to the excessive use of handcuffs. Multiple doctors had warned that Dvorzak was not fit to be in detention.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://corporatewatch.org/company-profiles/alois-dvorzak-inquest-day-nine Alois Dvorzak inquest day nine], Corporate Watch&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2014 inspection===&lt;br /&gt;
In January the chief inspector of prisons, Nick Hardwick, published a critical report of Harmondsworth. He referred to the deaths of Mr Dvorzak and Mr Chowdhury as &amp;quot;shocking cases where a sense of humanity was lost&amp;quot;. Hardwick said: &amp;quot;These were truly shocking cases, and they weren't isolated, and they reflected a culture where too often the individual human needs of the people who were being held were simply being forgotten. And in the worst case, this frail, elderly Canadian gentleman with dementia died in the most undignified and disgraceful circumstances possible.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-25749685 Immigration detainee 'died in handcuffs'], BBC, 20 January 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The report said Harmondsworth felt in &amp;quot;a state of drift&amp;quot;, with doubts about its future management.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The centre did not seem to be progressing and some services were being poorly managed,&amp;quot; he said. &amp;quot;Most importantly, there needed to be a refocusing on individual needs of the most vulnerable people in detention, some of whom had been utterly failed by the system.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2014 Mitie==&lt;br /&gt;
In September 2014 [[Mitie Care and Custody]] took over running Harmondsworth. Most of the company's senior management had worked for the [[Geo Group]] previously.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2015 secret filming===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In March, Corporate Watch and Channel 4 News released secret filming showing conditions inside Harmondsworth.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://corporatewatch.org/news/2015/mar/04/harmondsworth-immigration-detention-centre-secret-filming-mitie 'It's gonna break': life in UK's biggest detention centre], Corporate Watch, 4 March 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The videos revealed:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Home Office staff admitting that conditions in Harmondsworth are “shit”, and that detainees are not allowed cameras to photograph inside the centre because the government “don't want the bad publicity that would entail”.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* A guard saying that the new Mitie management has “fucked this place up”, making staff work more shifts and get less rest. “It's just gonna break. There's only so much people can take”, the guard warns.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Paul Morrison]], Mitie's most senior manager at Harmondsworth, telling detainees that they will be locked inside their cells for two hours longer at night as part of the company's new contract.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Detainees living in unhygienic conditions with pigeons flying around inside, overflowing drains, rotting food in the kitchen and bed bugs in their cells.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* A detainee suffering injuries from what appear to be epileptic fits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Mitie guards selling counterfeit clothes to detainees that had been confiscated at customs by the UK Border Force.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;youtube size=&amp;quot;large&amp;quot; align=&amp;quot;center&amp;quot; caption=&amp;quot;Inside Harmondsworth: 'I don't want to die in here', Channel 4 News &amp;quot;&amp;gt;0W3pV9YcdIE&amp;lt;/youtube&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Harmondsworth_IRC&amp;diff=228415</id>
		<title>Harmondsworth IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Harmondsworth_IRC&amp;diff=228415"/>
		<updated>2015-12-01T12:27:16Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: /* 2009-2014 Geo Group */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Harmondsworth IRC]] is an immigration removal centre. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Introduction==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Harmondsworth opened in 1970 as a small detention facility near Heathrow airport. Over the years it has expanded and become the largest detention site in Europe. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It was initially run by [[Securicor]]. In 1988 [[Group 4]] took over the management of Harmondsworth. The centre was run by [[Burns International]] from 1999 to 2001, before [[Sodexho]] subsidiary [[UK Detention Services]] (UKDS) started an eight year contract worth £180m in 2001. (In 2006 UKDS was rebranded as [[Kalyx]]). The [[Geo Group UK]] ran Harmondsworth from June 2009 until September 2014 when it was taken over by [[Mitie Care and Custody]] and 'merged' with [[Colnbrook IRC]] to form what is sometimes called [[Heathrow IRC]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==List of centre managers==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Joanne Henney]] from June 2009 to November 2012&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Alan Hunt]] from December 2012 to December 2013&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Paul Morrison]] from September 2014&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1970-1987 Securicor==&lt;br /&gt;
[[Securicor]] ran Harmondsworth after it opened. In 1978, parliament was told that &amp;quot;Discipline is kept to the minimum necessary to ensure the safe custody of detainees and the trouble-free running of the centres. Detainees are informed of the facilities available for telephone calls, meals and medical care. Securicor staff are required to comply with any lawful instructions given by an immigration officer or the Home Office and are told that they must treat detainees with humanity, kindness, courtesy and sympathetic understanding. Securicor is responsible, under contract, to the Home Office for the performance of its duties in connection with Immigration Act detainees.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1978/mar/16/detention-centres-harmondsworth-and Hansard], HC Deb 16 March 1978 vol 946 cc292-3W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1987, immigration minister David Waddington told Parliament that: &amp;quot;The estimated daily cost of detaining a person in immigration service detention centres, including Harmondsworth, is £115. This figure includes transport, escort and running costs, and the cost of employing staff from Securicor Ltd. The cost per day of detaining a person held under the Immigration Act 1971 in a prison department establishment, though not entirely comparable, is estimated at £34.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1987/mar/30/harmondsworth-detention-centre Hansard], HC Deb 30 March 1987 vol 113 cc344-5W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1988-1998 Group 4==&lt;br /&gt;
By 1988, [[Group 4]] had taken over the running of Harmondsworth from Securicor. (These companies would later merge to form [[G4S]]). &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1988, an MP asked &amp;quot;the Secretary of State for the Home Department:&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;quot;(1) what experience the company Group 4 had demonstrated in running a secure holding centre or prisons prior to being offered the contract for Harmondsworth holding centre;&lt;br /&gt;
*(2) what procedure is followed to vet the staff of private security firms who work at Harmondsworth holding centre; and how these (a) were applied to Securicor employees and (b) will be applied to Group 4 employees;&lt;br /&gt;
*(3) what measures will be taken to ensure that a smooth changeover of management will be secured at Harmondsworth holding centre when Securicor hand over the running to Group 4;&lt;br /&gt;
*(4) what were his reasons for deciding (a) to terminate the contract between the Home Office and Securicor for the management and staffing of Harmondsworth holding centre and (b) to award the contract to Group 4;&lt;br /&gt;
*(5) how many of those held at Harmondsworth holding centre have escaped in the time that it has been under the management of Securicor.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The immigration minister Tim Renton replied that:&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The contract for the provision of Group 4 staff at the Harmondsworth, Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester immigration detention units was awarded to the company following receipt of competitive tenders. The decision took account of a number of factors, including value for money and a detailed evaluation of the company's ability to provide the high quality of service specified.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The nature of the contract is unique in the United Kingdom and only Securicor Ltd. has so far had direct experience in this area. But Group 4 is a company of high standing. The tendering exercise enabled it to demonstrate satisfactorily its ability to provide a reliable service. Both Securicor Ltd. and Group 4 Total Security Ltd are members of the British Security Industry Association which lays down rigorous recruitment and vetting standards. Both companies fully meet those standards, including the vetting of candidates over a period extending back 20 years.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A series of meetings has been arranged between immigration service officials and senior managers within both Securicor and Group 4 to ensure a smooth transition. These discussions and detailed arrangements are progressing well. Responsibility for managing the detention units will not alter as a result of the change in contractor; that will remain firmly with the Home Office.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1987, 78 persons absconded from immigration service detention units; in 1988 up to 31 October the figure is 75. Figures for earlier years are not readily available. These details were not included in the factors taken into account when awarding the contract of Group 4.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1988/nov/11/group-4-holding-centre-contract Hansard],HC Deb 11 November 1988 vol 140 cc337-8W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===1989 death of Siho Iyugiven===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 5 October 1989, Siho Iyugiven, &amp;quot;a 27-year-old Kurdish refugee burned to death after barricading himself in his cell at Harmondsworth. His asylum claim had failed and he was facing deportation. He and his cellmate went on hunger strike, barricaded themselves in and set bedding alight as a protest. Smoke detectors were not working, few fire extinguishers worked and there were no sprinklers. An inquest recorded a misadventure verdict&amp;quot;, according to the Institute of Race Relations.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===1990 death of Kimpua Nsimba===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 15 June 1990, Kimpua Nsimba, &amp;quot;a 24-year-old Zairean man was found hanged in Harmondsworth, where he was detained because the Home Office could not find an interpreter. No one had spoken to him since his arrival over four days earlier. An inquest recorded a suicide verdict.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1999-2001 Burns International==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Burns International]] ran Harmondsworth from November 1999 to 2001.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2000 death of Robertas Grabys===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 4 January 2000, Robertas Grabys, &amp;quot;a 49-year-old Lithuanian was was found hanged in Harmondsworth on the day he was due to be deported. A report on his death criticised the company that was in charge of Harmondsworth at the time (Burns International). An internal Home Office inquiry found that the company did not have a formal policy to prevent suicides and that there was insufficient care. (His body was not found for over one hour as guards did not check the room, although he was known to suffer from a depressive illness.) An inquest recorded an open verdict.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2001-2006 UK Detention Services==&lt;br /&gt;
Sodexho-subsidiary UKDS started running Harmondsworth in 2001. It held 550 people, including children as young as 4 years old.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2001 detainee work scheme proposed===&lt;br /&gt;
It was alleged at the time of commencing the contract that Sodexho planned for asylum-seekers at Harmondsworth to work for almost nothing so that the company could cut its operating costs. A Home Office document obtained by the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, showed that the Government intended to suspend the minimum wage at Harmondsworth so that Sodexho could pay asylum seekers £12 a week, which works out at 34p an hour (92% below the minimum wage) to do the work of painters, cleaners and caterers. If they refused work but complied with an 'agreed activity programme', they would be paid £6. If they refused to cooperate at all, they would be given £4 for cleaning their rooms.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Asylum industry cashes in on vouchers and dispersals, Martin Bright &amp;amp; Conal Walsh, 2/9/01. The Observer viewed 25/08/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The scheme did not proceed at that time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2002 escape===&lt;br /&gt;
On February 22, 2002, The London Times reported that nine detainees escaped from Harmondsworth, breaking a window, scaling a 15’ fence and using towels to get over the razor wire surrounding the facility.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;The Times, 22/2/2002 www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-215410,00.html viewed 18/12/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2003 inspection and death of Olga Blaskevica===&lt;br /&gt;
In a report that came out in March 2003, the prisons inspectorate expressed “deep concern” about detainees with mental health problems being held at Harmondsworth.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Annual Inspectors Report, March 2003, p12. www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/imbharmondsworthb2002.pdf viewed 25/08/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 7 May 2003, Olga Blaskevica, &amp;quot;a 29-year-old Latvian woman was murdered in the family holding area at Harmondsworth by her mentally ill partner, hours before the pair were due to be deported. In June 2004, Olegs Pavlos denied murder but admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He was found to be suffering from paranoid schizophrenia.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An inspection of Harmondsworth made by the Chief Inspector of Prisons in September 2003 said that:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There were increasing levels of disorder, damage and escape attempts, with an average of seven assaults a week. In spite of an average of one self-harm incident a week, suicide, self-harm and anti-bullying procedures were not effectively managed. Nor was there sufficient mental health support for detainees held in the in-patient ward.” &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;“Harmondsworth – Unsafe Environment despite good work by staff”. Press Release by HM Inspectorate of Prisons. 29/09/03 Viewed at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/harmondsworthirc030929.html 30/09/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In conclusion, the report stated: “Harmondsworth, when we inspected it, did not meet three of our four tests for a healthy custodial environment.”&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2004 death of Sergey Baranyuk and uprising===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 19 July 2004, a 31-year-old Ukrainian asylum-seeker Sergey Baranyuk was found hanged in a shower room at Harmondsworth. According to the Institute of Race Relations, &amp;quot;Staff at the centre and immigration staff had very little contact with him in the two months that he was held in detention. He had been assigned to the fast-track system and detained with no information for over six weeks despite having agreed to voluntary return three days after submitting his asylum claim. The inquest jury recorded a verdict that he ‘took his own life’. The PPO [Prisons and Probation Ombudsman] described the circumstances of his death as ‘sad and shameful’.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; His death sparked a night of disturbances at the centre and all of the detainees were transferred out of the damaged centre.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/sergey-baranyuk-forgotten-at-harmondsworth/ Sergey Baranyuk forgotten at Harmondsworth], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2006-2009 Kalyx==&lt;br /&gt;
In October 2006, [[Sodexho]] changed the name of [[UK Detention Services]] to [[Kalyx]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2006 death of Bereket Yohannes, inspection, riot and fine===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 19 January 2006, Bereket Yohannes, &amp;quot;a 26-year-old Eritrean was found hanged in a shower block at Harmondsworth (run by UK Detention Services – UKDS). According to other detainees at the centre, he was fearful of deportation to Italy and found conditions at Harmondsworth ‘unbearable’. An inquest in March 2007 was told how he had previously tried to take his own life while he was held at Dover immigration removal centre a month prior to his death. The inquest jury found that he took his own life.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November 2006, a major riot took place at Harmondsworth, after the chief inspector of prisons issued her &amp;quot;poorest ever&amp;quot; report on a detention centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2006, Kalyx was fined £5,096,000 by the Home Office for performance failures.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Neither Kalyx nor the Home Office would be drawn on why the company has had to pay such a sizeable sum. But [Home Office minister Baroness] Scotland suggested it was at least partly to do with the company's failure to manage the centre properly.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She told the Lords that 'rigorous attempts to manage the situation in Harmondsworth' had now been put in place. 'That was the basis of the concerns expressed and of the disagreement... between management,' Scotland said.&lt;br /&gt;
...&lt;br /&gt;
A Home Office spokeswoman confirmed Kalyx would soon be paying out. 'The Immigration and Nationality Directorate has been in dispute with HDSL (a subsidiary of Kalyx) over its contractual performance at Harmondsworth,' the spokeswoman said. 'The dispute reached mediation point in summer 2006 and reached an agreed settlement; the details of this are being finalised by lawyers with full completion anticipated by the end of this month.'&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.theguardian.com/society/2006/dec/10/immigrationandasylum.immigrationasylumandrefugees Asylum riot firm hit by £5m penalty],  Jamie Doward and Martha Alexander, Observer, 10 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2009-2014 Geo Group==&lt;br /&gt;
The [[Geo Group]] ran Harmondsworth from 2009 to 2014, in which time they expanded the size of the centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2011 deaths of three men shortly after leaving Harmondsworth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 2 July 2011, Muhammad Shukat, &amp;quot;a 47-year-old Pakistani man died after suffering a heart attack in Colnbrook (run by Serco). In May 2012, an inquest jury recorded a highly critical verdict that found that neglect contributed to his death. According to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) report into his death, he was transferred from Brook House (near Gatwick) to Harmondsworth on 26 May. He was held at Harmondsworth for nearly a month, during which time he withdrew his claim for asylum and asked for assisted voluntary return. He was moved to Colnbrook on 29 June (at 1am) and died just a few days later. While he was held at Harmondsworth he made a complaint about the healthcare at the centre that was not followed up, staff at the healthcare unit also failed to obtain his medical records despite his written authorisation. These records ‘could have provided significant information that could have assisted healthcare staff [at Colnbrook] on the morning he died.’ The PPO made a number of recommendations following his investigation into Muhammad Shukat’s care at Harmondsworth, in relation to healthcare and the complaints process at Harmondsworth&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 31 July 2011, Brian Dalrymple, &amp;quot;a 31-year-old American man with significant health problems died in Colnbrook (run by Serco) a few days after being moved from Harmondsworth (which is next door to Colnbrook). In July 2014, and inquest jury recorded a verdict that Bran died of natural causes contributed to by neglect.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The jury found that, “throughout Mr Dalrymple’s detention at Harmondsworth medical record keeping was shambolic” and said neglect contributed to his death. Geo made a “significant” settlement to the Dalrymple family.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://corporatewatch.org/company-profiles/inquests GEO Group inquests], Corporate Watch&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 6 December 2011, an unnamed homeless French man died in hospital after release from Harmondsworth. He died &amp;quot;after coughing up massive amounts of blood – as the result of a tuberculosis (TB) infection ... The PPO [Prisons and Probation Ombudsman] had concerns over the use of restraint when the man was admitted to hospital for the second time and that attempts were not made to assess the risk he posed or consideration of infection to staff. The report is critical of the UKBA and Harmondsworth staff (GEO Group Inc) for failing to find and inform the man’s family – this was left to French judicial authorities, although the man had given Harmondsworth staff contact details for his parents in France, and they were also contained in his passport, which was in the possession of the UKBA. Neither organisation showed any support for the family or made any effort to return the body or tell the family about financial assistance for that.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/insti tutional-indifference-in-life-and-death/ Institutional indifference in life and death], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 13 October 2013&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2012 deaths of two men===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 30 October 2012, Prince Kwabena Fosu, &amp;quot;a 31-year-old Ghanaian detainee was found dead at Harmondsworth (run by the GEO Group Ltd). Other people detained at the centre issued a statement following the death that made a number of serious allegations about what happened to Prince Ofosu and about the poor treatment of others at the centre. They alleged that guards at the centre restrained Prince while in the ‘block’ (segregation unit) and that he had been held naked in his unheated cell.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 17 November 2012, Mr Chowdhury &amp;quot;died in hospital having been there for several days. He was placed in intensive care during the evening of 16 November and was only at that point released from detention at Harmondsworth. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) decided not to investigate this death because of ‘insufficient staff resources’.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The Home Office Professional Standards Unit investigated and produced an internal report, which HMIP described as &amp;quot;critical&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2013 death of Alois Dvorzak===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 10 February 2013, Alois Dvorzak, &amp;quot;an 84-year-old Canadian man (of Slovenian descent) suffering from Alzheimer’s died in hospital after becoming ill at Harmondsworth (run by the GEO Group Ltd). He was said to have been ‘extremely distressed’ before being rushed to hospital after suffering a suspected heart attack.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; He died shackled to a Geo security guard by a six foot chain. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman said that Dvorzak's death was “a tragic indictment of the system”, which “is likely to have reached the threshold of inhuman and degrading treatment.” The Ombudsman said that the privatised character of the immigration detention system might have led to the excessive use of handcuffs. Multiple doctors had warned that Dvorzak was not fit to be in detention.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://corporatewatch.org/company-profiles/alois-dvorzak-inquest-day-nine Alois Dvorzak inquest day nine], Corporate Watch&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2014 inspection===&lt;br /&gt;
In January the chief inspector of prisons, Nick Hardwick, published a critical report of Harmondsworth. He referred to the deaths of Mr Dvorzak and Mr Chowdhury as &amp;quot;shocking cases where a sense of humanity was lost&amp;quot;. Hardwick said: &amp;quot;These were truly shocking cases, and they weren't isolated, and they reflected a culture where too often the individual human needs of the people who were being held were simply being forgotten. And in the worst case, this frail, elderly Canadian gentleman with dementia died in the most undignified and disgraceful circumstances possible.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-25749685 Immigration detainee 'died in handcuffs'], BBC, 20 January 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The report said Harmondsworth felt in &amp;quot;a state of drift&amp;quot;, with doubts about its future management.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The centre did not seem to be progressing and some services were being poorly managed,&amp;quot; he said. &amp;quot;Most importantly, there needed to be a refocusing on individual needs of the most vulnerable people in detention, some of whom had been utterly failed by the system.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2014 Mitie==&lt;br /&gt;
In September 2014 [[Mitie Care and Custody]] took over running Harmondsworth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2015 secret filming===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Harmondsworth_IRC&amp;diff=228414</id>
		<title>Harmondsworth IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Harmondsworth_IRC&amp;diff=228414"/>
		<updated>2015-12-01T12:18:38Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: /* 2012 deaths of two men */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Harmondsworth IRC]] is an immigration removal centre. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Introduction==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Harmondsworth opened in 1970 as a small detention facility near Heathrow airport. Over the years it has expanded and become the largest detention site in Europe. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It was initially run by [[Securicor]]. In 1988 [[Group 4]] took over the management of Harmondsworth. The centre was run by [[Burns International]] from 1999 to 2001, before [[Sodexho]] subsidiary [[UK Detention Services]] (UKDS) started an eight year contract worth £180m in 2001. (In 2006 UKDS was rebranded as [[Kalyx]]). The [[Geo Group UK]] ran Harmondsworth from June 2009 until September 2014 when it was taken over by [[Mitie Care and Custody]] and 'merged' with [[Colnbrook IRC]] to form what is sometimes called [[Heathrow IRC]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==List of centre managers==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Joanne Henney]] from June 2009 to November 2012&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Alan Hunt]] from December 2012 to December 2013&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Paul Morrison]] from September 2014&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1970-1987 Securicor==&lt;br /&gt;
[[Securicor]] ran Harmondsworth after it opened. In 1978, parliament was told that &amp;quot;Discipline is kept to the minimum necessary to ensure the safe custody of detainees and the trouble-free running of the centres. Detainees are informed of the facilities available for telephone calls, meals and medical care. Securicor staff are required to comply with any lawful instructions given by an immigration officer or the Home Office and are told that they must treat detainees with humanity, kindness, courtesy and sympathetic understanding. Securicor is responsible, under contract, to the Home Office for the performance of its duties in connection with Immigration Act detainees.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1978/mar/16/detention-centres-harmondsworth-and Hansard], HC Deb 16 March 1978 vol 946 cc292-3W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1987, immigration minister David Waddington told Parliament that: &amp;quot;The estimated daily cost of detaining a person in immigration service detention centres, including Harmondsworth, is £115. This figure includes transport, escort and running costs, and the cost of employing staff from Securicor Ltd. The cost per day of detaining a person held under the Immigration Act 1971 in a prison department establishment, though not entirely comparable, is estimated at £34.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1987/mar/30/harmondsworth-detention-centre Hansard], HC Deb 30 March 1987 vol 113 cc344-5W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1988-1998 Group 4==&lt;br /&gt;
By 1988, [[Group 4]] had taken over the running of Harmondsworth from Securicor. (These companies would later merge to form [[G4S]]). &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1988, an MP asked &amp;quot;the Secretary of State for the Home Department:&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;quot;(1) what experience the company Group 4 had demonstrated in running a secure holding centre or prisons prior to being offered the contract for Harmondsworth holding centre;&lt;br /&gt;
*(2) what procedure is followed to vet the staff of private security firms who work at Harmondsworth holding centre; and how these (a) were applied to Securicor employees and (b) will be applied to Group 4 employees;&lt;br /&gt;
*(3) what measures will be taken to ensure that a smooth changeover of management will be secured at Harmondsworth holding centre when Securicor hand over the running to Group 4;&lt;br /&gt;
*(4) what were his reasons for deciding (a) to terminate the contract between the Home Office and Securicor for the management and staffing of Harmondsworth holding centre and (b) to award the contract to Group 4;&lt;br /&gt;
*(5) how many of those held at Harmondsworth holding centre have escaped in the time that it has been under the management of Securicor.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The immigration minister Tim Renton replied that:&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The contract for the provision of Group 4 staff at the Harmondsworth, Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester immigration detention units was awarded to the company following receipt of competitive tenders. The decision took account of a number of factors, including value for money and a detailed evaluation of the company's ability to provide the high quality of service specified.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The nature of the contract is unique in the United Kingdom and only Securicor Ltd. has so far had direct experience in this area. But Group 4 is a company of high standing. The tendering exercise enabled it to demonstrate satisfactorily its ability to provide a reliable service. Both Securicor Ltd. and Group 4 Total Security Ltd are members of the British Security Industry Association which lays down rigorous recruitment and vetting standards. Both companies fully meet those standards, including the vetting of candidates over a period extending back 20 years.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A series of meetings has been arranged between immigration service officials and senior managers within both Securicor and Group 4 to ensure a smooth transition. These discussions and detailed arrangements are progressing well. Responsibility for managing the detention units will not alter as a result of the change in contractor; that will remain firmly with the Home Office.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1987, 78 persons absconded from immigration service detention units; in 1988 up to 31 October the figure is 75. Figures for earlier years are not readily available. These details were not included in the factors taken into account when awarding the contract of Group 4.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1988/nov/11/group-4-holding-centre-contract Hansard],HC Deb 11 November 1988 vol 140 cc337-8W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===1989 death of Siho Iyugiven===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 5 October 1989, Siho Iyugiven, &amp;quot;a 27-year-old Kurdish refugee burned to death after barricading himself in his cell at Harmondsworth. His asylum claim had failed and he was facing deportation. He and his cellmate went on hunger strike, barricaded themselves in and set bedding alight as a protest. Smoke detectors were not working, few fire extinguishers worked and there were no sprinklers. An inquest recorded a misadventure verdict&amp;quot;, according to the Institute of Race Relations.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===1990 death of Kimpua Nsimba===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 15 June 1990, Kimpua Nsimba, &amp;quot;a 24-year-old Zairean man was found hanged in Harmondsworth, where he was detained because the Home Office could not find an interpreter. No one had spoken to him since his arrival over four days earlier. An inquest recorded a suicide verdict.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1999-2001 Burns International==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Burns International]] ran Harmondsworth from November 1999 to 2001.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2000 death of Robertas Grabys===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 4 January 2000, Robertas Grabys, &amp;quot;a 49-year-old Lithuanian was was found hanged in Harmondsworth on the day he was due to be deported. A report on his death criticised the company that was in charge of Harmondsworth at the time (Burns International). An internal Home Office inquiry found that the company did not have a formal policy to prevent suicides and that there was insufficient care. (His body was not found for over one hour as guards did not check the room, although he was known to suffer from a depressive illness.) An inquest recorded an open verdict.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2001-2006 UK Detention Services==&lt;br /&gt;
Sodexho-subsidiary UKDS started running Harmondsworth in 2001. It held 550 people, including children as young as 4 years old.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2001 detainee work scheme proposed===&lt;br /&gt;
It was alleged at the time of commencing the contract that Sodexho planned for asylum-seekers at Harmondsworth to work for almost nothing so that the company could cut its operating costs. A Home Office document obtained by the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, showed that the Government intended to suspend the minimum wage at Harmondsworth so that Sodexho could pay asylum seekers £12 a week, which works out at 34p an hour (92% below the minimum wage) to do the work of painters, cleaners and caterers. If they refused work but complied with an 'agreed activity programme', they would be paid £6. If they refused to cooperate at all, they would be given £4 for cleaning their rooms.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Asylum industry cashes in on vouchers and dispersals, Martin Bright &amp;amp; Conal Walsh, 2/9/01. The Observer viewed 25/08/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The scheme did not proceed at that time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2002 escape===&lt;br /&gt;
On February 22, 2002, The London Times reported that nine detainees escaped from Harmondsworth, breaking a window, scaling a 15’ fence and using towels to get over the razor wire surrounding the facility.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;The Times, 22/2/2002 www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-215410,00.html viewed 18/12/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2003 inspection and death of Olga Blaskevica===&lt;br /&gt;
In a report that came out in March 2003, the prisons inspectorate expressed “deep concern” about detainees with mental health problems being held at Harmondsworth.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Annual Inspectors Report, March 2003, p12. www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/imbharmondsworthb2002.pdf viewed 25/08/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 7 May 2003, Olga Blaskevica, &amp;quot;a 29-year-old Latvian woman was murdered in the family holding area at Harmondsworth by her mentally ill partner, hours before the pair were due to be deported. In June 2004, Olegs Pavlos denied murder but admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He was found to be suffering from paranoid schizophrenia.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An inspection of Harmondsworth made by the Chief Inspector of Prisons in September 2003 said that:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There were increasing levels of disorder, damage and escape attempts, with an average of seven assaults a week. In spite of an average of one self-harm incident a week, suicide, self-harm and anti-bullying procedures were not effectively managed. Nor was there sufficient mental health support for detainees held in the in-patient ward.” &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;“Harmondsworth – Unsafe Environment despite good work by staff”. Press Release by HM Inspectorate of Prisons. 29/09/03 Viewed at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/harmondsworthirc030929.html 30/09/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In conclusion, the report stated: “Harmondsworth, when we inspected it, did not meet three of our four tests for a healthy custodial environment.”&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2004 death of Sergey Baranyuk and uprising===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 19 July 2004, a 31-year-old Ukrainian asylum-seeker Sergey Baranyuk was found hanged in a shower room at Harmondsworth. According to the Institute of Race Relations, &amp;quot;Staff at the centre and immigration staff had very little contact with him in the two months that he was held in detention. He had been assigned to the fast-track system and detained with no information for over six weeks despite having agreed to voluntary return three days after submitting his asylum claim. The inquest jury recorded a verdict that he ‘took his own life’. The PPO [Prisons and Probation Ombudsman] described the circumstances of his death as ‘sad and shameful’.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; His death sparked a night of disturbances at the centre and all of the detainees were transferred out of the damaged centre.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/sergey-baranyuk-forgotten-at-harmondsworth/ Sergey Baranyuk forgotten at Harmondsworth], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2006-2009 Kalyx==&lt;br /&gt;
In October 2006, [[Sodexho]] changed the name of [[UK Detention Services]] to [[Kalyx]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2006 death of Bereket Yohannes, inspection, riot and fine===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 19 January 2006, Bereket Yohannes, &amp;quot;a 26-year-old Eritrean was found hanged in a shower block at Harmondsworth (run by UK Detention Services – UKDS). According to other detainees at the centre, he was fearful of deportation to Italy and found conditions at Harmondsworth ‘unbearable’. An inquest in March 2007 was told how he had previously tried to take his own life while he was held at Dover immigration removal centre a month prior to his death. The inquest jury found that he took his own life.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November 2006, a major riot took place at Harmondsworth, after the chief inspector of prisons issued her &amp;quot;poorest ever&amp;quot; report on a detention centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2006, Kalyx was fined £5,096,000 by the Home Office for performance failures.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Neither Kalyx nor the Home Office would be drawn on why the company has had to pay such a sizeable sum. But [Home Office minister Baroness] Scotland suggested it was at least partly to do with the company's failure to manage the centre properly.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She told the Lords that 'rigorous attempts to manage the situation in Harmondsworth' had now been put in place. 'That was the basis of the concerns expressed and of the disagreement... between management,' Scotland said.&lt;br /&gt;
...&lt;br /&gt;
A Home Office spokeswoman confirmed Kalyx would soon be paying out. 'The Immigration and Nationality Directorate has been in dispute with HDSL (a subsidiary of Kalyx) over its contractual performance at Harmondsworth,' the spokeswoman said. 'The dispute reached mediation point in summer 2006 and reached an agreed settlement; the details of this are being finalised by lawyers with full completion anticipated by the end of this month.'&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.theguardian.com/society/2006/dec/10/immigrationandasylum.immigrationasylumandrefugees Asylum riot firm hit by £5m penalty],  Jamie Doward and Martha Alexander, Observer, 10 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2009-2014 Geo Group==&lt;br /&gt;
The [[Geo Group]] ran Harmondsworth from 2009 to 2014, in which time they expanded the size of the centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2011 deaths of three men shortly after leaving Harmondsworth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 2 July 2011, Muhammad Shukat, &amp;quot;a 47-year-old Pakistani man died after suffering a heart attack in Colnbrook (run by Serco). In May 2012, an inquest jury recorded a highly critical verdict that found that neglect contributed to his death. According to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) report into his death, he was transferred from Brook House (near Gatwick) to Harmondsworth on 26 May. He was held at Harmondsworth for nearly a month, during which time he withdrew his claim for asylum and asked for assisted voluntary return. He was moved to Colnbrook on 29 June (at 1am) and died just a few days later. While he was held at Harmondsworth he made a complaint about the healthcare at the centre that was not followed up, staff at the healthcare unit also failed to obtain his medical records despite his written authorisation. These records ‘could have provided significant information that could have assisted healthcare staff [at Colnbrook] on the morning he died.’ The PPO made a number of recommendations following his investigation into Muhammad Shukat’s care at Harmondsworth, in relation to healthcare and the complaints process at Harmondsworth&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 31 July 2011, Brian Dalrymple, &amp;quot;a 31-year-old American man with significant health problems died in Colnbrook (run by Serco) a few days after being moved from Harmondsworth (which is next door to Colnbrook). In July 2014, and inquest jury recorded a verdict that Bran died of natural causes contributed to by neglect.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The jury found that, “throughout Mr Dalrymple’s detention at Harmondsworth medical record keeping was shambolic” and said neglect contributed to his death. Geo made a “significant” settlement to the Dalrymple family.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://corporatewatch.org/company-profiles/inquests GEO Group inquests], Corporate Watch&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 6 December 2011, an unnamed homeless French man died in hospital after release from Harmondsworth. He died &amp;quot;after coughing up massive amounts of blood – as the result of a tuberculosis (TB) infection ... The PPO [Prisons and Probation Ombudsman] had concerns over the use of restraint when the man was admitted to hospital for the second time and that attempts were not made to assess the risk he posed or consideration of infection to staff. The report is critical of the UKBA and Harmondsworth staff (GEO Group Inc) for failing to find and inform the man’s family – this was left to French judicial authorities, although the man had given Harmondsworth staff contact details for his parents in France, and they were also contained in his passport, which was in the possession of the UKBA. Neither organisation showed any support for the family or made any effort to return the body or tell the family about financial assistance for that.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/insti tutional-indifference-in-life-and-death/ Institutional indifference in life and death], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 13 October 2013&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2012 deaths of two men===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 30 October 2012, Prince Kwabena Fosu, &amp;quot;a 31-year-old Ghanaian detainee was found dead at Harmondsworth (run by the GEO Group Ltd). Other people detained at the centre issued a statement following the death that made a number of serious allegations about what happened to Prince Ofosu and about the poor treatment of others at the centre. They alleged that guards at the centre restrained Prince while in the ‘block’ (segregation unit) and that he had been held naked in his unheated cell.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 17 November 2012, Mr Chowdhury &amp;quot;died in hospital having been there for several days. He was placed in intensive care during the evening of 16 November and was only at that point released from detention at Harmondsworth. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) decided not to investigate this death because of ‘insufficient staff resources’.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The Home Office Professional Standards Unit investigated and produced an internal report, which HMIP described as &amp;quot;critical&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2013 death of Alois Dvorzak===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 10 February 2013, Alois Dvorzak, &amp;quot;an 84-year-old Canadian man (of Slovenian descent) suffering from Alzheimer’s died in hospital after becoming ill at Harmondsworth (run by the GEO Group Ltd). He was said to have been ‘extremely distressed’ before being rushed to hospital after suffering a suspected heart attack.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; He died shackled to a Geo security guard by a six foot chain. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman said that Dvorzak's death was “a tragic indictment of the system”, which “is likely to have reached the threshold of inhuman and degrading treatment.” The Ombudsman said that the privatised character of the immigration detention system might have led to the excessive use of handcuffs. Multiple doctors had warned that Dvorzak was not fit to be in detention.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://corporatewatch.org/company-profiles/alois-dvorzak-inquest-day-nine Alois Dvorzak inquest day nine], Corporate Watch&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2014 inspection===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2014 Mitie==&lt;br /&gt;
In September 2014 [[Mitie Care and Custody]] took over running Harmondsworth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2015 secret filming===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Harmondsworth_IRC&amp;diff=228413</id>
		<title>Harmondsworth IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Harmondsworth_IRC&amp;diff=228413"/>
		<updated>2015-12-01T12:17:43Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Harmondsworth IRC]] is an immigration removal centre. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Introduction==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Harmondsworth opened in 1970 as a small detention facility near Heathrow airport. Over the years it has expanded and become the largest detention site in Europe. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It was initially run by [[Securicor]]. In 1988 [[Group 4]] took over the management of Harmondsworth. The centre was run by [[Burns International]] from 1999 to 2001, before [[Sodexho]] subsidiary [[UK Detention Services]] (UKDS) started an eight year contract worth £180m in 2001. (In 2006 UKDS was rebranded as [[Kalyx]]). The [[Geo Group UK]] ran Harmondsworth from June 2009 until September 2014 when it was taken over by [[Mitie Care and Custody]] and 'merged' with [[Colnbrook IRC]] to form what is sometimes called [[Heathrow IRC]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==List of centre managers==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Joanne Henney]] from June 2009 to November 2012&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Alan Hunt]] from December 2012 to December 2013&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Paul Morrison]] from September 2014&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1970-1987 Securicor==&lt;br /&gt;
[[Securicor]] ran Harmondsworth after it opened. In 1978, parliament was told that &amp;quot;Discipline is kept to the minimum necessary to ensure the safe custody of detainees and the trouble-free running of the centres. Detainees are informed of the facilities available for telephone calls, meals and medical care. Securicor staff are required to comply with any lawful instructions given by an immigration officer or the Home Office and are told that they must treat detainees with humanity, kindness, courtesy and sympathetic understanding. Securicor is responsible, under contract, to the Home Office for the performance of its duties in connection with Immigration Act detainees.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1978/mar/16/detention-centres-harmondsworth-and Hansard], HC Deb 16 March 1978 vol 946 cc292-3W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1987, immigration minister David Waddington told Parliament that: &amp;quot;The estimated daily cost of detaining a person in immigration service detention centres, including Harmondsworth, is £115. This figure includes transport, escort and running costs, and the cost of employing staff from Securicor Ltd. The cost per day of detaining a person held under the Immigration Act 1971 in a prison department establishment, though not entirely comparable, is estimated at £34.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1987/mar/30/harmondsworth-detention-centre Hansard], HC Deb 30 March 1987 vol 113 cc344-5W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1988-1998 Group 4==&lt;br /&gt;
By 1988, [[Group 4]] had taken over the running of Harmondsworth from Securicor. (These companies would later merge to form [[G4S]]). &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1988, an MP asked &amp;quot;the Secretary of State for the Home Department:&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;quot;(1) what experience the company Group 4 had demonstrated in running a secure holding centre or prisons prior to being offered the contract for Harmondsworth holding centre;&lt;br /&gt;
*(2) what procedure is followed to vet the staff of private security firms who work at Harmondsworth holding centre; and how these (a) were applied to Securicor employees and (b) will be applied to Group 4 employees;&lt;br /&gt;
*(3) what measures will be taken to ensure that a smooth changeover of management will be secured at Harmondsworth holding centre when Securicor hand over the running to Group 4;&lt;br /&gt;
*(4) what were his reasons for deciding (a) to terminate the contract between the Home Office and Securicor for the management and staffing of Harmondsworth holding centre and (b) to award the contract to Group 4;&lt;br /&gt;
*(5) how many of those held at Harmondsworth holding centre have escaped in the time that it has been under the management of Securicor.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The immigration minister Tim Renton replied that:&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The contract for the provision of Group 4 staff at the Harmondsworth, Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester immigration detention units was awarded to the company following receipt of competitive tenders. The decision took account of a number of factors, including value for money and a detailed evaluation of the company's ability to provide the high quality of service specified.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The nature of the contract is unique in the United Kingdom and only Securicor Ltd. has so far had direct experience in this area. But Group 4 is a company of high standing. The tendering exercise enabled it to demonstrate satisfactorily its ability to provide a reliable service. Both Securicor Ltd. and Group 4 Total Security Ltd are members of the British Security Industry Association which lays down rigorous recruitment and vetting standards. Both companies fully meet those standards, including the vetting of candidates over a period extending back 20 years.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A series of meetings has been arranged between immigration service officials and senior managers within both Securicor and Group 4 to ensure a smooth transition. These discussions and detailed arrangements are progressing well. Responsibility for managing the detention units will not alter as a result of the change in contractor; that will remain firmly with the Home Office.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1987, 78 persons absconded from immigration service detention units; in 1988 up to 31 October the figure is 75. Figures for earlier years are not readily available. These details were not included in the factors taken into account when awarding the contract of Group 4.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1988/nov/11/group-4-holding-centre-contract Hansard],HC Deb 11 November 1988 vol 140 cc337-8W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===1989 death of Siho Iyugiven===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 5 October 1989, Siho Iyugiven, &amp;quot;a 27-year-old Kurdish refugee burned to death after barricading himself in his cell at Harmondsworth. His asylum claim had failed and he was facing deportation. He and his cellmate went on hunger strike, barricaded themselves in and set bedding alight as a protest. Smoke detectors were not working, few fire extinguishers worked and there were no sprinklers. An inquest recorded a misadventure verdict&amp;quot;, according to the Institute of Race Relations.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===1990 death of Kimpua Nsimba===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 15 June 1990, Kimpua Nsimba, &amp;quot;a 24-year-old Zairean man was found hanged in Harmondsworth, where he was detained because the Home Office could not find an interpreter. No one had spoken to him since his arrival over four days earlier. An inquest recorded a suicide verdict.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1999-2001 Burns International==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Burns International]] ran Harmondsworth from November 1999 to 2001.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2000 death of Robertas Grabys===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 4 January 2000, Robertas Grabys, &amp;quot;a 49-year-old Lithuanian was was found hanged in Harmondsworth on the day he was due to be deported. A report on his death criticised the company that was in charge of Harmondsworth at the time (Burns International). An internal Home Office inquiry found that the company did not have a formal policy to prevent suicides and that there was insufficient care. (His body was not found for over one hour as guards did not check the room, although he was known to suffer from a depressive illness.) An inquest recorded an open verdict.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2001-2006 UK Detention Services==&lt;br /&gt;
Sodexho-subsidiary UKDS started running Harmondsworth in 2001. It held 550 people, including children as young as 4 years old.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2001 detainee work scheme proposed===&lt;br /&gt;
It was alleged at the time of commencing the contract that Sodexho planned for asylum-seekers at Harmondsworth to work for almost nothing so that the company could cut its operating costs. A Home Office document obtained by the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, showed that the Government intended to suspend the minimum wage at Harmondsworth so that Sodexho could pay asylum seekers £12 a week, which works out at 34p an hour (92% below the minimum wage) to do the work of painters, cleaners and caterers. If they refused work but complied with an 'agreed activity programme', they would be paid £6. If they refused to cooperate at all, they would be given £4 for cleaning their rooms.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Asylum industry cashes in on vouchers and dispersals, Martin Bright &amp;amp; Conal Walsh, 2/9/01. The Observer viewed 25/08/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The scheme did not proceed at that time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2002 escape===&lt;br /&gt;
On February 22, 2002, The London Times reported that nine detainees escaped from Harmondsworth, breaking a window, scaling a 15’ fence and using towels to get over the razor wire surrounding the facility.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;The Times, 22/2/2002 www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-215410,00.html viewed 18/12/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2003 inspection and death of Olga Blaskevica===&lt;br /&gt;
In a report that came out in March 2003, the prisons inspectorate expressed “deep concern” about detainees with mental health problems being held at Harmondsworth.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Annual Inspectors Report, March 2003, p12. www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/imbharmondsworthb2002.pdf viewed 25/08/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 7 May 2003, Olga Blaskevica, &amp;quot;a 29-year-old Latvian woman was murdered in the family holding area at Harmondsworth by her mentally ill partner, hours before the pair were due to be deported. In June 2004, Olegs Pavlos denied murder but admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He was found to be suffering from paranoid schizophrenia.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An inspection of Harmondsworth made by the Chief Inspector of Prisons in September 2003 said that:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There were increasing levels of disorder, damage and escape attempts, with an average of seven assaults a week. In spite of an average of one self-harm incident a week, suicide, self-harm and anti-bullying procedures were not effectively managed. Nor was there sufficient mental health support for detainees held in the in-patient ward.” &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;“Harmondsworth – Unsafe Environment despite good work by staff”. Press Release by HM Inspectorate of Prisons. 29/09/03 Viewed at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/harmondsworthirc030929.html 30/09/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In conclusion, the report stated: “Harmondsworth, when we inspected it, did not meet three of our four tests for a healthy custodial environment.”&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2004 death of Sergey Baranyuk and uprising===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 19 July 2004, a 31-year-old Ukrainian asylum-seeker Sergey Baranyuk was found hanged in a shower room at Harmondsworth. According to the Institute of Race Relations, &amp;quot;Staff at the centre and immigration staff had very little contact with him in the two months that he was held in detention. He had been assigned to the fast-track system and detained with no information for over six weeks despite having agreed to voluntary return three days after submitting his asylum claim. The inquest jury recorded a verdict that he ‘took his own life’. The PPO [Prisons and Probation Ombudsman] described the circumstances of his death as ‘sad and shameful’.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; His death sparked a night of disturbances at the centre and all of the detainees were transferred out of the damaged centre.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/sergey-baranyuk-forgotten-at-harmondsworth/ Sergey Baranyuk forgotten at Harmondsworth], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2006-2009 Kalyx==&lt;br /&gt;
In October 2006, [[Sodexho]] changed the name of [[UK Detention Services]] to [[Kalyx]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2006 death of Bereket Yohannes, inspection, riot and fine===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 19 January 2006, Bereket Yohannes, &amp;quot;a 26-year-old Eritrean was found hanged in a shower block at Harmondsworth (run by UK Detention Services – UKDS). According to other detainees at the centre, he was fearful of deportation to Italy and found conditions at Harmondsworth ‘unbearable’. An inquest in March 2007 was told how he had previously tried to take his own life while he was held at Dover immigration removal centre a month prior to his death. The inquest jury found that he took his own life.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November 2006, a major riot took place at Harmondsworth, after the chief inspector of prisons issued her &amp;quot;poorest ever&amp;quot; report on a detention centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2006, Kalyx was fined £5,096,000 by the Home Office for performance failures.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Neither Kalyx nor the Home Office would be drawn on why the company has had to pay such a sizeable sum. But [Home Office minister Baroness] Scotland suggested it was at least partly to do with the company's failure to manage the centre properly.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She told the Lords that 'rigorous attempts to manage the situation in Harmondsworth' had now been put in place. 'That was the basis of the concerns expressed and of the disagreement... between management,' Scotland said.&lt;br /&gt;
