23th April 2014

The Chief Inspector of Prisons has today published a damning inspection report on HMYOI Brinsford. In the report, he notes that 'These are the worst overall findings my inspectorate has identified in a single prison during my tenure as Chief Inspector.'

20 year old Adam Rushton died at HMYOI Brinsford in 2009. His story, along with those of other children and young people who have died in prison, will feature in a documentary ‘Dead Behind Bars’ to be broadcast on BBC Three this Thursday 24 April at 9pm. INQUEST has been closely involved in the development of the documentary.

Deborah Coles, co-director of INQUEST said:

“This report is a damning indictment of the regimes and conditions for young people in Brinsford prison. It is appalling that recommendations made following previous inspections had not been acted on and indeed the situation had been allowed to deteriorate.

“How can we hold the state to account when it allows the prison service to ignore its official watchdog? Once again fundamental questions have to be asked about how we treat young people in conflict with the law.”

Ends

Notes to editors:

1. Adam Rushton’s death features on the BBC Three documentary ‘Dead Behind Bars’ on Thursday 24 April at 9pm. The deaths of Jake Hardy and Ryan Clark, who were both 17 years old when they died in young offender institutions, are also examined in the programme.
2. A copy of the report can be found on the HM Inspectorate of Prisons website