HM Prison Birmingham

HM Prison Birmingham
Location Winson Green, Birmingham, West Midlands
Status Operational
Security class Adult Male/Category B&C
Capacity 1450 (January 2006)
Opened 1849
Managed by HM Prison and Probation Service
Director Rob Kellett[1]

HM Prison Birmingham is a Category B/C men's prison, located in the Winson Green area of Birmingham, England. The prison was operated by G4S from 2011,[2] before it was returned to HM Prison and Probation Service in August 2018, pending improvement.[3][4]


History

Birmingham is a Victorian prison, built in 1849.[5]

In 1995, Birmingham was criticised by its own Board of Visitors for being soft on prisoners. This arose after allegations that one inmate had gone on two weeks' holiday to Menorca, while being released for weekend leave.[6]

In January 1999 an inspection report by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons attacked conditions at Birmingham, describing the health centre in the jail as the "untidiest and dirtiest" inspectors had ever come across. The report also criticised the prison for its lack of a sex offender treatment programme, the lack of employment and education opportunities, and the inadequate bathing arrangements where some inmates were only being allowed a full wash three times a week.[6]

In March 2001 the Chief Inspector declared that conditions had worsened in Birmingham Prison where around 11% of inmates had claimed to have been assaulted by prison officers. One particular incident involved a mentally-disturbed prisoner who had been denied a wash or change of clothes for weeks because staff thought he was faking his illness.[7]

In 2002 the prison was expanded as a result of a multimillion-pound investment programme by the Prison Service. 450 additional prisoner places were added together with new workshops, educational facilities, a new healthcare centre and gym as well as extensions and improvements to existing facilities. Two years later, a report from the Chief Inspector found that conditions at Birmingham had substantially improved, stating that the prison was a place where "positive attitudes are firmly embedded".[8]

In November 2007, the Independent Monitoring Board warned in a report that overcrowding at Birmingham was putting prisoners and staff at risk. The report stated that if overcrowding was not tackled, then there was a potential for unrest.[9] Two years later, the Board issued another report that criticised levels of overcrowding at Birmingham Prison. The report also noted that inmates from the jail were being transferred to prisons further north, to accommodate increased prisoner levels from the South-East of England.[10]

Birmingham became the first publicly built, owned and operated prison in the UK to be transferred to the private sector. G4S formally took over the day-to-day running of the prison in October 2011.[11] Shortly after taking over the operation of the prison, G4S had to spend £499,000 replacing all the keys and locks in the prison after the master keys went missing.

Executions

Numerous judicial executions by hanging took place at the prison until the abolition of capital punishment in the UK. A total of 35 executions took place at Birmingham prison during the 20th century.[12] The last person ever to be hanged at the prison was a 20-year-old Jamaican named Oswald Augustus Grey. He was executed on 20 November 1962 after being convicted of the shooting death of newsagent Thomas Bates during the course of a robbery in Lee Bank Road on 3 June 1962.[13][14][15] Christopher Simcox, a double-murderer, was scheduled for execution at Birmingham prison on Tuesday, 17 March 1964, but was reprieved.