...&lt;br /&gt;
A Home Office spokeswoman confirmed Kalyx would soon be paying out. 'The Immigration and Nationality Directorate has been in dispute with HDSL (a subsidiary of Kalyx) over its contractual performance at Harmondsworth,' the spokeswoman said. 'The dispute reached mediation point in summer 2006 and reached an agreed settlement; the details of this are being finalised by lawyers with full completion anticipated by the end of this month.'&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.theguardian.com/society/2006/dec/10/immigrationandasylum.immigrationasylumandrefugees Asylum riot firm hit by £5m penalty],  Jamie Doward and Martha Alexander, Observer, 10 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2009-2014 Geo Group==&lt;br /&gt;
The [[Geo Group]] ran Harmondsworth from 2009 to 2014, in which time they expanded the size of the centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2011 deaths of three men shortly after leaving Harmondsworth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 2 July 2011, Muhammad Shukat, &amp;quot;a 47-year-old Pakistani man died after suffering a heart attack in Colnbrook (run by Serco). In May 2012, an inquest jury recorded a highly critical verdict that found that neglect contributed to his death. According to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) report into his death, he was transferred from Brook House (near Gatwick) to Harmondsworth on 26 May. He was held at Harmondsworth for nearly a month, during which time he withdrew his claim for asylum and asked for assisted voluntary return. He was moved to Colnbrook on 29 June (at 1am) and died just a few days later. While he was held at Harmondsworth he made a complaint about the healthcare at the centre that was not followed up, staff at the healthcare unit also failed to obtain his medical records despite his written authorisation. These records ‘could have provided significant information that could have assisted healthcare staff [at Colnbrook] on the morning he died.’ The PPO made a number of recommendations following his investigation into Muhammad Shukat’s care at Harmondsworth, in relation to healthcare and the complaints process at Harmondsworth&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 31 July 2011, Brian Dalrymple, &amp;quot;a 31-year-old American man with significant health problems died in Colnbrook (run by Serco) a few days after being moved from Harmondsworth (which is next door to Colnbrook). In July 2014, and inquest jury recorded a verdict that Bran died of natural causes contributed to by neglect.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The jury found that, “throughout Mr Dalrymple’s detention at Harmondsworth medical record keeping was shambolic” and said neglect contributed to his death. Geo made a “significant” settlement to the Dalrymple family.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://corporatewatch.org/company-profiles/inquests GEO Group inquests], Corporate Watch&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 6 December 2011, an unnamed homeless French man died in hospital after release from Harmondsworth. He died &amp;quot;after coughing up massive amounts of blood – as the result of a tuberculosis (TB) infection ... The PPO [Prisons and Probation Ombudsman] had concerns over the use of restraint when the man was admitted to hospital for the second time and that attempts were not made to assess the risk he posed or consideration of infection to staff. The report is critical of the UKBA and Harmondsworth staff (GEO Group Inc) for failing to find and inform the man’s family – this was left to French judicial authorities, although the man had given Harmondsworth staff contact details for his parents in France, and they were also contained in his passport, which was in the possession of the UKBA. Neither organisation showed any support for the family or made any effort to return the body or tell the family about financial assistance for that.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/insti tutional-indifference-in-life-and-death/ Institutional indifference in life and death], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 13 October 2013&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2012 deaths of two men===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 30 October 2012, Prince Kwabena Fosu, &amp;quot;a 31-year-old Ghanaian detainee was found dead at Harmondsworth (run by the GEO Group Ltd). Other people detained at the centre issued a statement following the death that made a number of serious allegations about what happened to Prince Ofosu and about the poor treatment of others at the centre. They alleged that guards at the centre restrained Prince while in the ‘block’ (segregation unit) and that he had been held naked in his unheated cell.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 17 November 2012, Mr Chowdhury &amp;quot;died in hospital having been there for several days. He was placed in intensive care during the evening of 16 November and was only at that point released from detention at Harmondsworth. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) decided not to investigate this death because of ‘insufficient staff resources’.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The Home Office Professional Standards Unit investigated and produced an internal report, which HMIP described as &amp;quot;critical&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2013 death of Alois Dvorzak===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 10 February 2013, Alois Dvorzak, &amp;quot;an 84-year-old Canadian man (of Slovenian descent) suffering from Alzheimer’s died in hospital after becoming ill at Harmondsworth (run by the GEO Group Ltd). He was said to have been ‘extremely distressed’ before being rushed to hospital after suffering a suspected heart attack.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 8 May 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; He died shackled to a Geo security guard by a six foot chain. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman said that Dvorzak's death was “a tragic indictment of the system”, which “is likely to have reached the threshold of inhuman and degrading treatment.” The Ombudsman said that the privatised character of the immigration detention system might have led to the excessive use of handcuffs. Multiple doctors had warned that Dvorzak was not fit to be in detention.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://corporatewatch.org/company-profiles/alois-dvorzak-inquest-day-nine Alois Dvorzak inquest day nine], Corporate Watch&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2014 inspection===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2014 Mitie==&lt;br /&gt;
In September 2014 [[Mitie Care and Custody]] took over running Harmondsworth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2015 secret filming===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Harmondsworth_IRC&amp;diff=228412</id>
		<title>Harmondsworth IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Harmondsworth_IRC&amp;diff=228412"/>
		<updated>2015-12-01T12:10:53Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Harmondsworth IRC]] is an immigration removal centre. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Introduction==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Harmondsworth opened in 1970 as a small detention facility near Heathrow airport. Over the years it has expanded and become the largest detention site in Europe. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It was initially run by [[Securicor]]. In 1988 [[Group 4]] took over the management of Harmondsworth. The centre was run by [[Burns International]] from 1999 to 2001, before [[Sodexho]] subsidiary [[UK Detention Services]] (UKDS) started an eight year contract worth £180m in 2001. (In 2006 UKDS was rebranded as [[Kalyx]]). The [[Geo Group UK]] ran Harmondsworth from June 2009 until September 2014 when it was taken over by [[Mitie Care and Custody]] and 'merged' with [[Colnbrook IRC]] to form what is sometimes called [[Heathrow IRC]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==List of centre managers==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Joanne Henney]] from June 2009 to November 2012&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Alan Hunt]] from December 2012 to December 2013&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Paul Morrison]] from September 2014&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1970-1987 Securicor==&lt;br /&gt;
[[Securicor]] ran Harmondsworth after it opened. In 1978, parliament was told that &amp;quot;Discipline is kept to the minimum necessary to ensure the safe custody of detainees and the trouble-free running of the centres. Detainees are informed of the facilities available for telephone calls, meals and medical care. Securicor staff are required to comply with any lawful instructions given by an immigration officer or the Home Office and are told that they must treat detainees with humanity, kindness, courtesy and sympathetic understanding. Securicor is responsible, under contract, to the Home Office for the performance of its duties in connection with Immigration Act detainees.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1978/mar/16/detention-centres-harmondsworth-and Hansard], HC Deb 16 March 1978 vol 946 cc292-3W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1987, immigration minister David Waddington told Parliament that: &amp;quot;The estimated daily cost of detaining a person in immigration service detention centres, including Harmondsworth, is £115. This figure includes transport, escort and running costs, and the cost of employing staff from Securicor Ltd. The cost per day of detaining a person held under the Immigration Act 1971 in a prison department establishment, though not entirely comparable, is estimated at £34.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1987/mar/30/harmondsworth-detention-centre Hansard], HC Deb 30 March 1987 vol 113 cc344-5W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1988-1998 Group 4==&lt;br /&gt;
By 1988, [[Group 4]] had taken over the running of Harmondsworth from Securicor. (These companies would later merge to form [[G4S]]). &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1988, an MP asked &amp;quot;the Secretary of State for the Home Department:&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;quot;(1) what experience the company Group 4 had demonstrated in running a secure holding centre or prisons prior to being offered the contract for Harmondsworth holding centre;&lt;br /&gt;
*(2) what procedure is followed to vet the staff of private security firms who work at Harmondsworth holding centre; and how these (a) were applied to Securicor employees and (b) will be applied to Group 4 employees;&lt;br /&gt;
*(3) what measures will be taken to ensure that a smooth changeover of management will be secured at Harmondsworth holding centre when Securicor hand over the running to Group 4;&lt;br /&gt;
*(4) what were his reasons for deciding (a) to terminate the contract between the Home Office and Securicor for the management and staffing of Harmondsworth holding centre and (b) to award the contract to Group 4;&lt;br /&gt;
*(5) how many of those held at Harmondsworth holding centre have escaped in the time that it has been under the management of Securicor.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The immigration minister Tim Renton replied that:&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The contract for the provision of Group 4 staff at the Harmondsworth, Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester immigration detention units was awarded to the company following receipt of competitive tenders. The decision took account of a number of factors, including value for money and a detailed evaluation of the company's ability to provide the high quality of service specified.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The nature of the contract is unique in the United Kingdom and only Securicor Ltd. has so far had direct experience in this area. But Group 4 is a company of high standing. The tendering exercise enabled it to demonstrate satisfactorily its ability to provide a reliable service. Both Securicor Ltd. and Group 4 Total Security Ltd are members of the British Security Industry Association which lays down rigorous recruitment and vetting standards. Both companies fully meet those standards, including the vetting of candidates over a period extending back 20 years.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A series of meetings has been arranged between immigration service officials and senior managers within both Securicor and Group 4 to ensure a smooth transition. These discussions and detailed arrangements are progressing well. Responsibility for managing the detention units will not alter as a result of the change in contractor; that will remain firmly with the Home Office.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1987, 78 persons absconded from immigration service detention units; in 1988 up to 31 October the figure is 75. Figures for earlier years are not readily available. These details were not included in the factors taken into account when awarding the contract of Group 4.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1988/nov/11/group-4-holding-centre-contract Hansard],HC Deb 11 November 1988 vol 140 cc337-8W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===1989 death of Siho Iyugiven===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 5 October 1989, Siho Iyugiven, &amp;quot;a 27-year-old Kurdish refugee burned to death after barricading himself in his cell at Harmondsworth. His asylum claim had failed and he was facing deportation. He and his cellmate went on hunger strike, barricaded themselves in and set bedding alight as a protest. Smoke detectors were not working, few fire extinguishers worked and there were no sprinklers. An inquest recorded a misadventure verdict&amp;quot;, according to the Institute of Race Relations.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===1990 death of Kimpua Nsimba===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 15 June 1990, Kimpua Nsimba, &amp;quot;a 24-year-old Zairean man was found hanged in Harmondsworth, where he was detained because the Home Office could not find an interpreter. No one had spoken to him since his arrival over four days earlier. An inquest recorded a suicide verdict.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1999-2001 Burns International==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Burns International]] ran Harmondsworth from November 1999 to 2001.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2000 death of Robertas Grabys===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 4 January 2000, Robertas Grabys, &amp;quot;a 49-year-old Lithuanian was was found hanged in Harmondsworth on the day he was due to be deported. A report on his death criticised the company that was in charge of Harmondsworth at the time (Burns International). An internal Home Office inquiry found that the company did not have a formal policy to prevent suicides and that there was insufficient care. (His body was not found for over one hour as guards did not check the room, although he was known to suffer from a depressive illness.) An inquest recorded an open verdict.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2001-2006 UK Detention Services==&lt;br /&gt;
Sodexho-subsidiary UKDS started running Harmondsworth in 2001. It held 550 people, including children as young as 4 years old.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2001 detainee work scheme proposed===&lt;br /&gt;
It was alleged at the time of commencing the contract that Sodexho planned for asylum-seekers at Harmondsworth to work for almost nothing so that the company could cut its operating costs. A Home Office document obtained by the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, showed that the Government intended to suspend the minimum wage at Harmondsworth so that Sodexho could pay asylum seekers £12 a week, which works out at 34p an hour (92% below the minimum wage) to do the work of painters, cleaners and caterers. If they refused work but complied with an 'agreed activity programme', they would be paid £6. If they refused to cooperate at all, they would be given £4 for cleaning their rooms.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Asylum industry cashes in on vouchers and dispersals, Martin Bright &amp;amp; Conal Walsh, 2/9/01. The Observer viewed 25/08/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The scheme did not proceed at that time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2002 escape===&lt;br /&gt;
On February 22, 2002, The London Times reported that nine detainees escaped from Harmondsworth, breaking a window, scaling a 15’ fence and using towels to get over the razor wire surrounding the facility.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;The Times, 22/2/2002 www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-215410,00.html viewed 18/12/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2003 inspection and death of Olga Blaskevica===&lt;br /&gt;
In a report that came out in March 2003, the prisons inspectorate expressed “deep concern” about detainees with mental health problems being held at Harmondsworth.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Annual Inspectors Report, March 2003, p12. www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/imbharmondsworthb2002.pdf viewed 25/08/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 7 May 2003, Olga Blaskevica, &amp;quot;a 29-year-old Latvian woman was murdered in the family holding area at Harmondsworth by her mentally ill partner, hours before the pair were due to be deported. In June 2004, Olegs Pavlos denied murder but admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He was found to be suffering from paranoid schizophrenia.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An inspection of Harmondsworth made by the Chief Inspector of Prisons in September 2003 said that:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There were increasing levels of disorder, damage and escape attempts, with an average of seven assaults a week. In spite of an average of one self-harm incident a week, suicide, self-harm and anti-bullying procedures were not effectively managed. Nor was there sufficient mental health support for detainees held in the in-patient ward.” &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;“Harmondsworth – Unsafe Environment despite good work by staff”. Press Release by HM Inspectorate of Prisons. 29/09/03 Viewed at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/harmondsworthirc030929.html 30/09/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In conclusion, the report stated: “Harmondsworth, when we inspected it, did not meet three of our four tests for a healthy custodial environment.”&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2004 death of Sergey Baranyuk and uprising===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 19 July 2004, a 31-year-old Ukrainian asylum-seeker Sergey Baranyuk was found hanged in a shower room at Harmondsworth. According to the Institute of Race Relations, &amp;quot;Staff at the centre and immigration staff had very little contact with him in the two months that he was held in detention. He had been assigned to the fast-track system and detained with no information for over six weeks despite having agreed to voluntary return three days after submitting his asylum claim. The inquest jury recorded a verdict that he ‘took his own life’. The PPO [Prisons and Probation Ombudsman] described the circumstances of his death as ‘sad and shameful’.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; His death sparked a night of disturbances at the centre and all of the detainees were transferred out of the damaged centre.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/sergey-baranyuk-forgotten-at-harmondsworth/ Sergey Baranyuk forgotten at Harmondsworth], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2006-2009 Kalyx==&lt;br /&gt;
In October 2006, [[Sodexho]] changed the name of [[UK Detention Services]] to [[Kalyx]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2006 death of Bereket Yohannes, inspection, riot and fine===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 19 January 2006, Bereket Yohannes, &amp;quot;a 26-year-old Eritrean was found hanged in a shower block at Harmondsworth (run by UK Detention Services – UKDS). According to other detainees at the centre, he was fearful of deportation to Italy and found conditions at Harmondsworth ‘unbearable’. An inquest in March 2007 was told how he had previously tried to take his own life while he was held at Dover immigration removal centre a month prior to his death. The inquest jury found that he took his own life.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November 2006, a major riot took place at Harmondsworth, after the chief inspector of prisons issued her &amp;quot;poorest ever&amp;quot; report on a detention centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2006, Kalyx was fined £5,096,000 by the Home Office for performance failures.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Neither Kalyx nor the Home Office would be drawn on why the company has had to pay such a sizeable sum. But [Home Office minister Baroness] Scotland suggested it was at least partly to do with the company's failure to manage the centre properly.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She told the Lords that 'rigorous attempts to manage the situation in Harmondsworth' had now been put in place. 'That was the basis of the concerns expressed and of the disagreement... between management,' Scotland said.&lt;br /&gt;
...&lt;br /&gt;
A Home Office spokeswoman confirmed Kalyx would soon be paying out. 'The Immigration and Nationality Directorate has been in dispute with HDSL (a subsidiary of Kalyx) over its contractual performance at Harmondsworth,' the spokeswoman said. 'The dispute reached mediation point in summer 2006 and reached an agreed settlement; the details of this are being finalised by lawyers with full completion anticipated by the end of this month.'&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.theguardian.com/society/2006/dec/10/immigrationandasylum.immigrationasylumandrefugees Asylum riot firm hit by £5m penalty],  Jamie Doward and Martha Alexander, Observer, 10 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2009-2014 Geo Group==&lt;br /&gt;
The [[Geo Group]] ran Harmondsworth from 2009 to 2014, in which time they expanded the size of the centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2011 deaths of three men shortly after leaving Harmondsworth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 2 July 2011, Muhammad Shukat, &amp;quot;a 47-year-old Pakistani man died after suffering a heart attack in Colnbrook (run by Serco). In May 2012, an inquest jury recorded a highly critical verdict that found that neglect contributed to his death. According to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) report into his death, he was transferred from Brook House (near Gatwick) to Harmondsworth on 26 May. He was held at Harmondsworth for nearly a month, during which time he withdrew his claim for asylum and asked for assisted voluntary return. He was moved to Colnbrook on 29 June (at 1am) and died just a few days later. While he was held at Harmondsworth he made a complaint about the healthcare at the centre that was not followed up, staff at the healthcare unit also failed to obtain his medical records despite his written authorisation. These records ‘could have provided significant information that could have assisted healthcare staff [at Colnbrook] on the morning he died.’ The PPO made a number of recommendations following his investigation into Muhammad Shukat’s care at Harmondsworth, in relation to healthcare and the complaints process at Harmondsworth&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 31 July 2011, Brian Dalrymple, &amp;quot;a 31-year-old American man with significant health problems died in Colnbrook (run by Serco) a few days after being moved from Harmondsworth (which is next door to Colnbrook). In July 2014, and inquest jury recorded a verdict that Bran died of natural causes contributed to by neglect.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The jury found that, “throughout Mr Dalrymple’s detention at Harmondsworth medical record keeping was shambolic” and said neglect contributed to his death. Geo made a “significant” settlement to the Dalrymple family.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://corporatewatch.org/company-profiles/inquests GEO Group inquests], Corporate Watch&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 6 December 2011, an unnamed homeless French man died in hospital after release from Harmondsworth. He died &amp;quot;after coughing up massive amounts of blood – as the result of a tuberculosis (TB) infection ... The PPO [Prisons and Probation Ombudsman] had concerns over the use of restraint when the man was admitted to hospital for the second time and that attempts were not made to assess the risk he posed or consideration of infection to staff. The report is critical of the UKBA and Harmondsworth staff (GEO Group Inc) for failing to find and inform the man’s family – this was left to French judicial authorities, although the man had given Harmondsworth staff contact details for his parents in France, and they were also contained in his passport, which was in the possession of the UKBA. Neither organisation showed any support for the family or made any effort to return the body or tell the family about financial assistance for that.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/insti tutional-indifference-in-life-and-death/ Institutional indifference in life and death], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 13 October 2013&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2012 deaths of two men===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 30 October 2012, Prince Kwabena Fosu, &amp;quot;a 31-year-old Ghanaian detainee was found dead at Harmondsworth (run by the GEO Group Ltd). Other people detained at the centre issued a statement following the death that made a number of serious allegations about what happened to Prince Ofosu and about the poor treatment of others at the centre. They alleged that guards at the centre restrained Prince while in the ‘block’ (segregation unit) and that he had been held naked in his unheated cell.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 17 November 2012, Mr Chowdhury &amp;quot;died in hospital having been there for several days. He was placed in intensive care during the evening of 16 November and was only at that point released from detention at Harmondsworth. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) decided not to investigate this death because of ‘insufficient staff resources’.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The Home Office Professional Standards Unit investigated and produced an internal report, which HMIP described as &amp;quot;critical&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2014 Mitie==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Harmondsworth_IRC&amp;diff=228411</id>
		<title>Harmondsworth IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Harmondsworth_IRC&amp;diff=228411"/>
		<updated>2015-12-01T12:04:11Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: /* 2011 deaths of three men shortly after leaving Harmondsworth */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Harmondsworth IRC]] is an immigration removal centre. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Introduction==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Harmondsworth opened in 1970 as a small detention facility near Heathrow airport. Over the years it has expanded and become the largest detention site in Europe. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It was initially run by [[Securicor]]. In 1988 [[Group 4]] took over the management of Harmondsworth. The centre was run by [[Burns International]] from 1999 to 2001, before [[Sodexho]] subsidiary [[UK Detention Services]] (UKDS) started an eight year contract worth £180m in 2001. (In 2006 UKDS was rebranded as [[Kalyx]]). The [[Geo Group UK]] ran Harmondsworth from June 2009 until September 2014 when it was taken over by [[Mitie Care and Custody]] and 'merged' with [[Colnbrook IRC]] to form what is sometimes called [[Heathrow IRC]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==List of centre managers==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Joanne Henney]] from June 2009 to November 2012&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Alan Hunt]] from December 2012 to December 2013&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Paul Morrison]] from September 2014&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1970-1987 Securicor==&lt;br /&gt;
[[Securicor]] ran Harmondsworth after it opened. In 1978, parliament was told that &amp;quot;Discipline is kept to the minimum necessary to ensure the safe custody of detainees and the trouble-free running of the centres. Detainees are informed of the facilities available for telephone calls, meals and medical care. Securicor staff are required to comply with any lawful instructions given by an immigration officer or the Home Office and are told that they must treat detainees with humanity, kindness, courtesy and sympathetic understanding. Securicor is responsible, under contract, to the Home Office for the performance of its duties in connection with Immigration Act detainees.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1978/mar/16/detention-centres-harmondsworth-and Hansard], HC Deb 16 March 1978 vol 946 cc292-3W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1987, immigration minister David Waddington told Parliament that: &amp;quot;The estimated daily cost of detaining a person in immigration service detention centres, including Harmondsworth, is £115. This figure includes transport, escort and running costs, and the cost of employing staff from Securicor Ltd. The cost per day of detaining a person held under the Immigration Act 1971 in a prison department establishment, though not entirely comparable, is estimated at £34.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1987/mar/30/harmondsworth-detention-centre Hansard], HC Deb 30 March 1987 vol 113 cc344-5W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1988-1998 Group 4==&lt;br /&gt;
By 1988, [[Group 4]] had taken over the running of Harmondsworth from Securicor. (These companies would later merge to form [[G4S]]). &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1988, an MP asked &amp;quot;the Secretary of State for the Home Department:&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;quot;(1) what experience the company Group 4 had demonstrated in running a secure holding centre or prisons prior to being offered the contract for Harmondsworth holding centre;&lt;br /&gt;
*(2) what procedure is followed to vet the staff of private security firms who work at Harmondsworth holding centre; and how these (a) were applied to Securicor employees and (b) will be applied to Group 4 employees;&lt;br /&gt;
*(3) what measures will be taken to ensure that a smooth changeover of management will be secured at Harmondsworth holding centre when Securicor hand over the running to Group 4;&lt;br /&gt;
*(4) what were his reasons for deciding (a) to terminate the contract between the Home Office and Securicor for the management and staffing of Harmondsworth holding centre and (b) to award the contract to Group 4;&lt;br /&gt;
*(5) how many of those held at Harmondsworth holding centre have escaped in the time that it has been under the management of Securicor.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The immigration minister Tim Renton replied that:&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The contract for the provision of Group 4 staff at the Harmondsworth, Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester immigration detention units was awarded to the company following receipt of competitive tenders. The decision took account of a number of factors, including value for money and a detailed evaluation of the company's ability to provide the high quality of service specified.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The nature of the contract is unique in the United Kingdom and only Securicor Ltd. has so far had direct experience in this area. But Group 4 is a company of high standing. The tendering exercise enabled it to demonstrate satisfactorily its ability to provide a reliable service. Both Securicor Ltd. and Group 4 Total Security Ltd are members of the British Security Industry Association which lays down rigorous recruitment and vetting standards. Both companies fully meet those standards, including the vetting of candidates over a period extending back 20 years.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A series of meetings has been arranged between immigration service officials and senior managers within both Securicor and Group 4 to ensure a smooth transition. These discussions and detailed arrangements are progressing well. Responsibility for managing the detention units will not alter as a result of the change in contractor; that will remain firmly with the Home Office.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1987, 78 persons absconded from immigration service detention units; in 1988 up to 31 October the figure is 75. Figures for earlier years are not readily available. These details were not included in the factors taken into account when awarding the contract of Group 4.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1988/nov/11/group-4-holding-centre-contract Hansard],HC Deb 11 November 1988 vol 140 cc337-8W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===1989 death of Siho Iyugiven===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 5 October 1989, Siho Iyugiven, &amp;quot;a 27-year-old Kurdish refugee burned to death after barricading himself in his cell at Harmondsworth. His asylum claim had failed and he was facing deportation. He and his cellmate went on hunger strike, barricaded themselves in and set bedding alight as a protest. Smoke detectors were not working, few fire extinguishers worked and there were no sprinklers. An inquest recorded a misadventure verdict&amp;quot;, according to the Institute of Race Relations.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===1990 death of Kimpua Nsimba===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 15 June 1990, Kimpua Nsimba, &amp;quot;a 24-year-old Zairean man was found hanged in Harmondsworth, where he was detained because the Home Office could not find an interpreter. No one had spoken to him since his arrival over four days earlier. An inquest recorded a suicide verdict.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1999-2001 Burns International==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Burns International]] ran Harmondsworth from November 1999 to 2001.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2000 death of Robertas Grabys===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 4 January 2000, Robertas Grabys, &amp;quot;a 49-year-old Lithuanian was was found hanged in Harmondsworth on the day he was due to be deported. A report on his death criticised the company that was in charge of Harmondsworth at the time (Burns International). An internal Home Office inquiry found that the company did not have a formal policy to prevent suicides and that there was insufficient care. (His body was not found for over one hour as guards did not check the room, although he was known to suffer from a depressive illness.) An inquest recorded an open verdict.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2001-2006 UK Detention Services==&lt;br /&gt;
Sodexho-subsidiary UKDS started running Harmondsworth in 2001. It held 550 people, including children as young as 4 years old.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2001 detainee work scheme proposed===&lt;br /&gt;
It was alleged at the time of commencing the contract that Sodexho planned for asylum-seekers at Harmondsworth to work for almost nothing so that the company could cut its operating costs. A Home Office document obtained by the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, showed that the Government intended to suspend the minimum wage at Harmondsworth so that Sodexho could pay asylum seekers £12 a week, which works out at 34p an hour (92% below the minimum wage) to do the work of painters, cleaners and caterers. If they refused work but complied with an 'agreed activity programme', they would be paid £6. If they refused to cooperate at all, they would be given £4 for cleaning their rooms.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Asylum industry cashes in on vouchers and dispersals, Martin Bright &amp;amp; Conal Walsh, 2/9/01. The Observer viewed 25/08/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The scheme did not proceed at that time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2002 escape===&lt;br /&gt;
On February 22, 2002, The London Times reported that nine detainees escaped from Harmondsworth, breaking a window, scaling a 15’ fence and using towels to get over the razor wire surrounding the facility.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;The Times, 22/2/2002 www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-215410,00.html viewed 18/12/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2003 inspection and death of Olga Blaskevica===&lt;br /&gt;
In a report that came out in March 2003, the prisons inspectorate expressed “deep concern” about detainees with mental health problems being held at Harmondsworth.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Annual Inspectors Report, March 2003, p12. www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/imbharmondsworthb2002.pdf viewed 25/08/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 7 May 2003, Olga Blaskevica, &amp;quot;a 29-year-old Latvian woman was murdered in the family holding area at Harmondsworth by her mentally ill partner, hours before the pair were due to be deported. In June 2004, Olegs Pavlos denied murder but admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He was found to be suffering from paranoid schizophrenia.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An inspection of Harmondsworth made by the Chief Inspector of Prisons in September 2003 said that:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There were increasing levels of disorder, damage and escape attempts, with an average of seven assaults a week. In spite of an average of one self-harm incident a week, suicide, self-harm and anti-bullying procedures were not effectively managed. Nor was there sufficient mental health support for detainees held in the in-patient ward.” &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;“Harmondsworth – Unsafe Environment despite good work by staff”. Press Release by HM Inspectorate of Prisons. 29/09/03 Viewed at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/harmondsworthirc030929.html 30/09/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In conclusion, the report stated: “Harmondsworth, when we inspected it, did not meet three of our four tests for a healthy custodial environment.”&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2004 death of Sergey Baranyuk and uprising===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 19 July 2004, a 31-year-old Ukrainian asylum-seeker Sergey Baranyuk was found hanged in a shower room at Harmondsworth. According to the Institute of Race Relations, &amp;quot;Staff at the centre and immigration staff had very little contact with him in the two months that he was held in detention. He had been assigned to the fast-track system and detained with no information for over six weeks despite having agreed to voluntary return three days after submitting his asylum claim. The inquest jury recorded a verdict that he ‘took his own life’. The PPO [Prisons and Probation Ombudsman] described the circumstances of his death as ‘sad and shameful’.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; His death sparked a night of disturbances at the centre and all of the detainees were transferred out of the damaged centre.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/sergey-baranyuk-forgotten-at-harmondsworth/ Sergey Baranyuk forgotten at Harmondsworth], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2006-2009 Kalyx==&lt;br /&gt;
In October 2006, [[Sodexho]] changed the name of [[UK Detention Services]] to [[Kalyx]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2006 death of Bereket Yohannes, inspection, riot and fine===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 19 January 2006, Bereket Yohannes, &amp;quot;a 26-year-old Eritrean was found hanged in a shower block at Harmondsworth (run by UK Detention Services – UKDS). According to other detainees at the centre, he was fearful of deportation to Italy and found conditions at Harmondsworth ‘unbearable’. An inquest in March 2007 was told how he had previously tried to take his own life while he was held at Dover immigration removal centre a month prior to his death. The inquest jury found that he took his own life.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November 2006, a major riot took place at Harmondsworth, after the chief inspector of prisons issued her &amp;quot;poorest ever&amp;quot; report on a detention centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2006, Kalyx was fined £5,096,000 by the Home Office for performance failures.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Neither Kalyx nor the Home Office would be drawn on why the company has had to pay such a sizeable sum. But [Home Office minister Baroness] Scotland suggested it was at least partly to do with the company's failure to manage the centre properly.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She told the Lords that 'rigorous attempts to manage the situation in Harmondsworth' had now been put in place. 'That was the basis of the concerns expressed and of the disagreement... between management,' Scotland said.&lt;br /&gt;
...&lt;br /&gt;
A Home Office spokeswoman confirmed Kalyx would soon be paying out. 'The Immigration and Nationality Directorate has been in dispute with HDSL (a subsidiary of Kalyx) over its contractual performance at Harmondsworth,' the spokeswoman said. 'The dispute reached mediation point in summer 2006 and reached an agreed settlement; the details of this are being finalised by lawyers with full completion anticipated by the end of this month.'&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.theguardian.com/society/2006/dec/10/immigrationandasylum.immigrationasylumandrefugees Asylum riot firm hit by £5m penalty],  Jamie Doward and Martha Alexander, Observer, 10 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2009-2014 Geo Group==&lt;br /&gt;
The [[Geo Group]] ran Harmondsworth from 2009 to 2014, in which time they expanded the size of the centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2011 deaths of three men shortly after leaving Harmondsworth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 2 July 2011, Muhammad Shukat, &amp;quot;a 47-year-old Pakistani man died after suffering a heart attack in Colnbrook (run by Serco). In May 2012, an inquest jury recorded a highly critical verdict that found that neglect contributed to his death. According to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) report into his death, he was transferred from Brook House (near Gatwick) to Harmondsworth on 26 May. He was held at Harmondsworth for nearly a month, during which time he withdrew his claim for asylum and asked for assisted voluntary return. He was moved to Colnbrook on 29 June (at 1am) and died just a few days later. While he was held at Harmondsworth he made a complaint about the healthcare at the centre that was not followed up, staff at the healthcare unit also failed to obtain his medical records despite his written authorisation. These records ‘could have provided significant information that could have assisted healthcare staff [at Colnbrook] on the morning he died.’ The PPO made a number of recommendations following his investigation into Muhammad Shukat’s care at Harmondsworth, in relation to healthcare and the complaints process at Harmondsworth&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 31 July 2011, Brian Dalrymple, &amp;quot;a 31-year-old American man with significant health problems died in Colnbrook (run by Serco) a few days after being moved from Harmondsworth (which is next door to Colnbrook). In July 2014, and inquest jury recorded a verdict that Bran died of natural causes contributed to by neglect.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The jury found that, “throughout Mr Dalrymple’s detention at Harmondsworth medical record keeping was shambolic” and said neglect contributed to his death. Geo made a “significant” settlement to the Dalrymple family.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://corporatewatch.org/company-profiles/inquests GEO Group inquests], Corporate Watch&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 6 December 2011, an unnamed homeless French man died in hospital after release from Harmondsworth. He died &amp;quot;after coughing up massive amounts of blood – as the result of a tuberculosis (TB) infection ... The PPO [Prisons and Probation Ombudsman] had concerns over the use of restraint when the man was admitted to hospital for the second time and that attempts were not made to assess the risk he posed or consideration of infection to staff. The report is critical of the UKBA and Harmondsworth staff (GEO Group Inc) for failing to find and inform the man’s family – this was left to French judicial authorities, although the man had given Harmondsworth staff contact details for his parents in France, and they were also contained in his passport, which was in the possession of the UKBA. Neither organisation showed any support for the family or made any effort to return the body or tell the family about financial assistance for that.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/insti tutional-indifference-in-life-and-death/ Institutional indifference in life and death], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 13 October 2013&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2014 Mitie==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Harmondsworth_IRC&amp;diff=228410</id>
		<title>Harmondsworth IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Harmondsworth_IRC&amp;diff=228410"/>
		<updated>2015-12-01T12:02:59Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Harmondsworth IRC]] is an immigration removal centre. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Introduction==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Harmondsworth opened in 1970 as a small detention facility near Heathrow airport. Over the years it has expanded and become the largest detention site in Europe. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It was initially run by [[Securicor]]. In 1988 [[Group 4]] took over the management of Harmondsworth. The centre was run by [[Burns International]] from 1999 to 2001, before [[Sodexho]] subsidiary [[UK Detention Services]] (UKDS) started an eight year contract worth £180m in 2001. (In 2006 UKDS was rebranded as [[Kalyx]]). The [[Geo Group UK]] ran Harmondsworth from June 2009 until September 2014 when it was taken over by [[Mitie Care and Custody]] and 'merged' with [[Colnbrook IRC]] to form what is sometimes called [[Heathrow IRC]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==List of centre managers==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Joanne Henney]] from June 2009 to November 2012&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Alan Hunt]] from December 2012 to December 2013&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Paul Morrison]] from September 2014&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1970-1987 Securicor==&lt;br /&gt;
[[Securicor]] ran Harmondsworth after it opened. In 1978, parliament was told that &amp;quot;Discipline is kept to the minimum necessary to ensure the safe custody of detainees and the trouble-free running of the centres. Detainees are informed of the facilities available for telephone calls, meals and medical care. Securicor staff are required to comply with any lawful instructions given by an immigration officer or the Home Office and are told that they must treat detainees with humanity, kindness, courtesy and sympathetic understanding. Securicor is responsible, under contract, to the Home Office for the performance of its duties in connection with Immigration Act detainees.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1978/mar/16/detention-centres-harmondsworth-and Hansard], HC Deb 16 March 1978 vol 946 cc292-3W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1987, immigration minister David Waddington told Parliament that: &amp;quot;The estimated daily cost of detaining a person in immigration service detention centres, including Harmondsworth, is £115. This figure includes transport, escort and running costs, and the cost of employing staff from Securicor Ltd. The cost per day of detaining a person held under the Immigration Act 1971 in a prison department establishment, though not entirely comparable, is estimated at £34.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1987/mar/30/harmondsworth-detention-centre Hansard], HC Deb 30 March 1987 vol 113 cc344-5W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1988-1998 Group 4==&lt;br /&gt;
By 1988, [[Group 4]] had taken over the running of Harmondsworth from Securicor. (These companies would later merge to form [[G4S]]). &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1988, an MP asked &amp;quot;the Secretary of State for the Home Department:&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;quot;(1) what experience the company Group 4 had demonstrated in running a secure holding centre or prisons prior to being offered the contract for Harmondsworth holding centre;&lt;br /&gt;
*(2) what procedure is followed to vet the staff of private security firms who work at Harmondsworth holding centre; and how these (a) were applied to Securicor employees and (b) will be applied to Group 4 employees;&lt;br /&gt;
*(3) what measures will be taken to ensure that a smooth changeover of management will be secured at Harmondsworth holding centre when Securicor hand over the running to Group 4;&lt;br /&gt;
*(4) what were his reasons for deciding (a) to terminate the contract between the Home Office and Securicor for the management and staffing of Harmondsworth holding centre and (b) to award the contract to Group 4;&lt;br /&gt;
*(5) how many of those held at Harmondsworth holding centre have escaped in the time that it has been under the management of Securicor.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The immigration minister Tim Renton replied that:&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The contract for the provision of Group 4 staff at the Harmondsworth, Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester immigration detention units was awarded to the company following receipt of competitive tenders. The decision took account of a number of factors, including value for money and a detailed evaluation of the company's ability to provide the high quality of service specified.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The nature of the contract is unique in the United Kingdom and only Securicor Ltd. has so far had direct experience in this area. But Group 4 is a company of high standing. The tendering exercise enabled it to demonstrate satisfactorily its ability to provide a reliable service. Both Securicor Ltd. and Group 4 Total Security Ltd are members of the British Security Industry Association which lays down rigorous recruitment and vetting standards. Both companies fully meet those standards, including the vetting of candidates over a period extending back 20 years.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A series of meetings has been arranged between immigration service officials and senior managers within both Securicor and Group 4 to ensure a smooth transition. These discussions and detailed arrangements are progressing well. Responsibility for managing the detention units will not alter as a result of the change in contractor; that will remain firmly with the Home Office.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1987, 78 persons absconded from immigration service detention units; in 1988 up to 31 October the figure is 75. Figures for earlier years are not readily available. These details were not included in the factors taken into account when awarding the contract of Group 4.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1988/nov/11/group-4-holding-centre-contract Hansard],HC Deb 11 November 1988 vol 140 cc337-8W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===1989 death of Siho Iyugiven===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 5 October 1989, Siho Iyugiven, &amp;quot;a 27-year-old Kurdish refugee burned to death after barricading himself in his cell at Harmondsworth. His asylum claim had failed and he was facing deportation. He and his cellmate went on hunger strike, barricaded themselves in and set bedding alight as a protest. Smoke detectors were not working, few fire extinguishers worked and there were no sprinklers. An inquest recorded a misadventure verdict&amp;quot;, according to the Institute of Race Relations.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===1990 death of Kimpua Nsimba===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 15 June 1990, Kimpua Nsimba, &amp;quot;a 24-year-old Zairean man was found hanged in Harmondsworth, where he was detained because the Home Office could not find an interpreter. No one had spoken to him since his arrival over four days earlier. An inquest recorded a suicide verdict.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1999-2001 Burns International==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Burns International]] ran Harmondsworth from November 1999 to 2001.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2000 death of Robertas Grabys===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 4 January 2000, Robertas Grabys, &amp;quot;a 49-year-old Lithuanian was was found hanged in Harmondsworth on the day he was due to be deported. A report on his death criticised the company that was in charge of Harmondsworth at the time (Burns International). An internal Home Office inquiry found that the company did not have a formal policy to prevent suicides and that there was insufficient care. (His body was not found for over one hour as guards did not check the room, although he was known to suffer from a depressive illness.) An inquest recorded an open verdict.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2001-2006 UK Detention Services==&lt;br /&gt;
Sodexho-subsidiary UKDS started running Harmondsworth in 2001. It held 550 people, including children as young as 4 years old.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2001 detainee work scheme proposed===&lt;br /&gt;
It was alleged at the time of commencing the contract that Sodexho planned for asylum-seekers at Harmondsworth to work for almost nothing so that the company could cut its operating costs. A Home Office document obtained by the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, showed that the Government intended to suspend the minimum wage at Harmondsworth so that Sodexho could pay asylum seekers £12 a week, which works out at 34p an hour (92% below the minimum wage) to do the work of painters, cleaners and caterers. If they refused work but complied with an 'agreed activity programme', they would be paid £6. If they refused to cooperate at all, they would be given £4 for cleaning their rooms.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Asylum industry cashes in on vouchers and dispersals, Martin Bright &amp;amp; Conal Walsh, 2/9/01. The Observer viewed 25/08/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The scheme did not proceed at that time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2002 escape===&lt;br /&gt;
On February 22, 2002, The London Times reported that nine detainees escaped from Harmondsworth, breaking a window, scaling a 15’ fence and using towels to get over the razor wire surrounding the facility.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;The Times, 22/2/2002 www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-215410,00.html viewed 18/12/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2003 inspection and death of Olga Blaskevica===&lt;br /&gt;
In a report that came out in March 2003, the prisons inspectorate expressed “deep concern” about detainees with mental health problems being held at Harmondsworth.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Annual Inspectors Report, March 2003, p12. www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/imbharmondsworthb2002.pdf viewed 25/08/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 7 May 2003, Olga Blaskevica, &amp;quot;a 29-year-old Latvian woman was murdered in the family holding area at Harmondsworth by her mentally ill partner, hours before the pair were due to be deported. In June 2004, Olegs Pavlos denied murder but admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He was found to be suffering from paranoid schizophrenia.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An inspection of Harmondsworth made by the Chief Inspector of Prisons in September 2003 said that:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There were increasing levels of disorder, damage and escape attempts, with an average of seven assaults a week. In spite of an average of one self-harm incident a week, suicide, self-harm and anti-bullying procedures were not effectively managed. Nor was there sufficient mental health support for detainees held in the in-patient ward.” &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;“Harmondsworth – Unsafe Environment despite good work by staff”. Press Release by HM Inspectorate of Prisons. 29/09/03 Viewed at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/harmondsworthirc030929.html 30/09/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In conclusion, the report stated: “Harmondsworth, when we inspected it, did not meet three of our four tests for a healthy custodial environment.”&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2004 death of Sergey Baranyuk and uprising===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 19 July 2004, a 31-year-old Ukrainian asylum-seeker Sergey Baranyuk was found hanged in a shower room at Harmondsworth. According to the Institute of Race Relations, &amp;quot;Staff at the centre and immigration staff had very little contact with him in the two months that he was held in detention. He had been assigned to the fast-track system and detained with no information for over six weeks despite having agreed to voluntary return three days after submitting his asylum claim. The inquest jury recorded a verdict that he ‘took his own life’. The PPO [Prisons and Probation Ombudsman] described the circumstances of his death as ‘sad and shameful’.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; His death sparked a night of disturbances at the centre and all of the detainees were transferred out of the damaged centre.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/sergey-baranyuk-forgotten-at-harmondsworth/ Sergey Baranyuk forgotten at Harmondsworth], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2006-2009 Kalyx==&lt;br /&gt;
In October 2006, [[Sodexho]] changed the name of [[UK Detention Services]] to [[Kalyx]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2006 death of Bereket Yohannes, inspection, riot and fine===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 19 January 2006, Bereket Yohannes, &amp;quot;a 26-year-old Eritrean was found hanged in a shower block at Harmondsworth (run by UK Detention Services – UKDS). According to other detainees at the centre, he was fearful of deportation to Italy and found conditions at Harmondsworth ‘unbearable’. An inquest in March 2007 was told how he had previously tried to take his own life while he was held at Dover immigration removal centre a month prior to his death. The inquest jury found that he took his own life.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November 2006, a major riot took place at Harmondsworth, after the chief inspector of prisons issued her &amp;quot;poorest ever&amp;quot; report on a detention centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2006, Kalyx was fined £5,096,000 by the Home Office for performance failures.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Neither Kalyx nor the Home Office would be drawn on why the company has had to pay such a sizeable sum. But [Home Office minister Baroness] Scotland suggested it was at least partly to do with the company's failure to manage the centre properly.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She told the Lords that 'rigorous attempts to manage the situation in Harmondsworth' had now been put in place. 'That was the basis of the concerns expressed and of the disagreement... between management,' Scotland said.&lt;br /&gt;
...&lt;br /&gt;
A Home Office spokeswoman confirmed Kalyx would soon be paying out. 'The Immigration and Nationality Directorate has been in dispute with HDSL (a subsidiary of Kalyx) over its contractual performance at Harmondsworth,' the spokeswoman said. 'The dispute reached mediation point in summer 2006 and reached an agreed settlement; the details of this are being finalised by lawyers with full completion anticipated by the end of this month.'&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.theguardian.com/society/2006/dec/10/immigrationandasylum.immigrationasylumandrefugees Asylum riot firm hit by £5m penalty],  Jamie Doward and Martha Alexander, Observer, 10 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2009-2014 Geo Group==&lt;br /&gt;
