July 2010
HMIP report criticises conditions in Brook House
HMIP have just publised a report off the back of their first inspection at Brook House, which took place earlier this year. The report highlighted a number of areas of concern, and described the centre as 'fundamentally unsafe.' Dame Ann Owers, the outgoing Chief Inspector of Prisons, was especially concerned with violence and bullying, the prison-like building, insufficient activities and inadequate mental health services. Since the inspectors were in Brook House, G4S and UKBA have brought in a number of new initiatives to try to improve the overall conditions, but Dame Owers was still concerned that the centre, which appears to have been designed to hold people for a few days only, was not suitable to hold detainees for extended periods of months and even years. The HMIP press release can be seen here, while the full report can be viewed here.
July 2010
Coalition of organisations push for detention reform
GDWG are working with a number of other detention-related organisations to try and urge the new government to look at the issue of detention and bring in necessary reforms. A total of 27 groups have now signed a joint letter, which was sent to the Home Secretary and Immigration Minister in late June, asking for an independent review and a moratorium on any plans to expand the detention estate. You can see a copy of the letter here.
We hope this will be the first step in a longer process whereby we can relay our concerns around detention, and argue that the system in its current form is inefficient, expensive and extremely damaging to the individual. If you would like further information, or would like to be involved, please contact us.
May 2010
End to child detention announced in Queens Speech
GDWG welcomes the announcement from the coalition so early in the new government that they will end the detention of children for immigration purposes. The Immigration Minister, Damian Green, has set up a review of alternatives to child detention. We hope this will result in the early release of children currently being detained and the formation of a solution that meets the needs of the different circumstances of each family. There are concerns that the ending of child detention could lead to the separation of families, with parents in detention and children being placed in care, so we are keeping a close eye on the situation.
