The UK government has had to take over the running of HMP Birmingham after deciding security services giant G4S PLC (LON:G4S) could not handle the out-of-control prison.
The unusual move comes after the prisons watchdog issued a damning assessment of the prison following its latest inspection, warning that it had “slipped into chaos”.
In that July report, the prison, which has had 1,434 assault incidents over the past year, was graded ‘poor’ in all four categories: safety, respect, activity and resettlement.
Staff felt unsafe
Chief inspector prisons, Peter Clarke, noted that many staff felt unsafe after a number of violent incidents, including an arson attack that destroyed nine vehicles in the car park.
In his letter to justice secretary David Gauke, he wrote that officers had been found asleep during lock-up periods, while others had locked themselves in their offices to stop prisoners from distracting them.
“There has clearly been an abject failure of contract management and delivery,” Clarke concluded.
The Ministry of Justice will now take over control of the jail for an initial six-month period, a move welcomed by G4S which said the site faced “exceptional challenges”.