The [[Geo Group]] ran Harmondsworth from 2009 to 2014, in which time they expanded the size of the centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2011 deaths of three men shortly after leaving Harmondsworth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 2 July 2011, Muhammad Shukat, &amp;quot;a 47-year-old Pakistani man died after suffering a heart attack in Colnbrook (run by Serco). In May 2012, an inquest jury recorded a highly critical verdict that found that neglect contributed to his death. According to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) report into his death, he was transferred from Brook House (near Gatwick) to Harmondsworth on 26 May. He was held at Harmondsworth for nearly a month, during which time he withdrew his claim for asylum and asked for assisted voluntary return. He was moved to Colnbrook on 29 June (at 1am) and died just a few days later. While he was held at Harmondsworth he made a complaint about the healthcare at the centre that was not followed up, staff at the healthcare unit also failed to obtain his medical records despite his written authorisation. These records ‘could have provided significant information that could have assisted healthcare staff [at Colnbrook] on the morning he died.’ The PPO made a number of recommendations following his investigation into Muhammad Shukat’s care at Harmondsworth, in relation to healthcare and the complaints process at Harmondsworth&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 31 July 2011, Brian Dalrymple, &amp;quot;a 31-year-old American man with significant health problems died in Colnbrook (run by Serco) a few days after being moved from Harmondsworth (which is next door to Colnbrook). In July 2014, and inquest jury recorded a verdict that Bran died of natural causes contributed to by neglect.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The jury found that, “throughout Mr Dalrymple’s detention at Harmondsworth medical record keeping was shambolic” and said neglect contributed to his death. Geo made a “significant” settlement to the Dalrymple family.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://corporatewatch.org/company-profiles/inquests GEO Group inquests], Corporate Watch&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 6 December 2011, an unnamed homeless French man died in hospital from after release from Harmondsworth. He died &amp;quot;after coughing up massive amounts of blood – as the result of a tuberculosis (TB) infection ... The PPO [Prisons and Probation Ombudsman] had concerns over the use of restraint when the man was admitted to hospital for the second time and that attempts were not made to assess the risk he posed or consideration of infection to staff. The report is critical of the UKBA and Harmondsworth staff (GEO Group Inc) for failing to find and inform the man’s family – this was left to French judicial authorities, although the man had given Harmondsworth staff contact details for his parents in France, and they were also contained in his passport, which was in the possession of the UKBA. Neither organisation showed any support for the family or made any effort to return the body or tell the family about financial assistance for that.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/insti tutional-indifference-in-life-and-death/ Institutional indifference in life and death], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 13 October 2013&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2014 Mitie==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Harmondsworth_IRC&amp;diff=228409</id>
		<title>Harmondsworth IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Harmondsworth_IRC&amp;diff=228409"/>
		<updated>2015-12-01T11:47:58Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: /* 2001-2006 UK Detention Services */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Harmondsworth IRC]] is an immigration removal centre. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Introduction==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Harmondsworth opened in 1970 as a small detention facility near Heathrow airport. Over the years it has expanded and become the largest detention site in Europe. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It was initially run by [[Securicor]]. In 1988 [[Group 4]] took over the management of Harmondsworth. The centre was run by [[Burns International]] from 1999 to 2001, before [[Sodexho]] subsidiary [[UK Detention Services]] (UKDS) started an eight year contract worth £180m in 2001. (In 2006 UKDS was rebranded as [[Kalyx]]). The [[Geo Group UK]] ran Harmondsworth from June 2009 until September 2014 when it was taken over by [[Mitie Care and Custody]] and 'merged' with [[Colnbrook IRC]] to form what is sometimes called [[Heathrow IRC]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==List of centre managers==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Joanne Henney]] from June 2009 to November 2012&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Alan Hunt]] from December 2012 to December 2013&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Paul Morrison]] from September 2014&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1970-1987 Securicor==&lt;br /&gt;
[[Securicor]] ran Harmondsworth after it opened. In 1978, parliament was told that &amp;quot;Discipline is kept to the minimum necessary to ensure the safe custody of detainees and the trouble-free running of the centres. Detainees are informed of the facilities available for telephone calls, meals and medical care. Securicor staff are required to comply with any lawful instructions given by an immigration officer or the Home Office and are told that they must treat detainees with humanity, kindness, courtesy and sympathetic understanding. Securicor is responsible, under contract, to the Home Office for the performance of its duties in connection with Immigration Act detainees.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1978/mar/16/detention-centres-harmondsworth-and Hansard], HC Deb 16 March 1978 vol 946 cc292-3W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1987, immigration minister David Waddington told Parliament that: &amp;quot;The estimated daily cost of detaining a person in immigration service detention centres, including Harmondsworth, is £115. This figure includes transport, escort and running costs, and the cost of employing staff from Securicor Ltd. The cost per day of detaining a person held under the Immigration Act 1971 in a prison department establishment, though not entirely comparable, is estimated at £34.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1987/mar/30/harmondsworth-detention-centre Hansard], HC Deb 30 March 1987 vol 113 cc344-5W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1988-1998 Group 4==&lt;br /&gt;
By 1988, [[Group 4]] had taken over the running of Harmondsworth from Securicor. (These companies would later merge to form [[G4S]]). &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1988, an MP asked &amp;quot;the Secretary of State for the Home Department:&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;quot;(1) what experience the company Group 4 had demonstrated in running a secure holding centre or prisons prior to being offered the contract for Harmondsworth holding centre;&lt;br /&gt;
*(2) what procedure is followed to vet the staff of private security firms who work at Harmondsworth holding centre; and how these (a) were applied to Securicor employees and (b) will be applied to Group 4 employees;&lt;br /&gt;
*(3) what measures will be taken to ensure that a smooth changeover of management will be secured at Harmondsworth holding centre when Securicor hand over the running to Group 4;&lt;br /&gt;
*(4) what were his reasons for deciding (a) to terminate the contract between the Home Office and Securicor for the management and staffing of Harmondsworth holding centre and (b) to award the contract to Group 4;&lt;br /&gt;
*(5) how many of those held at Harmondsworth holding centre have escaped in the time that it has been under the management of Securicor.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The immigration minister Tim Renton replied that:&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The contract for the provision of Group 4 staff at the Harmondsworth, Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester immigration detention units was awarded to the company following receipt of competitive tenders. The decision took account of a number of factors, including value for money and a detailed evaluation of the company's ability to provide the high quality of service specified.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The nature of the contract is unique in the United Kingdom and only Securicor Ltd. has so far had direct experience in this area. But Group 4 is a company of high standing. The tendering exercise enabled it to demonstrate satisfactorily its ability to provide a reliable service. Both Securicor Ltd. and Group 4 Total Security Ltd are members of the British Security Industry Association which lays down rigorous recruitment and vetting standards. Both companies fully meet those standards, including the vetting of candidates over a period extending back 20 years.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A series of meetings has been arranged between immigration service officials and senior managers within both Securicor and Group 4 to ensure a smooth transition. These discussions and detailed arrangements are progressing well. Responsibility for managing the detention units will not alter as a result of the change in contractor; that will remain firmly with the Home Office.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1987, 78 persons absconded from immigration service detention units; in 1988 up to 31 October the figure is 75. Figures for earlier years are not readily available. These details were not included in the factors taken into account when awarding the contract of Group 4.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1988/nov/11/group-4-holding-centre-contract Hansard],HC Deb 11 November 1988 vol 140 cc337-8W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===1989 death of Siho Iyugiven===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 5 October 1989, Siho Iyugiven, &amp;quot;a 27-year-old Kurdish refugee burned to death after barricading himself in his cell at Harmondsworth. His asylum claim had failed and he was facing deportation. He and his cellmate went on hunger strike, barricaded themselves in and set bedding alight as a protest. Smoke detectors were not working, few fire extinguishers worked and there were no sprinklers. An inquest recorded a misadventure verdict&amp;quot;, according to the Institute of Race Relations.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===1990 death of Kimpua Nsimba===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 15 June 1990, Kimpua Nsimba, &amp;quot;a 24-year-old Zairean man was found hanged in Harmondsworth, where he was detained because the Home Office could not find an interpreter. No one had spoken to him since his arrival over four days earlier. An inquest recorded a suicide verdict.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1999-2001 Burns International==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Burns International]] ran Harmondsworth from November 1999 to 2001.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2000 death of Robertas Grabys===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 4 January 2000, Robertas Grabys, &amp;quot;a 49-year-old Lithuanian was was found hanged in Harmondsworth on the day he was due to be deported. A report on his death criticised the company that was in charge of Harmondsworth at the time (Burns International). An internal Home Office inquiry found that the company did not have a formal policy to prevent suicides and that there was insufficient care. (His body was not found for over one hour as guards did not check the room, although he was known to suffer from a depressive illness.) An inquest recorded an open verdict.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2001-2006 UK Detention Services==&lt;br /&gt;
Sodexho-subsidiary UKDS started running Harmondsworth in 2001. It held 550 people, including children as young as 4 years old.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2001 detainee work scheme proposed===&lt;br /&gt;
It was alleged at the time of commencing the contract that Sodexho planned for asylum-seekers at Harmondsworth to work for almost nothing so that the company could cut its operating costs. A Home Office document obtained by the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, showed that the Government intended to suspend the minimum wage at Harmondsworth so that Sodexho could pay asylum seekers £12 a week, which works out at 34p an hour (92% below the minimum wage) to do the work of painters, cleaners and caterers. If they refused work but complied with an 'agreed activity programme', they would be paid £6. If they refused to cooperate at all, they would be given £4 for cleaning their rooms.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Asylum industry cashes in on vouchers and dispersals, Martin Bright &amp;amp; Conal Walsh, 2/9/01. The Observer viewed 25/08/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The scheme did not proceed at that time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2002 escape===&lt;br /&gt;
On February 22, 2002, The London Times reported that nine detainees escaped from Harmondsworth, breaking a window, scaling a 15’ fence and using towels to get over the razor wire surrounding the facility.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;The Times, 22/2/2002 www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-215410,00.html viewed 18/12/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2003 inspection and death of Olga Blaskevica===&lt;br /&gt;
In a report that came out in March 2003, the prisons inspectorate expressed “deep concern” about detainees with mental health problems being held at Harmondsworth.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Annual Inspectors Report, March 2003, p12. www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/imbharmondsworthb2002.pdf viewed 25/08/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 7 May 2003, Olga Blaskevica, &amp;quot;a 29-year-old Latvian woman was murdered in the family holding area at Harmondsworth by her mentally ill partner, hours before the pair were due to be deported. In June 2004, Olegs Pavlos denied murder but admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He was found to be suffering from paranoid schizophrenia.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An inspection of Harmondsworth made by the Chief Inspector of Prisons in September 2003 said that:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There were increasing levels of disorder, damage and escape attempts, with an average of seven assaults a week. In spite of an average of one self-harm incident a week, suicide, self-harm and anti-bullying procedures were not effectively managed. Nor was there sufficient mental health support for detainees held in the in-patient ward.” &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;“Harmondsworth – Unsafe Environment despite good work by staff”. Press Release by HM Inspectorate of Prisons. 29/09/03 Viewed at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/harmondsworthirc030929.html 30/09/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In conclusion, the report stated: “Harmondsworth, when we inspected it, did not meet three of our four tests for a healthy custodial environment.”&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2004 death of Sergey Baranyuk and uprising===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 19 July 2004, a 31-year-old Ukrainian asylum-seeker Sergey Baranyuk was found hanged in a shower room at Harmondsworth. According to the Institute of Race Relations, &amp;quot;Staff at the centre and immigration staff had very little contact with him in the two months that he was held in detention. He had been assigned to the fast-track system and detained with no information for over six weeks despite having agreed to voluntary return three days after submitting his asylum claim. The inquest jury recorded a verdict that he ‘took his own life’. The PPO [Prisons and Probation Ombudsman] described the circumstances of his death as ‘sad and shameful’.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; His death sparked a night of disturbances at the centre and all of the detainees were transferred out of the damaged centre.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/sergey-baranyuk-forgotten-at-harmondsworth/ Sergey Baranyuk forgotten at Harmondsworth], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2006-2009 Kalyx==&lt;br /&gt;
In October 2006, [[Sodexho]] changed the name of [[UK Detention Services]] to [[Kalyx]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2006 inspection, riot and fine===&lt;br /&gt;
In November 2006, a major riot took place at Harmondsworth, after the chief inspector of prisons issued her &amp;quot;poorest ever&amp;quot; report on a detention centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2006, Kalyx was fined £5,096,000 by the Home Office for performance failures.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Neither Kalyx nor the Home Office would be drawn on why the company has had to pay such a sizeable sum. But [Home Office minister Baroness] Scotland suggested it was at least partly to do with the company's failure to manage the centre properly.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She told the Lords that 'rigorous attempts to manage the situation in Harmondsworth' had now been put in place. 'That was the basis of the concerns expressed and of the disagreement... between management,' Scotland said.&lt;br /&gt;
...&lt;br /&gt;
A Home Office spokeswoman confirmed Kalyx would soon be paying out. 'The Immigration and Nationality Directorate has been in dispute with HDSL (a subsidiary of Kalyx) over its contractual performance at Harmondsworth,' the spokeswoman said. 'The dispute reached mediation point in summer 2006 and reached an agreed settlement; the details of this are being finalised by lawyers with full completion anticipated by the end of this month.'&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.theguardian.com/society/2006/dec/10/immigrationandasylum.immigrationasylumandrefugees Asylum riot firm hit by £5m penalty],  Jamie Doward and Martha Alexander, Observer, 10 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2009-2014 Geo Group==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2014 Mitie==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Harmondsworth_IRC&amp;diff=228407</id>
		<title>Harmondsworth IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Harmondsworth_IRC&amp;diff=228407"/>
		<updated>2015-12-01T11:33:23Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Harmondsworth IRC]] is an immigration removal centre. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Introduction==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Harmondsworth opened in 1970 as a small detention facility near Heathrow airport. Over the years it has expanded and become the largest detention site in Europe. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It was initially run by [[Securicor]]. In 1988 [[Group 4]] took over the management of Harmondsworth. The centre was run by [[Burns International]] from 1999 to 2001, before [[Sodexho]] subsidiary [[UK Detention Services]] (UKDS) started an eight year contract worth £180m in 2001. (In 2006 UKDS was rebranded as [[Kalyx]]). The [[Geo Group UK]] ran Harmondsworth from June 2009 until September 2014 when it was taken over by [[Mitie Care and Custody]] and 'merged' with [[Colnbrook IRC]] to form what is sometimes called [[Heathrow IRC]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==List of centre managers==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Joanne Henney]] from June 2009 to November 2012&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Alan Hunt]] from December 2012 to December 2013&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Paul Morrison]] from September 2014&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1970-1987 Securicor==&lt;br /&gt;
[[Securicor]] ran Harmondsworth after it opened. In 1978, parliament was told that &amp;quot;Discipline is kept to the minimum necessary to ensure the safe custody of detainees and the trouble-free running of the centres. Detainees are informed of the facilities available for telephone calls, meals and medical care. Securicor staff are required to comply with any lawful instructions given by an immigration officer or the Home Office and are told that they must treat detainees with humanity, kindness, courtesy and sympathetic understanding. Securicor is responsible, under contract, to the Home Office for the performance of its duties in connection with Immigration Act detainees.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1978/mar/16/detention-centres-harmondsworth-and Hansard], HC Deb 16 March 1978 vol 946 cc292-3W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1987, immigration minister David Waddington told Parliament that: &amp;quot;The estimated daily cost of detaining a person in immigration service detention centres, including Harmondsworth, is £115. This figure includes transport, escort and running costs, and the cost of employing staff from Securicor Ltd. The cost per day of detaining a person held under the Immigration Act 1971 in a prison department establishment, though not entirely comparable, is estimated at £34.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1987/mar/30/harmondsworth-detention-centre Hansard], HC Deb 30 March 1987 vol 113 cc344-5W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1988-1998 Group 4==&lt;br /&gt;
By 1988, [[Group 4]] had taken over the running of Harmondsworth from Securicor. (These companies would later merge to form [[G4S]]). &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1988, an MP asked &amp;quot;the Secretary of State for the Home Department:&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;quot;(1) what experience the company Group 4 had demonstrated in running a secure holding centre or prisons prior to being offered the contract for Harmondsworth holding centre;&lt;br /&gt;
*(2) what procedure is followed to vet the staff of private security firms who work at Harmondsworth holding centre; and how these (a) were applied to Securicor employees and (b) will be applied to Group 4 employees;&lt;br /&gt;
*(3) what measures will be taken to ensure that a smooth changeover of management will be secured at Harmondsworth holding centre when Securicor hand over the running to Group 4;&lt;br /&gt;
*(4) what were his reasons for deciding (a) to terminate the contract between the Home Office and Securicor for the management and staffing of Harmondsworth holding centre and (b) to award the contract to Group 4;&lt;br /&gt;
*(5) how many of those held at Harmondsworth holding centre have escaped in the time that it has been under the management of Securicor.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The immigration minister Tim Renton replied that:&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The contract for the provision of Group 4 staff at the Harmondsworth, Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester immigration detention units was awarded to the company following receipt of competitive tenders. The decision took account of a number of factors, including value for money and a detailed evaluation of the company's ability to provide the high quality of service specified.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The nature of the contract is unique in the United Kingdom and only Securicor Ltd. has so far had direct experience in this area. But Group 4 is a company of high standing. The tendering exercise enabled it to demonstrate satisfactorily its ability to provide a reliable service. Both Securicor Ltd. and Group 4 Total Security Ltd are members of the British Security Industry Association which lays down rigorous recruitment and vetting standards. Both companies fully meet those standards, including the vetting of candidates over a period extending back 20 years.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A series of meetings has been arranged between immigration service officials and senior managers within both Securicor and Group 4 to ensure a smooth transition. These discussions and detailed arrangements are progressing well. Responsibility for managing the detention units will not alter as a result of the change in contractor; that will remain firmly with the Home Office.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1987, 78 persons absconded from immigration service detention units; in 1988 up to 31 October the figure is 75. Figures for earlier years are not readily available. These details were not included in the factors taken into account when awarding the contract of Group 4.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1988/nov/11/group-4-holding-centre-contract Hansard],HC Deb 11 November 1988 vol 140 cc337-8W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===1989 death of Siho Iyugiven===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 5 October 1989, Siho Iyugiven, &amp;quot;a 27-year-old Kurdish refugee burned to death after barricading himself in his cell at Harmondsworth. His asylum claim had failed and he was facing deportation. He and his cellmate went on hunger strike, barricaded themselves in and set bedding alight as a protest. Smoke detectors were not working, few fire extinguishers worked and there were no sprinklers. An inquest recorded a misadventure verdict&amp;quot;, according to the Institute of Race Relations.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===1990 death of Kimpua Nsimba===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 15 June 1990, Kimpua Nsimba, &amp;quot;a 24-year-old Zairean man was found hanged in Harmondsworth, where he was detained because the Home Office could not find an interpreter. No one had spoken to him since his arrival over four days earlier. An inquest recorded a suicide verdict.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1999-2001 Burns International==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Burns International]] ran Harmondsworth from November 1999 to 2001.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2000 death of Robertas Grabys===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 4 January 2000, Robertas Grabys, &amp;quot;a 49-year-old Lithuanian was was found hanged in Harmondsworth on the day he was due to be deported. A report on his death criticised the company that was in charge of Harmondsworth at the time (Burns International). An internal Home Office inquiry found that the company did not have a formal policy to prevent suicides and that there was insufficient care. (His body was not found for over one hour as guards did not check the room, although he was known to suffer from a depressive illness.) An inquest recorded an open verdict.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2001-2006 UK Detention Services==&lt;br /&gt;
Sodexho-subsidiary UKDS started running Harmondsworth in 2001. It held 550 people, including children as young as 4 years old.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It was alleged at the time of commencing the contract that Sodexho planned for asylum-seekers at Harmondsworth to work for almost nothing so that the company could cut its operating costs. A Home Office document obtained by the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, showed that the Government intended to suspend the minimum wage at Harmondsworth so that Sodexho could pay asylum seekers £12 a week, which works out at 34p an hour (92% below the minimum wage) to do the work of painters, cleaners and caterers. If they refused work but complied with an 'agreed activity programme', they would be paid £6. If they refused to cooperate at all, they would be given £4 for cleaning their rooms.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Asylum industry cashes in on vouchers and dispersals, Martin Bright &amp;amp; Conal Walsh, 2/9/01. The Observer viewed 25/08/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The scheme did not proceed at that time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2002 escape===&lt;br /&gt;
On February 22, 2002, The London Times reported that nine detainees escaped from Harmondsworth, breaking a window, scaling a 15’ fence and using towels to get over the razor wire surrounding the facility.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;The Times, 22/2/2002 www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-215410,00.html viewed 18/12/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2003 inspection and death of Olga Blaskevica===&lt;br /&gt;
In a report that came out in March 2003, the prisons inspectorate expressed “deep concern” about detainees with mental health problems being held at Harmondsworth.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Annual Inspectors Report, March 2003, p12. www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/imbharmondsworthb2002.pdf viewed 25/08/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 7 May 2003, Olga Blaskevica, &amp;quot;a 29-year-old Latvian woman was murdered in the family holding area at Harmondsworth by her mentally ill partner, hours before the pair were due to be deported. In June 2004, Olegs Pavlos denied murder but admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He was found to be suffering from paranoid schizophrenia.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An inspection of Harmondsworth made by the Chief Inspector of Prisons in September 2003 said that:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There were increasing levels of disorder, damage and escape attempts, with an average of seven assaults a week. In spite of an average of one self-harm incident a week, suicide, self-harm and anti-bullying procedures were not effectively managed. Nor was there sufficient mental health support for detainees held in the in-patient ward.” &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;“Harmondsworth – Unsafe Environment despite good work by staff”. Press Release by HM Inspectorate of Prisons. 29/09/03 Viewed at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/harmondsworthirc030929.html 30/09/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In conclusion, the report stated: “Harmondsworth, when we inspected it, did not meet three of our four tests for a healthy custodial environment.”&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2004 death of Sergey Baranyuk and uprising===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 19 July 2004, a 31-year-old Ukrainian asylum-seeker Sergey Baranyuk was found hanged in a shower room at Harmondsworth. &amp;quot;Staff at the centre and immigration staff had very little contact with him in the two months that he was held in detention. He had been assigned to the fast-track system and detained with no information for over six weeks despite having agreed to voluntary return three days after submitting his asylum claim. The inquest jury recorded a verdict that he ‘took his own life’. The PPO described the circumstances of his death as ‘sad and shameful’.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in-immigration-detention-1989-2014/ Deaths in Immigration Detention], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; His death sparked a night of disturbances at the centre and all of the detainees were transferred out of the damaged centre.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/sergey-baranyuk-forgotten-at-harmondsworth/ Sergey Baranyuk forgotten at Harmondsworth], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2006-2009 Kalyx==&lt;br /&gt;
In October 2006, [[Sodexho]] changed the name of [[UK Detention Services]] to [[Kalyx]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2006 inspection, riot and fine===&lt;br /&gt;
In November 2006, a major riot took place at Harmondsworth, after the chief inspector of prisons issued her &amp;quot;poorest ever&amp;quot; report on a detention centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2006, Kalyx was fined £5,096,000 by the Home Office for performance failures.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Neither Kalyx nor the Home Office would be drawn on why the company has had to pay such a sizeable sum. But [Home Office minister Baroness] Scotland suggested it was at least partly to do with the company's failure to manage the centre properly.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She told the Lords that 'rigorous attempts to manage the situation in Harmondsworth' had now been put in place. 'That was the basis of the concerns expressed and of the disagreement... between management,' Scotland said.&lt;br /&gt;
...&lt;br /&gt;
A Home Office spokeswoman confirmed Kalyx would soon be paying out. 'The Immigration and Nationality Directorate has been in dispute with HDSL (a subsidiary of Kalyx) over its contractual performance at Harmondsworth,' the spokeswoman said. 'The dispute reached mediation point in summer 2006 and reached an agreed settlement; the details of this are being finalised by lawyers with full completion anticipated by the end of this month.'&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.theguardian.com/society/2006/dec/10/immigrationandasylum.immigrationasylumandrefugees Asylum riot firm hit by £5m penalty],  Jamie Doward and Martha Alexander, Observer, 10 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2009-2014 Geo Group==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2014 Mitie==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Harmondsworth_IRC&amp;diff=228404</id>
		<title>Harmondsworth IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Harmondsworth_IRC&amp;diff=228404"/>
		<updated>2015-12-01T11:18:47Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Harmondsworth IRC]] is an immigration removal centre. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Introduction==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Harmondsworth opened in 1970 as a small detention facility near Heathrow airport. Over the years it has expanded and become the largest detention site in Europe. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It was initially run by [[Securicor]]. In 1988 [[Group 4]] took over the management of Harmondsworth. The centre was run by [[Burns International]] from 1999 to 2001, before [[Sodexho]] subsidiary [[UK Detention Services]] (UKDS) started an eight year contract worth £180m in 2001. (In 2006 UKDS was rebranded as [[Kalyx]]). The [[Geo Group UK]] ran Harmondsworth from June 2009 until September 2014 when it was taken over by [[Mitie Care and Custody]] and 'merged' with [[Colnbrook IRC]] to form what is sometimes called [[Heathrow IRC]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==List of centre managers==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Joanne Henney]] from June 2009 to November 2012&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Alan Hunt]] from December 2012 to December 2013&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Paul Morrison]] from September 2014&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1970-1987 Securicor==&lt;br /&gt;
[[Securicor]] ran Harmondsworth after it opened. In 1978, parliament was told that &amp;quot;Discipline is kept to the minimum necessary to ensure the safe custody of detainees and the trouble-free running of the centres. Detainees are informed of the facilities available for telephone calls, meals and medical care. Securicor staff are required to comply with any lawful instructions given by an immigration officer or the Home Office and are told that they must treat detainees with humanity, kindness, courtesy and sympathetic understanding. Securicor is responsible, under contract, to the Home Office for the performance of its duties in connection with Immigration Act detainees.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1978/mar/16/detention-centres-harmondsworth-and Hansard], HC Deb 16 March 1978 vol 946 cc292-3W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1987, immigration minister David Waddington told Parliament that: &amp;quot;The estimated daily cost of detaining a person in immigration service detention centres, including Harmondsworth, is £115. This figure includes transport, escort and running costs, and the cost of employing staff from Securicor Ltd. The cost per day of detaining a person held under the Immigration Act 1971 in a prison department establishment, though not entirely comparable, is estimated at £34.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1987/mar/30/harmondsworth-detention-centre Hansard], HC Deb 30 March 1987 vol 113 cc344-5W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1988-1998 Group 4==&lt;br /&gt;
By 1988, [[Group 4]] had taken over the running of Harmondsworth from Securicor. (These companies would later merge to form [[G4S]]). &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1988, an MP asked &amp;quot;the Secretary of State for the Home Department:&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;quot;(1) what experience the company Group 4 had demonstrated in running a secure holding centre or prisons prior to being offered the contract for Harmondsworth holding centre;&lt;br /&gt;
*(2) what procedure is followed to vet the staff of private security firms who work at Harmondsworth holding centre; and how these (a) were applied to Securicor employees and (b) will be applied to Group 4 employees;&lt;br /&gt;
*(3) what measures will be taken to ensure that a smooth changeover of management will be secured at Harmondsworth holding centre when Securicor hand over the running to Group 4;&lt;br /&gt;
*(4) what were his reasons for deciding (a) to terminate the contract between the Home Office and Securicor for the management and staffing of Harmondsworth holding centre and (b) to award the contract to Group 4;&lt;br /&gt;
*(5) how many of those held at Harmondsworth holding centre have escaped in the time that it has been under the management of Securicor.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The immigration minister Tim Renton replied that:&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The contract for the provision of Group 4 staff at the Harmondsworth, Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester immigration detention units was awarded to the company following receipt of competitive tenders. The decision took account of a number of factors, including value for money and a detailed evaluation of the company's ability to provide the high quality of service specified.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The nature of the contract is unique in the United Kingdom and only Securicor Ltd. has so far had direct experience in this area. But Group 4 is a company of high standing. The tendering exercise enabled it to demonstrate satisfactorily its ability to provide a reliable service. Both Securicor Ltd. and Group 4 Total Security Ltd are members of the British Security Industry Association which lays down rigorous recruitment and vetting standards. Both companies fully meet those standards, including the vetting of candidates over a period extending back 20 years.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A series of meetings has been arranged between immigration service officials and senior managers within both Securicor and Group 4 to ensure a smooth transition. These discussions and detailed arrangements are progressing well. Responsibility for managing the detention units will not alter as a result of the change in contractor; that will remain firmly with the Home Office.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1987, 78 persons absconded from immigration service detention units; in 1988 up to 31 October the figure is 75. Figures for earlier years are not readily available. These details were not included in the factors taken into account when awarding the contract of Group 4.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1988/nov/11/group-4-holding-centre-contract Hansard],HC Deb 11 November 1988 vol 140 cc337-8W&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1999-2001 Burns International==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2001-2006 UK Detention Services==&lt;br /&gt;
Sodexho-subsidiary UKDS started running Harmondsworth in 2001. It held 550 people, including children as young as 4 years old.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It was alleged at the time of commencing the contract that Sodexho planned for asylum-seekers at Harmondsworth to work for almost nothing so that the company could cut its operating costs. A Home Office document obtained by the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, showed that the Government intended to suspend the minimum wage at Harmondsworth so that Sodexho could pay asylum seekers £12 a week, which works out at 34p an hour (92% below the minimum wage) to do the work of painters, cleaners and caterers. If they refused work but complied with an 'agreed activity programme', they would be paid £6. If they refused to cooperate at all, they would be given £4 for cleaning their rooms.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Asylum industry cashes in on vouchers and dispersals, Martin Bright &amp;amp; Conal Walsh, 2/9/01. The Observer viewed 25/08/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The scheme did not proceed at that time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On February 22, 2002, The London Times reported that nine detainees escaped from Harmondsworth, breaking a window, scaling a 15’ fence and using towels to get over the razor wire surrounding the facility.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;The Times, 22/2/2002 www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-215410,00.html viewed 18/12/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In a report that came out in March 2003, the prisons inspectorate expressed “deep concern” about detainees with mental health problems being held at Harmondsworth.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Annual Inspectors Report, March 2003, p12. www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/imbharmondsworthb2002.pdf viewed 25/08/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An inspection of Harmondsworth made by the Chief Inspector of Prisons in September 2003 said that:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There were increasing levels of disorder, damage and escape attempts, with an average of seven assaults a week. In spite of an average of one self-harm incident a week, suicide, self-harm and anti-bullying procedures were not effectively managed. Nor was there sufficient mental health support for detainees held in the in-patient ward.” &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;“Harmondsworth – Unsafe Environment despite good work by staff”. Press Release by HM Inspectorate of Prisons. 29/09/03 Viewed at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/harmondsworthirc030929.html 30/09/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In conclusion, the report stated: “Harmondsworth, when we inspected it, did not meet three of our four tests for a healthy custodial environment.”&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A recent inquest into the death of Ukrainian asylum seeker Sergey Baranyuk provided a glimpse of how asylum seekers are treated behind the closed doors of removal centres in the UK – detained, forgotten and slowly driven to despair.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In July 2004, a Ukrainian asylum-seeker Sergey Baranyuk was found hanged in a shower room at Harmondsworth. His death sparked a night of disturbances at the centre and all of the detainees were transferred out of the damaged centre.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/sergey-baranyuk-forgotten-at-harmondsworth/ Sergey Baranyuk forgotten at Harmondsworth], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2006-2009 Kalyx==&lt;br /&gt;
In October 2006, [[Sodexho]] changed the name of [[UK Detention Services]] to [[Kalyx]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November 2006, a major riot took place at Harmondsworth, after the chief inspector of prisons issued her &amp;quot;poorest ever&amp;quot; report on a detention centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2006, Kalyx was fined £5,096,000 by the Home Office for performance failures.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Neither Kalyx nor the Home Office would be drawn on why the company has had to pay such a sizeable sum. But [Home Office minister Baroness] Scotland suggested it was at least partly to do with the company's failure to manage the centre properly.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She told the Lords that 'rigorous attempts to manage the situation in Harmondsworth' had now been put in place. 'That was the basis of the concerns expressed and of the disagreement... between management,' Scotland said.&lt;br /&gt;
...&lt;br /&gt;
A Home Office spokeswoman confirmed Kalyx would soon be paying out. 'The Immigration and Nationality Directorate has been in dispute with HDSL (a subsidiary of Kalyx) over its contractual performance at Harmondsworth,' the spokeswoman said. 'The dispute reached mediation point in summer 2006 and reached an agreed settlement; the details of this are being finalised by lawyers with full completion anticipated by the end of this month.'&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.theguardian.com/society/2006/dec/10/immigrationandasylum.immigrationasylumandrefugees Asylum riot firm hit by £5m penalty],  Jamie Doward and Martha Alexander, Observer, 10 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2009-2014 Geo Group==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2014 Mitie==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Harmondsworth_IRC&amp;diff=228397</id>
		<title>Harmondsworth IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Harmondsworth_IRC&amp;diff=228397"/>
		<updated>2015-12-01T11:06:45Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: /* Introduction */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Harmondsworth IRC]] is an immigration removal centre. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Introduction==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Harmondsworth opened in 1970 as a small detention facility near Heathrow airport. Over the years it has expanded and become the largest detention site in Europe. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It was initially run by [[Securicor]]. In 1988 [[Group 4]] took over the management of Harmondsworth. The centre was run by [[Burns International]] from 1999 to 2001, before [[Sodexho]] subsidiary [[UK Detention Services]] (UKDS) started an eight year contract worth £180m in 2001. (In 2006 UKDS was rebranded as [[Kalyx]]). The [[Geo Group UK]] ran Harmondsworth from June 2009 until September 2014 when it was taken over by [[Mitie Care and Custody]] and 'merged' with [[Colnbrook IRC]] to form what is sometimes called [[Heathrow IRC]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==List of centre managers==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Joanne Henney]] from June 2009 to November 2012&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Alan Hunt]] from December 2012 to December 2013&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Paul Morrison]] from September 2014&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1970-1987 Securicor==&lt;br /&gt;
==1988-1998 Group 4==&lt;br /&gt;
==1999-2001 Burns International==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2001-2006 UK Detention Services==&lt;br /&gt;
Sodexho-subsidiary UKDS started running Harmondsworth in 2001. It held 550 people, including children as young as 4 years old.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It was alleged at the time of commencing the contract that Sodexho planned for asylum-seekers at Harmondsworth to work for almost nothing so that the company could cut its operating costs. A Home Office document obtained by the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, showed that the Government intended to suspend the minimum wage at Harmondsworth so that Sodexho could pay asylum seekers £12 a week, which works out at 34p an hour (92% below the minimum wage) to do the work of painters, cleaners and caterers. If they refused work but complied with an 'agreed activity programme', they would be paid £6. If they refused to cooperate at all, they would be given £4 for cleaning their rooms.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Asylum industry cashes in on vouchers and dispersals, Martin Bright &amp;amp; Conal Walsh, 2/9/01. The Observer viewed 25/08/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The scheme did not proceed at that time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On February 22, 2002, The London Times reported that nine detainees escaped from Harmondsworth, breaking a window, scaling a 15’ fence and using towels to get over the razor wire surrounding the facility.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;The Times, 22/2/2002 www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-215410,00.html viewed 18/12/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In a report that came out in March 2003, the prisons inspectorate expressed “deep concern” about detainees with mental health problems being held at Harmondsworth.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Annual Inspectors Report, March 2003, p12. www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/imbharmondsworthb2002.pdf viewed 25/08/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An inspection of Harmondsworth made by the Chief Inspector of Prisons in September 2003 said that:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There were increasing levels of disorder, damage and escape attempts, with an average of seven assaults a week. In spite of an average of one self-harm incident a week, suicide, self-harm and anti-bullying procedures were not effectively managed. Nor was there sufficient mental health support for detainees held in the in-patient ward.” &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;“Harmondsworth – Unsafe Environment despite good work by staff”. Press Release by HM Inspectorate of Prisons. 29/09/03 Viewed at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/harmondsworthirc030929.html 30/09/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In conclusion, the report stated: “Harmondsworth, when we inspected it, did not meet three of our four tests for a healthy custodial environment.”&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A recent inquest into the death of Ukrainian asylum seeker Sergey Baranyuk provided a glimpse of how asylum seekers are treated behind the closed doors of removal centres in the UK – detained, forgotten and slowly driven to despair.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In July 2004, a Ukrainian asylum-seeker Sergey Baranyuk was found hanged in a shower room at Harmondsworth. His death sparked a night of disturbances at the centre and all of the detainees were transferred out of the damaged centre.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/sergey-baranyuk-forgotten-at-harmondsworth/ Sergey Baranyuk forgotten at Harmondsworth], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2006-2009 Kalyx==&lt;br /&gt;
In October 2006, [[Sodexho]] changed the name of [[UK Detention Services]] to [[Kalyx]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November 2006, a major riot took place at Harmondsworth, after the chief inspector of prisons issued her &amp;quot;poorest ever&amp;quot; report on a detention centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2006, Kalyx was fined £5,096,000 by the Home Office for performance failures.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Neither Kalyx nor the Home Office would be drawn on why the company has had to pay such a sizeable sum. But [Home Office minister Baroness] Scotland suggested it was at least partly to do with the company's failure to manage the centre properly.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She told the Lords that 'rigorous attempts to manage the situation in Harmondsworth' had now been put in place. 'That was the basis of the concerns expressed and of the disagreement... between management,' Scotland said.&lt;br /&gt;
...&lt;br /&gt;
A Home Office spokeswoman confirmed Kalyx would soon be paying out. 'The Immigration and Nationality Directorate has been in dispute with HDSL (a subsidiary of Kalyx) over its contractual performance at Harmondsworth,' the spokeswoman said. 'The dispute reached mediation point in summer 2006 and reached an agreed settlement; the details of this are being finalised by lawyers with full completion anticipated by the end of this month.'&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.theguardian.com/society/2006/dec/10/immigrationandasylum.immigrationasylumandrefugees Asylum riot firm hit by £5m penalty],  Jamie Doward and Martha Alexander, Observer, 10 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2009-2014 Geo Group==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2014 Mitie==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Harmondsworth_IRC&amp;diff=228396</id>
		<title>Harmondsworth IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Harmondsworth_IRC&amp;diff=228396"/>
		<updated>2015-12-01T11:05:39Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Harmondsworth IRC]] is an immigration removal centre. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Introduction==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Harmondsworth opened in 1970 as a small detention facility. It was initially run by [[Securicor]]. In 1988 [[Group 4]] took over the management of Harmondsworth. The centre was run by [[Burns International]] from 1999 to 2001, before [[Sodexho]] subsidiary [[UK Detention Services]] (UKDS) started an eight year contract worth £180m in 2001. (In 2006 UKDS was rebranded as [[Kalyx]]). The [[Geo Group UK]] ran Harmondsworth from June 2009 until September 2014 when it was taken over by [[Mitie Care and Custody]] and 'merged' with [[Colnbrook IRC]] to form what is sometimes called [[Heathrow IRC]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==List of centre managers==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Joanne Henney]] from June 2009 to November 2012&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Alan Hunt]] from December 2012 to December 2013&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Paul Morrison]] from September 2014&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==1970-1987 Securicor==&lt;br /&gt;
==1988-1998 Group 4==&lt;br /&gt;
==1999-2001 Burns International==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2001-2006 UK Detention Services==&lt;br /&gt;
Sodexho-subsidiary UKDS started running Harmondsworth in 2001. It held 550 people, including children as young as 4 years old.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It was alleged at the time of commencing the contract that Sodexho planned for asylum-seekers at Harmondsworth to work for almost nothing so that the company could cut its operating costs. A Home Office document obtained by the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, showed that the Government intended to suspend the minimum wage at Harmondsworth so that Sodexho could pay asylum seekers £12 a week, which works out at 34p an hour (92% below the minimum wage) to do the work of painters, cleaners and caterers. If they refused work but complied with an 'agreed activity programme', they would be paid £6. If they refused to cooperate at all, they would be given £4 for cleaning their rooms.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Asylum industry cashes in on vouchers and dispersals, Martin Bright &amp;amp; Conal Walsh, 2/9/01. The Observer viewed 25/08/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The scheme did not proceed at that time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On February 22, 2002, The London Times reported that nine detainees escaped from Harmondsworth, breaking a window, scaling a 15’ fence and using towels to get over the razor wire surrounding the facility.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;The Times, 22/2/2002 www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-215410,00.html viewed 18/12/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In a report that came out in March 2003, the prisons inspectorate expressed “deep concern” about detainees with mental health problems being held at Harmondsworth.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Annual Inspectors Report, March 2003, p12. www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/imbharmondsworthb2002.pdf viewed 25/08/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An inspection of Harmondsworth made by the Chief Inspector of Prisons in September 2003 said that:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There were increasing levels of disorder, damage and escape attempts, with an average of seven assaults a week. In spite of an average of one self-harm incident a week, suicide, self-harm and anti-bullying procedures were not effectively managed. Nor was there sufficient mental health support for detainees held in the in-patient ward.” &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;“Harmondsworth – Unsafe Environment despite good work by staff”. Press Release by HM Inspectorate of Prisons. 29/09/03 Viewed at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/harmondsworthirc030929.html 30/09/03&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In conclusion, the report stated: “Harmondsworth, when we inspected it, did not meet three of our four tests for a healthy custodial environment.”&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A recent inquest into the death of Ukrainian asylum seeker Sergey Baranyuk provided a glimpse of how asylum seekers are treated behind the closed doors of removal centres in the UK – detained, forgotten and slowly driven to despair.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In July 2004, a Ukrainian asylum-seeker Sergey Baranyuk was found hanged in a shower room at Harmondsworth. His death sparked a night of disturbances at the centre and all of the detainees were transferred out of the damaged centre.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.irr.org.uk/news/sergey-baranyuk-forgotten-at-harmondsworth/ Sergey Baranyuk forgotten at Harmondsworth], Harmit Athwal, IRR News, 7 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2006-2009 Kalyx==&lt;br /&gt;
In October 2006, [[Sodexho]] changed the name of [[UK Detention Services]] to [[Kalyx]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November 2006, a major riot took place at Harmondsworth, after the chief inspector of prisons issued her &amp;quot;poorest ever&amp;quot; report on a detention centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2006, Kalyx was fined £5,096,000 by the Home Office for performance failures.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Neither Kalyx nor the Home Office would be drawn on why the company has had to pay such a sizeable sum. But [Home Office minister Baroness] Scotland suggested it was at least partly to do with the company's failure to manage the centre properly.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She told the Lords that 'rigorous attempts to manage the situation in Harmondsworth' had now been put in place. 'That was the basis of the concerns expressed and of the disagreement... between management,' Scotland said.&lt;br /&gt;
...&lt;br /&gt;
A Home Office spokeswoman confirmed Kalyx would soon be paying out. 'The Immigration and Nationality Directorate has been in dispute with HDSL (a subsidiary of Kalyx) over its contractual performance at Harmondsworth,' the spokeswoman said. 'The dispute reached mediation point in summer 2006 and reached an agreed settlement; the details of this are being finalised by lawyers with full completion anticipated by the end of this month.'&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.theguardian.com/society/2006/dec/10/immigrationandasylum.immigrationasylumandrefugees Asylum riot firm hit by £5m penalty],  Jamie Doward and Martha Alexander, Observer, 10 December 2006&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2009-2014 Geo Group==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2014 Mitie==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Oakington_IRC&amp;diff=228367</id>
		<title>Oakington IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Oakington_IRC&amp;diff=228367"/>
		<updated>2015-11-30T18:38:04Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Oakington IRC]] was a UK immigration removal centre. It opened in March 2000, under [[Group 4]]/[[Group 4 Falck]] and its subsidiary [[Global Solutions Ltd.]](GSL). GSL was later acquired by [[G4S]], who continued to run the centre. Oakington closed in 2010 after repeated scandals.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-11741466 Oakington immigration centre officially closes], BBC, 12 November 2010&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2000 escapes==&lt;br /&gt;
Within its first month of opening, six detainees escaped from Oakington.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/693476.stm Refugees vanish from detention centre], BBC, 28 March 2000&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2005 BBC undercover==&lt;br /&gt;
In March 2005, when Oakington was run by [[Global Solutions Ltd.]] (GSL), BBC journalists got jobs at the centre and produced 'Detention Undercover – the Real Story'.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/real_story/4309709.stm 'Probe into immigrant abuse claims'], BBC, 1 March 2005&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The programme included secret filming of GSL employees verbally abusing and threatening inmates, and talking about using physical violence when out of sight of any CCTV cameras, for example in lifts and vans.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the screening of the programme, GSL released a statement purporting to be 'shocked and dismayed' by its contents, eager to reassure everyone that the activities described were only carried out by a violent minority. However, this abuse had been going on for a long time, and the fact that the company does nothing about it until being exposed on national TV was hardly encouraging. Visitors to detainees confirmed that the problem was much wider than a violent minority, and were not remotely surprised by the contents of the programme.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4312187.stm 'Asylum abuse “is not surprising”'], BBC, 2 March 2005&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the screening of the programme, Immigration Minister Des Browne called for an official independent investigation into the allegations made in the programme; GSL undertook an internal investigation. A further inquiry was made by prison ombudsman Stephen Shaw, due for publication in June 2005.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Oakington_IRC&amp;diff=228366</id>
