Teenagers abused at G4S private prison

This video from England says about itself:

G4S staff accused of punching, slapping youngsters in detention center

8 January 2016

Seven G4S staff have been accused of punching and slapping teenagers in a young offenders’ institution in south east England who were under their care.

The G4S employees in question, which include team leaders, two duty operation managers and training center assistants, have all been suspended.

The allegations concerning Medway Secure Training Centre in Kent were uncovered by a BBC Panorama investigation, the findings of which are yet to be broadcast.

The center is co-managed by G4S and the Youth Justice Board (YJB). The government has halted the placement of new young people in the facility until the claims are properly investigated.

By Paddy McGuffin in Britain:

Abuse exposed at G4S run borstal

Saturday 9th January 2015

7 staff suspended after Panorama reports youngsters were punched and slapped

PRIVATE prison operator G4S suspended seven members of staff at a facility for young offenders yesterday amid allegations of abuse and mistreatment.

Staff reportedly punched and slapped some teenagers held at Medway Secure Training Centre in Rochester, Kent, a 76-bed facility for 12- to 18-year-olds, and allegedly boasted about using inappropriate techniques to restrain youngsters.

G4S, which has run the facility in co-operation with the Youth Justice Board since it opened in 1998, announced the suspensions after being told that BBC Panorama undercover reporters had been secretly filming the centre for an exposé yet to be aired.

“These allegations are extremely concerning, not least because only eight months ago G4S was subject to a damning report from Ofsted into another of its child jails, Rainsbrook,” said Howard League for Penal Reform director Andrew Neilson.

“The company has since lost the contract to run Rainsbrook but the contract to run Medway was renewed.

“Over 200 children are under the supposed care of G4S in these detention centres.”

G4S said it had referred the “serious allegations of inappropriate staff conduct” to Medway Council’s designated officer, the board and the Ministry of Justice.

Mr Neilson expressed hope that the forthcoming Ministry of Justice review of youth justice would take a hard look at what companies like G4S are doing to children in trouble with the law.

…

Kent Police are also understood to have been alerted to the claims of “unnecessary use of force and the use of improper language” at the centre.

The force confirmed it was investigating allegations following a referral from Medway Council that had been made regarding reports of both physical and verbal abusive behaviour at the facility.