Medway Youth Jail Still Subjecting Children to Pain-Inflicting Techniques

Children at a scandal-hit jail set to close in three months are still being subjected to pain-inflicting techniques during physical restraints, despite repeated warnings against using what inspectors have called “unacceptable” practice. Medway secure training centre for 12- to 18-year-olds has been dogged by allegations of mistreatment of the young inmates by staff for years. The latest inspection by Ofsted, conducted in October, found the experience of children at the centre near Rochester, Kent, was inadequate due to serious concerns over the way staff managed serious and significant incidents.

Use of force had increased significantly and pain-inflicting techniques continued to be used on children, the inspection found. Ofsted called for staff to “immediately cease using pain-inducing techniques on children during physical restraints”. In a centre that at the time of inspection was holding 29 children, there were 359 incidents involving force recorded in the previous six months, with 115 incidents in September alone. Three-quarters of incidents in September, about 85, related to two children alone.

 Read more: Jamie Grierson, Guardian, https://is.gd/kIs5QA