		<title>Oakington IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Oakington_IRC&amp;diff=228366"/>
		<updated>2015-11-30T18:32:04Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Oakington IRC]] was a UK immigration removal centre. It opened in March 2000, under [[Group 4]]/[[Group 4 Falck]] and its subsidiary [[Global Solutions Ltd.]](GSL). The centre was later run by [[G4S]]. Oakington closed in 2010 after repeated scandals.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-11741466 Oakington immigration centre officially closes], BBC, 12 November 2010&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2000 escapes==&lt;br /&gt;
Within its first month of opening, six detainees escaped from Oakington.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/693476.stm Refugees vanish from detention centre], BBC, 28 March 2000&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2005 BBC undercover==&lt;br /&gt;
In March 2005, when Oakington was run by [[Global Solutions Ltd.]] (GSL), BBC journalists got jobs at the centre and produced 'Detention Undercover – the Real Story'.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/real_story/4309709.stm 'Probe into immigrant abuse claims'], BBC, 1 March 2005&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The programme included secret filming of GSL employees verbally abusing and threatening inmates, and talking about using physical violence when out of sight of any CCTV cameras, for example in lifts and vans.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the screening of the programme, GSL released a statement purporting to be 'shocked and dismayed' by its contents, eager to reassure everyone that the activities described were only carried out by a violent minority. However, this abuse had been going on for a long time, and the fact that the company does nothing about it until being exposed on national TV was hardly encouraging. Visitors to detainees confirmed that the problem was much wider than a violent minority, and were not remotely surprised by the contents of the programme.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4312187.stm 'Asylum abuse “is not surprising”'], BBC, 2 March 2005&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the screening of the programme, Immigration Minister Des Browne called for an official independent investigation into the allegations made in the programme; GSL undertook an internal investigation. A further inquiry was made by prison ombudsman Stephen Shaw, due for publication in June 2005.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Oakington_IRC&amp;diff=228365</id>
		<title>Oakington IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Oakington_IRC&amp;diff=228365"/>
		<updated>2015-11-30T18:31:50Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Oakington IRC]] was a UK immigration removal centre. It opened in March 2000, under [[Group 4]]/[[Group 4 Falck]] and its subsidiary [[Global Solutions Ltd.]](GSL). The centre was later run by [[G4S]]. Oakington closed in 2010 after repeated scandals.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-11741466 Oakington immigration centre officially closes], BBC, 12 November 2010&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2000 escapes==&lt;br /&gt;
Within its first month of opening, six detainees escaped from Oakington.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/693476.stm Refugees vanish from detention centre], BBC, 28 March 2000&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2005 BBC undercover==&lt;br /&gt;
In March 2005, when Oakington was run by [[Global Solutions Ltd.]] (GSL), BBC journalists got jobs at the centre and produced 'Detention Undercover – the Real Story'.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/real_story/4309709.stm 'Probe into immigrant abuse claims'], BBC, 1 March 2005&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The programme included secret filming of GSL employees verbally abusing and threatening inmates, and talking about using physical violence when out of sight of any CCTV cameras, for example in lifts and vans.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the screening of the programme, GSL released a statement purporting to be 'shocked and dismayed' by its contents, eager to reassure everyone that the activities described were only carried out by a violent minority. However, this abuse had been going on for a long time, and the fact that the company does nothing about it until being exposed on national TV was hardly encouraging. Visitors to detainees confirmed that the problem was much wider than a violent minority, and were not remotely surprised by the contents of the programme.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4312187.stm 'Asylum abuse “is not surprising”'], BBC, 2 March 2005&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the screening of the programme, Immigration Minister Des Browne called for an official independent investigation into the allegations made in the programme; GSL undertook an internal investigation. A further inquiry was made by prison ombudsman Stephen Shaw, due for publication in June 2005.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Oakington_IRC&amp;diff=228364</id>
		<title>Oakington IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Oakington_IRC&amp;diff=228364"/>
		<updated>2015-11-30T18:30:48Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Oakington IRC]] was a UK immigration removal centre. It opened in March 2000, under [[Group 4]]/[[Group 4 Falck]] and its subsidiary [[Global Solutions Ltd.]](GSL). The centre was later run by [[G4S]]. Oakington closed in 2010 after repeated scandals.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2000 escapes==&lt;br /&gt;
Within its first month of opening, six detainees escaped from Oakington.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/693476.stm Refugees vanish from detention centre], BBC, 28 March 2000&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==2005 BBC undercover==&lt;br /&gt;
In March 2005, when Oakington was run by [[Global Solutions Ltd.]] (GSL), BBC journalists got jobs at the centre and produced 'Detention Undercover – the Real Story'.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/real_story/4309709.stm 'Probe into immigrant abuse claims'], BBC, 1 March 2005&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The programme included secret filming of GSL employees verbally abusing and threatening inmates, and talking about using physical violence when out of sight of any CCTV cameras, for example in lifts and vans.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the screening of the programme, GSL released a statement purporting to be 'shocked and dismayed' by its contents, eager to reassure everyone that the activities described were only carried out by a violent minority. However, this abuse had been going on for a long time, and the fact that the company does nothing about it until being exposed on national TV was hardly encouraging. Visitors to detainees confirmed that the problem was much wider than a violent minority, and were not remotely surprised by the contents of the programme.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4312187.stm 'Asylum abuse “is not surprising”'], BBC, 2 March 2005&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the screening of the programme, Immigration Minister Des Browne called for an official independent investigation into the allegations made in the programme; GSL undertook an internal investigation. A further inquiry was made by prison ombudsman Stephen Shaw, due for publication in June 2005.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Tinsley_House_IRC&amp;diff=228362</id>
		<title>Tinsley House IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Tinsley_House_IRC&amp;diff=228362"/>
		<updated>2015-11-30T18:15:14Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Tinsley House IRC]] is an immigration removal centre. It opened in 1996 and was run by the [[Wackenhut Corporation]] until the company was taken over by [[Group 4 Falck]] in 2002. The centre was then run by [[Group 4 Falck]] subsidiary [[Global Solutions Ltd.]] (GSL). In 2004 GSL became independent of [[Group 4 Falck]]. GSL continued to run Tinsley house until the company was acquired by [[G4S]] in 2008. [[G4S]] continues to run Tinsley House as recently as 2015. It forms part of the 'Gatwick cluster' of immigration removal centres together with [[Brook House IRC]] and [[Cedars PDA]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===List of centre managers===&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Stacie Dean]] from May 2013&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Ben Saunders]] became Director for G4S of the Gatwick cluster of immigration removal centres in 2012 (ongoing).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Premier_Prison_Services&amp;diff=228358</id>
		<title>Premier Prison Services</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Premier_Prison_Services&amp;diff=228358"/>
		<updated>2015-11-30T17:58:17Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;Premier Prison Services was a joint venture between [[Wackenhut Corrections Corporation]] (part of The [[Wackenhut Corporation]]) and [[Serco]] Plc.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Stephen Nathan, Prison Privatization in the United Kingdom, Capitalist Punishment, Zed Books, 2003, p168&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In May 2002, The Wackenhut Corporation was acquired by [[Group 4 Falck]]. Through this acquisition, Group 4 got a 57% stake in Wackenhut Corrections Corporation (WCC), and took over WCC's 50% stake in Premier Prisons. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This meant Premier Prisons was jointly owned by Group 4 and Serco, until Serco won the right to full ownership of Premier in a legal dispute.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
(In 2003, WCC re-bought the 57% of the company that Group 4 had acquired, and changed its name to the [[Geo Group Inc.]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Premier Detention Services ran [[Dungavel IRC]] from 2001 to 2006, and [[Colnbrook IRC]], which opened in August 2004.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Christine Bacon, The Evolution of Immigration Detention in the UK: The Involvement of Private Prison Companies, University of Oxford, September 2005, p8&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Security Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Contractors]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Dungavel_IRC&amp;diff=228357</id>
		<title>Dungavel IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Dungavel_IRC&amp;diff=228357"/>
		<updated>2015-11-30T17:57:11Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Dungavel IRC]] is an immigration removal centre. It opened in 2001, initially under [[Premier Prison Services]], which at that time was a subsidiary jointly owned by [[Serco]] and [[Wackenhut Corporation]].&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/1350222.stm Former jail to house asylum seekers]  BBC, 25 May 2001&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  The centre continued under Serco management until 2006, when it was taken over by [[G4S]] up to 2011. Since September 2011 it has been run by the [[Geo Group UK]] under a five year [[Home Office]] contract.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===List of centre managers===&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Ken Paul]] for [[Serco]] from 2004 to 2005 and then for [[G4S]] from 2006 to 2011&lt;br /&gt;
*[[John McClure]] for the [[Geo Group UK]] from September 2011 to June 2015 (ongoing)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Dungavel_IRC&amp;diff=228356</id>
		<title>Dungavel IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Dungavel_IRC&amp;diff=228356"/>
		<updated>2015-11-30T17:56:54Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Dungavel IRC]] is an immigration removal centre. It opened in 2001, initially under [[Premier Prison Services]], which at that time was a subsidiary jointly owned by [[Serco]] and [[Wackenhut Corporation]].&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/1350222.stm Former jail to house asylum seekers]  BBC, 25 May 2001&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  The centre continued under Serco management until 2006, when it was taken over by [[G4S]] up to 2011. Since September 2011 it has been run by the [[Geo Group UK]] under a five year [[Home Office]] contract.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===List of centre managers===&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Ken Paul]] for [[Serco]] from 2004 to 2005 and then for [[G4S]] from 2006 to 2011&lt;br /&gt;
*[[John McClure]] for the [[Geo Group UK]] from September 2011 to June 2015 (ongoing)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Yarl%27s_Wood_IRC&amp;diff=228330</id>
		<title>Yarl's Wood IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Yarl%27s_Wood_IRC&amp;diff=228330"/>
		<updated>2015-11-30T12:28:41Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: /* 2014 death, UN barred, contract renewed */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Yarl's Wood IRC]] is a UK immigration removal centre, operated by a private contractor, [[Serco]] Limited, on behalf of the UK [[Home Office]] under the Detention Centre Rules 2001. It is located outside the village of Clapham in Bedfordshire, England.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==List of centre managers and assistants==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[David Watson]] was centre manager of [[Yarl's Wood IRC]] for [[Group 4 Falck|Group 4]] from January 2001 to January 2003 during which time a major fire occurred.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'[http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/news/yarl-s-wood-guards-traumatised-by-ordeal-1-1087315 'Yarl's Wood guards traumatised by ordeal']', ''Bedford Today'', 22 March 2002&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Joanne Henney]] was deputy centre manager for [[G4S]] from June 2003 to June 2006.&lt;br /&gt;
*[[James Wilkinson]] was contract director for [[Serco]] at [[Yarl's Wood IRC]] over 18 months from December 2010 to May 2012.&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Lisa Hooper]] was assistant director for [[Serco]] from October 2008 to June 2015 (ongoing)&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Victoria Murray]] was &amp;quot;Assistant Director (Business Assurance)&amp;quot; for [[Serco]] at [[Yarl's Wood IRC]] during 2010 and then deputy contract director there in 2011.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Senior staff==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Ian Scrupps]] was a business development manager for [[Serco]] from 2007 to July 2008, during which time he helped Serco transition onto their new contract for [[Yarl's Wood IRC]].&lt;br /&gt;
*[[David Tanner]] is a Non Executive Director of the Yarl's Wood Immigration Centre Contract Board for [[Serco]] since 2013.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Group 4/GSL management==&lt;br /&gt;
When Yarl's Wood was opened in 2001, it initially accommodated 900 people in two blocks, making it the largest immigration prison in Europe at the time. The management of the centre was contracted to [[Global Solutions Ltd.]] (GSL), which was then owned by Group 4 Amey Immigration Ltd, owned by [[Amey Assets Services]] Ltd and [[Group 4 Falck]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2001 Hunger strike====&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2001, just a month after the centre opened, five Roma detainees began the first hunger strike there.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2002 Fire====&lt;br /&gt;
In February 2002, the prison was burnt down following a protest by detainees triggered by a 55-year-old woman being physically restrained by staff. When the fire started, the centre manager ordered all staff to exit the building, locking the detainees inside the timber-framed building. It later emerged that the government had also failed to install a sprinkler system. Although there was an investigation, no members of [[Group 4 Falck|Group 4]] were ever prosecuted. &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[1] &amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The centre was closed and the burnt B site was demolished.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In September 2003, the undamaged half was re-opened after extensive rebuilding, with an initial capacity of 60. The centre's capacity was increased to 120 by August 2004 and to its full operational capacity of 405 by the end of 2005. The other half is still a waste-land.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2003 Daily Mirror undercover====&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2003, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman for England and Wales launched an investigation into allegations of racism and physical abuse at Yarl's Wood revealed by a ''Daily Mirror'' undercover reporter on 8 December 2003. The inquiry's final report, published in March 2004, was largely based on the internal investigation by the centre's management, which the Ombudsman described as having been 'helpful'. Although admitting that the 19 incidents reported did happen, the investigation concluded that they &amp;quot;did not indicate a culture of racism and improper use of force.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt; [2] &amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2005 death====&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 15 September 2005, Angolan asylum seeker Manual Bravo was found hanged at Yarl's Wood. He was detained there with his 13-year-old son, Antonio. Prior to detention, the family lived in Leeds and attended church regularly. The father and son were snatched in a dawn raid and taken to Yarl's Wood. Manual took his life within 24 hours of arriving there.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.irr.org.uk/news/in-memory-of-manuel-bravo/ Institute of Race Relations, 18 May 2006]', ''In memory of Manual Bravo''&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2006 inspection, riot and unlawful detention====&lt;br /&gt;
An inquiry by the Chief Inspector of Prisons in 2006 into the quality of healthcare at Yarl's Wood found that the healthcare service provided was &amp;quot;not geared to meet the needs of those with serious health problems or the significant number of detainees held for longer periods for whom prolonged and uncertain detention was itself likely to be detrimental to their well being.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt; [3] &amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Mental health care provision for women detainees was particularly insufficient. Similar concerns have been echoed by subsequent inspection reports.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
''&amp;quot;The worst feature that emerges from these inspections is the dehumanising aspects of the immigration removal process itself. Some of those we observed in detention had been dealt with by the immigration authorities as though they were parcels, not people; and parcels whose contents and destination were sometimes incorrect.&amp;quot;'' - HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers, February 2006&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November 2006, a group of detainees rioted after being denied watching a news report criticising conditions at the centre. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A 2006 report by Legal Action for Women, entitled A 'Bleak House' in Our Times, found that over 70 percent of the women detained in Yarl's Wood were rape victims. Few of the 130 women surveyed were able to get specialist help and some were detained for over a year.[4]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A woman rape survivor, who had fled Cameroon after suffering rape and other torture, was detained at Yarl's Wood in December 2006, shortly after her arrival in the UK. She reported to the authorities that she was a rape survivor and, according to the Detention Centre Rules, should have been seen by a medical practitioner within 24 hours. Her report of rape was ignored and she was put on fast-track for deportation. In February 2008, she won £38,000 in damages for being unlawfully detained.[5]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Serco==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In April 2007, [[Serco]] Ltd took over the management, operation and maintenance of Yarl's Wood, for an initial period of three years, with optional extension to up to eight years. Over the full eight years, the contract is valued at around £85m.[6]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Under Serco, Yarl's Wood became the UK's main immigration removal centre for women and families (until the end of child detention in 2010), with 284 single female and 121 family bed spaces. The contract had been awarded in December 2006.[7] &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2007 hunger strike===&lt;br /&gt;
In May 2007, a month after Serco took over the running of the centre, women detainees began a hunger strike in response to new measures introduced by the new management. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2008 expansion plans===&lt;br /&gt;
In May 2008, the Home Office announced it will take forward planning applications to create extra spaces at the centre as part of its plans for &amp;quot;large-scale expansion&amp;quot; of Britain's detention estate, but the plans were shelved due to lack of funds.[8]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2009 inspections and hunger strike===&lt;br /&gt;
In 2009, Medical Justice reported a woman who had fled a West African country after being repeatedly raped and tortured by soldiers had her asylum claim refused and was detained on Fast Track at Yarl's Wood for three and a half months. Despite serious health problems, she was denied treatment and was not seen by a gynaecologist nor screened for sexually transmitted infections. She eventually developed severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder and was placed on suicide watch for several weeks after harming herself, yet failed attempts were made to deport her. She was only released after she was seen by a doctor working with Medical Justice.[9] In another case, a medico-legal report prepared by medical experts who noted that the medical evidence &amp;quot;gives strong support for the history of repeated rapes leading to life threatening gynaecological complications necessitating major surgery&amp;quot; was dismissed by the immigration judge, who apparently said the injuries &amp;quot;could have been caused by other means,&amp;quot; without finding it necessary to investigate what these 'other means' could have been.[10] &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 2009, HM Inspector of Prisons found that the understanding and management of self-harm at Yarl's Wood was often superficial, with security taking precedence over health: &amp;quot;Many women were extremely anxious about their future, and the quality of support procedures for those at risk of self-harm was not consistently good, though there was some caring individual work. There had been no assessment of adult mental health needs.&amp;quot;[11] Previous inspection reports, for example one in February 2006, had made similar criticisms about the centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In its 2009 annual report, the Yarl's Wood Independent Monitoring Board reported a 26% increase in the recorded instances of use of force at the centre (48 cases, compared with 38 in 2008).[12] This was apparently &amp;quot;owing to a change in the recording process, to include occasions where an officer uses force to prevent self-harm,&amp;quot; implying that many incidents may not have been reported in the past. In one of the cases viewed, the IMB member considered the force used to have been &amp;quot;excessive.&amp;quot; The board also reported one case where a tape was &amp;quot;wiped&amp;quot; before the IMB member could see it. In November 2009, the Chief Inspector of Prisons reported that, on two occasions in the previous year, force had been used on children. The inspectors were &amp;quot;assured&amp;quot; that these events were &amp;quot;exceptional&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;properly authorised and planned.&amp;quot;[13]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Independent Monitoring Boards across the detention estate have repeatedly expressed their &amp;quot;extreme concern&amp;quot; about restrictions on their access to detainees' complaints. In March 2009, the UKBA's Detention Services finally agreed to produce a monthly report to each IMB, setting out brief details of complaints received from detainees. The reports gave the name of the detainee, a brief indication of the subject-matter of the complaint and its destination. Whilst this was described as &amp;quot;helpful,&amp;quot; the IMB's Forum of Chairs did not consider that &amp;quot;it was adequate to enable IMBs to properly monitor the just and humane treatment of detainees, which must include how their complaints are dealt with.&amp;quot;[14] For example, the reports would not indicate whether the same officer had been involved in more than one incident of alleged mistreatment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Yarl's Wood's monthly reports to the IMB during 2009 were described as &amp;quot;at best sporadic.&amp;quot; Moreover, since December 2008, complaints to the UKBA's Professional Standards Unit (PSU), which IMBs were &amp;quot;most concerned to know about,&amp;quot; were not made available to them.[15] In November 2009, an agreement was reached with the UKBA for copies of detainees' complaints to be emailed to the IMB chair at the centre via a secure system. Again, while this &amp;quot;restoration of access&amp;quot; to complaints was welcomed by the IMB, it was criticised for being &amp;quot;not complete.&amp;quot; For example, where a detainee was moved from the detention centre, it was not possible for the IMB at any subsequent centre to follow up an earlier complaint.[16] This is particularly important in light of claims that one of the tactics used by the immigration authorities and their contractors to 'deal with problems' is to move 'trouble-causing' detainees around the detention estate. There is also evidence that detainees lodging complaints are subjected to harassment and further abuse, which may deter other from complaining in the future.[17]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A hunger strike in June 2009 was accompanied by accounts of violent assaults on detainees by Serco guards. Men and women were reportedly beaten up and one woman had her clothes ripped off by guards while being filmed. Detainees reported that many of them were &amp;quot;severely traumatised.&amp;quot; One woman told supporters on the phone that the level of brutality was &amp;quot;unbelievable&amp;quot; and she had &amp;quot;never seen anything like it before.&amp;quot; [18]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2010 hunger strike===&lt;br /&gt;
On 8th February 2010, three days into a mass hunger strike by Yarl's Wood detainees demanding an end to indefinite imprisonment and abuse, both grassroots and mainstream media reported that Serco security guards, some with riot shields, had attempted to break up the protest by using excessive force against women detainees.[19] A series of audio interviews with the hunger strikers described how 70 women were locked in a corridor for 6 hours without access to food, water, toilet or medical care.[20] Many collapsed and about 20, who apparently climbed out of a window, were reportedly beaten up by the guards and taken into isolation cells. An image taken on a mobile phone and passed on to the media showed extensive bruising to one woman's shoulder and legs. Another women reported she had a window slammed on her hand by guards. Detainees also claimed that they were racially abused, with guards calling them &amp;quot;black monkeys&amp;quot; and such like. An ambulance called by the detainees was apparently not allowed in as the centre's management claimed that paramedics were &amp;quot;not required because the most significant injury was [a] fingernail injury.&amp;quot; Members of the centre's Independent Monitoring Board and Bedfordshire police are said to have been present during the assaults but no action was taken.[21]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The security went outside and used shields like they do when there is a war. That is what they used to smash one of the women who was outside.&amp;quot; - Yarl's Wood detainee during the February 2010 hunger strike, The Observer, 28 February 2010 &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Four of the women, who were singled out as 'ringleaders' or 'key organisers' of the protest, were put in isolation for four weeks, then moved to HM Holloway Prison, where three of them were held for over a year without charge or trial.[22] The women also say they were denied adequate medical treatment for the injuries they sustained from assaults during the hunger strike. One of them, Denise McNeil, who had spoken to the media[23] about the hunger strike and the guards' use of violence, believes the subsequent assaults on her and moving her to prison were &amp;quot;to silence protesters.&amp;quot;[24]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After each of these disturbances, campaigners and sympathetic MPs demanded an inquiry into the events. Judging by previous experiences, however, official inquiries into detention-related do not appear to get anywhere. In fact, the Home Office and Serco deny that there was even a protest in Yarl's Wood in February 2010. Their preferred course of action was to write to MPs and the media, through the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office Meg Hillier MP, denying that there had been a hunger strike and claiming that campaigners' reports were &amp;quot;inaccurate and fabricated.&amp;quot;[25] Solicitors and detainee support groups, such as Black Women's Rape Action Project, have collected witness statements from over 50 of the women involved in the hunger strike and found their claims of racist abuse, physical and other violence to be &amp;quot;entirely consistent.&amp;quot;[26]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Stories of daily 'routine abuse' of Yarls' Wood detainees continue to emerge. On 6th December 2010, for instance, a woman reported that she was &amp;quot;physically assaulted and verbally abused&amp;quot; by two male and one female Serco guards during one of their routine monthly searches of inmates' rooms. A male officer, she claimed, called her an &amp;quot;illegal immigrant&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;a prostitute,&amp;quot; breaching her confidentiality by revealing aspects of her asylum claim to other women and officers present. The manager then arrived and, instead of asking what had happened, he allegedly bent both her hands back and pressed her against the wall, pulling out some of her hair. The woman was then taken into isolation, where she said she was denied food and kept in a cold room for two days. She called the police but these apparently did nothing as there was &amp;quot;no blood.&amp;quot;[27] Other women said they were reluctant to go public about the abuse they claim they suffered as they feared retribution, but some have spoken out after being released.[28]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2011 guard suspended===&lt;br /&gt;
In January a Serco officer was suspended and investigated, reportedly over allegations that he had an inappropriate sexual relationship with a women detained at Yarl's Wood who became pregnant.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.bedfordshire-news.co.uk/Yarls-Wood-guard-probed-pregnant-detainee-claim/story-21716908-detail/story.html Yarl’s Wood guard probed over pregnant detainee claim]', Bedfordshire on Sunday, 13 February 2011&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2012 Movement for Justice group inside===&lt;br /&gt;
In September, several women detained at Yarl’s Wood organised themselves into a “Movement for Justice Group” and issued a significant statement, which included 8 demands:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
“Led by a group of lesbian women in detention, the Yarls Wood Movement for Justice group has now grown to include many more women both lesbian and straight; all are determined to fight for their freedom and the freedom of all women in detention; an end to the racist and abusive system of detaining people who have committed no crime other than seek a life free from torture, persecution, abuse and poverty and the freedom to study, live, work and be exactly who they are.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Together the Yarls Wood Movement for Justice Group has voted on a set of demands for immediate improvement in the conditions of detention (cleaning work that only pays 50p an hour, blocks on the internet and lack of printing facilities) and the overarching goal of freedom for all and an end to detention.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
1. Respect for our human rights – Release us now&lt;br /&gt;
2. No more Fast Track&lt;br /&gt;
3. Unblock the internet &amp;amp; allow internet access to our petition link and printing of petition materials&lt;br /&gt;
4. Pay us at least the minimum wage for the work we do in detention&lt;br /&gt;
5. No more copy &amp;amp; paste of case decisions – we need fair trial&lt;br /&gt;
6. No more charter flights&lt;br /&gt;
7. End deportation – End detention&lt;br /&gt;
8. We need freedom – legal status for us all in the UK&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The entire immigration system is racist, homophobic, sexist and rotten to the core. The collective organisation of detainees in detention combined with a militant and determined fight in all of our communities across the UK can be the death knell of this poisonous system that has robbed from us so many of our sisters, brothers, neigbour’s, cousins, fathers, mothers, workmates and friends. This pernicious effect has been highlighted dramatically with the threatened deportation of almost 3000 students from London Met University – the time to fight is now; student and non student, detained and not detained, citizen and non-citizen, International student and UK student – we must stand together for a new Britain, a better Britain: diverse, multiracial, integrated and equal”.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'https://stopdeportations.wordpress.com/2012/09/10/yarls-wood-echos-h-block-and-attica/ Yarl’s Wood echos H-Block and Attica]', Stop Deportations Blog, 10 September 2012&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2013 Observer exposé of sexual abuse===&lt;br /&gt;
Throughout 2013, the Observer published reports of sexual abuse by Serco guards against female detainees at Yarl's Wood. Police launched an investigation after the Observer reported that a 23-year-old Roma woman, referred to as &amp;quot;Tanya&amp;quot;, had sexual contact with three male guards, and that attempts were made to deport her days after she informed management.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/sep/15/police-launch-investigation-sexual-abuse-claims-immigration-centre Police launch investigation into claims of sexual abuse at immigration centre]', Guardian, 15 September 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Some of the abuse reportedly took place in a room on Avocet wing without CCTV and with curtains covering the windows.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2014 death, UN barred, whistleblower, contract renewed===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 31 March, Jamaican Christine Case, 40, died inside Yarl's Wood from a massive pulmonary thrombo-embolism. Case had spent ten days in detention. Following her death, detainees held a sit-down protest and refused to comply with officers.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/apr/03/yarls-wood-immigration-removal-centre-death-family-detainees Yarl's Wood death: family and fellow detainees tell of shock and despair]', Guardian, 3 April 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Hundred of mourners attended Case's funeral in Tottenham.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In April, Rashida Manjoo, the UN special rapporteur on violence against women, was barred from visiting Yarl's Wood. Manjoo was in Britain to conduct an inquiry for the UN into violence against women.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/apr/13/un-inspection-yarls-wood-detention-centre-blocked-claim UN inspection of Yarl's Wood was blocked, claim campaigners]', Observer, 13 April 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; She compared the fiasco to when authorities in Bangladesh prevented her from visiting a notorious refugee camp and India blocked her visiting its detention sites. Majoo questioned whether Britain had “something to hide”.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jan/03/yarls-wood-un-special-rapporteur-censure Yarl’s Wood: UN special rapporteur to censure UK government]', Observer, 3 January 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In June, Noel Finn, a former mental health nurse at Yarl's Wood, blew the whistle on conditions inside. Finn worked there from 2012 to 2013. One woman who he had flagged as being at risk later burnt herself with scalding water, but staff did not treat her injury for 16 hours. He said there was &amp;quot;a toxic culture, where guards would flirt and be inappropriate&amp;quot;. He slammed the provision of mental health care at Yarl's Wood.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27906730 Whistleblower's concerns over safety at Yarl's Wood]', BBC, 24 June 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November, despite the mounting controversy around Yarl's Wood, Serco was awarded a new contract, worth £70 million, to run the centre for a further eight years. The healthcare unit was taken over by [[G4S]] - the successor to [[Group 4]], which was in charge of Yarl's Wood before Serco and when half the centre burnt down.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2015 Channel 4 undercover, death, inspection report===&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;youtube size=&amp;quot;medium&amp;quot; align=&amp;quot;right&amp;quot; caption=&amp;quot;Channel 4 News undercover investigation of Yarl's Wood&amp;quot;&amp;gt;EkyvmvIn5HA&amp;lt;/youtube&amp;gt;In March, Channel 4 News broadcast secret filming from an undercover reporter showing conditions inside Yarl's Wood.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.channel4.com/news/yarls-wood-immigration-removal-detention-centre-investigation Yarl's Wood: undercover in the secretive immigration centre]', Channel 4 News, 2 March 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Guards referred to the detainees as ‘animals’, ‘beasties’ and ‘bi****s’. The footage raised concerns about healthcare, self-harm and the detention of pregnant women. Two guards were suspended over allegations of mistreatment and further investigations were ordered by the Home Office and Serco.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 20 April, a 34 year old Indian man Pinakin Patel died at Yarl's Wood from a heart attack. He was detained in the family unit with his wife.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-32398795 BBC]', 21 April 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Detainees went on hunger strike calling for the release of Mr Patel's widow, Bhavisha Ben Patel. She said the couple had to wait 15 minutes for health care staff to attend after he suffered from shortness of breath on the morning he died. They had been detained at Yarl's Wood for over two months since coming to the UK on holiday.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/yarls-wood-hunger-strike-at-immigration-removal-centre-for-release-of-widow-10196889.html Yarl's Wood: Hunger strike at immigration removal centre for release of widow]', Independent, 22 April 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An inquest into Patel's death heard how there had been delays reporting his collapse to emergency services and the ambulance was delayed at the detention centre's gates. Senior coroner Tom Osborne found Patel had died from natural causes. However, he found that prevention of future deaths recommendations made after the Christine Case inquest had not been implemented.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.bedfordshire-news.co.uk/Pinakin-Patel/story-28020823-detail/story.html Inquest hears concerns over Yarl's Wood response after detainee collapsed and died at centre]', Bedforshire on Sunday, 20 October 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In August, the chief inspector of prisons published a report which said Yarl's Wood was &amp;quot;a place of national concern&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2015/08/Yarls-Wood-web-2015.pdf Report on an unannounced inspection of Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre ]', HMIP, 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The report found that conditions had deteriorated and that Yarl's Wood was failing vulnerable women.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33871283 Yarl's Wood removal centre of 'national concern']', BBC, 12 August 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Particular criticism was made of the healthcare facilities, run by [[G4S]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Wings==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Yarl's Wood consists of four units in a large, two-storey building. Until the detention of families was stopped in late 2010, there was a family unit (Crane), with a capacity of 121; a single women induction and first night unit (Bunting), with 42 beds; and two single women units (Avocet and Dove), with a capacity of 130 and 112 respectively. All Crane rooms, except one, are twin-bedded and interconnected in pairs to allow families to be located together. All Avocet and Dove rooms are twin-bedded, except for two single rooms in Avocet with some adaptations for people with disabilities. Most Bunting rooms, except three, are single. All rooms have simple en-suite toilet and shower facilities. The four units are connected by a central corridor, from which all ancillary areas, including the healthcare centre, can be accessed.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Detainees in Temporary Confinement (TC) under Detention Centre Rule 42 are held in the Kingfisher Separation Unit, in solitary cells called Removal From Association (RFA) rooms. Rooms in Bunting are also sometimes used for this purpose. During 2009, the Bunting RFA rooms were apparently converted into a 'family care suite'. During the second part of 2009, a new school building was constructed outside the main compound, formally opening in November that year. There is a Healthcare Centre on site, which provides primary healthcare for detainees, but is not always adequately staffed. Secondary care is referred - at least in theory - to the local Primary Care Trust.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[1] Stephen Shaw (Prisons and Probation Ombudsman), &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Report of the inquiry into the disturbance and fire at Yarl’s Wood Removal Centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, October 2004. http://www.ppo.gov.uk/docs/special-yarls-wood-fire-02.pdf.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[2] Prisons and Probation Ombudsman for England and Wales, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Investigation into Allegations of Racism, Abuse and Violence at Yarl’s Wood Removal Centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, March 2004. p.3. http://www.ppo.gov.uk/docs/special-yarls-wood-abuse-03.pdf.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[3] HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Inquiry into the quality of healthcare at Yarl's Wood immigration removal centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, 20 – 24 February 2006. p.5. http://www.justice.gov.uk/inspectorates/hmi-prisons/docs/yarls_wood_inquiry_final-rps.pdf.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[4] Legal Action for Women, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;A 'Bleak House' in Our Times: An investigation into Yarl's Wood Removal Centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, Crossroads, December 2005.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[5] Women Against Rape, 'Landmark damages for rape survivor detained unlawfully', n.d. http://www.womenagainstrape.net/media/landmark-damages-rape-survivor-detained-unlawfully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[6] Serco, 'Serco to run Yarl's Wood immigration centre', http://www.serco.com/markets/homeaffairs/Copy_3_of_lowgrangerep.asp.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[7] Home Office, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Yarl's Wood immigration removal centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/organisation/immigrationremovalcentres/yarlswood.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[8] 'Yarl's Wood expansion put on hold', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Bedford Today&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 28 January 2010. http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/news/biggleswade-news/yarl_s_wood_expansion_put_on_hold_the_full_story_1_1099759.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[9] Medical Justice, 'Rape and torture survivor severely neglected by Yarl’s Wood healthcare', n.d. http://www.medicaljustice.org.uk/content/view/267/50/ .&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[10] Medical Justice, 'Medico-Legal Reports dismissed by immigration judges', n.d. http://www.medicaljustice.org.uk/content/view/16/50/ .&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[11] HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, 2009, p.5.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[12] Independent Monitoring Board, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Annual Report 2009&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;. p.12.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[13] HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, 2009. p.6.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[14] Independent Monitoring Board, 2009. p.18.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[15] ibid.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[16] ibid.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[17] See, for example, Birnberg Peirce &amp;amp; Partners, Medical Justice and the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Outsourcing Abuse: The use and misuse of state-sanctioned force during the detention and removal of asylum seekers&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 2008, http://www.medicaljustice.org.uk/images/stories/reports/outsourcing%20abuse.pdf, p.16; Corporate Watch, 'Missed Appointments: The Nigerian prince and the UK failed immigration system', 5 May 2010, http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=3596, especially the section on 'Retaliation?'.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[18] No Borders Brighton, 'Yarl's Wood Hunger Strikers Attacked', Indymedia UK, 17 June 2009, http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/06/432528.html.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[19] See, for example, http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/02/446439.html and http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/feb/08/hunger-strike-women-detention-yarls-wood-protest.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[20] VionioOnTV, 'Voices from Yarl's Wood', http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xch4gx_voices-from-yarl-s-wood-update-2_news.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[21] Mark Townsend, 'Immigration bosses to be quizzed after asylum seekers were 'beaten' by guards', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;The Observer&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 28 February 2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/feb/28/yarls-wood-assaults; Karen McVeigh, 'Asylum seekers win new strength to fight after Yarl's Wood hunger strike', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;The Guardian&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 2 August 2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/aug/02/yarls-wood-hunger-strike-asylum.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[22] NCADC, 'Free Denise McNeil', http://www.ncadc.org.uk/campaigns/DeniseMcNeil.html.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[23] 'Yarlswood: 'One girl tied a rope around her neck and tried to hang herself', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;The Guardian&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 13 February 2010. http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/audio/2010/feb/13/yarlswood.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[24] Mark Townsend, 'Yarl's Wood mother jailed without charge for a year to 'silence' her', The Observer, Sunday 16 January 2011, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jan/16/denise-mcneil-yarls-wood.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[25] Women Against Rape, 'UPDATE: 34 women still on hunger strike in Yarl’s Wood', 26 February 2010, http://www.womenagainstrape.net/content/action-women-3rd-week-hunger-strike-yarls-wood-irc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[26] Women Against Rape, 'Report: Women's Hunger Strike - Louder than Words ', 29 June 2010, http://www.womenagainstrape.net/content/report-womens-hunger-strike-louder-words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[27] Black Women's Rape Project, 'SERCO officers in Yarl's Wood IRC: Violent, racist, sexist &amp;amp; vindictive', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Minority Perspective&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 10 December 2010. http://www.minorityperspective.co.uk/2010/12/10/serco-officers-in-yarl%E2%80%99s-wood-irc-violent-racist-sexist-vindictive/.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[28] Women Against Rape, 'Women speak out in Parliament against detention, deportation, privatisation and profiteering', 14 January 2010, http://www.womenagainstrape.net/content/women-speak-out-parliament-against-detention-depor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Yarl%27s_Wood_IRC&amp;diff=228329</id>
		<title>Yarl's Wood IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Yarl%27s_Wood_IRC&amp;diff=228329"/>
		<updated>2015-11-30T12:20:06Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Yarl's Wood IRC]] is a UK immigration removal centre, operated by a private contractor, [[Serco]] Limited, on behalf of the UK [[Home Office]] under the Detention Centre Rules 2001. It is located outside the village of Clapham in Bedfordshire, England.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==List of centre managers and assistants==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[David Watson]] was centre manager of [[Yarl's Wood IRC]] for [[Group 4 Falck|Group 4]] from January 2001 to January 2003 during which time a major fire occurred.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'[http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/news/yarl-s-wood-guards-traumatised-by-ordeal-1-1087315 'Yarl's Wood guards traumatised by ordeal']', ''Bedford Today'', 22 March 2002&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Joanne Henney]] was deputy centre manager for [[G4S]] from June 2003 to June 2006.&lt;br /&gt;
*[[James Wilkinson]] was contract director for [[Serco]] at [[Yarl's Wood IRC]] over 18 months from December 2010 to May 2012.&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Lisa Hooper]] was assistant director for [[Serco]] from October 2008 to June 2015 (ongoing)&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Victoria Murray]] was &amp;quot;Assistant Director (Business Assurance)&amp;quot; for [[Serco]] at [[Yarl's Wood IRC]] during 2010 and then deputy contract director there in 2011.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Senior staff==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Ian Scrupps]] was a business development manager for [[Serco]] from 2007 to July 2008, during which time he helped Serco transition onto their new contract for [[Yarl's Wood IRC]].&lt;br /&gt;
*[[David Tanner]] is a Non Executive Director of the Yarl's Wood Immigration Centre Contract Board for [[Serco]] since 2013.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Group 4/GSL management==&lt;br /&gt;
When Yarl's Wood was opened in 2001, it initially accommodated 900 people in two blocks, making it the largest immigration prison in Europe at the time. The management of the centre was contracted to [[Global Solutions Ltd.]] (GSL), which was then owned by Group 4 Amey Immigration Ltd, owned by [[Amey Assets Services]] Ltd and [[Group 4 Falck]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2001 Hunger strike====&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2001, just a month after the centre opened, five Roma detainees began the first hunger strike there.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2002 Fire====&lt;br /&gt;
In February 2002, the prison was burnt down following a protest by detainees triggered by a 55-year-old woman being physically restrained by staff. When the fire started, the centre manager ordered all staff to exit the building, locking the detainees inside the timber-framed building. It later emerged that the government had also failed to install a sprinkler system. Although there was an investigation, no members of [[Group 4 Falck|Group 4]] were ever prosecuted. &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[1] &amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The centre was closed and the burnt B site was demolished.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In September 2003, the undamaged half was re-opened after extensive rebuilding, with an initial capacity of 60. The centre's capacity was increased to 120 by August 2004 and to its full operational capacity of 405 by the end of 2005. The other half is still a waste-land.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2003 Daily Mirror undercover====&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2003, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman for England and Wales launched an investigation into allegations of racism and physical abuse at Yarl's Wood revealed by a ''Daily Mirror'' undercover reporter on 8 December 2003. The inquiry's final report, published in March 2004, was largely based on the internal investigation by the centre's management, which the Ombudsman described as having been 'helpful'. Although admitting that the 19 incidents reported did happen, the investigation concluded that they &amp;quot;did not indicate a culture of racism and improper use of force.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt; [2] &amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2005 death====&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 15 September 2005, Angolan asylum seeker Manual Bravo was found hanged at Yarl's Wood. He was detained there with his 13-year-old son, Antonio. Prior to detention, the family lived in Leeds and attended church regularly. The father and son were snatched in a dawn raid and taken to Yarl's Wood. Manual took his life within 24 hours of arriving there.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.irr.org.uk/news/in-memory-of-manuel-bravo/ Institute of Race Relations, 18 May 2006]', ''In memory of Manual Bravo''&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2006 inspection, riot and unlawful detention====&lt;br /&gt;
An inquiry by the Chief Inspector of Prisons in 2006 into the quality of healthcare at Yarl's Wood found that the healthcare service provided was &amp;quot;not geared to meet the needs of those with serious health problems or the significant number of detainees held for longer periods for whom prolonged and uncertain detention was itself likely to be detrimental to their well being.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt; [3] &amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Mental health care provision for women detainees was particularly insufficient. Similar concerns have been echoed by subsequent inspection reports.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
''&amp;quot;The worst feature that emerges from these inspections is the dehumanising aspects of the immigration removal process itself. Some of those we observed in detention had been dealt with by the immigration authorities as though they were parcels, not people; and parcels whose contents and destination were sometimes incorrect.&amp;quot;'' - HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers, February 2006&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November 2006, a group of detainees rioted after being denied watching a news report criticising conditions at the centre. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A 2006 report by Legal Action for Women, entitled A 'Bleak House' in Our Times, found that over 70 percent of the women detained in Yarl's Wood were rape victims. Few of the 130 women surveyed were able to get specialist help and some were detained for over a year.[4]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A woman rape survivor, who had fled Cameroon after suffering rape and other torture, was detained at Yarl's Wood in December 2006, shortly after her arrival in the UK. She reported to the authorities that she was a rape survivor and, according to the Detention Centre Rules, should have been seen by a medical practitioner within 24 hours. Her report of rape was ignored and she was put on fast-track for deportation. In February 2008, she won £38,000 in damages for being unlawfully detained.[5]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Serco==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In April 2007, [[Serco]] Ltd took over the management, operation and maintenance of Yarl's Wood, for an initial period of three years, with optional extension to up to eight years. Over the full eight years, the contract is valued at around £85m.[6]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Under Serco, Yarl's Wood became the UK's main immigration removal centre for women and families (until the end of child detention in 2010), with 284 single female and 121 family bed spaces. The contract had been awarded in December 2006.[7] &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2007 hunger strike===&lt;br /&gt;
In May 2007, a month after Serco took over the running of the centre, women detainees began a hunger strike in response to new measures introduced by the new management. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2008 expansion plans===&lt;br /&gt;
In May 2008, the Home Office announced it will take forward planning applications to create extra spaces at the centre as part of its plans for &amp;quot;large-scale expansion&amp;quot; of Britain's detention estate, but the plans were shelved due to lack of funds.[8]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2009 inspections and hunger strike===&lt;br /&gt;
In 2009, Medical Justice reported a woman who had fled a West African country after being repeatedly raped and tortured by soldiers had her asylum claim refused and was detained on Fast Track at Yarl's Wood for three and a half months. Despite serious health problems, she was denied treatment and was not seen by a gynaecologist nor screened for sexually transmitted infections. She eventually developed severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder and was placed on suicide watch for several weeks after harming herself, yet failed attempts were made to deport her. She was only released after she was seen by a doctor working with Medical Justice.[9] In another case, a medico-legal report prepared by medical experts who noted that the medical evidence &amp;quot;gives strong support for the history of repeated rapes leading to life threatening gynaecological complications necessitating major surgery&amp;quot; was dismissed by the immigration judge, who apparently said the injuries &amp;quot;could have been caused by other means,&amp;quot; without finding it necessary to investigate what these 'other means' could have been.[10] &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 2009, HM Inspector of Prisons found that the understanding and management of self-harm at Yarl's Wood was often superficial, with security taking precedence over health: &amp;quot;Many women were extremely anxious about their future, and the quality of support procedures for those at risk of self-harm was not consistently good, though there was some caring individual work. There had been no assessment of adult mental health needs.&amp;quot;[11] Previous inspection reports, for example one in February 2006, had made similar criticisms about the centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In its 2009 annual report, the Yarl's Wood Independent Monitoring Board reported a 26% increase in the recorded instances of use of force at the centre (48 cases, compared with 38 in 2008).[12] This was apparently &amp;quot;owing to a change in the recording process, to include occasions where an officer uses force to prevent self-harm,&amp;quot; implying that many incidents may not have been reported in the past. In one of the cases viewed, the IMB member considered the force used to have been &amp;quot;excessive.&amp;quot; The board also reported one case where a tape was &amp;quot;wiped&amp;quot; before the IMB member could see it. In November 2009, the Chief Inspector of Prisons reported that, on two occasions in the previous year, force had been used on children. The inspectors were &amp;quot;assured&amp;quot; that these events were &amp;quot;exceptional&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;properly authorised and planned.&amp;quot;[13]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Independent Monitoring Boards across the detention estate have repeatedly expressed their &amp;quot;extreme concern&amp;quot; about restrictions on their access to detainees' complaints. In March 2009, the UKBA's Detention Services finally agreed to produce a monthly report to each IMB, setting out brief details of complaints received from detainees. The reports gave the name of the detainee, a brief indication of the subject-matter of the complaint and its destination. Whilst this was described as &amp;quot;helpful,&amp;quot; the IMB's Forum of Chairs did not consider that &amp;quot;it was adequate to enable IMBs to properly monitor the just and humane treatment of detainees, which must include how their complaints are dealt with.&amp;quot;[14] For example, the reports would not indicate whether the same officer had been involved in more than one incident of alleged mistreatment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Yarl's Wood's monthly reports to the IMB during 2009 were described as &amp;quot;at best sporadic.&amp;quot; Moreover, since December 2008, complaints to the UKBA's Professional Standards Unit (PSU), which IMBs were &amp;quot;most concerned to know about,&amp;quot; were not made available to them.[15] In November 2009, an agreement was reached with the UKBA for copies of detainees' complaints to be emailed to the IMB chair at the centre via a secure system. Again, while this &amp;quot;restoration of access&amp;quot; to complaints was welcomed by the IMB, it was criticised for being &amp;quot;not complete.&amp;quot; For example, where a detainee was moved from the detention centre, it was not possible for the IMB at any subsequent centre to follow up an earlier complaint.[16] This is particularly important in light of claims that one of the tactics used by the immigration authorities and their contractors to 'deal with problems' is to move 'trouble-causing' detainees around the detention estate. There is also evidence that detainees lodging complaints are subjected to harassment and further abuse, which may deter other from complaining in the future.[17]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A hunger strike in June 2009 was accompanied by accounts of violent assaults on detainees by Serco guards. Men and women were reportedly beaten up and one woman had her clothes ripped off by guards while being filmed. Detainees reported that many of them were &amp;quot;severely traumatised.&amp;quot; One woman told supporters on the phone that the level of brutality was &amp;quot;unbelievable&amp;quot; and she had &amp;quot;never seen anything like it before.&amp;quot; [18]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2010 hunger strike===&lt;br /&gt;
