HMP BIRMINGHAM – Annual Report
This is the final Annual Report that the IMB (Independent Monitoring Board) at HMP Birmingham will produce for the Secretary of State as a public sector prison. After 162 years, HMP Birmingham is the first public sector prison to be privatised. The delayed announcement on March 31st 2011 indicated that the successful bidder for the contract was G4S Care and Justice Services who would take over responsibility as from October 1st 2011.
The Board would like to place on record their concerns over the privatisation process which took nearly three years, with promised announcements continually delayed. The six month implementation process in our opinion was also too long. During this time morale amongst staff was palpably low – although the Prison Service was also bidding to retain the contract there was no indication of what might happen. A lot of staff also took the opportunity to transfer to other public sector prisons which added to the low morale. Prisoners were also concerned about what would happen if the Prison was privatised.
The Board would strongly recommend to the Secretary of State that lessons be learned from HMP Birmingham’s experience in the market testing process already announced for 9 other Prisons, and that the whole process is shortened, in everyone’s interest.
Despite the circumstances, Prison Staff continued to cope with increasing problems with gangs and gangland culture which required very careful management by Wing and Security staff alike. Finds of mobile phones, sim cards and drugs within the prison and thrown over the Prison wall have not decreased.
Problems with the transfer of IPP prisoners (prisoners with Indeterminate sentences for Public Protection), raised every year, have not yet been resolved.
HMP Birmingham is now also holding too many CAT D prisoners – there is no regime for them in a local CAT B prison, and with the riots at HMP Ford last year, there are now insufficient spaces for prisoners who would normally be transferred to an open prison.
The Board welcomes G4S and its new local management, and looks forward to innovations that will hopefully be helpful to prisoners and staff alike. For the staff it is a vast cultural change – from being Crown servants they now work for a private company which is answerable to its shareholders.
Publication of Report –11th January, 2012
Enquiries to Barbara Bradbury, Chair IMB, HMP Birmingham.
Tel No 0121 345 2532
E-mail: Alan.Proffitt@uk.g4s.com
Note: The Birmingham Board are looking to recruit new members – interested people should contact the Board as above.
New media venture in Harborne
Recently established FrameRate Creative is a design agency based at Lordswood Girls’ School who specialise in print work, graphic design, video and film making. Since 2009, the FrameRate team has completed numerous projects for local schools and businesses and has built up a large portfolio of happy clients. With all proceeds from the business being used to buy media equipment to benefit the students at Lordswood, this really is self sufficiency for the 21st century!
Involvement in the Immersive Education Project with Baskerville School enabled the team to work alongside media company Seeper on developing technology to engage students with behavioral disabilities in the classroom.
Other completed projects include the production of a fitness video for a local dance instructor, creating regular newsletters and magazines for various local businesses and charities, producing a patients’ procedure guide for the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham and filming the recent ‘Edgbaston’s Got Talent’ event and producing a DVD of the show.
If you’d like any information about FrameRate Creative or would like to get a quote for a project, please contact Emily Gough on e.gough@frameratecreative.co.uk or 0121 429 2838. Alternatively visit www.frameratecreative.co.uk for a full list of products and services.
Controvesial plans proposed for derelict Harborne site
There has been controversy this month as plans have been proposed for the site of the now vacant ‘Scarlet Pimpernel’ pub at the bottom of War Lane to be redeveloped.
The plans that have been put forward include new housing and also a brand new set of retail buildings to be built on the site.
The controversy caused has mainly been from local business owners and home owners from the immediate surrounding area of the site.
The presentation for public consultation was put together by ‘idp Midlands Architects’ who presented local residents with a detailed account of the plans in place regarding the design of the townhouses and retail buildings, and also an insight into the design, affects on transportation to and from the site and also a set of 3D visuals to give the residents a very good idea of what the finished article would look like, if the plans were approved by Birmingham City Council.
It now remains to be seen whether the plans will be approved by the council, and also whether the local residents and business owners from the area will approve of the plans as they evolve.
For pictures of the plans please visit www.ehobserver.com
January 2012 Issue
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