Birmingham Prison set to be taken over by private firm
Birmingham Prison is set to be taken over, after a highly critical report by official inspectors warned that management was poor and prisoners felt unsafe.
Justice Secretary Jack Straw announced that private firms will be invited to tender for the contract to run the site, as he announced a series of reforms to prison policy in the House of Commons.
The Prison Officers Association reacted with fury and threatened strike action to stop what it called “privatisation” of the prison.
As expected, Mr Straw confirmed that he was scrapping plans to build three “Titan” prisons, each holding 2,500 people.
Instead, there will be five new smaller prisons designed to house 1,500, with the first two in Dagenham, in London, and Chelmsford, Essex. The locations of the remaining three facilities will be announced later.
Speaking to the House of Commons, Mr Straw said Birmingham Prison in Soho, widely known as Winson Green prison, was one of two prisons that would be offered to the private sector to run.
He told MPs: “Two poorly performing public prisons will be market-tested this year, Birmingham and Wellingborough. Public, private and third sector providers will all be invited to bid.”
The Prison Officers Association accused Mr Straw of “betraying” public sector workers and vowed to fight the decision.
Colin Moses, the association’s national chairman, said: “The announcement by Jack Straw is nothing short of a total betrayal of public services by New Labour. The Government’s plans to aggressively market-test public sector prisons shows the total disregard to a public sector ethos and will make prisons more dangerous for prisoners, staff and the general public.”
He added: “We will not stand by and be threatened by a Government whose failed penal policies have seen huge rises in assaults on prisoners and staff, and a continual breakdown in prison discipline.
“The POA will consider all responses including strike action should the Government continue its vicious and unbalanced approach to professional public sector workers”.