On 8th February 2010, three days into a mass hunger strike by Yarl's Wood detainees demanding an end to indefinite imprisonment and abuse, both grassroots and mainstream media reported that Serco security guards, some with riot shields, had attempted to break up the protest by using excessive force against women detainees.[19] A series of audio interviews with the hunger strikers described how 70 women were locked in a corridor for 6 hours without access to food, water, toilet or medical care.[20] Many collapsed and about 20, who apparently climbed out of a window, were reportedly beaten up by the guards and taken into isolation cells. An image taken on a mobile phone and passed on to the media showed extensive bruising to one woman's shoulder and legs. Another women reported she had a window slammed on her hand by guards. Detainees also claimed that they were racially abused, with guards calling them &amp;quot;black monkeys&amp;quot; and such like. An ambulance called by the detainees was apparently not allowed in as the centre's management claimed that paramedics were &amp;quot;not required because the most significant injury was [a] fingernail injury.&amp;quot; Members of the centre's Independent Monitoring Board and Bedfordshire police are said to have been present during the assaults but no action was taken.[21]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The security went outside and used shields like they do when there is a war. That is what they used to smash one of the women who was outside.&amp;quot; - Yarl's Wood detainee during the February 2010 hunger strike, The Observer, 28 February 2010 &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Four of the women, who were singled out as 'ringleaders' or 'key organisers' of the protest, were put in isolation for four weeks, then moved to HM Holloway Prison, where three of them were held for over a year without charge or trial.[22] The women also say they were denied adequate medical treatment for the injuries they sustained from assaults during the hunger strike. One of them, Denise McNeil, who had spoken to the media[23] about the hunger strike and the guards' use of violence, believes the subsequent assaults on her and moving her to prison were &amp;quot;to silence protesters.&amp;quot;[24]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After each of these disturbances, campaigners and sympathetic MPs demanded an inquiry into the events. Judging by previous experiences, however, official inquiries into detention-related do not appear to get anywhere. In fact, the Home Office and Serco deny that there was even a protest in Yarl's Wood in February 2010. Their preferred course of action was to write to MPs and the media, through the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office Meg Hillier MP, denying that there had been a hunger strike and claiming that campaigners' reports were &amp;quot;inaccurate and fabricated.&amp;quot;[25] Solicitors and detainee support groups, such as Black Women's Rape Action Project, have collected witness statements from over 50 of the women involved in the hunger strike and found their claims of racist abuse, physical and other violence to be &amp;quot;entirely consistent.&amp;quot;[26]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Stories of daily 'routine abuse' of Yarls' Wood detainees continue to emerge. On 6th December 2010, for instance, a woman reported that she was &amp;quot;physically assaulted and verbally abused&amp;quot; by two male and one female Serco guards during one of their routine monthly searches of inmates' rooms. A male officer, she claimed, called her an &amp;quot;illegal immigrant&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;a prostitute,&amp;quot; breaching her confidentiality by revealing aspects of her asylum claim to other women and officers present. The manager then arrived and, instead of asking what had happened, he allegedly bent both her hands back and pressed her against the wall, pulling out some of her hair. The woman was then taken into isolation, where she said she was denied food and kept in a cold room for two days. She called the police but these apparently did nothing as there was &amp;quot;no blood.&amp;quot;[27] Other women said they were reluctant to go public about the abuse they claim they suffered as they feared retribution, but some have spoken out after being released.[28]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2011 guard suspended===&lt;br /&gt;
In January a Serco officer was suspended and investigated, reportedly over allegations that he had an inappropriate sexual relationship with a women detained at Yarl's Wood who became pregnant.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.bedfordshire-news.co.uk/Yarls-Wood-guard-probed-pregnant-detainee-claim/story-21716908-detail/story.html Yarl’s Wood guard probed over pregnant detainee claim]', Bedfordshire on Sunday, 13 February 2011&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2012 Movement for Justice group inside===&lt;br /&gt;
In September, several women detained at Yarl’s Wood organised themselves into a “Movement for Justice Group” and issued a significant statement, which included 8 demands:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
“Led by a group of lesbian women in detention, the Yarls Wood Movement for Justice group has now grown to include many more women both lesbian and straight; all are determined to fight for their freedom and the freedom of all women in detention; an end to the racist and abusive system of detaining people who have committed no crime other than seek a life free from torture, persecution, abuse and poverty and the freedom to study, live, work and be exactly who they are.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Together the Yarls Wood Movement for Justice Group has voted on a set of demands for immediate improvement in the conditions of detention (cleaning work that only pays 50p an hour, blocks on the internet and lack of printing facilities) and the overarching goal of freedom for all and an end to detention.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
1. Respect for our human rights – Release us now&lt;br /&gt;
2. No more Fast Track&lt;br /&gt;
3. Unblock the internet &amp;amp; allow internet access to our petition link and printing of petition materials&lt;br /&gt;
4. Pay us at least the minimum wage for the work we do in detention&lt;br /&gt;
5. No more copy &amp;amp; paste of case decisions – we need fair trial&lt;br /&gt;
6. No more charter flights&lt;br /&gt;
7. End deportation – End detention&lt;br /&gt;
8. We need freedom – legal status for us all in the UK&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The entire immigration system is racist, homophobic, sexist and rotten to the core. The collective organisation of detainees in detention combined with a militant and determined fight in all of our communities across the UK can be the death knell of this poisonous system that has robbed from us so many of our sisters, brothers, neigbour’s, cousins, fathers, mothers, workmates and friends. This pernicious effect has been highlighted dramatically with the threatened deportation of almost 3000 students from London Met University – the time to fight is now; student and non student, detained and not detained, citizen and non-citizen, International student and UK student – we must stand together for a new Britain, a better Britain: diverse, multiracial, integrated and equal”.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'https://stopdeportations.wordpress.com/2012/09/10/yarls-wood-echos-h-block-and-attica/ Yarl’s Wood echos H-Block and Attica]', Stop Deportations Blog, 10 September 2012&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2013 Observer exposé of sexual abuse===&lt;br /&gt;
Throughout 2013, the Observer published reports of sexual abuse by Serco guards against female detainees at Yarl's Wood. Police launched an investigation after the Observer reported that a 23-year-old Roma woman, referred to as &amp;quot;Tanya&amp;quot;, had sexual contact with three male guards, and that attempts were made to deport her days after she informed management.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/sep/15/police-launch-investigation-sexual-abuse-claims-immigration-centre Police launch investigation into claims of sexual abuse at immigration centre]', Guardian, 15 September 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Some of the abuse reportedly took place in a room on Avocet wing without CCTV and with curtains covering the windows.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2014 death, UN barred, contract renewed===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 31 March, Jamaican Christine Case, 40, died inside Yarl's Wood from a massive pulmonary thrombo-embolism. Case had spent ten days in detention. Following her death, detainees held a sit-down protest and refused to comply with officers.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/apr/03/yarls-wood-immigration-removal-centre-death-family-detainees Yarl's Wood death: family and fellow detainees tell of shock and despair]', Guardian, 3 April 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Hundred of mourners attended Case's funeral in north London.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In April, Rashida Manjoo, the UN special rapporteur on violence against women, was barred from visiting Yarl's Wood. Manjoo was in Britain to conduct an inquiry for the UN into violence against women.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/apr/13/un-inspection-yarls-wood-detention-centre-blocked-claim UN inspection of Yarl's Wood was blocked, claim campaigners]', Observer, 13 April 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; She compared the fiasco to when authorities in Bangladesh prevented her from visiting a notorious refugee camp and India blocked her visiting its detention sites. Majoo questioned whether Britain had “something to hide”.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jan/03/yarls-wood-un-special-rapporteur-censure Yarl’s Wood: UN special rapporteur to censure UK government]', Observer, 3 January 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November, despite the mounting controversy around Yarl's Wood, Serco was awarded a new contract, worth £70 million, to run the centre for a further eight years. The healthcare unit was taken over by [[G4S]] - the successor to [[Group 4]], which was in charge of Yarl's Wood before Serco and when half the centre burnt down.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2015 Channel 4 undercover, death, inspection report===&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;youtube size=&amp;quot;medium&amp;quot; align=&amp;quot;right&amp;quot; caption=&amp;quot;Channel 4 News undercover investigation of Yarl's Wood&amp;quot;&amp;gt;EkyvmvIn5HA&amp;lt;/youtube&amp;gt;In March, Channel 4 News broadcast secret filming from an undercover reporter showing conditions inside Yarl's Wood.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.channel4.com/news/yarls-wood-immigration-removal-detention-centre-investigation Yarl's Wood: undercover in the secretive immigration centre]', Channel 4 News, 2 March 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Guards referred to the detainees as ‘animals’, ‘beasties’ and ‘bi****s’. The footage raised concerns about healthcare, self-harm and the detention of pregnant women. Two guards were suspended over allegations of mistreatment and further investigations were ordered by the Home Office and Serco.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 20 April, a 34 year old Indian man Pinakin Patel died at Yarl's Wood from a heart attack. He was detained in the family unit with his wife.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-32398795 BBC]', 21 April 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Detainees went on hunger strike calling for the release of Mr Patel's widow, Bhavisha Ben Patel. She said the couple had to wait 15 minutes for health care staff to attend after he suffered from shortness of breath on the morning he died. They had been detained at Yarl's Wood for over two months since coming to the UK on holiday.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/yarls-wood-hunger-strike-at-immigration-removal-centre-for-release-of-widow-10196889.html Yarl's Wood: Hunger strike at immigration removal centre for release of widow]', Independent, 22 April 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An inquest into Patel's death heard how there had been delays reporting his collapse to emergency services and the ambulance was delayed at the detention centre's gates. Senior coroner Tom Osborne found Patel had died from natural causes. However, he found that prevention of future deaths recommendations made after the Christine Case inquest had not been implemented.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.bedfordshire-news.co.uk/Pinakin-Patel/story-28020823-detail/story.html Inquest hears concerns over Yarl's Wood response after detainee collapsed and died at centre]', Bedforshire on Sunday, 20 October 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In August, the chief inspector of prisons published a report which said Yarl's Wood was &amp;quot;a place of national concern&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2015/08/Yarls-Wood-web-2015.pdf Report on an unannounced inspection of Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre ]', HMIP, 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The report found that conditions had deteriorated and that Yarl's Wood was failing vulnerable women.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33871283 Yarl's Wood removal centre of 'national concern']', BBC, 12 August 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Particular criticism was made of the healthcare facilities, run by [[G4S]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Wings==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Yarl's Wood consists of four units in a large, two-storey building. Until the detention of families was stopped in late 2010, there was a family unit (Crane), with a capacity of 121; a single women induction and first night unit (Bunting), with 42 beds; and two single women units (Avocet and Dove), with a capacity of 130 and 112 respectively. All Crane rooms, except one, are twin-bedded and interconnected in pairs to allow families to be located together. All Avocet and Dove rooms are twin-bedded, except for two single rooms in Avocet with some adaptations for people with disabilities. Most Bunting rooms, except three, are single. All rooms have simple en-suite toilet and shower facilities. The four units are connected by a central corridor, from which all ancillary areas, including the healthcare centre, can be accessed.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Detainees in Temporary Confinement (TC) under Detention Centre Rule 42 are held in the Kingfisher Separation Unit, in solitary cells called Removal From Association (RFA) rooms. Rooms in Bunting are also sometimes used for this purpose. During 2009, the Bunting RFA rooms were apparently converted into a 'family care suite'. During the second part of 2009, a new school building was constructed outside the main compound, formally opening in November that year. There is a Healthcare Centre on site, which provides primary healthcare for detainees, but is not always adequately staffed. Secondary care is referred - at least in theory - to the local Primary Care Trust.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[1] Stephen Shaw (Prisons and Probation Ombudsman), &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Report of the inquiry into the disturbance and fire at Yarl’s Wood Removal Centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, October 2004. http://www.ppo.gov.uk/docs/special-yarls-wood-fire-02.pdf.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[2] Prisons and Probation Ombudsman for England and Wales, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Investigation into Allegations of Racism, Abuse and Violence at Yarl’s Wood Removal Centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, March 2004. p.3. http://www.ppo.gov.uk/docs/special-yarls-wood-abuse-03.pdf.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[3] HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Inquiry into the quality of healthcare at Yarl's Wood immigration removal centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, 20 – 24 February 2006. p.5. http://www.justice.gov.uk/inspectorates/hmi-prisons/docs/yarls_wood_inquiry_final-rps.pdf.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[4] Legal Action for Women, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;A 'Bleak House' in Our Times: An investigation into Yarl's Wood Removal Centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, Crossroads, December 2005.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[5] Women Against Rape, 'Landmark damages for rape survivor detained unlawfully', n.d. http://www.womenagainstrape.net/media/landmark-damages-rape-survivor-detained-unlawfully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[6] Serco, 'Serco to run Yarl's Wood immigration centre', http://www.serco.com/markets/homeaffairs/Copy_3_of_lowgrangerep.asp.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[7] Home Office, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Yarl's Wood immigration removal centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/organisation/immigrationremovalcentres/yarlswood.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[8] 'Yarl's Wood expansion put on hold', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Bedford Today&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 28 January 2010. http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/news/biggleswade-news/yarl_s_wood_expansion_put_on_hold_the_full_story_1_1099759.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[9] Medical Justice, 'Rape and torture survivor severely neglected by Yarl’s Wood healthcare', n.d. http://www.medicaljustice.org.uk/content/view/267/50/ .&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[10] Medical Justice, 'Medico-Legal Reports dismissed by immigration judges', n.d. http://www.medicaljustice.org.uk/content/view/16/50/ .&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[11] HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, 2009, p.5.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[12] Independent Monitoring Board, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Annual Report 2009&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;. p.12.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[13] HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, 2009. p.6.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[14] Independent Monitoring Board, 2009. p.18.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[15] ibid.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[16] ibid.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[17] See, for example, Birnberg Peirce &amp;amp; Partners, Medical Justice and the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Outsourcing Abuse: The use and misuse of state-sanctioned force during the detention and removal of asylum seekers&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 2008, http://www.medicaljustice.org.uk/images/stories/reports/outsourcing%20abuse.pdf, p.16; Corporate Watch, 'Missed Appointments: The Nigerian prince and the UK failed immigration system', 5 May 2010, http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=3596, especially the section on 'Retaliation?'.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[18] No Borders Brighton, 'Yarl's Wood Hunger Strikers Attacked', Indymedia UK, 17 June 2009, http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/06/432528.html.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[19] See, for example, http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/02/446439.html and http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/feb/08/hunger-strike-women-detention-yarls-wood-protest.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[20] VionioOnTV, 'Voices from Yarl's Wood', http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xch4gx_voices-from-yarl-s-wood-update-2_news.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[21] Mark Townsend, 'Immigration bosses to be quizzed after asylum seekers were 'beaten' by guards', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;The Observer&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 28 February 2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/feb/28/yarls-wood-assaults; Karen McVeigh, 'Asylum seekers win new strength to fight after Yarl's Wood hunger strike', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;The Guardian&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 2 August 2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/aug/02/yarls-wood-hunger-strike-asylum.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[22] NCADC, 'Free Denise McNeil', http://www.ncadc.org.uk/campaigns/DeniseMcNeil.html.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[23] 'Yarlswood: 'One girl tied a rope around her neck and tried to hang herself', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;The Guardian&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 13 February 2010. http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/audio/2010/feb/13/yarlswood.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[24] Mark Townsend, 'Yarl's Wood mother jailed without charge for a year to 'silence' her', The Observer, Sunday 16 January 2011, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jan/16/denise-mcneil-yarls-wood.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[25] Women Against Rape, 'UPDATE: 34 women still on hunger strike in Yarl’s Wood', 26 February 2010, http://www.womenagainstrape.net/content/action-women-3rd-week-hunger-strike-yarls-wood-irc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[26] Women Against Rape, 'Report: Women's Hunger Strike - Louder than Words ', 29 June 2010, http://www.womenagainstrape.net/content/report-womens-hunger-strike-louder-words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[27] Black Women's Rape Project, 'SERCO officers in Yarl's Wood IRC: Violent, racist, sexist &amp;amp; vindictive', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Minority Perspective&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 10 December 2010. http://www.minorityperspective.co.uk/2010/12/10/serco-officers-in-yarl%E2%80%99s-wood-irc-violent-racist-sexist-vindictive/.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[28] Women Against Rape, 'Women speak out in Parliament against detention, deportation, privatisation and profiteering', 14 January 2010, http://www.womenagainstrape.net/content/women-speak-out-parliament-against-detention-depor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Yarl%27s_Wood_IRC&amp;diff=228328</id>
		<title>Yarl's Wood IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Yarl%27s_Wood_IRC&amp;diff=228328"/>
		<updated>2015-11-30T12:14:58Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Yarl's Wood IRC]] is a UK immigration removal centre, operated by a private contractor, [[Serco]] Limited, on behalf of the UK [[Home Office]] under the Detention Centre Rules 2001. It is located outside the village of Clapham in Bedfordshire, England.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==List of centre managers and assistants==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[David Watson]] was centre manager of [[Yarl's Wood IRC]] for [[Group 4 Falck|Group 4]] from January 2001 to January 2003 during which time a major fire occurred.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'[http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/news/yarl-s-wood-guards-traumatised-by-ordeal-1-1087315 'Yarl's Wood guards traumatised by ordeal']', ''Bedford Today'', 22 March 2002&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Joanne Henney]] was deputy centre manager for [[G4S]] from June 2003 to June 2006.&lt;br /&gt;
*[[James Wilkinson]] was contract director for [[Serco]] at [[Yarl's Wood IRC]] over 18 months from December 2010 to May 2012.&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Lisa Hooper]] was assistant director for [[Serco]] from October 2008 to June 2015 (ongoing)&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Victoria Murray]] was &amp;quot;Assistant Director (Business Assurance)&amp;quot; for [[Serco]] at [[Yarl's Wood IRC]] during 2010 and then deputy contract director there in 2011.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Senior staff==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Ian Scrupps]] was a business development manager for [[Serco]] from 2007 to July 2008, during which time he helped Serco transition onto their new contract for [[Yarl's Wood IRC]].&lt;br /&gt;
*[[David Tanner]] is a Non Executive Director of the Yarl's Wood Immigration Centre Contract Board for [[Serco]] since 2013.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Group 4/GSL management==&lt;br /&gt;
When Yarl's Wood was opened in 2001, it initially accommodated 900 people in two blocks, making it the largest immigration prison in Europe at the time. The management of the centre was contracted to [[Global Solutions Ltd.]] (GSL), which was then owned by Group 4 Amey Immigration Ltd, owned by [[Amey Assets Services]] Ltd and [[Group 4 Falck]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2001 Hunger strike====&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2001, just a month after the centre opened, five Roma detainees began the first hunger strike there.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2002 Fire====&lt;br /&gt;
In February 2002, the prison was burnt down following a protest by detainees triggered by a 55-year-old woman being physically restrained by staff. When the fire started, the centre manager ordered all staff to exit the building, locking the detainees inside the timber-framed building. It later emerged that the government had also failed to install a sprinkler system. Although there was an investigation, no members of [[Group 4 Falck|Group 4]] were ever prosecuted. &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[1] &amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The centre was closed and the burnt B site was demolished.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In September 2003, the undamaged half was re-opened after extensive rebuilding, with an initial capacity of 60. The centre's capacity was increased to 120 by August 2004 and to its full operational capacity of 405 by the end of 2005. The other half is still a waste-land.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2003 Daily Mirror undercover====&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2003, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman for England and Wales launched an investigation into allegations of racism and physical abuse at Yarl's Wood revealed by a ''Daily Mirror'' undercover reporter on 8 December 2003. The inquiry's final report, published in March 2004, was largely based on the internal investigation by the centre's management, which the Ombudsman described as having been 'helpful'. Although admitting that the 19 incidents reported did happen, the investigation concluded that they &amp;quot;did not indicate a culture of racism and improper use of force.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt; [2] &amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2005 death====&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 15 September 2005, Angolan asylum seeker Manual Bravo was found hanged at Yarl's Wood. He was detained there with his 13-year-old son, Antonio. Prior to detention, the family lived in Leeds and attended church regularly. The father and son were snatched in a dawn raid and taken to Yarl's Wood. Manual took his life within 24 hours of arriving there.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.irr.org.uk/news/in-memory-of-manuel-bravo/ Institute of Race Relations, 18 May 2006]', ''In memory of Manual Bravo''&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2006 inspection, riot and unlawful detention====&lt;br /&gt;
An inquiry by the Chief Inspector of Prisons in 2006 into the quality of healthcare at Yarl's Wood found that the healthcare service provided was &amp;quot;not geared to meet the needs of those with serious health problems or the significant number of detainees held for longer periods for whom prolonged and uncertain detention was itself likely to be detrimental to their well being.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt; [3] &amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Mental health care provision for women detainees was particularly insufficient. Similar concerns have been echoed by subsequent inspection reports.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
''&amp;quot;The worst feature that emerges from these inspections is the dehumanising aspects of the immigration removal process itself. Some of those we observed in detention had been dealt with by the immigration authorities as though they were parcels, not people; and parcels whose contents and destination were sometimes incorrect.&amp;quot;'' - HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers, February 2006&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November 2006, a group of detainees rioted after being denied watching a news report criticising conditions at the centre. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A 2006 report by Legal Action for Women, entitled A 'Bleak House' in Our Times, found that over 70 percent of the women detained in Yarl's Wood were rape victims. Few of the 130 women surveyed were able to get specialist help and some were detained for over a year.[4]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A woman rape survivor, who had fled Cameroon after suffering rape and other torture, was detained at Yarl's Wood in December 2006, shortly after her arrival in the UK. She reported to the authorities that she was a rape survivor and, according to the Detention Centre Rules, should have been seen by a medical practitioner within 24 hours. Her report of rape was ignored and she was put on fast-track for deportation. In February 2008, she won £38,000 in damages for being unlawfully detained.[5]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Serco==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In April 2007, [[Serco]] Ltd took over the management, operation and maintenance of Yarl's Wood, for an initial period of three years, with optional extension to up to eight years. Over the full eight years, the contract is valued at around £85m.[6]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Under Serco, Yarl's Wood became the UK's main immigration removal centre for women and families (until the end of child detention in 2010), with 284 single female and 121 family bed spaces. The contract had been awarded in December 2006.[7] &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2007 hunger strike===&lt;br /&gt;
In May 2007, a month after Serco took over the running of the centre, women detainees began a hunger strike in response to new measures introduced by the new management. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2008 expansion plans===&lt;br /&gt;
In May 2008, the Home Office announced it will take forward planning applications to create extra spaces at the centre as part of its plans for &amp;quot;large-scale expansion&amp;quot; of Britain's detention estate, but the plans were shelved due to lack of funds.[8]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2009 inspections and hunger strike===&lt;br /&gt;
In 2009, Medical Justice reported a woman who had fled a West African country after being repeatedly raped and tortured by soldiers had her asylum claim refused and was detained on Fast Track at Yarl's Wood for three and a half months. Despite serious health problems, she was denied treatment and was not seen by a gynaecologist nor screened for sexually transmitted infections. She eventually developed severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder and was placed on suicide watch for several weeks after harming herself, yet failed attempts were made to deport her. She was only released after she was seen by a doctor working with Medical Justice.[9] In another case, a medico-legal report prepared by medical experts who noted that the medical evidence &amp;quot;gives strong support for the history of repeated rapes leading to life threatening gynaecological complications necessitating major surgery&amp;quot; was dismissed by the immigration judge, who apparently said the injuries &amp;quot;could have been caused by other means,&amp;quot; without finding it necessary to investigate what these 'other means' could have been.[10] &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 2009, HM Inspector of Prisons found that the understanding and management of self-harm at Yarl's Wood was often superficial, with security taking precedence over health: &amp;quot;Many women were extremely anxious about their future, and the quality of support procedures for those at risk of self-harm was not consistently good, though there was some caring individual work. There had been no assessment of adult mental health needs.&amp;quot;[11] Previous inspection reports, for example one in February 2006, had made similar criticisms about the centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In its 2009 annual report, the Yarl's Wood Independent Monitoring Board reported a 26% increase in the recorded instances of use of force at the centre (48 cases, compared with 38 in 2008).[12] This was apparently &amp;quot;owing to a change in the recording process, to include occasions where an officer uses force to prevent self-harm,&amp;quot; implying that many incidents may not have been reported in the past. In one of the cases viewed, the IMB member considered the force used to have been &amp;quot;excessive.&amp;quot; The board also reported one case where a tape was &amp;quot;wiped&amp;quot; before the IMB member could see it. In November 2009, the Chief Inspector of Prisons reported that, on two occasions in the previous year, force had been used on children. The inspectors were &amp;quot;assured&amp;quot; that these events were &amp;quot;exceptional&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;properly authorised and planned.&amp;quot;[13]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Independent Monitoring Boards across the detention estate have repeatedly expressed their &amp;quot;extreme concern&amp;quot; about restrictions on their access to detainees' complaints. In March 2009, the UKBA's Detention Services finally agreed to produce a monthly report to each IMB, setting out brief details of complaints received from detainees. The reports gave the name of the detainee, a brief indication of the subject-matter of the complaint and its destination. Whilst this was described as &amp;quot;helpful,&amp;quot; the IMB's Forum of Chairs did not consider that &amp;quot;it was adequate to enable IMBs to properly monitor the just and humane treatment of detainees, which must include how their complaints are dealt with.&amp;quot;[14] For example, the reports would not indicate whether the same officer had been involved in more than one incident of alleged mistreatment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Yarl's Wood's monthly reports to the IMB during 2009 were described as &amp;quot;at best sporadic.&amp;quot; Moreover, since December 2008, complaints to the UKBA's Professional Standards Unit (PSU), which IMBs were &amp;quot;most concerned to know about,&amp;quot; were not made available to them.[15] In November 2009, an agreement was reached with the UKBA for copies of detainees' complaints to be emailed to the IMB chair at the centre via a secure system. Again, while this &amp;quot;restoration of access&amp;quot; to complaints was welcomed by the IMB, it was criticised for being &amp;quot;not complete.&amp;quot; For example, where a detainee was moved from the detention centre, it was not possible for the IMB at any subsequent centre to follow up an earlier complaint.[16] This is particularly important in light of claims that one of the tactics used by the immigration authorities and their contractors to 'deal with problems' is to move 'trouble-causing' detainees around the detention estate. There is also evidence that detainees lodging complaints are subjected to harassment and further abuse, which may deter other from complaining in the future.[17]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A hunger strike in June 2009 was accompanied by accounts of violent assaults on detainees by Serco guards. Men and women were reportedly beaten up and one woman had her clothes ripped off by guards while being filmed. Detainees reported that many of them were &amp;quot;severely traumatised.&amp;quot; One woman told supporters on the phone that the level of brutality was &amp;quot;unbelievable&amp;quot; and she had &amp;quot;never seen anything like it before.&amp;quot; [18]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2010 hunger strike===&lt;br /&gt;
On 8th February 2010, three days into a mass hunger strike by Yarl's Wood detainees demanding an end to indefinite imprisonment and abuse, both grassroots and mainstream media reported that Serco security guards, some with riot shields, had attempted to break up the protest by using excessive force against women detainees.[19] A series of audio interviews with the hunger strikers described how 70 women were locked in a corridor for 6 hours without access to food, water, toilet or medical care.[20] Many collapsed and about 20, who apparently climbed out of a window, were reportedly beaten up by the guards and taken into isolation cells. An image taken on a mobile phone and passed on to the media showed extensive bruising to one woman's shoulder and legs. Another women reported she had a window slammed on her hand by guards. Detainees also claimed that they were racially abused, with guards calling them &amp;quot;black monkeys&amp;quot; and such like. An ambulance called by the detainees was apparently not allowed in as the centre's management claimed that paramedics were &amp;quot;not required because the most significant injury was [a] fingernail injury.&amp;quot; Members of the centre's Independent Monitoring Board and Bedfordshire police are said to have been present during the assaults but no action was taken.[21]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The security went outside and used shields like they do when there is a war. That is what they used to smash one of the women who was outside.&amp;quot; - Yarl's Wood detainee during the February 2010 hunger strike, The Observer, 28 February 2010 &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Four of the women, who were singled out as 'ringleaders' or 'key organisers' of the protest, were put in isolation for four weeks, then moved to HM Holloway Prison, where three of them were held for over a year without charge or trial.[22] The women also say they were denied adequate medical treatment for the injuries they sustained from assaults during the hunger strike. One of them, Denise McNeil, who had spoken to the media[23] about the hunger strike and the guards' use of violence, believes the subsequent assaults on her and moving her to prison were &amp;quot;to silence protesters.&amp;quot;[24]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After each of these disturbances, campaigners and sympathetic MPs demanded an inquiry into the events. Judging by previous experiences, however, official inquiries into detention-related do not appear to get anywhere. In fact, the Home Office and Serco deny that there was even a protest in Yarl's Wood in February 2010. Their preferred course of action was to write to MPs and the media, through the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office Meg Hillier MP, denying that there had been a hunger strike and claiming that campaigners' reports were &amp;quot;inaccurate and fabricated.&amp;quot;[25] Solicitors and detainee support groups, such as Black Women's Rape Action Project, have collected witness statements from over 50 of the women involved in the hunger strike and found their claims of racist abuse, physical and other violence to be &amp;quot;entirely consistent.&amp;quot;[26]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Stories of daily 'routine abuse' of Yarls' Wood detainees continue to emerge. On 6th December 2010, for instance, a woman reported that she was &amp;quot;physically assaulted and verbally abused&amp;quot; by two male and one female Serco guards during one of their routine monthly searches of inmates' rooms. A male officer, she claimed, called her an &amp;quot;illegal immigrant&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;a prostitute,&amp;quot; breaching her confidentiality by revealing aspects of her asylum claim to other women and officers present. The manager then arrived and, instead of asking what had happened, he allegedly bent both her hands back and pressed her against the wall, pulling out some of her hair. The woman was then taken into isolation, where she said she was denied food and kept in a cold room for two days. She called the police but these apparently did nothing as there was &amp;quot;no blood.&amp;quot;[27] Other women said they were reluctant to go public about the abuse they claim they suffered as they feared retribution, but some have spoken out after being released.[28]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2011 guard suspended===&lt;br /&gt;
In January a Serco officer was suspended and investigated, reportedly over allegations that he had an inappropriate sexual relationship with a women detained at Yarl's Wood who became pregnant.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.bedfordshire-news.co.uk/Yarls-Wood-guard-probed-pregnant-detainee-claim/story-21716908-detail/story.html Yarl’s Wood guard probed over pregnant detainee claim]', Bedfordshire on Sunday, 13 February 2011&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2012===&lt;br /&gt;
===2013 Observer exposé of sexual abuse===&lt;br /&gt;
Throughout 2013, the Observer published reports of sexual abuse by Serco guards against female detainees at Yarl's Wood. Police launched an investigation after the Observer reported that a 23-year-old Roma woman, referred to as &amp;quot;Tanya&amp;quot;, had sexual contact with three male guards, and that attempts were made to deport her days after she informed management.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/sep/15/police-launch-investigation-sexual-abuse-claims-immigration-centre Police launch investigation into claims of sexual abuse at immigration centre]', Guardian, 15 September 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Some of the abuse reportedly took place in a room on Avocet wing without CCTV and with curtains covering the windows.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2014 death, UN barred, contract renewed===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 31 March, Jamaican Christine Case, 40, died inside Yarl's Wood from a massive pulmonary thrombo-embolism. Case had spent ten days in detention. Following her death, detainees held a sit-down protest and refused to comply with officers.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/apr/03/yarls-wood-immigration-removal-centre-death-family-detainees Yarl's Wood death: family and fellow detainees tell of shock and despair]', Guardian, 3 April 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Hundred of mourners attended Case's funeral in north London.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In April, Rashida Manjoo, the UN special rapporteur on violence against women, was barred from visiting Yarl's Wood. Manjoo was in Britain to conduct an inquiry for the UN into violence against women.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/apr/13/un-inspection-yarls-wood-detention-centre-blocked-claim UN inspection of Yarl's Wood was blocked, claim campaigners]', Observer, 13 April 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; She compared the fiasco to when authorities in Bangladesh prevented her from visiting a notorious refugee camp and India blocked her visiting its detention sites. Majoo questioned whether Britain had “something to hide”.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jan/03/yarls-wood-un-special-rapporteur-censure Yarl’s Wood: UN special rapporteur to censure UK government]', Observer, 3 January 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November, despite the mounting controversy around Yarl's Wood, Serco was awarded a new contract, worth £70 million, to run the centre for a further eight years. The healthcare unit was taken over by [[G4S]] - the successor to [[Group 4]], which was in charge of Yarl's Wood before Serco and when half the centre burnt down.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2015 Channel 4 undercover, death, inspection report===&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;youtube size=&amp;quot;medium&amp;quot; align=&amp;quot;right&amp;quot; caption=&amp;quot;Channel 4 News undercover investigation of Yarl's Wood&amp;quot;&amp;gt;EkyvmvIn5HA&amp;lt;/youtube&amp;gt;In March, Channel 4 News broadcast secret filming from an undercover reporter showing conditions inside Yarl's Wood.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.channel4.com/news/yarls-wood-immigration-removal-detention-centre-investigation Yarl's Wood: undercover in the secretive immigration centre]', Channel 4 News, 2 March 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Guards referred to the detainees as ‘animals’, ‘beasties’ and ‘bi****s’. The footage raised concerns about healthcare, self-harm and the detention of pregnant women. Two guards were suspended over allegations of mistreatment and further investigations were ordered by the Home Office and Serco.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 20 April, a 34 year old Indian man Pinakin Patel died at Yarl's Wood from a heart attack. He was detained in the family unit with his wife.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-32398795 BBC]', 21 April 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Detainees went on hunger strike calling for the release of Mr Patel's widow, Bhavisha Ben Patel. She said the couple had to wait 15 minutes for health care staff to attend after he suffered from shortness of breath on the morning he died. They had been detained at Yarl's Wood for over two months since coming to the UK on holiday.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/yarls-wood-hunger-strike-at-immigration-removal-centre-for-release-of-widow-10196889.html Yarl's Wood: Hunger strike at immigration removal centre for release of widow]', Independent, 22 April 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An inquest into Patel's death heard how there had been delays reporting his collapse to emergency services and the ambulance was delayed at the detention centre's gates. Senior coroner Tom Osborne found Patel had died from natural causes. However, he found that prevention of future deaths recommendations made after the Christine Case inquest had not been implemented.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.bedfordshire-news.co.uk/Pinakin-Patel/story-28020823-detail/story.html Inquest hears concerns over Yarl's Wood response after detainee collapsed and died at centre]', Bedforshire on Sunday, 20 October 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In August, the chief inspector of prisons published a report which said Yarl's Wood was &amp;quot;a place of national concern&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2015/08/Yarls-Wood-web-2015.pdf Report on an unannounced inspection of Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre ]', HMIP, 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The report found that conditions had deteriorated and that Yarl's Wood was failing vulnerable women.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33871283 Yarl's Wood removal centre of 'national concern']', BBC, 12 August 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Particular criticism was made of the healthcare facilities, run by [[G4S]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Wings==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Yarl's Wood consists of four units in a large, two-storey building. Until the detention of families was stopped in late 2010, there was a family unit (Crane), with a capacity of 121; a single women induction and first night unit (Bunting), with 42 beds; and two single women units (Avocet and Dove), with a capacity of 130 and 112 respectively. All Crane rooms, except one, are twin-bedded and interconnected in pairs to allow families to be located together. All Avocet and Dove rooms are twin-bedded, except for two single rooms in Avocet with some adaptations for people with disabilities. Most Bunting rooms, except three, are single. All rooms have simple en-suite toilet and shower facilities. The four units are connected by a central corridor, from which all ancillary areas, including the healthcare centre, can be accessed.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Detainees in Temporary Confinement (TC) under Detention Centre Rule 42 are held in the Kingfisher Separation Unit, in solitary cells called Removal From Association (RFA) rooms. Rooms in Bunting are also sometimes used for this purpose. During 2009, the Bunting RFA rooms were apparently converted into a 'family care suite'. During the second part of 2009, a new school building was constructed outside the main compound, formally opening in November that year. There is a Healthcare Centre on site, which provides primary healthcare for detainees, but is not always adequately staffed. Secondary care is referred - at least in theory - to the local Primary Care Trust.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[1] Stephen Shaw (Prisons and Probation Ombudsman), &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Report of the inquiry into the disturbance and fire at Yarl’s Wood Removal Centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, October 2004. http://www.ppo.gov.uk/docs/special-yarls-wood-fire-02.pdf.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[2] Prisons and Probation Ombudsman for England and Wales, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Investigation into Allegations of Racism, Abuse and Violence at Yarl’s Wood Removal Centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, March 2004. p.3. http://www.ppo.gov.uk/docs/special-yarls-wood-abuse-03.pdf.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[3] HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Inquiry into the quality of healthcare at Yarl's Wood immigration removal centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, 20 – 24 February 2006. p.5. http://www.justice.gov.uk/inspectorates/hmi-prisons/docs/yarls_wood_inquiry_final-rps.pdf.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[4] Legal Action for Women, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;A 'Bleak House' in Our Times: An investigation into Yarl's Wood Removal Centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, Crossroads, December 2005.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[5] Women Against Rape, 'Landmark damages for rape survivor detained unlawfully', n.d. http://www.womenagainstrape.net/media/landmark-damages-rape-survivor-detained-unlawfully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[6] Serco, 'Serco to run Yarl's Wood immigration centre', http://www.serco.com/markets/homeaffairs/Copy_3_of_lowgrangerep.asp.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[7] Home Office, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Yarl's Wood immigration removal centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/organisation/immigrationremovalcentres/yarlswood.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[8] 'Yarl's Wood expansion put on hold', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Bedford Today&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 28 January 2010. http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/news/biggleswade-news/yarl_s_wood_expansion_put_on_hold_the_full_story_1_1099759.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[9] Medical Justice, 'Rape and torture survivor severely neglected by Yarl’s Wood healthcare', n.d. http://www.medicaljustice.org.uk/content/view/267/50/ .&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[10] Medical Justice, 'Medico-Legal Reports dismissed by immigration judges', n.d. http://www.medicaljustice.org.uk/content/view/16/50/ .&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[11] HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, 2009, p.5.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[12] Independent Monitoring Board, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Annual Report 2009&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;. p.12.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[13] HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, 2009. p.6.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[14] Independent Monitoring Board, 2009. p.18.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[15] ibid.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[16] ibid.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[17] See, for example, Birnberg Peirce &amp;amp; Partners, Medical Justice and the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Outsourcing Abuse: The use and misuse of state-sanctioned force during the detention and removal of asylum seekers&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 2008, http://www.medicaljustice.org.uk/images/stories/reports/outsourcing%20abuse.pdf, p.16; Corporate Watch, 'Missed Appointments: The Nigerian prince and the UK failed immigration system', 5 May 2010, http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=3596, especially the section on 'Retaliation?'.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[18] No Borders Brighton, 'Yarl's Wood Hunger Strikers Attacked', Indymedia UK, 17 June 2009, http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/06/432528.html.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[19] See, for example, http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/02/446439.html and http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/feb/08/hunger-strike-women-detention-yarls-wood-protest.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[20] VionioOnTV, 'Voices from Yarl's Wood', http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xch4gx_voices-from-yarl-s-wood-update-2_news.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[21] Mark Townsend, 'Immigration bosses to be quizzed after asylum seekers were 'beaten' by guards', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;The Observer&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 28 February 2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/feb/28/yarls-wood-assaults; Karen McVeigh, 'Asylum seekers win new strength to fight after Yarl's Wood hunger strike', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;The Guardian&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 2 August 2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/aug/02/yarls-wood-hunger-strike-asylum.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[22] NCADC, 'Free Denise McNeil', http://www.ncadc.org.uk/campaigns/DeniseMcNeil.html.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[23] 'Yarlswood: 'One girl tied a rope around her neck and tried to hang herself', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;The Guardian&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 13 February 2010. http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/audio/2010/feb/13/yarlswood.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[24] Mark Townsend, 'Yarl's Wood mother jailed without charge for a year to 'silence' her', The Observer, Sunday 16 January 2011, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jan/16/denise-mcneil-yarls-wood.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[25] Women Against Rape, 'UPDATE: 34 women still on hunger strike in Yarl’s Wood', 26 February 2010, http://www.womenagainstrape.net/content/action-women-3rd-week-hunger-strike-yarls-wood-irc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[26] Women Against Rape, 'Report: Women's Hunger Strike - Louder than Words ', 29 June 2010, http://www.womenagainstrape.net/content/report-womens-hunger-strike-louder-words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[27] Black Women's Rape Project, 'SERCO officers in Yarl's Wood IRC: Violent, racist, sexist &amp;amp; vindictive', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Minority Perspective&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 10 December 2010. http://www.minorityperspective.co.uk/2010/12/10/serco-officers-in-yarl%E2%80%99s-wood-irc-violent-racist-sexist-vindictive/.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[28] Women Against Rape, 'Women speak out in Parliament against detention, deportation, privatisation and profiteering', 14 January 2010, http://www.womenagainstrape.net/content/women-speak-out-parliament-against-detention-depor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Yarl%27s_Wood_IRC&amp;diff=228327</id>
		<title>Yarl's Wood IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Yarl%27s_Wood_IRC&amp;diff=228327"/>
		<updated>2015-11-30T11:57:28Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: /* 2003 Daily Mirror undercover */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Yarl's Wood IRC]] is a UK immigration removal centre, operated by a private contractor, [[Serco]] Limited, on behalf of the UK [[Home Office]] under the Detention Centre Rules 2001. It is located outside the village of Clapham in Bedfordshire, England.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==List of centre managers and assistants==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[David Watson]] was centre manager of [[Yarl's Wood IRC]] for [[Group 4 Falck|Group 4]] from January 2001 to January 2003 during which time a major fire occurred.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'[http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/news/yarl-s-wood-guards-traumatised-by-ordeal-1-1087315 'Yarl's Wood guards traumatised by ordeal']', ''Bedford Today'', 22 March 2002&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Joanne Henney]] was deputy centre manager for [[G4S]] from June 2003 to June 2006.&lt;br /&gt;
*[[James Wilkinson]] was contract director for [[Serco]] at [[Yarl's Wood IRC]] over 18 months from December 2010 to May 2012.&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Lisa Hooper]] was assistant director for [[Serco]] from October 2008 to June 2015 (ongoing)&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Victoria Murray]] was &amp;quot;Assistant Director (Business Assurance)&amp;quot; for [[Serco]] at [[Yarl's Wood IRC]] during 2010 and then deputy contract director there in 2011.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Senior staff==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Ian Scrupps]] was a business development manager for [[Serco]] from 2007 to July 2008, during which time he helped Serco transition onto their new contract for [[Yarl's Wood IRC]].&lt;br /&gt;
*[[David Tanner]] is a Non Executive Director of the Yarl's Wood Immigration Centre Contract Board for [[Serco]] since 2013.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Group 4/GSL management==&lt;br /&gt;
When Yarl's Wood was opened in 2001, it initially accommodated 900 people in two blocks, making it the largest immigration prison in Europe at the time. The management of the centre was contracted to [[Global Solutions Ltd.]] (GSL), which was then owned by Group 4 Amey Immigration Ltd, owned by [[Amey Assets Services]] Ltd and [[Group 4 Falck]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2001 Hunger strike====&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2001, just a month after the centre opened, five Roma detainees began the first hunger strike there.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2002 Fire====&lt;br /&gt;
