New £200m jail turns away prisoners says charity

Prisoners have been turned away from South Staffordshire's new £200 million jail while some staff have already left, an influential charity claimed today.

HMP Oakwood, run by private security firm G4S, opened just two weeks ago, but some prison officers have already left, say the Howard League for Penal Reform.

South Staffordshire MP Gavin Williamson said he would raise the points made by Frances Crook, chief executive of the charity which campaigns for improvements to the prison systems, with both prison bosses and at The Commons.

"I've been told that staff have been leaving because of problems that have occurred within the prison environment at Oakwood and because they didn't realise how close they would be working with prisoners," said Ms Crook.

"Another concern that has been raised with me is that the prison is cherry-picking prisoners."

But G4S spokeswoman Helen Sanderson Walker said: "Our quota of prisoners, and where they come from, is determined by the Ministry of Justice.

"We cannot refuse offenders based on concerns over their behaviour.

"All staff employed by G4S at HMP Oakwood have been subject to strict screening and vetting processes.

"A small percentage of potential employees failed this process and so could not take up their appointments."

"The safety of public, staff and prisoners is our primary consideration. G4S has proven experience of running prisons which are highly-rated by HMIP," added Ms Sanderson Walker.