List of people executed in Birmingham Prison between 1885 and 1962
Executed personAgeDate executedVictim(s)
Henry Kimberley5317 March 1885Emma Palmer
George Nathaniel Daniels3428 August 1888Emma Hastings (21)
Harry Benjamin Jones2528 August 1888Florence Harris, a child
Frederick Davies4026 August 1890his wife
Frederick William Fenton324 April 1894Florence Elborough (24)
Frank Taylor2118 August 1896Mary Lewis (10)
John Joyce3620 August 1901John Nugent (61)
Charles Samuel Dyer255 April 1904Martha Eliza Simpson (21, girlfriend)
Samuel Holden4316 August 1904Susan Humphries (35, girlfriend)
Frank Greening3413 August 1913Elizabeth Ellen Hearne (27, girlfriend)
William Allen Butler3916 August 1916Florence Beatrice Butler (29)
Louis Van Der Kerkhove329 April 1918Clemence Verelst (35, girlfriend)
Henry Thomas Gaskin278 August 1919Elizabeth Gaskin (23, wife)
Samuel Westwood2630 December 1920Lydia Westwood (24, wife)
Edward O'Connor4322 December 1921Thomas O'Connor (5, son)
Elijah Pountney4811 August 1922Alice Gertrude Pountney (47, wife)
William Rider4019 December 1922Rosilla Patience Barton (24, bigamous wife)
John Fisher585 January 1926Ada Taylor (56, girlfriend)
George Sharples2013 April 1926Milly Illingworth Crabtree (25)
James Joseph Power3231 January 1928Olive Gordon Turner (18)
Victor Edward Betts213 January 1931William Thomas Andrews (63)
Jeremiah Hanbury492 February 1933Jessie Payne (39, girlfriend)
Stanley Eric Hobday2129 December 1933Charles William Fox (24)
Dorothea Nancy Waddingham3616 April 1936Louisa Baguley (89), Ada Baguley (50)
Peter Barnes327 February 1940Elsie Ansell (21), John Arnott (15), James Clay (81),
Rex Gentle (30), and Gwilym Rowland (50)
James Richards297 February 1940
Eli Richards4519 September 1941Jane Turner (64)
Arthur Peach2330 January 1942Kitty Lyon (18)
Harold Oswald Merry4010 September 1942Joyce Dixon (27, girlfriend)
William Quayle523 August 1943Vera Clarke (8)
James Farrell1929 March 1949Joan Mary Marney (14)
Piotr Maksimowski3329 March 1950Dilys Doreen Campbell (30, girlfriend)
William Athur Watkins493 April 1951Unnamed illegitimate son (newborn)
Horace Carter311 January 1952Sheila Ethel Attwood (11)
Leslie Green2923 December 1952Alice Wiltshaw (62)
Frederick Arthur Cross3326 July 1955Donald Haywood Lainton (28)
Corbett Montague Roberts462 August 1955Doris Acquilla Roberts (41, wife)
Ernest Charles Harding429 August 1955Evelyn Patricia Higgins (10)
Dennis Howard244 December 1957David Alan Keasey (21)
Matthew Kavanagh3212 August 1958Isaiah Dixon (60)
Oswald Augustus Grey2020 November 1962Thomas Bates (47)

The prison today

Birmingham holds adult male prisoners, serving the Crown and Magistrates' Courts of Birmingham, Stafford and Wolverhampton and the Magistrates' Courts of Burton upon Trent, Cannock.

Education and training at Birmingham Prison is provided by Milton Keynes College. Learning programmes for inmates include basic and key skills, bricklaying, plumbing, painting and decorating, carpentry, joinery, forklift truck training, industrial cleaning, catering, textiles, barbering, information technology, business, creative arts and performing arts. All courses lead to qualifications such as NVQs, and there is the option for further study with the Open University.

The Prison Library Service is provided by Birmingham City Council's Library Services, and all prisoners have access to the service. As well as facilities for independent learners, the library has special collections on law, employment, health, community information, English as a second or other language (ESOL), and basic skills materials. There is also a Learning Centre within the library to provide additional learning support to those with dyslexia and ESOL needs.

Physical Education at Birmingham is provided on a daily basis over a 7-day period, and evenings over 5 days. There are a number of sports delivered and also sports related subjects from basic skills to NVQ Level 2 in Sports and Recreation.

Birmingham has a prison chaplaincy with full-time chaplains from the Church of England, Roman Catholic, Free Church and Muslim faiths. There are also sessional staff from the Sikh, Buddhist and Hindu faiths.

Assaults by prisoners have been rising with an average of three assaults a week on staff, some serious. There have also been assaults and serious assaults by prisoners on other prisoners.[16] Drones were used to bring drugs into the prison which Petherick of G4S confirmed.[17]

In June 2016 inspectors said prison violence was increasing because of large amounts of illegal drugs in the prison.[18]

In autumn 2016 concerns were expressed about drugs which can make prisoners violent being smuggled into the prison. Jerry Petherick of G4S who run the prison claimed "a very small minority of staff are corrupt". Petherick also said contraband was brought in by visitors, by drones and was thrown over the walls.[19]

Staff shortages were also problematic influencing efficiency, morale, and wellbeing.[20] Jobs for prison officers at Birmingham Prison were advertised with a starting salary of just under £10 an hour.[21]

2016 prison riot

There was reportedly a buildup of frustration over prison conditions prior to the riot. Low staff numbers, poor healthcare and nutrition were cited as factors. Also being on, 'lockdown' in their cells all day was cited as a major contributing factor to the disturbance.[22]

On 16 December 2016, a prison guard was reportedly "rushed" by inmates leading to a rapid escalation of what prison officials described as "trouble".[23] According to a G4S statement, staff retreated from two of the prison's four wings, sealing the abandoned sections before withdrawing.[24] The disturbances, however, subsequently spread to the remaining two wings.[24] According to a different account of events told by a "prison affairs blogger" quoted by The Guardian, the breakdown in order began after inmates seized control of fire hoses and began breaking lights.[25] Prison staff attempted to lock down inmates in their cells, however, during the operation a guard's keys were stolen, whereupon security staff were ordered to evacuate the wing.[25] An injured prisoner was baited.[18]