In February 2002, the prison was burnt down following a protest by detainees triggered by a 55-year-old woman being physically restrained by staff. When the fire started, the centre manager ordered all staff to exit the building, locking the detainees inside the timber-framed building. It later emerged that the government had also failed to install a sprinkler system. Although there was an investigation, no members of [[Group 4 Falck|Group 4]] were ever prosecuted. &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[1] &amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The centre was closed and the burnt B site was demolished.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In September 2003, the undamaged half was re-opened after extensive rebuilding, with an initial capacity of 60. The centre's capacity was increased to 120 by August 2004 and to its full operational capacity of 405 by the end of 2005. The other half is still a waste-land.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2003 Daily Mirror undercover====&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2003, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman for England and Wales launched an investigation into allegations of racism and physical abuse at Yarl's Wood revealed by a ''Daily Mirror'' undercover reporter on 8 December 2003. The inquiry's final report, published in March 2004, was largely based on the internal investigation by the centre's management, which the Ombudsman described as having been 'helpful'. Although admitting that the 19 incidents reported did happen, the investigation concluded that they &amp;quot;did not indicate a culture of racism and improper use of force.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt; [2] &amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2005 death====&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 15 September 2005, Angolan asylum seeker Manual Bravo was found hanged at Yarl's Wood. He was detained there with his 13-year-old son, Antonio. Prior to detention, the family lived in Leeds and attended church regularly. The father and son were snatched in a dawn raid and taken to Yarl's Wood. Manual took his life within 24 hours of arriving there.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.irr.org.uk/news/in-memory-of-manuel-bravo/ Institute of Race Relations, 18 May 2006]', ''In memory of Manual Bravo''&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2006 inspection, riot and unlawful detention====&lt;br /&gt;
An inquiry by the Chief Inspector of Prisons in 2006 into the quality of healthcare at Yarl's Wood found that the healthcare service provided was &amp;quot;not geared to meet the needs of those with serious health problems or the significant number of detainees held for longer periods for whom prolonged and uncertain detention was itself likely to be detrimental to their well being.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt; [3] &amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Mental health care provision for women detainees was particularly insufficient. Similar concerns have been echoed by subsequent inspection reports.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
''&amp;quot;The worst feature that emerges from these inspections is the dehumanising aspects of the immigration removal process itself. Some of those we observed in detention had been dealt with by the immigration authorities as though they were parcels, not people; and parcels whose contents and destination were sometimes incorrect.&amp;quot;'' - HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers, February 2006&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November 2006, a group of detainees rioted after being denied watching a news report criticising conditions at the centre. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A 2006 report by Legal Action for Women, entitled A 'Bleak House' in Our Times, found that over 70 percent of the women detained in Yarl's Wood were rape victims. Few of the 130 women surveyed were able to get specialist help and some were detained for over a year.[4]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A woman rape survivor, who had fled Cameroon after suffering rape and other torture, was detained at Yarl's Wood in December 2006, shortly after her arrival in the UK. She reported to the authorities that she was a rape survivor and, according to the Detention Centre Rules, should have been seen by a medical practitioner within 24 hours. Her report of rape was ignored and she was put on fast-track for deportation. In February 2008, she won £38,000 in damages for being unlawfully detained.[5]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Serco==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In April 2007, [[Serco]] Ltd took over the management, operation and maintenance of Yarl's Wood, for an initial period of three years, with optional extension to up to eight years. Over the full eight years, the contract is valued at around £85m.[6]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Under Serco, Yarl's Wood became the UK's main immigration removal centre for women and families (until the end of child detention in 2010), with 284 single female and 121 family bed spaces. The contract had been awarded in December 2006.[7] &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2007 hunger strike===&lt;br /&gt;
In May 2007, a month after Serco took over the running of the centre, women detainees began a hunger strike in response to new measures introduced by the new management. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2008 expansion plans===&lt;br /&gt;
In May 2008, the Home Office announced it will take forward planning applications to create extra spaces at the centre as part of its plans for &amp;quot;large-scale expansion&amp;quot; of Britain's detention estate, but the plans were shelved due to lack of funds.[8]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2009 inspections and hunger strike===&lt;br /&gt;
In 2009, Medical Justice reported a woman who had fled a West African country after being repeatedly raped and tortured by soldiers had her asylum claim refused and was detained on Fast Track at Yarl's Wood for three and a half months. Despite serious health problems, she was denied treatment and was not seen by a gynaecologist nor screened for sexually transmitted infections. She eventually developed severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder and was placed on suicide watch for several weeks after harming herself, yet failed attempts were made to deport her. She was only released after she was seen by a doctor working with Medical Justice.[9] In another case, a medico-legal report prepared by medical experts who noted that the medical evidence &amp;quot;gives strong support for the history of repeated rapes leading to life threatening gynaecological complications necessitating major surgery&amp;quot; was dismissed by the immigration judge, who apparently said the injuries &amp;quot;could have been caused by other means,&amp;quot; without finding it necessary to investigate what these 'other means' could have been.[10] &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 2009, HM Inspector of Prisons found that the understanding and management of self-harm at Yarl's Wood was often superficial, with security taking precedence over health: &amp;quot;Many women were extremely anxious about their future, and the quality of support procedures for those at risk of self-harm was not consistently good, though there was some caring individual work. There had been no assessment of adult mental health needs.&amp;quot;[11] Previous inspection reports, for example one in February 2006, had made similar criticisms about the centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In its 2009 annual report, the Yarl's Wood Independent Monitoring Board reported a 26% increase in the recorded instances of use of force at the centre (48 cases, compared with 38 in 2008).[12] This was apparently &amp;quot;owing to a change in the recording process, to include occasions where an officer uses force to prevent self-harm,&amp;quot; implying that many incidents may not have been reported in the past. In one of the cases viewed, the IMB member considered the force used to have been &amp;quot;excessive.&amp;quot; The board also reported one case where a tape was &amp;quot;wiped&amp;quot; before the IMB member could see it. In November 2009, the Chief Inspector of Prisons reported that, on two occasions in the previous year, force had been used on children. The inspectors were &amp;quot;assured&amp;quot; that these events were &amp;quot;exceptional&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;properly authorised and planned.&amp;quot;[13]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Independent Monitoring Boards across the detention estate have repeatedly expressed their &amp;quot;extreme concern&amp;quot; about restrictions on their access to detainees' complaints. In March 2009, the UKBA's Detention Services finally agreed to produce a monthly report to each IMB, setting out brief details of complaints received from detainees. The reports gave the name of the detainee, a brief indication of the subject-matter of the complaint and its destination. Whilst this was described as &amp;quot;helpful,&amp;quot; the IMB's Forum of Chairs did not consider that &amp;quot;it was adequate to enable IMBs to properly monitor the just and humane treatment of detainees, which must include how their complaints are dealt with.&amp;quot;[14] For example, the reports would not indicate whether the same officer had been involved in more than one incident of alleged mistreatment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Yarl's Wood's monthly reports to the IMB during 2009 were described as &amp;quot;at best sporadic.&amp;quot; Moreover, since December 2008, complaints to the UKBA's Professional Standards Unit (PSU), which IMBs were &amp;quot;most concerned to know about,&amp;quot; were not made available to them.[15] In November 2009, an agreement was reached with the UKBA for copies of detainees' complaints to be emailed to the IMB chair at the centre via a secure system. Again, while this &amp;quot;restoration of access&amp;quot; to complaints was welcomed by the IMB, it was criticised for being &amp;quot;not complete.&amp;quot; For example, where a detainee was moved from the detention centre, it was not possible for the IMB at any subsequent centre to follow up an earlier complaint.[16] This is particularly important in light of claims that one of the tactics used by the immigration authorities and their contractors to 'deal with problems' is to move 'trouble-causing' detainees around the detention estate. There is also evidence that detainees lodging complaints are subjected to harassment and further abuse, which may deter other from complaining in the future.[17]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A hunger strike in June 2009 was accompanied by accounts of violent assaults on detainees by Serco guards. Men and women were reportedly beaten up and one woman had her clothes ripped off by guards while being filmed. Detainees reported that many of them were &amp;quot;severely traumatised.&amp;quot; One woman told supporters on the phone that the level of brutality was &amp;quot;unbelievable&amp;quot; and she had &amp;quot;never seen anything like it before.&amp;quot; [18]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2010 hunger strike===&lt;br /&gt;
On 8th February 2010, three days into a mass hunger strike by Yarl's Wood detainees demanding an end to indefinite imprisonment and abuse, both grassroots and mainstream media reported that Serco security guards, some with riot shields, had attempted to break up the protest by using excessive force against women detainees.[19] A series of audio interviews with the hunger strikers described how 70 women were locked in a corridor for 6 hours without access to food, water, toilet or medical care.[20] Many collapsed and about 20, who apparently climbed out of a window, were reportedly beaten up by the guards and taken into isolation cells. An image taken on a mobile phone and passed on to the media showed extensive bruising to one woman's shoulder and legs. Another women reported she had a window slammed on her hand by guards. Detainees also claimed that they were racially abused, with guards calling them &amp;quot;black monkeys&amp;quot; and such like. An ambulance called by the detainees was apparently not allowed in as the centre's management claimed that paramedics were &amp;quot;not required because the most significant injury was [a] fingernail injury.&amp;quot; Members of the centre's Independent Monitoring Board and Bedfordshire police are said to have been present during the assaults but no action was taken.[21]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The security went outside and used shields like they do when there is a war. That is what they used to smash one of the women who was outside.&amp;quot; - Yarl's Wood detainee during the February 2010 hunger strike, The Observer, 28 February 2010 &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Four of the women, who were singled out as 'ringleaders' or 'key organisers' of the protest, were put in isolation for four weeks, then moved to HM Holloway Prison, where three of them were held for over a year without charge or trial.[22] The women also say they were denied adequate medical treatment for the injuries they sustained from assaults during the hunger strike. One of them, Denise McNeil, who had spoken to the media[23] about the hunger strike and the guards' use of violence, believes the subsequent assaults on her and moving her to prison were &amp;quot;to silence protesters.&amp;quot;[24]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After each of these disturbances, campaigners and sympathetic MPs demanded an inquiry into the events. Judging by previous experiences, however, official inquiries into detention-related do not appear to get anywhere. In fact, the Home Office and Serco deny that there was even a protest in Yarl's Wood in February 2010. Their preferred course of action was to write to MPs and the media, through the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office Meg Hillier MP, denying that there had been a hunger strike and claiming that campaigners' reports were &amp;quot;inaccurate and fabricated.&amp;quot;[25] Solicitors and detainee support groups, such as Black Women's Rape Action Project, have collected witness statements from over 50 of the women involved in the hunger strike and found their claims of racist abuse, physical and other violence to be &amp;quot;entirely consistent.&amp;quot;[26]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Stories of daily 'routine abuse' of Yarls' Wood detainees continue to emerge. On 6th December 2010, for instance, a woman reported that she was &amp;quot;physically assaulted and verbally abused&amp;quot; by two male and one female Serco guards during one of their routine monthly searches of inmates' rooms. A male officer, she claimed, called her an &amp;quot;illegal immigrant&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;a prostitute,&amp;quot; breaching her confidentiality by revealing aspects of her asylum claim to other women and officers present. The manager then arrived and, instead of asking what had happened, he allegedly bent both her hands back and pressed her against the wall, pulling out some of her hair. The woman was then taken into isolation, where she said she was denied food and kept in a cold room for two days. She called the police but these apparently did nothing as there was &amp;quot;no blood.&amp;quot;[27] Other women said they were reluctant to go public about the abuse they claim they suffered as they feared retribution, but some have spoken out after being released.[28]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2011 guard suspended===&lt;br /&gt;
In January a Serco officer was suspended and investigated, reportedly over allegations that he had an inappropriate sexual relationship with a women detained at Yarl's Wood who became pregnant.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.bedfordshire-news.co.uk/Yarls-Wood-guard-probed-pregnant-detainee-claim/story-21716908-detail/story.html Yarl’s Wood guard probed over pregnant detainee claim]', Bedfordshire on Sunday, 13 February 2011&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2012===&lt;br /&gt;
===2013 Observer===&lt;br /&gt;
===2014 death, UN barred, contract renewed===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 31 March, Jamaican Christine Case, 40, died inside Yarl's Wood.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In April, Rashida Manjoo, the UN special rapporteur on violence against women, was barred from visiting Yarl's Wood. Manjoo was in Britain to conduct an inquiry for the UN into violence against women.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/apr/13/un-inspection-yarls-wood-detention-centre-blocked-claim UN inspection of Yarl's Wood was blocked, claim campaigners]', Observer, 13 April 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; She compared the fiasco to when authorities in Bangladesh prevented her from visiting a notorious refugee camp and India blocked her visiting its detention sites. Majoo questioned whether Britain had “something to hide”.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jan/03/yarls-wood-un-special-rapporteur-censure Yarl’s Wood: UN special rapporteur to censure UK government]', Observer, 3 January 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November, despite the mounting controversy around Yarl's Wood, Serco was awarded a new contract, worth £70 million, to run the centre for a further eight years. The healthcare unit was taken over by [[G4S]] - the successor to [[Group 4]], which was in charge of Yarl's Wood before Serco and when half the centre burnt down.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2015 Channel 4 undercover, death, inspection report===&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;youtube size=&amp;quot;medium&amp;quot; align=&amp;quot;right&amp;quot; caption=&amp;quot;Channel 4 News undercover investigation of Yarl's Wood&amp;quot;&amp;gt;EkyvmvIn5HA&amp;lt;/youtube&amp;gt;In March, Channel 4 News broadcast secret filming from an undercover reporter showing conditions inside Yarl's Wood.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.channel4.com/news/yarls-wood-immigration-removal-detention-centre-investigation Yarl's Wood: undercover in the secretive immigration centre]', Channel 4 News, 2 March 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Guards referred to the detainees as ‘animals’, ‘beasties’ and ‘bi****s’. The footage raised concerns about healthcare, self-harm and the detention of pregnant women. Two guards were suspended over allegations of mistreatment and further investigations were ordered by the Home Office and Serco.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 20 April, a 34 year old Indian man Pinakin Patel died at Yarl's Wood from a heart attack. He was detained in the family unit with his wife.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-32398795 BBC]', 21 April 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Detainees went on hunger strike calling for the release of Mr Patel's widow, Bhavisha Ben Patel. She said the couple had to wait 15 minutes for health care staff to attend after he suffered from shortness of breath on the morning he died. They had been detained at Yarl's Wood for over two months since coming to the UK on holiday.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/yarls-wood-hunger-strike-at-immigration-removal-centre-for-release-of-widow-10196889.html Yarl's Wood: Hunger strike at immigration removal centre for release of widow]', Independent, 22 April 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An inquest into Patel's death heard how there had been delays reporting his collapse to emergency services and the ambulance was delayed at the detention centre's gates. Senior coroner Tom Osborne found Patel had died from natural causes. However, he found that prevention of future deaths recommendations made after the Christine Case inquest had not been implemented.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.bedfordshire-news.co.uk/Pinakin-Patel/story-28020823-detail/story.html Inquest hears concerns over Yarl's Wood response after detainee collapsed and died at centre]', Bedforshire on Sunday, 20 October 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In August, the chief inspector of prisons published a report which said Yarl's Wood was &amp;quot;a place of national concern&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2015/08/Yarls-Wood-web-2015.pdf Report on an unannounced inspection of Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre ]', HMIP, 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The report found that conditions had deteriorated and that Yarl's Wood was failing vulnerable women.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33871283 Yarl's Wood removal centre of 'national concern']', BBC, 12 August 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Particular criticism was made of the healthcare facilities, run by [[G4S]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Wings==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Yarl's Wood consists of four units in a large, two-storey building. Until the detention of families was stopped in late 2010, there was a family unit (Crane), with a capacity of 121; a single women induction and first night unit (Bunting), with 42 beds; and two single women units (Avocet and Dove), with a capacity of 130 and 112 respectively. All Crane rooms, except one, are twin-bedded and interconnected in pairs to allow families to be located together. All Avocet and Dove rooms are twin-bedded, except for two single rooms in Avocet with some adaptations for people with disabilities. Most Bunting rooms, except three, are single. All rooms have simple en-suite toilet and shower facilities. The four units are connected by a central corridor, from which all ancillary areas, including the healthcare centre, can be accessed.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Detainees in Temporary Confinement (TC) under Detention Centre Rule 42 are held in the Kingfisher Separation Unit, in solitary cells called Removal From Association (RFA) rooms. Rooms in Bunting are also sometimes used for this purpose. During 2009, the Bunting RFA rooms were apparently converted into a 'family care suite'. During the second part of 2009, a new school building was constructed outside the main compound, formally opening in November that year. There is a Healthcare Centre on site, which provides primary healthcare for detainees, but is not always adequately staffed. Secondary care is referred - at least in theory - to the local Primary Care Trust.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[1] Stephen Shaw (Prisons and Probation Ombudsman), &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Report of the inquiry into the disturbance and fire at Yarl’s Wood Removal Centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, October 2004. http://www.ppo.gov.uk/docs/special-yarls-wood-fire-02.pdf.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[2] Prisons and Probation Ombudsman for England and Wales, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Investigation into Allegations of Racism, Abuse and Violence at Yarl’s Wood Removal Centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, March 2004. p.3. http://www.ppo.gov.uk/docs/special-yarls-wood-abuse-03.pdf.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[3] HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Inquiry into the quality of healthcare at Yarl's Wood immigration removal centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, 20 – 24 February 2006. p.5. http://www.justice.gov.uk/inspectorates/hmi-prisons/docs/yarls_wood_inquiry_final-rps.pdf.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[4] Legal Action for Women, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;A 'Bleak House' in Our Times: An investigation into Yarl's Wood Removal Centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, Crossroads, December 2005.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[5] Women Against Rape, 'Landmark damages for rape survivor detained unlawfully', n.d. http://www.womenagainstrape.net/media/landmark-damages-rape-survivor-detained-unlawfully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[6] Serco, 'Serco to run Yarl's Wood immigration centre', http://www.serco.com/markets/homeaffairs/Copy_3_of_lowgrangerep.asp.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[7] Home Office, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Yarl's Wood immigration removal centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/organisation/immigrationremovalcentres/yarlswood.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[8] 'Yarl's Wood expansion put on hold', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Bedford Today&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 28 January 2010. http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/news/biggleswade-news/yarl_s_wood_expansion_put_on_hold_the_full_story_1_1099759.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[9] Medical Justice, 'Rape and torture survivor severely neglected by Yarl’s Wood healthcare', n.d. http://www.medicaljustice.org.uk/content/view/267/50/ .&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[10] Medical Justice, 'Medico-Legal Reports dismissed by immigration judges', n.d. http://www.medicaljustice.org.uk/content/view/16/50/ .&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[11] HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, 2009, p.5.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[12] Independent Monitoring Board, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Annual Report 2009&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;. p.12.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[13] HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, 2009. p.6.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[14] Independent Monitoring Board, 2009. p.18.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[15] ibid.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[16] ibid.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[17] See, for example, Birnberg Peirce &amp;amp; Partners, Medical Justice and the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Outsourcing Abuse: The use and misuse of state-sanctioned force during the detention and removal of asylum seekers&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 2008, http://www.medicaljustice.org.uk/images/stories/reports/outsourcing%20abuse.pdf, p.16; Corporate Watch, 'Missed Appointments: The Nigerian prince and the UK failed immigration system', 5 May 2010, http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=3596, especially the section on 'Retaliation?'.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[18] No Borders Brighton, 'Yarl's Wood Hunger Strikers Attacked', Indymedia UK, 17 June 2009, http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/06/432528.html.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[19] See, for example, http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/02/446439.html and http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/feb/08/hunger-strike-women-detention-yarls-wood-protest.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[20] VionioOnTV, 'Voices from Yarl's Wood', http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xch4gx_voices-from-yarl-s-wood-update-2_news.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[21] Mark Townsend, 'Immigration bosses to be quizzed after asylum seekers were 'beaten' by guards', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;The Observer&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 28 February 2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/feb/28/yarls-wood-assaults; Karen McVeigh, 'Asylum seekers win new strength to fight after Yarl's Wood hunger strike', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;The Guardian&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 2 August 2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/aug/02/yarls-wood-hunger-strike-asylum.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[22] NCADC, 'Free Denise McNeil', http://www.ncadc.org.uk/campaigns/DeniseMcNeil.html.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[23] 'Yarlswood: 'One girl tied a rope around her neck and tried to hang herself', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;The Guardian&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 13 February 2010. http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/audio/2010/feb/13/yarlswood.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[24] Mark Townsend, 'Yarl's Wood mother jailed without charge for a year to 'silence' her', The Observer, Sunday 16 January 2011, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jan/16/denise-mcneil-yarls-wood.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[25] Women Against Rape, 'UPDATE: 34 women still on hunger strike in Yarl’s Wood', 26 February 2010, http://www.womenagainstrape.net/content/action-women-3rd-week-hunger-strike-yarls-wood-irc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[26] Women Against Rape, 'Report: Women's Hunger Strike - Louder than Words ', 29 June 2010, http://www.womenagainstrape.net/content/report-womens-hunger-strike-louder-words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[27] Black Women's Rape Project, 'SERCO officers in Yarl's Wood IRC: Violent, racist, sexist &amp;amp; vindictive', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Minority Perspective&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 10 December 2010. http://www.minorityperspective.co.uk/2010/12/10/serco-officers-in-yarl%E2%80%99s-wood-irc-violent-racist-sexist-vindictive/.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[28] Women Against Rape, 'Women speak out in Parliament against detention, deportation, privatisation and profiteering', 14 January 2010, http://www.womenagainstrape.net/content/women-speak-out-parliament-against-detention-depor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Yarl%27s_Wood_IRC&amp;diff=228326</id>
		<title>Yarl's Wood IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Yarl%27s_Wood_IRC&amp;diff=228326"/>
		<updated>2015-11-30T11:52:20Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: /* 2014 death, UN barred, contract renewed */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Yarl's Wood IRC]] is a UK immigration removal centre, operated by a private contractor, [[Serco]] Limited, on behalf of the UK [[Home Office]] under the Detention Centre Rules 2001. It is located outside the village of Clapham in Bedfordshire, England.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==List of centre managers and assistants==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[David Watson]] was centre manager of [[Yarl's Wood IRC]] for [[Group 4 Falck|Group 4]] from January 2001 to January 2003 during which time a major fire occurred.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'[http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/news/yarl-s-wood-guards-traumatised-by-ordeal-1-1087315 'Yarl's Wood guards traumatised by ordeal']', ''Bedford Today'', 22 March 2002&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Joanne Henney]] was deputy centre manager for [[G4S]] from June 2003 to June 2006.&lt;br /&gt;
*[[James Wilkinson]] was contract director for [[Serco]] at [[Yarl's Wood IRC]] over 18 months from December 2010 to May 2012.&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Lisa Hooper]] was assistant director for [[Serco]] from October 2008 to June 2015 (ongoing)&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Victoria Murray]] was &amp;quot;Assistant Director (Business Assurance)&amp;quot; for [[Serco]] at [[Yarl's Wood IRC]] during 2010 and then deputy contract director there in 2011.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Senior staff==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Ian Scrupps]] was a business development manager for [[Serco]] from 2007 to July 2008, during which time he helped Serco transition onto their new contract for [[Yarl's Wood IRC]].&lt;br /&gt;
*[[David Tanner]] is a Non Executive Director of the Yarl's Wood Immigration Centre Contract Board for [[Serco]] since 2013.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Group 4/GSL management==&lt;br /&gt;
When Yarl's Wood was opened in 2001, it initially accommodated 900 people in two blocks, making it the largest immigration prison in Europe at the time. The management of the centre was contracted to [[Global Solutions Ltd.]] (GSL), which was then owned by Group 4 Amey Immigration Ltd, owned by [[Amey Assets Services]] Ltd and [[Group 4 Falck]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2001 Hunger strike====&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2001, just a month after the centre opened, five Roma detainees began the first hunger strike there.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2002 Fire====&lt;br /&gt;
In February 2002, the prison was burnt down following a protest by detainees triggered by a 55-year-old woman being physically restrained by staff. When the fire started, the centre manager ordered all staff to exit the building, locking the detainees inside the timber-framed building. It later emerged that the government had also failed to install a sprinkler system. Although there was an investigation, no members of [[Group 4 Falck|Group 4]] were ever prosecuted. &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[1] &amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The centre was closed and the burnt B site was demolished.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In September 2003, the undamaged half was re-opened after extensive rebuilding, with an initial capacity of 60. The centre's capacity was increased to 120 by August 2004 and to its full operational capacity of 405 by the end of 2005. The other half is still a waste-land.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2003 Daily Mirror undercover====&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2003, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman for England and Wales launched an investigation into allegations of racism and physical abuse at Yarl's Wood revealed by a ''Daily Mirror'' undercover reporter on 8 December 2003. The inquiry's final report, published in March 2004, was largely based on the internal investigation by the centre's management, which the Ombudsman described as having been 'helpful'. Although admitting that the 19 incidents reported did happen, the investigation concluded that they &amp;quot;did not indicate a culture of racism and improper use of force.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt; [2] &amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2006 inspection, riot and unlawful detention====&lt;br /&gt;
An inquiry by the Chief Inspector of Prisons in 2006 into the quality of healthcare at Yarl's Wood found that the healthcare service provided was &amp;quot;not geared to meet the needs of those with serious health problems or the significant number of detainees held for longer periods for whom prolonged and uncertain detention was itself likely to be detrimental to their well being.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt; [3] &amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Mental health care provision for women detainees was particularly insufficient. Similar concerns have been echoed by subsequent inspection reports.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
''&amp;quot;The worst feature that emerges from these inspections is the dehumanising aspects of the immigration removal process itself. Some of those we observed in detention had been dealt with by the immigration authorities as though they were parcels, not people; and parcels whose contents and destination were sometimes incorrect.&amp;quot;'' - HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers, February 2006&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November 2006, a group of detainees rioted after being denied watching a news report criticising conditions at the centre. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A 2006 report by Legal Action for Women, entitled A 'Bleak House' in Our Times, found that over 70 percent of the women detained in Yarl's Wood were rape victims. Few of the 130 women surveyed were able to get specialist help and some were detained for over a year.[4]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A woman rape survivor, who had fled Cameroon after suffering rape and other torture, was detained at Yarl's Wood in December 2006, shortly after her arrival in the UK. She reported to the authorities that she was a rape survivor and, according to the Detention Centre Rules, should have been seen by a medical practitioner within 24 hours. Her report of rape was ignored and she was put on fast-track for deportation. In February 2008, she won £38,000 in damages for being unlawfully detained.[5]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Serco==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In April 2007, [[Serco]] Ltd took over the management, operation and maintenance of Yarl's Wood, for an initial period of three years, with optional extension to up to eight years. Over the full eight years, the contract is valued at around £85m.[6]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Under Serco, Yarl's Wood became the UK's main immigration removal centre for women and families (until the end of child detention in 2010), with 284 single female and 121 family bed spaces. The contract had been awarded in December 2006.[7] &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2007 hunger strike===&lt;br /&gt;
In May 2007, a month after Serco took over the running of the centre, women detainees began a hunger strike in response to new measures introduced by the new management. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2008 expansion plans===&lt;br /&gt;
In May 2008, the Home Office announced it will take forward planning applications to create extra spaces at the centre as part of its plans for &amp;quot;large-scale expansion&amp;quot; of Britain's detention estate, but the plans were shelved due to lack of funds.[8]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2009 inspections and hunger strike===&lt;br /&gt;
In 2009, Medical Justice reported a woman who had fled a West African country after being repeatedly raped and tortured by soldiers had her asylum claim refused and was detained on Fast Track at Yarl's Wood for three and a half months. Despite serious health problems, she was denied treatment and was not seen by a gynaecologist nor screened for sexually transmitted infections. She eventually developed severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder and was placed on suicide watch for several weeks after harming herself, yet failed attempts were made to deport her. She was only released after she was seen by a doctor working with Medical Justice.[9] In another case, a medico-legal report prepared by medical experts who noted that the medical evidence &amp;quot;gives strong support for the history of repeated rapes leading to life threatening gynaecological complications necessitating major surgery&amp;quot; was dismissed by the immigration judge, who apparently said the injuries &amp;quot;could have been caused by other means,&amp;quot; without finding it necessary to investigate what these 'other means' could have been.[10] &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 2009, HM Inspector of Prisons found that the understanding and management of self-harm at Yarl's Wood was often superficial, with security taking precedence over health: &amp;quot;Many women were extremely anxious about their future, and the quality of support procedures for those at risk of self-harm was not consistently good, though there was some caring individual work. There had been no assessment of adult mental health needs.&amp;quot;[11] Previous inspection reports, for example one in February 2006, had made similar criticisms about the centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In its 2009 annual report, the Yarl's Wood Independent Monitoring Board reported a 26% increase in the recorded instances of use of force at the centre (48 cases, compared with 38 in 2008).[12] This was apparently &amp;quot;owing to a change in the recording process, to include occasions where an officer uses force to prevent self-harm,&amp;quot; implying that many incidents may not have been reported in the past. In one of the cases viewed, the IMB member considered the force used to have been &amp;quot;excessive.&amp;quot; The board also reported one case where a tape was &amp;quot;wiped&amp;quot; before the IMB member could see it. In November 2009, the Chief Inspector of Prisons reported that, on two occasions in the previous year, force had been used on children. The inspectors were &amp;quot;assured&amp;quot; that these events were &amp;quot;exceptional&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;properly authorised and planned.&amp;quot;[13]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Independent Monitoring Boards across the detention estate have repeatedly expressed their &amp;quot;extreme concern&amp;quot; about restrictions on their access to detainees' complaints. In March 2009, the UKBA's Detention Services finally agreed to produce a monthly report to each IMB, setting out brief details of complaints received from detainees. The reports gave the name of the detainee, a brief indication of the subject-matter of the complaint and its destination. Whilst this was described as &amp;quot;helpful,&amp;quot; the IMB's Forum of Chairs did not consider that &amp;quot;it was adequate to enable IMBs to properly monitor the just and humane treatment of detainees, which must include how their complaints are dealt with.&amp;quot;[14] For example, the reports would not indicate whether the same officer had been involved in more than one incident of alleged mistreatment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Yarl's Wood's monthly reports to the IMB during 2009 were described as &amp;quot;at best sporadic.&amp;quot; Moreover, since December 2008, complaints to the UKBA's Professional Standards Unit (PSU), which IMBs were &amp;quot;most concerned to know about,&amp;quot; were not made available to them.[15] In November 2009, an agreement was reached with the UKBA for copies of detainees' complaints to be emailed to the IMB chair at the centre via a secure system. Again, while this &amp;quot;restoration of access&amp;quot; to complaints was welcomed by the IMB, it was criticised for being &amp;quot;not complete.&amp;quot; For example, where a detainee was moved from the detention centre, it was not possible for the IMB at any subsequent centre to follow up an earlier complaint.[16] This is particularly important in light of claims that one of the tactics used by the immigration authorities and their contractors to 'deal with problems' is to move 'trouble-causing' detainees around the detention estate. There is also evidence that detainees lodging complaints are subjected to harassment and further abuse, which may deter other from complaining in the future.[17]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A hunger strike in June 2009 was accompanied by accounts of violent assaults on detainees by Serco guards. Men and women were reportedly beaten up and one woman had her clothes ripped off by guards while being filmed. Detainees reported that many of them were &amp;quot;severely traumatised.&amp;quot; One woman told supporters on the phone that the level of brutality was &amp;quot;unbelievable&amp;quot; and she had &amp;quot;never seen anything like it before.&amp;quot; [18]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2010 hunger strike===&lt;br /&gt;
On 8th February 2010, three days into a mass hunger strike by Yarl's Wood detainees demanding an end to indefinite imprisonment and abuse, both grassroots and mainstream media reported that Serco security guards, some with riot shields, had attempted to break up the protest by using excessive force against women detainees.[19] A series of audio interviews with the hunger strikers described how 70 women were locked in a corridor for 6 hours without access to food, water, toilet or medical care.[20] Many collapsed and about 20, who apparently climbed out of a window, were reportedly beaten up by the guards and taken into isolation cells. An image taken on a mobile phone and passed on to the media showed extensive bruising to one woman's shoulder and legs. Another women reported she had a window slammed on her hand by guards. Detainees also claimed that they were racially abused, with guards calling them &amp;quot;black monkeys&amp;quot; and such like. An ambulance called by the detainees was apparently not allowed in as the centre's management claimed that paramedics were &amp;quot;not required because the most significant injury was [a] fingernail injury.&amp;quot; Members of the centre's Independent Monitoring Board and Bedfordshire police are said to have been present during the assaults but no action was taken.[21]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The security went outside and used shields like they do when there is a war. That is what they used to smash one of the women who was outside.&amp;quot; - Yarl's Wood detainee during the February 2010 hunger strike, The Observer, 28 February 2010 &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Four of the women, who were singled out as 'ringleaders' or 'key organisers' of the protest, were put in isolation for four weeks, then moved to HM Holloway Prison, where three of them were held for over a year without charge or trial.[22] The women also say they were denied adequate medical treatment for the injuries they sustained from assaults during the hunger strike. One of them, Denise McNeil, who had spoken to the media[23] about the hunger strike and the guards' use of violence, believes the subsequent assaults on her and moving her to prison were &amp;quot;to silence protesters.&amp;quot;[24]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After each of these disturbances, campaigners and sympathetic MPs demanded an inquiry into the events. Judging by previous experiences, however, official inquiries into detention-related do not appear to get anywhere. In fact, the Home Office and Serco deny that there was even a protest in Yarl's Wood in February 2010. Their preferred course of action was to write to MPs and the media, through the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office Meg Hillier MP, denying that there had been a hunger strike and claiming that campaigners' reports were &amp;quot;inaccurate and fabricated.&amp;quot;[25] Solicitors and detainee support groups, such as Black Women's Rape Action Project, have collected witness statements from over 50 of the women involved in the hunger strike and found their claims of racist abuse, physical and other violence to be &amp;quot;entirely consistent.&amp;quot;[26]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Stories of daily 'routine abuse' of Yarls' Wood detainees continue to emerge. On 6th December 2010, for instance, a woman reported that she was &amp;quot;physically assaulted and verbally abused&amp;quot; by two male and one female Serco guards during one of their routine monthly searches of inmates' rooms. A male officer, she claimed, called her an &amp;quot;illegal immigrant&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;a prostitute,&amp;quot; breaching her confidentiality by revealing aspects of her asylum claim to other women and officers present. The manager then arrived and, instead of asking what had happened, he allegedly bent both her hands back and pressed her against the wall, pulling out some of her hair. The woman was then taken into isolation, where she said she was denied food and kept in a cold room for two days. She called the police but these apparently did nothing as there was &amp;quot;no blood.&amp;quot;[27] Other women said they were reluctant to go public about the abuse they claim they suffered as they feared retribution, but some have spoken out after being released.[28]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2011 guard suspended===&lt;br /&gt;
In January a Serco officer was suspended and investigated, reportedly over allegations that he had an inappropriate sexual relationship with a women detained at Yarl's Wood who became pregnant.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.bedfordshire-news.co.uk/Yarls-Wood-guard-probed-pregnant-detainee-claim/story-21716908-detail/story.html Yarl’s Wood guard probed over pregnant detainee claim]', Bedfordshire on Sunday, 13 February 2011&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2012===&lt;br /&gt;
===2013 Observer===&lt;br /&gt;
===2014 death, UN barred, contract renewed===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 31 March, Jamaican Christine Case, 40, died inside Yarl's Wood.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In April, Rashida Manjoo, the UN special rapporteur on violence against women, was barred from visiting Yarl's Wood. Manjoo was in Britain to conduct an inquiry for the UN into violence against women.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/apr/13/un-inspection-yarls-wood-detention-centre-blocked-claim UN inspection of Yarl's Wood was blocked, claim campaigners]', Observer, 13 April 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; She compared the fiasco to when authorities in Bangladesh prevented her from visiting a notorious refugee camp and India blocked her visiting its detention sites. Majoo questioned whether Britain had “something to hide”.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jan/03/yarls-wood-un-special-rapporteur-censure Yarl’s Wood: UN special rapporteur to censure UK government]', Observer, 3 January 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November, despite the mounting controversy around Yarl's Wood, Serco was awarded a new contract, worth £70 million, to run the centre for a further eight years. The healthcare unit was taken over by [[G4S]] - the successor to [[Group 4]], which was in charge of Yarl's Wood before Serco and when half the centre burnt down.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2015 Channel 4 undercover, death, inspection report===&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;youtube size=&amp;quot;medium&amp;quot; align=&amp;quot;right&amp;quot; caption=&amp;quot;Channel 4 News undercover investigation of Yarl's Wood&amp;quot;&amp;gt;EkyvmvIn5HA&amp;lt;/youtube&amp;gt;In March, Channel 4 News broadcast secret filming from an undercover reporter showing conditions inside Yarl's Wood.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.channel4.com/news/yarls-wood-immigration-removal-detention-centre-investigation Yarl's Wood: undercover in the secretive immigration centre]', Channel 4 News, 2 March 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Guards referred to the detainees as ‘animals’, ‘beasties’ and ‘bi****s’. The footage raised concerns about healthcare, self-harm and the detention of pregnant women. Two guards were suspended over allegations of mistreatment and further investigations were ordered by the Home Office and Serco.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 20 April, a 34 year old Indian man Pinakin Patel died at Yarl's Wood from a heart attack. He was detained in the family unit with his wife.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-32398795 BBC]', 21 April 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Detainees went on hunger strike calling for the release of Mr Patel's widow, Bhavisha Ben Patel. She said the couple had to wait 15 minutes for health care staff to attend after he suffered from shortness of breath on the morning he died. They had been detained at Yarl's Wood for over two months since coming to the UK on holiday.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/yarls-wood-hunger-strike-at-immigration-removal-centre-for-release-of-widow-10196889.html Yarl's Wood: Hunger strike at immigration removal centre for release of widow]', Independent, 22 April 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An inquest into Patel's death heard how there had been delays reporting his collapse to emergency services and the ambulance was delayed at the detention centre's gates. Senior coroner Tom Osborne found Patel had died from natural causes. However, he found that prevention of future deaths recommendations made after the Christine Case inquest had not been implemented.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.bedfordshire-news.co.uk/Pinakin-Patel/story-28020823-detail/story.html Inquest hears concerns over Yarl's Wood response after detainee collapsed and died at centre]', Bedforshire on Sunday, 20 October 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In August, the chief inspector of prisons published a report which said Yarl's Wood was &amp;quot;a place of national concern&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2015/08/Yarls-Wood-web-2015.pdf Report on an unannounced inspection of Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre ]', HMIP, 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The report found that conditions had deteriorated and that Yarl's Wood was failing vulnerable women.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33871283 Yarl's Wood removal centre of 'national concern']', BBC, 12 August 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Particular criticism was made of the healthcare facilities, run by [[G4S]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Wings==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Yarl's Wood consists of four units in a large, two-storey building. Until the detention of families was stopped in late 2010, there was a family unit (Crane), with a capacity of 121; a single women induction and first night unit (Bunting), with 42 beds; and two single women units (Avocet and Dove), with a capacity of 130 and 112 respectively. All Crane rooms, except one, are twin-bedded and interconnected in pairs to allow families to be located together. All Avocet and Dove rooms are twin-bedded, except for two single rooms in Avocet with some adaptations for people with disabilities. Most Bunting rooms, except three, are single. All rooms have simple en-suite toilet and shower facilities. The four units are connected by a central corridor, from which all ancillary areas, including the healthcare centre, can be accessed.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Detainees in Temporary Confinement (TC) under Detention Centre Rule 42 are held in the Kingfisher Separation Unit, in solitary cells called Removal From Association (RFA) rooms. Rooms in Bunting are also sometimes used for this purpose. During 2009, the Bunting RFA rooms were apparently converted into a 'family care suite'. During the second part of 2009, a new school building was constructed outside the main compound, formally opening in November that year. There is a Healthcare Centre on site, which provides primary healthcare for detainees, but is not always adequately staffed. Secondary care is referred - at least in theory - to the local Primary Care Trust.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[1] Stephen Shaw (Prisons and Probation Ombudsman), &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Report of the inquiry into the disturbance and fire at Yarl’s Wood Removal Centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, October 2004. http://www.ppo.gov.uk/docs/special-yarls-wood-fire-02.pdf.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[2] Prisons and Probation Ombudsman for England and Wales, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Investigation into Allegations of Racism, Abuse and Violence at Yarl’s Wood Removal Centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, March 2004. p.3. http://www.ppo.gov.uk/docs/special-yarls-wood-abuse-03.pdf.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[3] HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Inquiry into the quality of healthcare at Yarl's Wood immigration removal centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, 20 – 24 February 2006. p.5. http://www.justice.gov.uk/inspectorates/hmi-prisons/docs/yarls_wood_inquiry_final-rps.pdf.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[4] Legal Action for Women, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;A 'Bleak House' in Our Times: An investigation into Yarl's Wood Removal Centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, Crossroads, December 2005.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[5] Women Against Rape, 'Landmark damages for rape survivor detained unlawfully', n.d. http://www.womenagainstrape.net/media/landmark-damages-rape-survivor-detained-unlawfully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[6] Serco, 'Serco to run Yarl's Wood immigration centre', http://www.serco.com/markets/homeaffairs/Copy_3_of_lowgrangerep.asp.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[7] Home Office, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Yarl's Wood immigration removal centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/organisation/immigrationremovalcentres/yarlswood.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[8] 'Yarl's Wood expansion put on hold', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Bedford Today&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 28 January 2010. http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/news/biggleswade-news/yarl_s_wood_expansion_put_on_hold_the_full_story_1_1099759.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[9] Medical Justice, 'Rape and torture survivor severely neglected by Yarl’s Wood healthcare', n.d. http://www.medicaljustice.org.uk/content/view/267/50/ .&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[10] Medical Justice, 'Medico-Legal Reports dismissed by immigration judges', n.d. http://www.medicaljustice.org.uk/content/view/16/50/ .&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[11] HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, 2009, p.5.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[12] Independent Monitoring Board, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Annual Report 2009&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;. p.12.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[13] HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, 2009. p.6.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[14] Independent Monitoring Board, 2009. p.18.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[15] ibid.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[16] ibid.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[17] See, for example, Birnberg Peirce &amp;amp; Partners, Medical Justice and the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Outsourcing Abuse: The use and misuse of state-sanctioned force during the detention and removal of asylum seekers&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 2008, http://www.medicaljustice.org.uk/images/stories/reports/outsourcing%20abuse.pdf, p.16; Corporate Watch, 'Missed Appointments: The Nigerian prince and the UK failed immigration system', 5 May 2010, http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=3596, especially the section on 'Retaliation?'.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[18] No Borders Brighton, 'Yarl's Wood Hunger Strikers Attacked', Indymedia UK, 17 June 2009, http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/06/432528.html.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[19] See, for example, http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/02/446439.html and http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/feb/08/hunger-strike-women-detention-yarls-wood-protest.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[20] VionioOnTV, 'Voices from Yarl's Wood', http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xch4gx_voices-from-yarl-s-wood-update-2_news.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[21] Mark Townsend, 'Immigration bosses to be quizzed after asylum seekers were 'beaten' by guards', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;The Observer&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 28 February 2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/feb/28/yarls-wood-assaults; Karen McVeigh, 'Asylum seekers win new strength to fight after Yarl's Wood hunger strike', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;The Guardian&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 2 August 2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/aug/02/yarls-wood-hunger-strike-asylum.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[22] NCADC, 'Free Denise McNeil', http://www.ncadc.org.uk/campaigns/DeniseMcNeil.html.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[23] 'Yarlswood: 'One girl tied a rope around her neck and tried to hang herself', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;The Guardian&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 13 February 2010. http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/audio/2010/feb/13/yarlswood.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[24] Mark Townsend, 'Yarl's Wood mother jailed without charge for a year to 'silence' her', The Observer, Sunday 16 January 2011, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jan/16/denise-mcneil-yarls-wood.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[25] Women Against Rape, 'UPDATE: 34 women still on hunger strike in Yarl’s Wood', 26 February 2010, http://www.womenagainstrape.net/content/action-women-3rd-week-hunger-strike-yarls-wood-irc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[26] Women Against Rape, 'Report: Women's Hunger Strike - Louder than Words ', 29 June 2010, http://www.womenagainstrape.net/content/report-womens-hunger-strike-louder-words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[27] Black Women's Rape Project, 'SERCO officers in Yarl's Wood IRC: Violent, racist, sexist &amp;amp; vindictive', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Minority Perspective&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 10 December 2010. http://www.minorityperspective.co.uk/2010/12/10/serco-officers-in-yarl%E2%80%99s-wood-irc-violent-racist-sexist-vindictive/.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[28] Women Against Rape, 'Women speak out in Parliament against detention, deportation, privatisation and profiteering', 14 January 2010, http://www.womenagainstrape.net/content/women-speak-out-parliament-against-detention-depor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Yarl%27s_Wood_IRC&amp;diff=228325</id>
