PCS condemns prison privatisation plans

30 Apr 2009 12:40 PM

PCS have condemned proposals announced this week by Jack Straw to offer two new build prisons to privateers, as well as market test five current public-sector prisons.

On Monday 27 April 2009 justice secretary, Jack Straw MP delivered an oral statement to the House of Commons primarily to announce that the widely criticised prison building programme of 3 Titan ‘warehouse prisons’ each capable of holding 2500 inmates, was to be scrapped.

However, Mr Straw then went on to announce plans for five new 1500 place prisons, the first two to be run by the private-sector, and further plans to extend ‘market testing’ by inviting bids from the private-sector to run five existing public-sector prisons.

The prisons named were HMP Manchester, HMP Buckley Hall, HMP Hewell, HMP Wellingborough and HMP Birmingham

PCS have condemned the announcement, noting both the performance failings of private sector prisons, since their inception in 1992, and their negative impact on reducing re-offending rates.

PCS officer Peter Olech said “PCS believes that privatisation is incompatible with reducing re-offending as it is not in the interests of the huge multinational private sector companies involved in prisons to see reductions in the prison population.

Our members know that private prisons do not perform and that they constantly feature in some of the most critical reports

 

“Our members know that private prisons do not perform and that they constantly feature in some of the most critical reports by the Prisons Inspectorate.

"They exist solely to generate profit - and are reliant on using fewer staff, lower wages, less employment protection for staff to do this.”

PCS will be raising the issue at a forthcoming meeting with the prisons minister and will be working with our sister TUC prison unions to campaign on this issue.