A Prison Officers Association spokesman described the incident as, "another stark warning to the Ministry of Justice that the service is in crisis".[26] Shadow justice secretary, Richard Burgon said, “This is only the latest in a number of disturbances across the prison estate. The justice secretary is failing to get this crisis under control.”[27] Michael Spurr of National Offender Management Service Agency claimed drugs, overcrowding, and reduced staffing had put prisons under pressure.[28]

One inmate in the prison's G wing, which is reserved for sex offenders, reportedly informed his solicitor that, during the disturbance, rioting inmates had attempted to gain access to that section of the facility and that prisoners were "terrified" they would be attacked.[24]

On Friday evening, specialist riot squads from Her Majesty's Prison Service were dispatched to assume control of the situation due to the scale of the disturbance, which had grown to involve more than 600 inmates.[23] By late that day, prison officials were reportedly back in control of the facility.[23] 460 prisoners were moved to other prisons[28] and some caused problems at Hull Prison.[29][30] The Birmingham riot was described by one source as the worst prison disturbance in a B category prison in the United Kingdom since the 1990 Strangeways Prison riot.[23] The Birmingham riot caused about £2 million worth of damage.[19]

This is the third serious incident within under two months, Riots previously happened at Bedford Prison and Lewes Prison[27] and a subsequent riot happened at Swaleside Prison.

After the riot

After the riot inspectors found violence and illegal drug use were still problematic. Some prisoners felt unsafe.[31] Prison wings damaged during the riot were not reopened until April 2017.[32] There was a further disturbance in September 2017[33] Prisoners refused to return to their cells and 28 were subsequently moved.[18]

6 prisoners died from January 2018 to late April 2018, one was from natural causes and the others are under investigation. 7 prisoners died during 2017.[18] One prisoner death was self-inflicted. The Howard League for Penal Reform maintains the figure for deaths is the joint highest in England and Wales in 2018, together with HMP Durham, and considers it "extremely concerning". Roger Swindells, of the Independent Monitoring Board for Birmingham Prison described problems including overcrowding, with prisoners facing cramped conditions in Victorian cells, also cockroach and rat infestations. There is a high rate of sickness among prison officers and the prison has trouble retaining staff.[34]

In August 2018 the government announced they were taking Birmingham prison over because it is in a state of crisis. Peter Clarke maintained some prisoners are afraid to leave their cells and described Brimingham Prison as, "the worst prison he had ever been to." Clarke maintained there was a "dramatic deterioration" in conditions after the 2016 riot and reported there was a lack of order, where violent people could act with "near impunity". Some staff locked themselves in their offices, and parts of the prison were filthy, with blood, vomit and rat droppings on the floor. Clarke described an, "abject failure" to manage and deliver the contract at Birmingham. Clarke wrote, "The inertia that seems to have gripped both those monitoring the contract and delivering it on the ground has led to one of Britain's leading jails slipping into a state of crisis that is remarkable even by the low standards we have seen all too frequently in recent years." In 2017 1,147 assaults including fights were recorded at the prison. This was higher than for any other prison in England or Wales that year and five times higher than 2012, the first complete year that G4S ran the prison.[35]

Prisoners effectively ran some wings, staff were afraid to leave their offices, inspectors and NHS staff felt unable to enter some wings due to large amounts of drugs in the atmosphere affecting them. Rory Stewart maintains more should be done to prevent drugs like spice getting into the prison as these drugs cause, “crazy aggressive behaviour”. Steve Gillan of the Prison Officers Association stated, “The secretary of state needs to resign and there now needs to be a full public inquiry into the prison system in England and Wales. We cannot continue like this. Government should now halt any other intention to privatise. The warning signs have been at Birmingham for all to see yet ministers have buried their heads in the sand and chosen to ignore it. They knew Birmingham was struggling before and after the riot [in December 2016] yet chose to do nothing.” Gillan maintained prisons were being privatised for ideological reasons.[36]

Clarke refers to the "disburbing case" of a troubled prisoner with personal hygiene problems who was "soaked" with water from a fire hose by other prisoners. Clarke said, "We struggle to understand how staff could have allowed this appalling bullying to take place." Inspectors found a further "distressed" prisoner who sat on "scruffy material on the springs of his bed" since the mattress was stolen three days before. Clarke maintains this indicates the, "day-to-day vulnerability" of some prisoners. Clarke maintained further, "It was often difficult to find officers, although we did find some asleep during prisoner lock-up periods," and added that "ineffective frontline management and leadership" were basic to the prison's problems.[35]