		<title>Yarl's Wood IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Yarl%27s_Wood_IRC&amp;diff=228325"/>
		<updated>2015-11-30T11:51:18Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Yarl's Wood IRC]] is a UK immigration removal centre, operated by a private contractor, [[Serco]] Limited, on behalf of the UK [[Home Office]] under the Detention Centre Rules 2001. It is located outside the village of Clapham in Bedfordshire, England.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==List of centre managers and assistants==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[David Watson]] was centre manager of [[Yarl's Wood IRC]] for [[Group 4 Falck|Group 4]] from January 2001 to January 2003 during which time a major fire occurred.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'[http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/news/yarl-s-wood-guards-traumatised-by-ordeal-1-1087315 'Yarl's Wood guards traumatised by ordeal']', ''Bedford Today'', 22 March 2002&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Joanne Henney]] was deputy centre manager for [[G4S]] from June 2003 to June 2006.&lt;br /&gt;
*[[James Wilkinson]] was contract director for [[Serco]] at [[Yarl's Wood IRC]] over 18 months from December 2010 to May 2012.&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Lisa Hooper]] was assistant director for [[Serco]] from October 2008 to June 2015 (ongoing)&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Victoria Murray]] was &amp;quot;Assistant Director (Business Assurance)&amp;quot; for [[Serco]] at [[Yarl's Wood IRC]] during 2010 and then deputy contract director there in 2011.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Senior staff==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Ian Scrupps]] was a business development manager for [[Serco]] from 2007 to July 2008, during which time he helped Serco transition onto their new contract for [[Yarl's Wood IRC]].&lt;br /&gt;
*[[David Tanner]] is a Non Executive Director of the Yarl's Wood Immigration Centre Contract Board for [[Serco]] since 2013.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Group 4/GSL management==&lt;br /&gt;
When Yarl's Wood was opened in 2001, it initially accommodated 900 people in two blocks, making it the largest immigration prison in Europe at the time. The management of the centre was contracted to [[Global Solutions Ltd.]] (GSL), which was then owned by Group 4 Amey Immigration Ltd, owned by [[Amey Assets Services]] Ltd and [[Group 4 Falck]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2001 Hunger strike====&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2001, just a month after the centre opened, five Roma detainees began the first hunger strike there.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2002 Fire====&lt;br /&gt;
In February 2002, the prison was burnt down following a protest by detainees triggered by a 55-year-old woman being physically restrained by staff. When the fire started, the centre manager ordered all staff to exit the building, locking the detainees inside the timber-framed building. It later emerged that the government had also failed to install a sprinkler system. Although there was an investigation, no members of [[Group 4 Falck|Group 4]] were ever prosecuted. &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[1] &amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The centre was closed and the burnt B site was demolished.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In September 2003, the undamaged half was re-opened after extensive rebuilding, with an initial capacity of 60. The centre's capacity was increased to 120 by August 2004 and to its full operational capacity of 405 by the end of 2005. The other half is still a waste-land.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2003 Daily Mirror undercover====&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2003, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman for England and Wales launched an investigation into allegations of racism and physical abuse at Yarl's Wood revealed by a ''Daily Mirror'' undercover reporter on 8 December 2003. The inquiry's final report, published in March 2004, was largely based on the internal investigation by the centre's management, which the Ombudsman described as having been 'helpful'. Although admitting that the 19 incidents reported did happen, the investigation concluded that they &amp;quot;did not indicate a culture of racism and improper use of force.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt; [2] &amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2006 inspection, riot and unlawful detention====&lt;br /&gt;
An inquiry by the Chief Inspector of Prisons in 2006 into the quality of healthcare at Yarl's Wood found that the healthcare service provided was &amp;quot;not geared to meet the needs of those with serious health problems or the significant number of detainees held for longer periods for whom prolonged and uncertain detention was itself likely to be detrimental to their well being.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt; [3] &amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Mental health care provision for women detainees was particularly insufficient. Similar concerns have been echoed by subsequent inspection reports.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
''&amp;quot;The worst feature that emerges from these inspections is the dehumanising aspects of the immigration removal process itself. Some of those we observed in detention had been dealt with by the immigration authorities as though they were parcels, not people; and parcels whose contents and destination were sometimes incorrect.&amp;quot;'' - HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers, February 2006&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November 2006, a group of detainees rioted after being denied watching a news report criticising conditions at the centre. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A 2006 report by Legal Action for Women, entitled A 'Bleak House' in Our Times, found that over 70 percent of the women detained in Yarl's Wood were rape victims. Few of the 130 women surveyed were able to get specialist help and some were detained for over a year.[4]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A woman rape survivor, who had fled Cameroon after suffering rape and other torture, was detained at Yarl's Wood in December 2006, shortly after her arrival in the UK. She reported to the authorities that she was a rape survivor and, according to the Detention Centre Rules, should have been seen by a medical practitioner within 24 hours. Her report of rape was ignored and she was put on fast-track for deportation. In February 2008, she won £38,000 in damages for being unlawfully detained.[5]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Serco==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In April 2007, [[Serco]] Ltd took over the management, operation and maintenance of Yarl's Wood, for an initial period of three years, with optional extension to up to eight years. Over the full eight years, the contract is valued at around £85m.[6]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Under Serco, Yarl's Wood became the UK's main immigration removal centre for women and families (until the end of child detention in 2010), with 284 single female and 121 family bed spaces. The contract had been awarded in December 2006.[7] &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2007 hunger strike===&lt;br /&gt;
In May 2007, a month after Serco took over the running of the centre, women detainees began a hunger strike in response to new measures introduced by the new management. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2008 expansion plans===&lt;br /&gt;
In May 2008, the Home Office announced it will take forward planning applications to create extra spaces at the centre as part of its plans for &amp;quot;large-scale expansion&amp;quot; of Britain's detention estate, but the plans were shelved due to lack of funds.[8]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2009 inspections and hunger strike===&lt;br /&gt;
In 2009, Medical Justice reported a woman who had fled a West African country after being repeatedly raped and tortured by soldiers had her asylum claim refused and was detained on Fast Track at Yarl's Wood for three and a half months. Despite serious health problems, she was denied treatment and was not seen by a gynaecologist nor screened for sexually transmitted infections. She eventually developed severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder and was placed on suicide watch for several weeks after harming herself, yet failed attempts were made to deport her. She was only released after she was seen by a doctor working with Medical Justice.[9] In another case, a medico-legal report prepared by medical experts who noted that the medical evidence &amp;quot;gives strong support for the history of repeated rapes leading to life threatening gynaecological complications necessitating major surgery&amp;quot; was dismissed by the immigration judge, who apparently said the injuries &amp;quot;could have been caused by other means,&amp;quot; without finding it necessary to investigate what these 'other means' could have been.[10] &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 2009, HM Inspector of Prisons found that the understanding and management of self-harm at Yarl's Wood was often superficial, with security taking precedence over health: &amp;quot;Many women were extremely anxious about their future, and the quality of support procedures for those at risk of self-harm was not consistently good, though there was some caring individual work. There had been no assessment of adult mental health needs.&amp;quot;[11] Previous inspection reports, for example one in February 2006, had made similar criticisms about the centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In its 2009 annual report, the Yarl's Wood Independent Monitoring Board reported a 26% increase in the recorded instances of use of force at the centre (48 cases, compared with 38 in 2008).[12] This was apparently &amp;quot;owing to a change in the recording process, to include occasions where an officer uses force to prevent self-harm,&amp;quot; implying that many incidents may not have been reported in the past. In one of the cases viewed, the IMB member considered the force used to have been &amp;quot;excessive.&amp;quot; The board also reported one case where a tape was &amp;quot;wiped&amp;quot; before the IMB member could see it. In November 2009, the Chief Inspector of Prisons reported that, on two occasions in the previous year, force had been used on children. The inspectors were &amp;quot;assured&amp;quot; that these events were &amp;quot;exceptional&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;properly authorised and planned.&amp;quot;[13]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Independent Monitoring Boards across the detention estate have repeatedly expressed their &amp;quot;extreme concern&amp;quot; about restrictions on their access to detainees' complaints. In March 2009, the UKBA's Detention Services finally agreed to produce a monthly report to each IMB, setting out brief details of complaints received from detainees. The reports gave the name of the detainee, a brief indication of the subject-matter of the complaint and its destination. Whilst this was described as &amp;quot;helpful,&amp;quot; the IMB's Forum of Chairs did not consider that &amp;quot;it was adequate to enable IMBs to properly monitor the just and humane treatment of detainees, which must include how their complaints are dealt with.&amp;quot;[14] For example, the reports would not indicate whether the same officer had been involved in more than one incident of alleged mistreatment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Yarl's Wood's monthly reports to the IMB during 2009 were described as &amp;quot;at best sporadic.&amp;quot; Moreover, since December 2008, complaints to the UKBA's Professional Standards Unit (PSU), which IMBs were &amp;quot;most concerned to know about,&amp;quot; were not made available to them.[15] In November 2009, an agreement was reached with the UKBA for copies of detainees' complaints to be emailed to the IMB chair at the centre via a secure system. Again, while this &amp;quot;restoration of access&amp;quot; to complaints was welcomed by the IMB, it was criticised for being &amp;quot;not complete.&amp;quot; For example, where a detainee was moved from the detention centre, it was not possible for the IMB at any subsequent centre to follow up an earlier complaint.[16] This is particularly important in light of claims that one of the tactics used by the immigration authorities and their contractors to 'deal with problems' is to move 'trouble-causing' detainees around the detention estate. There is also evidence that detainees lodging complaints are subjected to harassment and further abuse, which may deter other from complaining in the future.[17]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A hunger strike in June 2009 was accompanied by accounts of violent assaults on detainees by Serco guards. Men and women were reportedly beaten up and one woman had her clothes ripped off by guards while being filmed. Detainees reported that many of them were &amp;quot;severely traumatised.&amp;quot; One woman told supporters on the phone that the level of brutality was &amp;quot;unbelievable&amp;quot; and she had &amp;quot;never seen anything like it before.&amp;quot; [18]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2010 hunger strike===&lt;br /&gt;
On 8th February 2010, three days into a mass hunger strike by Yarl's Wood detainees demanding an end to indefinite imprisonment and abuse, both grassroots and mainstream media reported that Serco security guards, some with riot shields, had attempted to break up the protest by using excessive force against women detainees.[19] A series of audio interviews with the hunger strikers described how 70 women were locked in a corridor for 6 hours without access to food, water, toilet or medical care.[20] Many collapsed and about 20, who apparently climbed out of a window, were reportedly beaten up by the guards and taken into isolation cells. An image taken on a mobile phone and passed on to the media showed extensive bruising to one woman's shoulder and legs. Another women reported she had a window slammed on her hand by guards. Detainees also claimed that they were racially abused, with guards calling them &amp;quot;black monkeys&amp;quot; and such like. An ambulance called by the detainees was apparently not allowed in as the centre's management claimed that paramedics were &amp;quot;not required because the most significant injury was [a] fingernail injury.&amp;quot; Members of the centre's Independent Monitoring Board and Bedfordshire police are said to have been present during the assaults but no action was taken.[21]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The security went outside and used shields like they do when there is a war. That is what they used to smash one of the women who was outside.&amp;quot; - Yarl's Wood detainee during the February 2010 hunger strike, The Observer, 28 February 2010 &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Four of the women, who were singled out as 'ringleaders' or 'key organisers' of the protest, were put in isolation for four weeks, then moved to HM Holloway Prison, where three of them were held for over a year without charge or trial.[22] The women also say they were denied adequate medical treatment for the injuries they sustained from assaults during the hunger strike. One of them, Denise McNeil, who had spoken to the media[23] about the hunger strike and the guards' use of violence, believes the subsequent assaults on her and moving her to prison were &amp;quot;to silence protesters.&amp;quot;[24]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After each of these disturbances, campaigners and sympathetic MPs demanded an inquiry into the events. Judging by previous experiences, however, official inquiries into detention-related do not appear to get anywhere. In fact, the Home Office and Serco deny that there was even a protest in Yarl's Wood in February 2010. Their preferred course of action was to write to MPs and the media, through the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office Meg Hillier MP, denying that there had been a hunger strike and claiming that campaigners' reports were &amp;quot;inaccurate and fabricated.&amp;quot;[25] Solicitors and detainee support groups, such as Black Women's Rape Action Project, have collected witness statements from over 50 of the women involved in the hunger strike and found their claims of racist abuse, physical and other violence to be &amp;quot;entirely consistent.&amp;quot;[26]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Stories of daily 'routine abuse' of Yarls' Wood detainees continue to emerge. On 6th December 2010, for instance, a woman reported that she was &amp;quot;physically assaulted and verbally abused&amp;quot; by two male and one female Serco guards during one of their routine monthly searches of inmates' rooms. A male officer, she claimed, called her an &amp;quot;illegal immigrant&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;a prostitute,&amp;quot; breaching her confidentiality by revealing aspects of her asylum claim to other women and officers present. The manager then arrived and, instead of asking what had happened, he allegedly bent both her hands back and pressed her against the wall, pulling out some of her hair. The woman was then taken into isolation, where she said she was denied food and kept in a cold room for two days. She called the police but these apparently did nothing as there was &amp;quot;no blood.&amp;quot;[27] Other women said they were reluctant to go public about the abuse they claim they suffered as they feared retribution, but some have spoken out after being released.[28]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2011 guard suspended===&lt;br /&gt;
In January a Serco officer was suspended and investigated, reportedly over allegations that he had an inappropriate sexual relationship with a women detained at Yarl's Wood who became pregnant.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.bedfordshire-news.co.uk/Yarls-Wood-guard-probed-pregnant-detainee-claim/story-21716908-detail/story.html Yarl’s Wood guard probed over pregnant detainee claim]', Bedfordshire on Sunday, 13 February 2011&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2012===&lt;br /&gt;
===2013 Observer===&lt;br /&gt;
===2014 death, UN barred, contract renewed===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 31 March, Jamaican Christine Case, 40, died inside Yarl's Wood.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In April, Rashida Manjoo, the UN special rapporteur on violence against women, was barred from visiting Yarl's Wood. Manjoo was in Britain to conduct an inquiry for the UN into violence against women.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/apr/13/un-inspection-yarls-wood-detention-centre-blocked-claim UN inspection of Yarl's Wood was blocked, claim campaigners]', Observer, 13 April 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; She compared the fiasco to when authorities in Bangladesh prevented her from visiting a notorious refugee camp and India blocked her visiting its detention cites. Majoo questioned whether Britain had “something to hide”.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jan/03/yarls-wood-un-special-rapporteur-censure Yarl’s Wood: UN special rapporteur to censure UK government]', Observer, 3 January 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November, despite the mounting controversy around Yarl's Wood, Serco was awarded a new contract, worth £70 million, to run the centre for a further eight years. The healthcare unit was taken over by [[G4S]] - the successor to [[Group 4]], which was in charge of Yarl's Wood before Serco and when half the centre burnt down.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2015 Channel 4 undercover, death, inspection report===&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;youtube size=&amp;quot;medium&amp;quot; align=&amp;quot;right&amp;quot; caption=&amp;quot;Channel 4 News undercover investigation of Yarl's Wood&amp;quot;&amp;gt;EkyvmvIn5HA&amp;lt;/youtube&amp;gt;In March, Channel 4 News broadcast secret filming from an undercover reporter showing conditions inside Yarl's Wood.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.channel4.com/news/yarls-wood-immigration-removal-detention-centre-investigation Yarl's Wood: undercover in the secretive immigration centre]', Channel 4 News, 2 March 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Guards referred to the detainees as ‘animals’, ‘beasties’ and ‘bi****s’. The footage raised concerns about healthcare, self-harm and the detention of pregnant women. Two guards were suspended over allegations of mistreatment and further investigations were ordered by the Home Office and Serco.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 20 April, a 34 year old Indian man Pinakin Patel died at Yarl's Wood from a heart attack. He was detained in the family unit with his wife.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-32398795 BBC]', 21 April 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Detainees went on hunger strike calling for the release of Mr Patel's widow, Bhavisha Ben Patel. She said the couple had to wait 15 minutes for health care staff to attend after he suffered from shortness of breath on the morning he died. They had been detained at Yarl's Wood for over two months since coming to the UK on holiday.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/yarls-wood-hunger-strike-at-immigration-removal-centre-for-release-of-widow-10196889.html Yarl's Wood: Hunger strike at immigration removal centre for release of widow]', Independent, 22 April 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An inquest into Patel's death heard how there had been delays reporting his collapse to emergency services and the ambulance was delayed at the detention centre's gates. Senior coroner Tom Osborne found Patel had died from natural causes. However, he found that prevention of future deaths recommendations made after the Christine Case inquest had not been implemented.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.bedfordshire-news.co.uk/Pinakin-Patel/story-28020823-detail/story.html Inquest hears concerns over Yarl's Wood response after detainee collapsed and died at centre]', Bedforshire on Sunday, 20 October 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In August, the chief inspector of prisons published a report which said Yarl's Wood was &amp;quot;a place of national concern&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2015/08/Yarls-Wood-web-2015.pdf Report on an unannounced inspection of Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre ]', HMIP, 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The report found that conditions had deteriorated and that Yarl's Wood was failing vulnerable women.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33871283 Yarl's Wood removal centre of 'national concern']', BBC, 12 August 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Particular criticism was made of the healthcare facilities, run by [[G4S]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Wings==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Yarl's Wood consists of four units in a large, two-storey building. Until the detention of families was stopped in late 2010, there was a family unit (Crane), with a capacity of 121; a single women induction and first night unit (Bunting), with 42 beds; and two single women units (Avocet and Dove), with a capacity of 130 and 112 respectively. All Crane rooms, except one, are twin-bedded and interconnected in pairs to allow families to be located together. All Avocet and Dove rooms are twin-bedded, except for two single rooms in Avocet with some adaptations for people with disabilities. Most Bunting rooms, except three, are single. All rooms have simple en-suite toilet and shower facilities. The four units are connected by a central corridor, from which all ancillary areas, including the healthcare centre, can be accessed.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Detainees in Temporary Confinement (TC) under Detention Centre Rule 42 are held in the Kingfisher Separation Unit, in solitary cells called Removal From Association (RFA) rooms. Rooms in Bunting are also sometimes used for this purpose. During 2009, the Bunting RFA rooms were apparently converted into a 'family care suite'. During the second part of 2009, a new school building was constructed outside the main compound, formally opening in November that year. There is a Healthcare Centre on site, which provides primary healthcare for detainees, but is not always adequately staffed. Secondary care is referred - at least in theory - to the local Primary Care Trust.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[1] Stephen Shaw (Prisons and Probation Ombudsman), &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Report of the inquiry into the disturbance and fire at Yarl’s Wood Removal Centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, October 2004. http://www.ppo.gov.uk/docs/special-yarls-wood-fire-02.pdf.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[2] Prisons and Probation Ombudsman for England and Wales, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Investigation into Allegations of Racism, Abuse and Violence at Yarl’s Wood Removal Centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, March 2004. p.3. http://www.ppo.gov.uk/docs/special-yarls-wood-abuse-03.pdf.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[3] HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Inquiry into the quality of healthcare at Yarl's Wood immigration removal centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, 20 – 24 February 2006. p.5. http://www.justice.gov.uk/inspectorates/hmi-prisons/docs/yarls_wood_inquiry_final-rps.pdf.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[4] Legal Action for Women, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;A 'Bleak House' in Our Times: An investigation into Yarl's Wood Removal Centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, Crossroads, December 2005.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[5] Women Against Rape, 'Landmark damages for rape survivor detained unlawfully', n.d. http://www.womenagainstrape.net/media/landmark-damages-rape-survivor-detained-unlawfully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[6] Serco, 'Serco to run Yarl's Wood immigration centre', http://www.serco.com/markets/homeaffairs/Copy_3_of_lowgrangerep.asp.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[7] Home Office, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Yarl's Wood immigration removal centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/organisation/immigrationremovalcentres/yarlswood.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[8] 'Yarl's Wood expansion put on hold', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Bedford Today&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 28 January 2010. http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/news/biggleswade-news/yarl_s_wood_expansion_put_on_hold_the_full_story_1_1099759.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[9] Medical Justice, 'Rape and torture survivor severely neglected by Yarl’s Wood healthcare', n.d. http://www.medicaljustice.org.uk/content/view/267/50/ .&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[10] Medical Justice, 'Medico-Legal Reports dismissed by immigration judges', n.d. http://www.medicaljustice.org.uk/content/view/16/50/ .&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[11] HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, 2009, p.5.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[12] Independent Monitoring Board, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Annual Report 2009&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;. p.12.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[13] HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, 2009. p.6.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[14] Independent Monitoring Board, 2009. p.18.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[15] ibid.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[16] ibid.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[17] See, for example, Birnberg Peirce &amp;amp; Partners, Medical Justice and the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Outsourcing Abuse: The use and misuse of state-sanctioned force during the detention and removal of asylum seekers&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 2008, http://www.medicaljustice.org.uk/images/stories/reports/outsourcing%20abuse.pdf, p.16; Corporate Watch, 'Missed Appointments: The Nigerian prince and the UK failed immigration system', 5 May 2010, http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=3596, especially the section on 'Retaliation?'.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[18] No Borders Brighton, 'Yarl's Wood Hunger Strikers Attacked', Indymedia UK, 17 June 2009, http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/06/432528.html.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[19] See, for example, http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/02/446439.html and http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/feb/08/hunger-strike-women-detention-yarls-wood-protest.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[20] VionioOnTV, 'Voices from Yarl's Wood', http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xch4gx_voices-from-yarl-s-wood-update-2_news.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[21] Mark Townsend, 'Immigration bosses to be quizzed after asylum seekers were 'beaten' by guards', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;The Observer&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 28 February 2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/feb/28/yarls-wood-assaults; Karen McVeigh, 'Asylum seekers win new strength to fight after Yarl's Wood hunger strike', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;The Guardian&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 2 August 2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/aug/02/yarls-wood-hunger-strike-asylum.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[22] NCADC, 'Free Denise McNeil', http://www.ncadc.org.uk/campaigns/DeniseMcNeil.html.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[23] 'Yarlswood: 'One girl tied a rope around her neck and tried to hang herself', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;The Guardian&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 13 February 2010. http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/audio/2010/feb/13/yarlswood.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[24] Mark Townsend, 'Yarl's Wood mother jailed without charge for a year to 'silence' her', The Observer, Sunday 16 January 2011, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jan/16/denise-mcneil-yarls-wood.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[25] Women Against Rape, 'UPDATE: 34 women still on hunger strike in Yarl’s Wood', 26 February 2010, http://www.womenagainstrape.net/content/action-women-3rd-week-hunger-strike-yarls-wood-irc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[26] Women Against Rape, 'Report: Women's Hunger Strike - Louder than Words ', 29 June 2010, http://www.womenagainstrape.net/content/report-womens-hunger-strike-louder-words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[27] Black Women's Rape Project, 'SERCO officers in Yarl's Wood IRC: Violent, racist, sexist &amp;amp; vindictive', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Minority Perspective&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 10 December 2010. http://www.minorityperspective.co.uk/2010/12/10/serco-officers-in-yarl%E2%80%99s-wood-irc-violent-racist-sexist-vindictive/.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[28] Women Against Rape, 'Women speak out in Parliament against detention, deportation, privatisation and profiteering', 14 January 2010, http://www.womenagainstrape.net/content/women-speak-out-parliament-against-detention-depor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Yarl%27s_Wood_IRC&amp;diff=228324</id>
		<title>Yarl's Wood IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Yarl%27s_Wood_IRC&amp;diff=228324"/>
		<updated>2015-11-30T11:39:45Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Yarl's Wood IRC]] is a UK immigration removal centre, operated by a private contractor, [[Serco]] Limited, on behalf of the UK [[Home Office]] under the Detention Centre Rules 2001. It is located outside the village of Clapham in Bedfordshire, England.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==List of centre managers and assistants==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[David Watson]] was centre manager of [[Yarl's Wood IRC]] for [[Group 4 Falck|Group 4]] from January 2001 to January 2003 during which time a major fire occurred.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'[http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/news/yarl-s-wood-guards-traumatised-by-ordeal-1-1087315 'Yarl's Wood guards traumatised by ordeal']', ''Bedford Today'', 22 March 2002&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Joanne Henney]] was deputy centre manager for [[G4S]] from June 2003 to June 2006.&lt;br /&gt;
*[[James Wilkinson]] was contract director for [[Serco]] at [[Yarl's Wood IRC]] over 18 months from December 2010 to May 2012.&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Lisa Hooper]] was assistant director for [[Serco]] from October 2008 to June 2015 (ongoing)&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Victoria Murray]] was &amp;quot;Assistant Director (Business Assurance)&amp;quot; for [[Serco]] at [[Yarl's Wood IRC]] during 2010 and then deputy contract director there in 2011.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Senior staff==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Ian Scrupps]] was a business development manager for [[Serco]] from 2007 to July 2008, during which time he helped Serco transition onto their new contract for [[Yarl's Wood IRC]].&lt;br /&gt;
*[[David Tanner]] is a Non Executive Director of the Yarl's Wood Immigration Centre Contract Board for [[Serco]] since 2013.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Group 4/GSL management==&lt;br /&gt;
When Yarl's Wood was opened in 2001, it initially accommodated 900 people in two blocks, making it the largest immigration prison in Europe at the time. The management of the centre was contracted to [[Global Solutions Ltd.]] (GSL), which was then owned by Group 4 Amey Immigration Ltd, owned by [[Amey Assets Services]] Ltd and [[Group 4 Falck]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2001 Hunger strike====&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2001, just a month after the centre opened, five Roma detainees began the first hunger strike there.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2002 Fire====&lt;br /&gt;
In February 2002, the prison was burnt down following a protest by detainees triggered by a 55-year-old woman being physically restrained by staff. When the fire started, the centre manager ordered all staff to exit the building, locking the detainees inside the timber-framed building. It later emerged that the government had also failed to install a sprinkler system. Although there was an investigation, no members of [[Group 4 Falck|Group 4]] were ever prosecuted. &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[1] &amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The centre was closed and the burnt B site was demolished.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In September 2003, the undamaged half was re-opened after extensive rebuilding, with an initial capacity of 60. The centre's capacity was increased to 120 by August 2004 and to its full operational capacity of 405 by the end of 2005. The other half is still a waste-land.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2003 Daily Mirror undercover====&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2003, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman for England and Wales launched an investigation into allegations of racism and physical abuse at Yarl's Wood revealed by a ''Daily Mirror'' undercover reporter on 8 December 2003. The inquiry's final report, published in March 2004, was largely based on the internal investigation by the centre's management, which the Ombudsman described as having been 'helpful'. Although admitting that the 19 incidents reported did happen, the investigation concluded that they &amp;quot;did not indicate a culture of racism and improper use of force.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt; [2] &amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2006 inspection, riot and unlawful detention====&lt;br /&gt;
An inquiry by the Chief Inspector of Prisons in 2006 into the quality of healthcare at Yarl's Wood found that the healthcare service provided was &amp;quot;not geared to meet the needs of those with serious health problems or the significant number of detainees held for longer periods for whom prolonged and uncertain detention was itself likely to be detrimental to their well being.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt; [3] &amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Mental health care provision for women detainees was particularly insufficient. Similar concerns have been echoed by subsequent inspection reports.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
''&amp;quot;The worst feature that emerges from these inspections is the dehumanising aspects of the immigration removal process itself. Some of those we observed in detention had been dealt with by the immigration authorities as though they were parcels, not people; and parcels whose contents and destination were sometimes incorrect.&amp;quot;'' - HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers, February 2006&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November 2006, a group of detainees rioted after being denied watching a news report criticising conditions at the centre. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A 2006 report by Legal Action for Women, entitled A 'Bleak House' in Our Times, found that over 70 percent of the women detained in Yarl's Wood were rape victims. Few of the 130 women surveyed were able to get specialist help and some were detained for over a year.[4]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A woman rape survivor, who had fled Cameroon after suffering rape and other torture, was detained at Yarl's Wood in December 2006, shortly after her arrival in the UK. She reported to the authorities that she was a rape survivor and, according to the Detention Centre Rules, should have been seen by a medical practitioner within 24 hours. Her report of rape was ignored and she was put on fast-track for deportation. In February 2008, she won £38,000 in damages for being unlawfully detained.[5]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Serco==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In April 2007, [[Serco]] Ltd took over the management, operation and maintenance of Yarl's Wood, for an initial period of three years, with optional extension to up to eight years. Over the full eight years, the contract is valued at around £85m.[6]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Under Serco, Yarl's Wood became the UK's main immigration removal centre for women and families (until the end of child detention in 2010), with 284 single female and 121 family bed spaces. The contract had been awarded in December 2006.[7] &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2007 hunger strike===&lt;br /&gt;
In May 2007, a month after Serco took over the running of the centre, women detainees began a hunger strike in response to new measures introduced by the new management. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2008 expansion plans===&lt;br /&gt;
In May 2008, the Home Office announced it will take forward planning applications to create extra spaces at the centre as part of its plans for &amp;quot;large-scale expansion&amp;quot; of Britain's detention estate, but the plans were shelved due to lack of funds.[8]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2009 inspections and hunger strike===&lt;br /&gt;
In 2009, Medical Justice reported a woman who had fled a West African country after being repeatedly raped and tortured by soldiers had her asylum claim refused and was detained on Fast Track at Yarl's Wood for three and a half months. Despite serious health problems, she was denied treatment and was not seen by a gynaecologist nor screened for sexually transmitted infections. She eventually developed severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder and was placed on suicide watch for several weeks after harming herself, yet failed attempts were made to deport her. She was only released after she was seen by a doctor working with Medical Justice.[9] In another case, a medico-legal report prepared by medical experts who noted that the medical evidence &amp;quot;gives strong support for the history of repeated rapes leading to life threatening gynaecological complications necessitating major surgery&amp;quot; was dismissed by the immigration judge, who apparently said the injuries &amp;quot;could have been caused by other means,&amp;quot; without finding it necessary to investigate what these 'other means' could have been.[10] &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 2009, HM Inspector of Prisons found that the understanding and management of self-harm at Yarl's Wood was often superficial, with security taking precedence over health: &amp;quot;Many women were extremely anxious about their future, and the quality of support procedures for those at risk of self-harm was not consistently good, though there was some caring individual work. There had been no assessment of adult mental health needs.&amp;quot;[11] Previous inspection reports, for example one in February 2006, had made similar criticisms about the centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In its 2009 annual report, the Yarl's Wood Independent Monitoring Board reported a 26% increase in the recorded instances of use of force at the centre (48 cases, compared with 38 in 2008).[12] This was apparently &amp;quot;owing to a change in the recording process, to include occasions where an officer uses force to prevent self-harm,&amp;quot; implying that many incidents may not have been reported in the past. In one of the cases viewed, the IMB member considered the force used to have been &amp;quot;excessive.&amp;quot; The board also reported one case where a tape was &amp;quot;wiped&amp;quot; before the IMB member could see it. In November 2009, the Chief Inspector of Prisons reported that, on two occasions in the previous year, force had been used on children. The inspectors were &amp;quot;assured&amp;quot; that these events were &amp;quot;exceptional&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;properly authorised and planned.&amp;quot;[13]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Independent Monitoring Boards across the detention estate have repeatedly expressed their &amp;quot;extreme concern&amp;quot; about restrictions on their access to detainees' complaints. In March 2009, the UKBA's Detention Services finally agreed to produce a monthly report to each IMB, setting out brief details of complaints received from detainees. The reports gave the name of the detainee, a brief indication of the subject-matter of the complaint and its destination. Whilst this was described as &amp;quot;helpful,&amp;quot; the IMB's Forum of Chairs did not consider that &amp;quot;it was adequate to enable IMBs to properly monitor the just and humane treatment of detainees, which must include how their complaints are dealt with.&amp;quot;[14] For example, the reports would not indicate whether the same officer had been involved in more than one incident of alleged mistreatment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Yarl's Wood's monthly reports to the IMB during 2009 were described as &amp;quot;at best sporadic.&amp;quot; Moreover, since December 2008, complaints to the UKBA's Professional Standards Unit (PSU), which IMBs were &amp;quot;most concerned to know about,&amp;quot; were not made available to them.[15] In November 2009, an agreement was reached with the UKBA for copies of detainees' complaints to be emailed to the IMB chair at the centre via a secure system. Again, while this &amp;quot;restoration of access&amp;quot; to complaints was welcomed by the IMB, it was criticised for being &amp;quot;not complete.&amp;quot; For example, where a detainee was moved from the detention centre, it was not possible for the IMB at any subsequent centre to follow up an earlier complaint.[16] This is particularly important in light of claims that one of the tactics used by the immigration authorities and their contractors to 'deal with problems' is to move 'trouble-causing' detainees around the detention estate. There is also evidence that detainees lodging complaints are subjected to harassment and further abuse, which may deter other from complaining in the future.[17]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A hunger strike in June 2009 was accompanied by accounts of violent assaults on detainees by Serco guards. Men and women were reportedly beaten up and one woman had her clothes ripped off by guards while being filmed. Detainees reported that many of them were &amp;quot;severely traumatised.&amp;quot; One woman told supporters on the phone that the level of brutality was &amp;quot;unbelievable&amp;quot; and she had &amp;quot;never seen anything like it before.&amp;quot; [18]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2010 hunger strike===&lt;br /&gt;
On 8th February 2010, three days into a mass hunger strike by Yarl's Wood detainees demanding an end to indefinite imprisonment and abuse, both grassroots and mainstream media reported that Serco security guards, some with riot shields, had attempted to break up the protest by using excessive force against women detainees.[19] A series of audio interviews with the hunger strikers described how 70 women were locked in a corridor for 6 hours without access to food, water, toilet or medical care.[20] Many collapsed and about 20, who apparently climbed out of a window, were reportedly beaten up by the guards and taken into isolation cells. An image taken on a mobile phone and passed on to the media showed extensive bruising to one woman's shoulder and legs. Another women reported she had a window slammed on her hand by guards. Detainees also claimed that they were racially abused, with guards calling them &amp;quot;black monkeys&amp;quot; and such like. An ambulance called by the detainees was apparently not allowed in as the centre's management claimed that paramedics were &amp;quot;not required because the most significant injury was [a] fingernail injury.&amp;quot; Members of the centre's Independent Monitoring Board and Bedfordshire police are said to have been present during the assaults but no action was taken.[21]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The security went outside and used shields like they do when there is a war. That is what they used to smash one of the women who was outside.&amp;quot; - Yarl's Wood detainee during the February 2010 hunger strike, The Observer, 28 February 2010 &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Four of the women, who were singled out as 'ringleaders' or 'key organisers' of the protest, were put in isolation for four weeks, then moved to HM Holloway Prison, where three of them were held for over a year without charge or trial.[22] The women also say they were denied adequate medical treatment for the injuries they sustained from assaults during the hunger strike. One of them, Denise McNeil, who had spoken to the media[23] about the hunger strike and the guards' use of violence, believes the subsequent assaults on her and moving her to prison were &amp;quot;to silence protesters.&amp;quot;[24]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After each of these disturbances, campaigners and sympathetic MPs demanded an inquiry into the events. Judging by previous experiences, however, official inquiries into detention-related do not appear to get anywhere. In fact, the Home Office and Serco deny that there was even a protest in Yarl's Wood in February 2010. Their preferred course of action was to write to MPs and the media, through the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office Meg Hillier MP, denying that there had been a hunger strike and claiming that campaigners' reports were &amp;quot;inaccurate and fabricated.&amp;quot;[25] Solicitors and detainee support groups, such as Black Women's Rape Action Project, have collected witness statements from over 50 of the women involved in the hunger strike and found their claims of racist abuse, physical and other violence to be &amp;quot;entirely consistent.&amp;quot;[26]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Stories of daily 'routine abuse' of Yarls' Wood detainees continue to emerge. On 6th December 2010, for instance, a woman reported that she was &amp;quot;physically assaulted and verbally abused&amp;quot; by two male and one female Serco guards during one of their routine monthly searches of inmates' rooms. A male officer, she claimed, called her an &amp;quot;illegal immigrant&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;a prostitute,&amp;quot; breaching her confidentiality by revealing aspects of her asylum claim to other women and officers present. The manager then arrived and, instead of asking what had happened, he allegedly bent both her hands back and pressed her against the wall, pulling out some of her hair. The woman was then taken into isolation, where she said she was denied food and kept in a cold room for two days. She called the police but these apparently did nothing as there was &amp;quot;no blood.&amp;quot;[27] Other women said they were reluctant to go public about the abuse they claim they suffered as they feared retribution, but some have spoken out after being released.[28]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2011 guard suspended===&lt;br /&gt;
In January a Serco officer was suspended and investigated, reportedly over allegations that he had an inappropriate sexual relationship with a women detained at Yarl's Wood who became pregnant.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.bedfordshire-news.co.uk/Yarls-Wood-guard-probed-pregnant-detainee-claim/story-21716908-detail/story.html Yarl’s Wood guard probed over pregnant detainee claim]', Bedfordshire on Sunday, 13 February 2011&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2012===&lt;br /&gt;
===2013===&lt;br /&gt;
===2014 Observer, UN barred===&lt;br /&gt;
In November 2014, Serco was awarded a new contract, worth £70 million, to run the centre for a further eight years. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2015 Channel 4 undercover, death, inspection report===&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;youtube size=&amp;quot;medium&amp;quot; align=&amp;quot;right&amp;quot; caption=&amp;quot;Channel 4 News undercover investigation of Yarl's Wood&amp;quot;&amp;gt;EkyvmvIn5HA&amp;lt;/youtube&amp;gt;In March, Channel 4 News broadcast secret filming from an undercover reporter showing conditions inside Yarl's Wood.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.channel4.com/news/yarls-wood-immigration-removal-detention-centre-investigation Yarl's Wood: undercover in the secretive immigration centre]', Channel 4 News, 2 March 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Guards referred to the detainees as ‘animals’, ‘beasties’ and ‘bi****s’. The footage raised concerns about healthcare, self-harm and the detention of pregnant women. Two guards were suspended over allegations of mistreatment and further investigations were ordered by the Home Office and Serco.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 20 April, a 34 year old Indian man Pinakin Patel died at Yarl's Wood from a heart attack. He was detained in the family unit with his wife.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-32398795 BBC]', 21 April 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Detainees went on hunger strike calling for the release of Mr Patel's widow, Bhavisha Ben Patel. She said the couple had to wait 15 minutes for health care staff to attend after he suffered from shortness of breath on the morning he died. They had been detained at Yarl's Wood for over two months since coming to the UK on holiday.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/yarls-wood-hunger-strike-at-immigration-removal-centre-for-release-of-widow-10196889.html Yarl's Wood: Hunger strike at immigration removal centre for release of widow]', Independent, 22 April 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An inquest into Patel's death heard how there had been delays reporting his collapse to emergency services and the ambulance was delayed at the detention centre's gates. Senior coroner Tom Osborne found Patel had died from natural causes. However, he found that prevention of future deaths recommendations made after the Christine Case inquest had not been implemented.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.bedfordshire-news.co.uk/Pinakin-Patel/story-28020823-detail/story.html Inquest hears concerns over Yarl's Wood response after detainee collapsed and died at centre]', Bedforshire on Sunday, 20 October 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In August, the chief inspector of prisons published a report which said Yarl's Wood was &amp;quot;a place of national concern&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2015/08/Yarls-Wood-web-2015.pdf Report on an unannounced inspection of Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre ]', HMIP, 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The report found that conditions had deteriorated and that Yarl's Wood was failing vulnerable women.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33871283 Yarl's Wood removal centre of 'national concern']', BBC, 12 August 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Particular criticism was made of the healthcare facilities, run by [[G4S]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Wings==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Yarl's Wood consists of four units in a large, two-storey building. Until the detention of families was stopped in late 2010, there was a family unit (Crane), with a capacity of 121; a single women induction and first night unit (Bunting), with 42 beds; and two single women units (Avocet and Dove), with a capacity of 130 and 112 respectively. All Crane rooms, except one, are twin-bedded and interconnected in pairs to allow families to be located together. All Avocet and Dove rooms are twin-bedded, except for two single rooms in Avocet with some adaptations for people with disabilities. Most Bunting rooms, except three, are single. All rooms have simple en-suite toilet and shower facilities. The four units are connected by a central corridor, from which all ancillary areas, including the healthcare centre, can be accessed.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Detainees in Temporary Confinement (TC) under Detention Centre Rule 42 are held in the Kingfisher Separation Unit, in solitary cells called Removal From Association (RFA) rooms. Rooms in Bunting are also sometimes used for this purpose. During 2009, the Bunting RFA rooms were apparently converted into a 'family care suite'. During the second part of 2009, a new school building was constructed outside the main compound, formally opening in November that year. There is a Healthcare Centre on site, which provides primary healthcare for detainees, but is not always adequately staffed. Secondary care is referred - at least in theory - to the local Primary Care Trust.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[1] Stephen Shaw (Prisons and Probation Ombudsman), &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Report of the inquiry into the disturbance and fire at Yarl’s Wood Removal Centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, October 2004. http://www.ppo.gov.uk/docs/special-yarls-wood-fire-02.pdf.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[2] Prisons and Probation Ombudsman for England and Wales, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Investigation into Allegations of Racism, Abuse and Violence at Yarl’s Wood Removal Centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, March 2004. p.3. http://www.ppo.gov.uk/docs/special-yarls-wood-abuse-03.pdf.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[3] HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Inquiry into the quality of healthcare at Yarl's Wood immigration removal centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, 20 – 24 February 2006. p.5. http://www.justice.gov.uk/inspectorates/hmi-prisons/docs/yarls_wood_inquiry_final-rps.pdf.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[4] Legal Action for Women, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;A 'Bleak House' in Our Times: An investigation into Yarl's Wood Removal Centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, Crossroads, December 2005.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[5] Women Against Rape, 'Landmark damages for rape survivor detained unlawfully', n.d. http://www.womenagainstrape.net/media/landmark-damages-rape-survivor-detained-unlawfully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[6] Serco, 'Serco to run Yarl's Wood immigration centre', http://www.serco.com/markets/homeaffairs/Copy_3_of_lowgrangerep.asp.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[7] Home Office, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Yarl's Wood immigration removal centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/organisation/immigrationremovalcentres/yarlswood.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[8] 'Yarl's Wood expansion put on hold', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Bedford Today&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 28 January 2010. http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/news/biggleswade-news/yarl_s_wood_expansion_put_on_hold_the_full_story_1_1099759.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[9] Medical Justice, 'Rape and torture survivor severely neglected by Yarl’s Wood healthcare', n.d. http://www.medicaljustice.org.uk/content/view/267/50/ .&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[10] Medical Justice, 'Medico-Legal Reports dismissed by immigration judges', n.d. http://www.medicaljustice.org.uk/content/view/16/50/ .&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[11] HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, 2009, p.5.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[12] Independent Monitoring Board, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Annual Report 2009&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;. p.12.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[13] HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, 2009. p.6.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[14] Independent Monitoring Board, 2009. p.18.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[15] ibid.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[16] ibid.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[17] See, for example, Birnberg Peirce &amp;amp; Partners, Medical Justice and the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Outsourcing Abuse: The use and misuse of state-sanctioned force during the detention and removal of asylum seekers&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 2008, http://www.medicaljustice.org.uk/images/stories/reports/outsourcing%20abuse.pdf, p.16; Corporate Watch, 'Missed Appointments: The Nigerian prince and the UK failed immigration system', 5 May 2010, http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=3596, especially the section on 'Retaliation?'.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[18] No Borders Brighton, 'Yarl's Wood Hunger Strikers Attacked', Indymedia UK, 17 June 2009, http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/06/432528.html.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[19] See, for example, http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/02/446439.html and http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/feb/08/hunger-strike-women-detention-yarls-wood-protest.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[20] VionioOnTV, 'Voices from Yarl's Wood', http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xch4gx_voices-from-yarl-s-wood-update-2_news.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[21] Mark Townsend, 'Immigration bosses to be quizzed after asylum seekers were 'beaten' by guards', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;The Observer&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 28 February 2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/feb/28/yarls-wood-assaults; Karen McVeigh, 'Asylum seekers win new strength to fight after Yarl's Wood hunger strike', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;The Guardian&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 2 August 2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/aug/02/yarls-wood-hunger-strike-asylum.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[22] NCADC, 'Free Denise McNeil', http://www.ncadc.org.uk/campaigns/DeniseMcNeil.html.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[23] 'Yarlswood: 'One girl tied a rope around her neck and tried to hang herself', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;The Guardian&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 13 February 2010. http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/audio/2010/feb/13/yarlswood.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[24] Mark Townsend, 'Yarl's Wood mother jailed without charge for a year to 'silence' her', The Observer, Sunday 16 January 2011, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jan/16/denise-mcneil-yarls-wood.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[25] Women Against Rape, 'UPDATE: 34 women still on hunger strike in Yarl’s Wood', 26 February 2010, http://www.womenagainstrape.net/content/action-women-3rd-week-hunger-strike-yarls-wood-irc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[26] Women Against Rape, 'Report: Women's Hunger Strike - Louder than Words ', 29 June 2010, http://www.womenagainstrape.net/content/report-womens-hunger-strike-louder-words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[27] Black Women's Rape Project, 'SERCO officers in Yarl's Wood IRC: Violent, racist, sexist &amp;amp; vindictive', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Minority Perspective&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 10 December 2010. http://www.minorityperspective.co.uk/2010/12/10/serco-officers-in-yarl%E2%80%99s-wood-irc-violent-racist-sexist-vindictive/.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[28] Women Against Rape, 'Women speak out in Parliament against detention, deportation, privatisation and profiteering', 14 January 2010, http://www.womenagainstrape.net/content/women-speak-out-parliament-against-detention-depor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Yarl%27s_Wood_IRC&amp;diff=228323</id>
