Comment on G4S sale of child prisons

Imprisoned children and young people should not be treated as a commodity, to be bought and sold by the highest bidder, the Centre's director Richard Garside said today.

He was responding to the announcement by controversial security company G4S that it was selling its UK children's services business.

Commenting on the news, Richard Garside said:

‘G4S appear incapable of running safe and secure services for imprisoned children and young people. This announcement is therefore good news.

‘The company describe the sale as part of “its ongoing review of its portfolio of business”. The implication that troubled children are a commodity, to be bought and sold by the highest bidder, is deeply disturbing.

‘The state has a responsibility to care for and help troubled children in custody. Under current policy, they are being treated as a business asset from which a profit can be yielded.

‘What is needed is a rethink of the policy of imprisoning troubled young people. What we have is a business rationalisation by a controversial security company.’