Paul Newton, previously governor at Swaleside Prison will be the new governor, there will be 30 more staff, also the prison population will drop from 1,200 to 900. The Independent Monitoring Board wrote in May 2018, "put simply, the prison fails to provide a safe and decent environment on an almost daily basis". Notable concerns included violence, largescale prohibited drugs, also "regularly overcrowded and unfit living conditions", The board noted further, "toilets in cells with no screen, a generally dirty, poor environment, litter, objects in stairwells, broken windows, heating broken or excessive, broken showers, lack of kettles and even, on occasion, lack of kit and bedding and cockroaches ever present". Frances Crook of the Howard League for Penal Reform, was pleased about the news but feared prisoners would probably "be shipped out in the middle of the night" causing "even more overcrowding in other prisons".[35]

Notable former inmates

See also

References

  1. ↑ "HMP Birmingham Contacts". hmpbirmingham.co.uk. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  2. ↑ "Birmingham Prison: 123 jobs could go". BBC News. 1 July 2011.
  3. ↑ "MoJ seizes control of Birmingham prison from G4S". The Guardian. 20 August 2018.
  4. ↑ Shaw, Danny (20 August 2018). "Birmingham Prison: Government takes over from G4S". BBC News.
  5. ↑ http://www.itv.com/news/2018-08-20/all-you-need-to-know-about-the-emergency-takeover-of-hmp-birmingham/
  6. 1 2 "Jail conditions attacked". BBC. 13 January 1999.
  7. ↑ "Jail 'among worst in UK'". BBC. 15 March 2001.
  8. ↑ "Report praises Birmingham Prison". BBC. 24 September 2004.
  9. ↑ "Overcrowding fears at city prison". BBC. 20 November 2007.
  10. ↑ "Prison inmates 'forced to move'". BBC. 29 January 2009.
  11. ↑ "Birmingham Prison: 123 jobs could go". BBC News. 1 July 2011.
  12. ↑ "Places of execution in the 20th century".
  13. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
  14. ↑ "Institute of Local Government Studies (INLOGOV) - School of Government and Society - University of Birmingham" (PDF).
  15. ↑ "newsagent murdered fifty years ago this month". The Brew 'Us Bugle. Ladywood History Group (36). Summer 2012.
  16. ↑ McCarthy, Nick (11 May 2016). "Attacks on staff at HMP Birmingham at record high, with three assaults a week".
  17. ↑ McCarthy, Nick (27 October 2016). "Birmingham prison being targeted by drug smuggling drones".
  18. 1 2 3 4 Six people have died at HMP Birmingham in 2018 BBC
  19. 1 2 HMP Birmingham riot repairs 'will cost £2m'
  20. ↑ Birmingham prison staff fears over inmate drug use BBC
  21. ↑ Birmingham prison riot: government was warned two months earlier The Guardian
  22. ↑ HMP Birmingham riot: Officers regain control of prison BBC
  23. 1 2 3 4 "Riot officers enter HMP Birmingham amid disturbances". BBC News. 17 December 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  24. 1 2 3 Sharman, Jon (17 December 2016). "Birmingham prison riot: Hundreds of prisoners take over four wings as disorder spreads". The Independent. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  25. 1 2 Grierson, Jamie (17 December 2016). "HMP Birmingham: authorities regain control after prison riot". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  26. ↑ 'Disturbance' reported at HMP Birmingham BBC
  27. 1 2 HMP Birmingham prison rioters will face 'full force of law', says Truss The Guardian
  28. 1 2 HMP Birmingham riot: 240 prisoners to be moved after riot BBC
  29. ↑ Hull prison 'on brink of riot' after inmates arrive from Birmingham The Guardian
  30. ↑ G4S must pay for cost of Birmingham prison riot, says Liz Truss The Guardian
  31. ↑ HMP Birmingham: Violence on rise, say inspectors BBC
  32. ↑ http://www.g4s.uk.com/en/Media-Centre/News/2017/04/10/New-director-for-HMP-Birmingham
  33. ↑
  34. ↑ Gall, Caroline (3 July 2018). "Riot prison 'overcrowded and in crisis'". BBC News. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  35. 1 2 3 Shaw, Danny (20 August 2018). "'Crisis' prison taken over by government". BBC News. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  36. ↑ Elgot, Jessica; Syal, Rajeev (20 August 2018). "Government admits role in Birmingham prison failure". The Guardian.
  37. ↑ "Ashley Blake: I began prison life in the Winson Green cell Fred West hanged himself in". Birmingham Mail. 4 September 2011. Retrieved 18 December 2016.

Coordinates: 52°29′35.54″N 1°56′14.05″W / 52.4932056°N 1.9372361°W / 52.4932056; -1.9372361

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