		<title>Yarl's Wood IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Yarl%27s_Wood_IRC&amp;diff=228323"/>
		<updated>2015-11-30T11:33:54Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: /* 2015 Channel 4 undercover, death, inspection report */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Yarl's Wood IRC]] is a UK immigration removal centre, operated by a private contractor, [[Serco]] Limited, on behalf of the UK [[Home Office]] under the Detention Centre Rules 2001. It is located outside the village of Clapham in Bedfordshire, England.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==List of centre managers and assistants==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[David Watson]] was centre manager of [[Yarl's Wood IRC]] for [[Group 4 Falck|Group 4]] from January 2001 to January 2003 during which time a major fire occurred.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'[http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/news/yarl-s-wood-guards-traumatised-by-ordeal-1-1087315 'Yarl's Wood guards traumatised by ordeal']', ''Bedford Today'', 22 March 2002&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Joanne Henney]] was deputy centre manager for [[G4S]] from June 2003 to June 2006.&lt;br /&gt;
*[[James Wilkinson]] was contract director for [[Serco]] at [[Yarl's Wood IRC]] over 18 months from December 2010 to May 2012.&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Lisa Hooper]] was assistant director for [[Serco]] from October 2008 to June 2015 (ongoing)&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Victoria Murray]] was &amp;quot;Assistant Director (Business Assurance)&amp;quot; for [[Serco]] at [[Yarl's Wood IRC]] during 2010 and then deputy contract director there in 2011.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Senior staff==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Ian Scrupps]] was a business development manager for [[Serco]] from 2007 to July 2008, during which time he helped Serco transition onto their new contract for [[Yarl's Wood IRC]].&lt;br /&gt;
*[[David Tanner]] is a Non Executive Director of the Yarl's Wood Immigration Centre Contract Board for [[Serco]] since 2013.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Group 4/GSL management==&lt;br /&gt;
When Yarl's Wood was opened in 2001, it initially accommodated 900 people in two blocks, making it the largest immigration prison in Europe at the time. The management of the centre was contracted to [[Global Solutions Ltd.]] (GSL), which was then owned by Group 4 Amey Immigration Ltd, owned by [[Amey Assets Services]] Ltd and [[Group 4 Falck]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2001 Hunger strike====&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2001, just a month after the centre opened, five Roma detainees began the first hunger strike there.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2002 Fire====&lt;br /&gt;
In February 2002, the prison was burnt down following a protest by detainees triggered by a 55-year-old woman being physically restrained by staff. When the fire started, the centre manager ordered all staff to exit the building, locking the detainees inside the timber-framed building. It later emerged that the government had also failed to install a sprinkler system. Although there was an investigation, no members of [[Group 4 Falck|Group 4]] were ever prosecuted. &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[1] &amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The centre was closed and the burnt B site was demolished.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In September 2003, the undamaged half was re-opened after extensive rebuilding, with an initial capacity of 60. The centre's capacity was increased to 120 by August 2004 and to its full operational capacity of 405 by the end of 2005. The other half is still a waste-land.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2003 Daily Mirror undercover====&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2003, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman for England and Wales launched an investigation into allegations of racism and physical abuse at Yarl's Wood revealed by a ''Daily Mirror'' undercover reporter on 8 December 2003. The inquiry's final report, published in March 2004, was largely based on the internal investigation by the centre's management, which the Ombudsman described as having been 'helpful'. Although admitting that the 19 incidents reported did happen, the investigation concluded that they &amp;quot;did not indicate a culture of racism and improper use of force.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt; [2] &amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2006 inspection, riot and unlawful detention====&lt;br /&gt;
An inquiry by the Chief Inspector of Prisons in 2006 into the quality of healthcare at Yarl's Wood found that the healthcare service provided was &amp;quot;not geared to meet the needs of those with serious health problems or the significant number of detainees held for longer periods for whom prolonged and uncertain detention was itself likely to be detrimental to their well being.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt; [3] &amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Mental health care provision for women detainees was particularly insufficient. Similar concerns have been echoed by subsequent inspection reports.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
''&amp;quot;The worst feature that emerges from these inspections is the dehumanising aspects of the immigration removal process itself. Some of those we observed in detention had been dealt with by the immigration authorities as though they were parcels, not people; and parcels whose contents and destination were sometimes incorrect.&amp;quot;'' - HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers, February 2006&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November 2006, a group of detainees rioted after being denied watching a news report criticising conditions at the centre. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A 2006 report by Legal Action for Women, entitled A 'Bleak House' in Our Times, found that over 70 percent of the women detained in Yarl's Wood were rape victims. Few of the 130 women surveyed were able to get specialist help and some were detained for over a year.[4]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A woman rape survivor, who had fled Cameroon after suffering rape and other torture, was detained at Yarl's Wood in December 2006, shortly after her arrival in the UK. She reported to the authorities that she was a rape survivor and, according to the Detention Centre Rules, should have been seen by a medical practitioner within 24 hours. Her report of rape was ignored and she was put on fast-track for deportation. In February 2008, she won £38,000 in damages for being unlawfully detained.[5]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Serco==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In April 2007, [[Serco]] Ltd took over the management, operation and maintenance of Yarl's Wood, for an initial period of three years, with optional extension to up to eight years. Over the full eight years, the contract is valued at around £85m.[6]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Under Serco, Yarl's Wood became the UK's main immigration removal centre for women and families (until the end of child detention in 2010), with 284 single female and 121 family bed spaces. The contract had been awarded in December 2006.[7] &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2007 hunger strike===&lt;br /&gt;
In May 2007, a month after Serco took over the running of the centre, women detainees began a hunger strike in response to new measures introduced by the new management. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2008 expansion plans===&lt;br /&gt;
In May 2008, the Home Office announced it will take forward planning applications to create extra spaces at the centre as part of its plans for &amp;quot;large-scale expansion&amp;quot; of Britain's detention estate, but the plans were shelved due to lack of funds.[8]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2009 inspections and hunger strike===&lt;br /&gt;
In 2009, Medical Justice reported a woman who had fled a West African country after being repeatedly raped and tortured by soldiers had her asylum claim refused and was detained on Fast Track at Yarl's Wood for three and a half months. Despite serious health problems, she was denied treatment and was not seen by a gynaecologist nor screened for sexually transmitted infections. She eventually developed severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder and was placed on suicide watch for several weeks after harming herself, yet failed attempts were made to deport her. She was only released after she was seen by a doctor working with Medical Justice.[9] In another case, a medico-legal report prepared by medical experts who noted that the medical evidence &amp;quot;gives strong support for the history of repeated rapes leading to life threatening gynaecological complications necessitating major surgery&amp;quot; was dismissed by the immigration judge, who apparently said the injuries &amp;quot;could have been caused by other means,&amp;quot; without finding it necessary to investigate what these 'other means' could have been.[10] &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 2009, HM Inspector of Prisons found that the understanding and management of self-harm at Yarl's Wood was often superficial, with security taking precedence over health: &amp;quot;Many women were extremely anxious about their future, and the quality of support procedures for those at risk of self-harm was not consistently good, though there was some caring individual work. There had been no assessment of adult mental health needs.&amp;quot;[11] Previous inspection reports, for example one in February 2006, had made similar criticisms about the centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In its 2009 annual report, the Yarl's Wood Independent Monitoring Board reported a 26% increase in the recorded instances of use of force at the centre (48 cases, compared with 38 in 2008).[12] This was apparently &amp;quot;owing to a change in the recording process, to include occasions where an officer uses force to prevent self-harm,&amp;quot; implying that many incidents may not have been reported in the past. In one of the cases viewed, the IMB member considered the force used to have been &amp;quot;excessive.&amp;quot; The board also reported one case where a tape was &amp;quot;wiped&amp;quot; before the IMB member could see it. In November 2009, the Chief Inspector of Prisons reported that, on two occasions in the previous year, force had been used on children. The inspectors were &amp;quot;assured&amp;quot; that these events were &amp;quot;exceptional&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;properly authorised and planned.&amp;quot;[13]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Independent Monitoring Boards across the detention estate have repeatedly expressed their &amp;quot;extreme concern&amp;quot; about restrictions on their access to detainees' complaints. In March 2009, the UKBA's Detention Services finally agreed to produce a monthly report to each IMB, setting out brief details of complaints received from detainees. The reports gave the name of the detainee, a brief indication of the subject-matter of the complaint and its destination. Whilst this was described as &amp;quot;helpful,&amp;quot; the IMB's Forum of Chairs did not consider that &amp;quot;it was adequate to enable IMBs to properly monitor the just and humane treatment of detainees, which must include how their complaints are dealt with.&amp;quot;[14] For example, the reports would not indicate whether the same officer had been involved in more than one incident of alleged mistreatment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Yarl's Wood's monthly reports to the IMB during 2009 were described as &amp;quot;at best sporadic.&amp;quot; Moreover, since December 2008, complaints to the UKBA's Professional Standards Unit (PSU), which IMBs were &amp;quot;most concerned to know about,&amp;quot; were not made available to them.[15] In November 2009, an agreement was reached with the UKBA for copies of detainees' complaints to be emailed to the IMB chair at the centre via a secure system. Again, while this &amp;quot;restoration of access&amp;quot; to complaints was welcomed by the IMB, it was criticised for being &amp;quot;not complete.&amp;quot; For example, where a detainee was moved from the detention centre, it was not possible for the IMB at any subsequent centre to follow up an earlier complaint.[16] This is particularly important in light of claims that one of the tactics used by the immigration authorities and their contractors to 'deal with problems' is to move 'trouble-causing' detainees around the detention estate. There is also evidence that detainees lodging complaints are subjected to harassment and further abuse, which may deter other from complaining in the future.[17]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A hunger strike in June 2009 was accompanied by accounts of violent assaults on detainees by Serco guards. Men and women were reportedly beaten up and one woman had her clothes ripped off by guards while being filmed. Detainees reported that many of them were &amp;quot;severely traumatised.&amp;quot; One woman told supporters on the phone that the level of brutality was &amp;quot;unbelievable&amp;quot; and she had &amp;quot;never seen anything like it before.&amp;quot; [18]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2010 hunger strike===&lt;br /&gt;
On 8th February 2010, three days into a mass hunger strike by Yarl's Wood detainees demanding an end to indefinite imprisonment and abuse, both grassroots and mainstream media reported that Serco security guards, some with riot shields, had attempted to break up the protest by using excessive force against women detainees.[19] A series of audio interviews with the hunger strikers described how 70 women were locked in a corridor for 6 hours without access to food, water, toilet or medical care.[20] Many collapsed and about 20, who apparently climbed out of a window, were reportedly beaten up by the guards and taken into isolation cells. An image taken on a mobile phone and passed on to the media showed extensive bruising to one woman's shoulder and legs. Another women reported she had a window slammed on her hand by guards. Detainees also claimed that they were racially abused, with guards calling them &amp;quot;black monkeys&amp;quot; and such like. An ambulance called by the detainees was apparently not allowed in as the centre's management claimed that paramedics were &amp;quot;not required because the most significant injury was [a] fingernail injury.&amp;quot; Members of the centre's Independent Monitoring Board and Bedfordshire police are said to have been present during the assaults but no action was taken.[21]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The security went outside and used shields like they do when there is a war. That is what they used to smash one of the women who was outside.&amp;quot; - Yarl's Wood detainee during the February 2010 hunger strike, The Observer, 28 February 2010 &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Four of the women, who were singled out as 'ringleaders' or 'key organisers' of the protest, were put in isolation for four weeks, then moved to HM Holloway Prison, where three of them were held for over a year without charge or trial.[22] The women also say they were denied adequate medical treatment for the injuries they sustained from assaults during the hunger strike. One of them, Denise McNeil, who had spoken to the media[23] about the hunger strike and the guards' use of violence, believes the subsequent assaults on her and moving her to prison were &amp;quot;to silence protesters.&amp;quot;[24]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After each of these disturbances, campaigners and sympathetic MPs demanded an inquiry into the events. Judging by previous experiences, however, official inquiries into detention-related do not appear to get anywhere. In fact, the Home Office and Serco deny that there was even a protest in Yarl's Wood in February 2010. Their preferred course of action was to write to MPs and the media, through the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office Meg Hillier MP, denying that there had been a hunger strike and claiming that campaigners' reports were &amp;quot;inaccurate and fabricated.&amp;quot;[25] Solicitors and detainee support groups, such as Black Women's Rape Action Project, have collected witness statements from over 50 of the women involved in the hunger strike and found their claims of racist abuse, physical and other violence to be &amp;quot;entirely consistent.&amp;quot;[26]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Stories of daily 'routine abuse' of Yarls' Wood detainees continue to emerge. On 6th December 2010, for instance, a woman reported that she was &amp;quot;physically assaulted and verbally abused&amp;quot; by two male and one female Serco guards during one of their routine monthly searches of inmates' rooms. A male officer, she claimed, called her an &amp;quot;illegal immigrant&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;a prostitute,&amp;quot; breaching her confidentiality by revealing aspects of her asylum claim to other women and officers present. The manager then arrived and, instead of asking what had happened, he allegedly bent both her hands back and pressed her against the wall, pulling out some of her hair. The woman was then taken into isolation, where she said she was denied food and kept in a cold room for two days. She called the police but these apparently did nothing as there was &amp;quot;no blood.&amp;quot;[27] Other women said they were reluctant to go public about the abuse they claim they suffered as they feared retribution, but some have spoken out after being released.[28]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2011===&lt;br /&gt;
===2012===&lt;br /&gt;
===2013===&lt;br /&gt;
===2014 Observer, UN barred===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November 2014, Serco was awarded a new contract, worth £70 million, to run the centre for a further eight years. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2015 Channel 4 undercover, death, inspection report===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;youtube size=&amp;quot;medium&amp;quot; align=&amp;quot;right&amp;quot; caption=&amp;quot;Channel 4 News undercover investigation of Yarl's Wood&amp;quot;&amp;gt;EkyvmvIn5HA&amp;lt;/youtube&amp;gt;In March, Channel 4 News broadcast secret filming from an undercover reporter showing conditions inside Yarl's Wood.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.channel4.com/news/yarls-wood-immigration-removal-detention-centre-investigation Yarl's Wood: undercover in the secretive immigration centre]', Channel 4 News, 2 March 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Guards referred to the detainees as ‘animals’, ‘beasties’ and ‘bi****s’. The footage raised concerns about healthcare, self-harm and the detention of pregnant women. Two guards were suspended over allegations of mistreatment and further investigations were ordered by the Home Office and Serco.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 20 April, a 34 year old Indian man Pinakin Patel died at Yarl's Wood from a heart attack. He was detained in the family unit with his wife.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-32398795 BBC]', 21 April 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Detainees went on hunger strike calling for the release of Mr Patel's widow, Bhavisha Ben Patel. She said the couple had to wait 15 minutes for health care staff to attend after he suffered from shortness of breath on the morning he died. They had been detained at Yarl's Wood for over two months since coming to the UK on holiday.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/yarls-wood-hunger-strike-at-immigration-removal-centre-for-release-of-widow-10196889.html Yarl's Wood: Hunger strike at immigration removal centre for release of widow]', Independent, 22 April 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An inquest into Patel's death heard how there had been delays reporting his collapse to emergency services and the ambulance was delayed at the detention centre's gates. Senior coroner Tom Osborne found Patel had died from natural causes. However, he found that prevention of future deaths recommendations made after the Christine Case inquest had not been implemented.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.bedfordshire-news.co.uk/Pinakin-Patel/story-28020823-detail/story.html Inquest hears concerns over Yarl's Wood response after detainee collapsed and died at centre]', Bedforshire on Sunday, 20 October 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In August, the chief inspector of prisons published a report which said Yarl's Wood was &amp;quot;a place of national concern&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2015/08/Yarls-Wood-web-2015.pdf Report on an unannounced inspection of Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre ]', HMIP, 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The report found that conditions had deteriorated and that Yarl's Wood was failing vulnerable women.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33871283 Yarl's Wood removal centre of 'national concern']', BBC, 12 August 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Particular criticism was made of the healthcare facilities, run by [[G4S]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Wings==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Yarl's Wood consists of four units in a large, two-storey building. Until the detention of families was stopped in late 2010, there was a family unit (Crane), with a capacity of 121; a single women induction and first night unit (Bunting), with 42 beds; and two single women units (Avocet and Dove), with a capacity of 130 and 112 respectively. All Crane rooms, except one, are twin-bedded and interconnected in pairs to allow families to be located together. All Avocet and Dove rooms are twin-bedded, except for two single rooms in Avocet with some adaptations for people with disabilities. Most Bunting rooms, except three, are single. All rooms have simple en-suite toilet and shower facilities. The four units are connected by a central corridor, from which all ancillary areas, including the healthcare centre, can be accessed.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Detainees in Temporary Confinement (TC) under Detention Centre Rule 42 are held in the Kingfisher Separation Unit, in solitary cells called Removal From Association (RFA) rooms. Rooms in Bunting are also sometimes used for this purpose. During 2009, the Bunting RFA rooms were apparently converted into a 'family care suite'. During the second part of 2009, a new school building was constructed outside the main compound, formally opening in November that year. There is a Healthcare Centre on site, which provides primary healthcare for detainees, but is not always adequately staffed. Secondary care is referred - at least in theory - to the local Primary Care Trust.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[1] Stephen Shaw (Prisons and Probation Ombudsman), &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Report of the inquiry into the disturbance and fire at Yarl’s Wood Removal Centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, October 2004. http://www.ppo.gov.uk/docs/special-yarls-wood-fire-02.pdf.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[2] Prisons and Probation Ombudsman for England and Wales, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Investigation into Allegations of Racism, Abuse and Violence at Yarl’s Wood Removal Centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, March 2004. p.3. http://www.ppo.gov.uk/docs/special-yarls-wood-abuse-03.pdf.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[3] HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Inquiry into the quality of healthcare at Yarl's Wood immigration removal centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, 20 – 24 February 2006. p.5. http://www.justice.gov.uk/inspectorates/hmi-prisons/docs/yarls_wood_inquiry_final-rps.pdf.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[4] Legal Action for Women, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;A 'Bleak House' in Our Times: An investigation into Yarl's Wood Removal Centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, Crossroads, December 2005.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[5] Women Against Rape, 'Landmark damages for rape survivor detained unlawfully', n.d. http://www.womenagainstrape.net/media/landmark-damages-rape-survivor-detained-unlawfully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[6] Serco, 'Serco to run Yarl's Wood immigration centre', http://www.serco.com/markets/homeaffairs/Copy_3_of_lowgrangerep.asp.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[7] Home Office, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Yarl's Wood immigration removal centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/organisation/immigrationremovalcentres/yarlswood.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[8] 'Yarl's Wood expansion put on hold', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Bedford Today&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 28 January 2010. http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/news/biggleswade-news/yarl_s_wood_expansion_put_on_hold_the_full_story_1_1099759.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[9] Medical Justice, 'Rape and torture survivor severely neglected by Yarl’s Wood healthcare', n.d. http://www.medicaljustice.org.uk/content/view/267/50/ .&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[10] Medical Justice, 'Medico-Legal Reports dismissed by immigration judges', n.d. http://www.medicaljustice.org.uk/content/view/16/50/ .&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[11] HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, 2009, p.5.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[12] Independent Monitoring Board, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Annual Report 2009&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;. p.12.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[13] HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, 2009. p.6.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[14] Independent Monitoring Board, 2009. p.18.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[15] ibid.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[16] ibid.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[17] See, for example, Birnberg Peirce &amp;amp; Partners, Medical Justice and the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Outsourcing Abuse: The use and misuse of state-sanctioned force during the detention and removal of asylum seekers&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 2008, http://www.medicaljustice.org.uk/images/stories/reports/outsourcing%20abuse.pdf, p.16; Corporate Watch, 'Missed Appointments: The Nigerian prince and the UK failed immigration system', 5 May 2010, http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=3596, especially the section on 'Retaliation?'.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[18] No Borders Brighton, 'Yarl's Wood Hunger Strikers Attacked', Indymedia UK, 17 June 2009, http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/06/432528.html.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[19] See, for example, http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/02/446439.html and http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/feb/08/hunger-strike-women-detention-yarls-wood-protest.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[20] VionioOnTV, 'Voices from Yarl's Wood', http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xch4gx_voices-from-yarl-s-wood-update-2_news.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[21] Mark Townsend, 'Immigration bosses to be quizzed after asylum seekers were 'beaten' by guards', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;The Observer&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 28 February 2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/feb/28/yarls-wood-assaults; Karen McVeigh, 'Asylum seekers win new strength to fight after Yarl's Wood hunger strike', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;The Guardian&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 2 August 2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/aug/02/yarls-wood-hunger-strike-asylum.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[22] NCADC, 'Free Denise McNeil', http://www.ncadc.org.uk/campaigns/DeniseMcNeil.html.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[23] 'Yarlswood: 'One girl tied a rope around her neck and tried to hang herself', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;The Guardian&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 13 February 2010. http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/audio/2010/feb/13/yarlswood.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[24] Mark Townsend, 'Yarl's Wood mother jailed without charge for a year to 'silence' her', The Observer, Sunday 16 January 2011, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jan/16/denise-mcneil-yarls-wood.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[25] Women Against Rape, 'UPDATE: 34 women still on hunger strike in Yarl’s Wood', 26 February 2010, http://www.womenagainstrape.net/content/action-women-3rd-week-hunger-strike-yarls-wood-irc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[26] Women Against Rape, 'Report: Women's Hunger Strike - Louder than Words ', 29 June 2010, http://www.womenagainstrape.net/content/report-womens-hunger-strike-louder-words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[27] Black Women's Rape Project, 'SERCO officers in Yarl's Wood IRC: Violent, racist, sexist &amp;amp; vindictive', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Minority Perspective&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 10 December 2010. http://www.minorityperspective.co.uk/2010/12/10/serco-officers-in-yarl%E2%80%99s-wood-irc-violent-racist-sexist-vindictive/.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[28] Women Against Rape, 'Women speak out in Parliament against detention, deportation, privatisation and profiteering', 14 January 2010, http://www.womenagainstrape.net/content/women-speak-out-parliament-against-detention-depor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Yarl%27s_Wood_IRC&amp;diff=228322</id>
		<title>Yarl's Wood IRC</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Yarl%27s_Wood_IRC&amp;diff=228322"/>
		<updated>2015-11-30T11:33:17Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Phil Miller: /* 2015 Channel 4 undercover, death, inspection report */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[Yarl's Wood IRC]] is a UK immigration removal centre, operated by a private contractor, [[Serco]] Limited, on behalf of the UK [[Home Office]] under the Detention Centre Rules 2001. It is located outside the village of Clapham in Bedfordshire, England.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==List of centre managers and assistants==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[David Watson]] was centre manager of [[Yarl's Wood IRC]] for [[Group 4 Falck|Group 4]] from January 2001 to January 2003 during which time a major fire occurred.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'[http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/news/yarl-s-wood-guards-traumatised-by-ordeal-1-1087315 'Yarl's Wood guards traumatised by ordeal']', ''Bedford Today'', 22 March 2002&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Joanne Henney]] was deputy centre manager for [[G4S]] from June 2003 to June 2006.&lt;br /&gt;
*[[James Wilkinson]] was contract director for [[Serco]] at [[Yarl's Wood IRC]] over 18 months from December 2010 to May 2012.&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Lisa Hooper]] was assistant director for [[Serco]] from October 2008 to June 2015 (ongoing)&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Victoria Murray]] was &amp;quot;Assistant Director (Business Assurance)&amp;quot; for [[Serco]] at [[Yarl's Wood IRC]] during 2010 and then deputy contract director there in 2011.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Senior staff==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Ian Scrupps]] was a business development manager for [[Serco]] from 2007 to July 2008, during which time he helped Serco transition onto their new contract for [[Yarl's Wood IRC]].&lt;br /&gt;
*[[David Tanner]] is a Non Executive Director of the Yarl's Wood Immigration Centre Contract Board for [[Serco]] since 2013.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Group 4/GSL management==&lt;br /&gt;
When Yarl's Wood was opened in 2001, it initially accommodated 900 people in two blocks, making it the largest immigration prison in Europe at the time. The management of the centre was contracted to [[Global Solutions Ltd.]] (GSL), which was then owned by Group 4 Amey Immigration Ltd, owned by [[Amey Assets Services]] Ltd and [[Group 4 Falck]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2001 Hunger strike====&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2001, just a month after the centre opened, five Roma detainees began the first hunger strike there.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2002 Fire====&lt;br /&gt;
In February 2002, the prison was burnt down following a protest by detainees triggered by a 55-year-old woman being physically restrained by staff. When the fire started, the centre manager ordered all staff to exit the building, locking the detainees inside the timber-framed building. It later emerged that the government had also failed to install a sprinkler system. Although there was an investigation, no members of [[Group 4 Falck|Group 4]] were ever prosecuted. &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[1] &amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The centre was closed and the burnt B site was demolished.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In September 2003, the undamaged half was re-opened after extensive rebuilding, with an initial capacity of 60. The centre's capacity was increased to 120 by August 2004 and to its full operational capacity of 405 by the end of 2005. The other half is still a waste-land.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2003 Daily Mirror undercover====&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2003, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman for England and Wales launched an investigation into allegations of racism and physical abuse at Yarl's Wood revealed by a ''Daily Mirror'' undercover reporter on 8 December 2003. The inquiry's final report, published in March 2004, was largely based on the internal investigation by the centre's management, which the Ombudsman described as having been 'helpful'. Although admitting that the 19 incidents reported did happen, the investigation concluded that they &amp;quot;did not indicate a culture of racism and improper use of force.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt; [2] &amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====2006 inspection, riot and unlawful detention====&lt;br /&gt;
An inquiry by the Chief Inspector of Prisons in 2006 into the quality of healthcare at Yarl's Wood found that the healthcare service provided was &amp;quot;not geared to meet the needs of those with serious health problems or the significant number of detainees held for longer periods for whom prolonged and uncertain detention was itself likely to be detrimental to their well being.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt; [3] &amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Mental health care provision for women detainees was particularly insufficient. Similar concerns have been echoed by subsequent inspection reports.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
''&amp;quot;The worst feature that emerges from these inspections is the dehumanising aspects of the immigration removal process itself. Some of those we observed in detention had been dealt with by the immigration authorities as though they were parcels, not people; and parcels whose contents and destination were sometimes incorrect.&amp;quot;'' - HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers, February 2006&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November 2006, a group of detainees rioted after being denied watching a news report criticising conditions at the centre. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A 2006 report by Legal Action for Women, entitled A 'Bleak House' in Our Times, found that over 70 percent of the women detained in Yarl's Wood were rape victims. Few of the 130 women surveyed were able to get specialist help and some were detained for over a year.[4]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A woman rape survivor, who had fled Cameroon after suffering rape and other torture, was detained at Yarl's Wood in December 2006, shortly after her arrival in the UK. She reported to the authorities that she was a rape survivor and, according to the Detention Centre Rules, should have been seen by a medical practitioner within 24 hours. Her report of rape was ignored and she was put on fast-track for deportation. In February 2008, she won £38,000 in damages for being unlawfully detained.[5]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Serco==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In April 2007, [[Serco]] Ltd took over the management, operation and maintenance of Yarl's Wood, for an initial period of three years, with optional extension to up to eight years. Over the full eight years, the contract is valued at around £85m.[6]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Under Serco, Yarl's Wood became the UK's main immigration removal centre for women and families (until the end of child detention in 2010), with 284 single female and 121 family bed spaces. The contract had been awarded in December 2006.[7] &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2007 hunger strike===&lt;br /&gt;
In May 2007, a month after Serco took over the running of the centre, women detainees began a hunger strike in response to new measures introduced by the new management. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2008 expansion plans===&lt;br /&gt;
In May 2008, the Home Office announced it will take forward planning applications to create extra spaces at the centre as part of its plans for &amp;quot;large-scale expansion&amp;quot; of Britain's detention estate, but the plans were shelved due to lack of funds.[8]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2009 inspections and hunger strike===&lt;br /&gt;
In 2009, Medical Justice reported a woman who had fled a West African country after being repeatedly raped and tortured by soldiers had her asylum claim refused and was detained on Fast Track at Yarl's Wood for three and a half months. Despite serious health problems, she was denied treatment and was not seen by a gynaecologist nor screened for sexually transmitted infections. She eventually developed severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder and was placed on suicide watch for several weeks after harming herself, yet failed attempts were made to deport her. She was only released after she was seen by a doctor working with Medical Justice.[9] In another case, a medico-legal report prepared by medical experts who noted that the medical evidence &amp;quot;gives strong support for the history of repeated rapes leading to life threatening gynaecological complications necessitating major surgery&amp;quot; was dismissed by the immigration judge, who apparently said the injuries &amp;quot;could have been caused by other means,&amp;quot; without finding it necessary to investigate what these 'other means' could have been.[10] &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 2009, HM Inspector of Prisons found that the understanding and management of self-harm at Yarl's Wood was often superficial, with security taking precedence over health: &amp;quot;Many women were extremely anxious about their future, and the quality of support procedures for those at risk of self-harm was not consistently good, though there was some caring individual work. There had been no assessment of adult mental health needs.&amp;quot;[11] Previous inspection reports, for example one in February 2006, had made similar criticisms about the centre.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In its 2009 annual report, the Yarl's Wood Independent Monitoring Board reported a 26% increase in the recorded instances of use of force at the centre (48 cases, compared with 38 in 2008).[12] This was apparently &amp;quot;owing to a change in the recording process, to include occasions where an officer uses force to prevent self-harm,&amp;quot; implying that many incidents may not have been reported in the past. In one of the cases viewed, the IMB member considered the force used to have been &amp;quot;excessive.&amp;quot; The board also reported one case where a tape was &amp;quot;wiped&amp;quot; before the IMB member could see it. In November 2009, the Chief Inspector of Prisons reported that, on two occasions in the previous year, force had been used on children. The inspectors were &amp;quot;assured&amp;quot; that these events were &amp;quot;exceptional&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;properly authorised and planned.&amp;quot;[13]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Independent Monitoring Boards across the detention estate have repeatedly expressed their &amp;quot;extreme concern&amp;quot; about restrictions on their access to detainees' complaints. In March 2009, the UKBA's Detention Services finally agreed to produce a monthly report to each IMB, setting out brief details of complaints received from detainees. The reports gave the name of the detainee, a brief indication of the subject-matter of the complaint and its destination. Whilst this was described as &amp;quot;helpful,&amp;quot; the IMB's Forum of Chairs did not consider that &amp;quot;it was adequate to enable IMBs to properly monitor the just and humane treatment of detainees, which must include how their complaints are dealt with.&amp;quot;[14] For example, the reports would not indicate whether the same officer had been involved in more than one incident of alleged mistreatment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Yarl's Wood's monthly reports to the IMB during 2009 were described as &amp;quot;at best sporadic.&amp;quot; Moreover, since December 2008, complaints to the UKBA's Professional Standards Unit (PSU), which IMBs were &amp;quot;most concerned to know about,&amp;quot; were not made available to them.[15] In November 2009, an agreement was reached with the UKBA for copies of detainees' complaints to be emailed to the IMB chair at the centre via a secure system. Again, while this &amp;quot;restoration of access&amp;quot; to complaints was welcomed by the IMB, it was criticised for being &amp;quot;not complete.&amp;quot; For example, where a detainee was moved from the detention centre, it was not possible for the IMB at any subsequent centre to follow up an earlier complaint.[16] This is particularly important in light of claims that one of the tactics used by the immigration authorities and their contractors to 'deal with problems' is to move 'trouble-causing' detainees around the detention estate. There is also evidence that detainees lodging complaints are subjected to harassment and further abuse, which may deter other from complaining in the future.[17]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A hunger strike in June 2009 was accompanied by accounts of violent assaults on detainees by Serco guards. Men and women were reportedly beaten up and one woman had her clothes ripped off by guards while being filmed. Detainees reported that many of them were &amp;quot;severely traumatised.&amp;quot; One woman told supporters on the phone that the level of brutality was &amp;quot;unbelievable&amp;quot; and she had &amp;quot;never seen anything like it before.&amp;quot; [18]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2010 hunger strike===&lt;br /&gt;
On 8th February 2010, three days into a mass hunger strike by Yarl's Wood detainees demanding an end to indefinite imprisonment and abuse, both grassroots and mainstream media reported that Serco security guards, some with riot shields, had attempted to break up the protest by using excessive force against women detainees.[19] A series of audio interviews with the hunger strikers described how 70 women were locked in a corridor for 6 hours without access to food, water, toilet or medical care.[20] Many collapsed and about 20, who apparently climbed out of a window, were reportedly beaten up by the guards and taken into isolation cells. An image taken on a mobile phone and passed on to the media showed extensive bruising to one woman's shoulder and legs. Another women reported she had a window slammed on her hand by guards. Detainees also claimed that they were racially abused, with guards calling them &amp;quot;black monkeys&amp;quot; and such like. An ambulance called by the detainees was apparently not allowed in as the centre's management claimed that paramedics were &amp;quot;not required because the most significant injury was [a] fingernail injury.&amp;quot; Members of the centre's Independent Monitoring Board and Bedfordshire police are said to have been present during the assaults but no action was taken.[21]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The security went outside and used shields like they do when there is a war. That is what they used to smash one of the women who was outside.&amp;quot; - Yarl's Wood detainee during the February 2010 hunger strike, The Observer, 28 February 2010 &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Four of the women, who were singled out as 'ringleaders' or 'key organisers' of the protest, were put in isolation for four weeks, then moved to HM Holloway Prison, where three of them were held for over a year without charge or trial.[22] The women also say they were denied adequate medical treatment for the injuries they sustained from assaults during the hunger strike. One of them, Denise McNeil, who had spoken to the media[23] about the hunger strike and the guards' use of violence, believes the subsequent assaults on her and moving her to prison were &amp;quot;to silence protesters.&amp;quot;[24]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After each of these disturbances, campaigners and sympathetic MPs demanded an inquiry into the events. Judging by previous experiences, however, official inquiries into detention-related do not appear to get anywhere. In fact, the Home Office and Serco deny that there was even a protest in Yarl's Wood in February 2010. Their preferred course of action was to write to MPs and the media, through the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office Meg Hillier MP, denying that there had been a hunger strike and claiming that campaigners' reports were &amp;quot;inaccurate and fabricated.&amp;quot;[25] Solicitors and detainee support groups, such as Black Women's Rape Action Project, have collected witness statements from over 50 of the women involved in the hunger strike and found their claims of racist abuse, physical and other violence to be &amp;quot;entirely consistent.&amp;quot;[26]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Stories of daily 'routine abuse' of Yarls' Wood detainees continue to emerge. On 6th December 2010, for instance, a woman reported that she was &amp;quot;physically assaulted and verbally abused&amp;quot; by two male and one female Serco guards during one of their routine monthly searches of inmates' rooms. A male officer, she claimed, called her an &amp;quot;illegal immigrant&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;a prostitute,&amp;quot; breaching her confidentiality by revealing aspects of her asylum claim to other women and officers present. The manager then arrived and, instead of asking what had happened, he allegedly bent both her hands back and pressed her against the wall, pulling out some of her hair. The woman was then taken into isolation, where she said she was denied food and kept in a cold room for two days. She called the police but these apparently did nothing as there was &amp;quot;no blood.&amp;quot;[27] Other women said they were reluctant to go public about the abuse they claim they suffered as they feared retribution, but some have spoken out after being released.[28]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2011===&lt;br /&gt;
===2012===&lt;br /&gt;
===2013===&lt;br /&gt;
===2014 Observer, UN barred===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November 2014, Serco was awarded a new contract, worth £70 million, to run the centre for a further eight years. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2015 Channel 4 undercover, death, inspection report===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;youtube size=&amp;quot;medium&amp;quot; align=&amp;quot;right&amp;quot; caption=&amp;quot;Channel 4 News undercover investigation of Yarl's Wood&amp;quot;&amp;gt;EkyvmvIn5HA&amp;lt;/youtube&amp;gt;In March, Channel 4 News broadcast secret filming from an undercover reporter showing conditions inside Yarl's Wood.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.channel4.com/news/yarls-wood-immigration-removal-detention-centre-investigation Yarl's Wood: undercover in the secretive immigration centre]', Channel 4 News, 2 March 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Guards referred to the detainees as ‘animals’, ‘beasties’ and ‘bi****s’. The footage raised concerns about healthcare, self-harm and the detention of pregnant women. Two guards were suspended over allegations of mistreatment and further investigations were ordered by the Home Office and Serco.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 20 April, a 34 year old Indian man Pinakin Patel died at Yarl's Wood from a heart attack. He was detained in the family unit with his wife.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-32398795 BBC]', 21 April 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Detainees went on hunger strike calling for the release of Mr Patel's widow, Bhavisha Ben Patel. She said the couple had to wait 15 minutes for health care staff to attend after he suffered from shortness of breath on the morning he died. They had been detained at Yarl's Wood for over two months since coming to the UK on holiday.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/yarls-wood-hunger-strike-at-immigration-removal-centre-for-release-of-widow-10196889.html Yarl's Wood: Hunger strike at immigration removal centre for release of widow]', Independent, 22 April 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An inquest into Patel's death heard how there had been delays reporting his collapse to emergency services and the ambulance was delayed at the detention centre's gates. Senior coroner Tom Osborne found Patel had died from natural causes. However, he found that prevention of future deaths recommendations made after the Christine Case inquest had not been implemented.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.bedfordshire-news.co.uk/Pinakin-Patel/story-28020823-detail/story.html Inquest hears concerns over Yarl's Wood response after detainee collapsed and died at centre]', Bedforshire on Sunday, 20 October 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In August, the chief inspector of prisons published a report which said Yarl's Wood was &amp;quot;a place of national concern&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2015/08/Yarls-Wood-web-2015.pdf Report on an unannounced inspection of Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre ]', HMIP, 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The report found that conditions have deteriorated and that Yarl's Wood was failing vulnerable women.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;'http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33871283 Yarl's Wood removal centre of 'national concern']', BBC, 12 August 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Particular criticism was made of the healthcare facilities, run by [[G4S]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Wings==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Yarl's Wood consists of four units in a large, two-storey building. Until the detention of families was stopped in late 2010, there was a family unit (Crane), with a capacity of 121; a single women induction and first night unit (Bunting), with 42 beds; and two single women units (Avocet and Dove), with a capacity of 130 and 112 respectively. All Crane rooms, except one, are twin-bedded and interconnected in pairs to allow families to be located together. All Avocet and Dove rooms are twin-bedded, except for two single rooms in Avocet with some adaptations for people with disabilities. Most Bunting rooms, except three, are single. All rooms have simple en-suite toilet and shower facilities. The four units are connected by a central corridor, from which all ancillary areas, including the healthcare centre, can be accessed.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Detainees in Temporary Confinement (TC) under Detention Centre Rule 42 are held in the Kingfisher Separation Unit, in solitary cells called Removal From Association (RFA) rooms. Rooms in Bunting are also sometimes used for this purpose. During 2009, the Bunting RFA rooms were apparently converted into a 'family care suite'. During the second part of 2009, a new school building was constructed outside the main compound, formally opening in November that year. There is a Healthcare Centre on site, which provides primary healthcare for detainees, but is not always adequately staffed. Secondary care is referred - at least in theory - to the local Primary Care Trust.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[1] Stephen Shaw (Prisons and Probation Ombudsman), &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Report of the inquiry into the disturbance and fire at Yarl’s Wood Removal Centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, October 2004. http://www.ppo.gov.uk/docs/special-yarls-wood-fire-02.pdf.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[2] Prisons and Probation Ombudsman for England and Wales, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Investigation into Allegations of Racism, Abuse and Violence at Yarl’s Wood Removal Centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, March 2004. p.3. http://www.ppo.gov.uk/docs/special-yarls-wood-abuse-03.pdf.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[3] HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Inquiry into the quality of healthcare at Yarl's Wood immigration removal centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, 20 – 24 February 2006. p.5. http://www.justice.gov.uk/inspectorates/hmi-prisons/docs/yarls_wood_inquiry_final-rps.pdf.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[4] Legal Action for Women, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;A 'Bleak House' in Our Times: An investigation into Yarl's Wood Removal Centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, Crossroads, December 2005.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[5] Women Against Rape, 'Landmark damages for rape survivor detained unlawfully', n.d. http://www.womenagainstrape.net/media/landmark-damages-rape-survivor-detained-unlawfully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[6] Serco, 'Serco to run Yarl's Wood immigration centre', http://www.serco.com/markets/homeaffairs/Copy_3_of_lowgrangerep.asp.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[7] Home Office, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Yarl's Wood immigration removal centre&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/organisation/immigrationremovalcentres/yarlswood.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[8] 'Yarl's Wood expansion put on hold', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Bedford Today&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 28 January 2010. http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/news/biggleswade-news/yarl_s_wood_expansion_put_on_hold_the_full_story_1_1099759.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[9] Medical Justice, 'Rape and torture survivor severely neglected by Yarl’s Wood healthcare', n.d. http://www.medicaljustice.org.uk/content/view/267/50/ .&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[10] Medical Justice, 'Medico-Legal Reports dismissed by immigration judges', n.d. http://www.medicaljustice.org.uk/content/view/16/50/ .&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[11] HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, 2009, p.5.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[12] Independent Monitoring Board, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Annual Report 2009&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;. p.12.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[13] HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, 2009. p.6.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[14] Independent Monitoring Board, 2009. p.18.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[15] ibid.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[16] ibid.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[17] See, for example, Birnberg Peirce &amp;amp; Partners, Medical Justice and the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Outsourcing Abuse: The use and misuse of state-sanctioned force during the detention and removal of asylum seekers&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 2008, http://www.medicaljustice.org.uk/images/stories/reports/outsourcing%20abuse.pdf, p.16; Corporate Watch, 'Missed Appointments: The Nigerian prince and the UK failed immigration system', 5 May 2010, http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=3596, especially the section on 'Retaliation?'.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[18] No Borders Brighton, 'Yarl's Wood Hunger Strikers Attacked', Indymedia UK, 17 June 2009, http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/06/432528.html.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[19] See, for example, http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/02/446439.html and http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/feb/08/hunger-strike-women-detention-yarls-wood-protest.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[20] VionioOnTV, 'Voices from Yarl's Wood', http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xch4gx_voices-from-yarl-s-wood-update-2_news.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[21] Mark Townsend, 'Immigration bosses to be quizzed after asylum seekers were 'beaten' by guards', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;The Observer&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 28 February 2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/feb/28/yarls-wood-assaults; Karen McVeigh, 'Asylum seekers win new strength to fight after Yarl's Wood hunger strike', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;The Guardian&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 2 August 2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/aug/02/yarls-wood-hunger-strike-asylum.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[22] NCADC, 'Free Denise McNeil', http://www.ncadc.org.uk/campaigns/DeniseMcNeil.html.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[23] 'Yarlswood: 'One girl tied a rope around her neck and tried to hang herself', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;The Guardian&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 13 February 2010. http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/audio/2010/feb/13/yarlswood.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[24] Mark Townsend, 'Yarl's Wood mother jailed without charge for a year to 'silence' her', The Observer, Sunday 16 January 2011, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jan/16/denise-mcneil-yarls-wood.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[25] Women Against Rape, 'UPDATE: 34 women still on hunger strike in Yarl’s Wood', 26 February 2010, http://www.womenagainstrape.net/content/action-women-3rd-week-hunger-strike-yarls-wood-irc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[26] Women Against Rape, 'Report: Women's Hunger Strike - Louder than Words ', 29 June 2010, http://www.womenagainstrape.net/content/report-womens-hunger-strike-louder-words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[27] Black Women's Rape Project, 'SERCO officers in Yarl's Wood IRC: Violent, racist, sexist &amp;amp; vindictive', &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Minority Perspective&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, 10 December 2010. http://www.minorityperspective.co.uk/2010/12/10/serco-officers-in-yarl%E2%80%99s-wood-irc-violent-racist-sexist-vindictive/.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[28] Women Against Rape, 'Women speak out in Parliament against detention, deportation, privatisation and profiteering', 14 January 2010, http://www.womenagainstrape.net/content/women-speak-out-parliament-against-detention-depor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Detention Industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:UK Immigration Detention Centres]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Phil Miller</name></author>
	</entry>
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