Government to take control of youth prison where staff allegedly assaulted children

The Ministry of Justice is to take over the running of a scandal-hit youth prison, according to reports.

Medway Secure Training Centre in Rochester, Kent, was at the centre of claims that staff assaulted children.

The Government will start operating the facility – currently run by G4S – through the National Offender Management Service by the end of July, according to the BBC.

The MoJ has not confirmed the reports.

A spokesman for the department said: “Our priority will always be the safety and welfare of young people in custody – that is why the Justice Secretary set up an Independent Improvement Board to examine the running of Medway STC.

“This sits alongside a wider review of youth justice, led by Charlie Taylor. We are considering a range of options and will announce the next steps in due course.”

A police investigation was launched after Medway was the subject of a BBC Panorama expose earlier this year.

Five men arrested on suspicion of either child neglect or assault were released on bail.

In February, G4S announced that it was selling its UK children’s services business, which includes 13 children’s homes and two STCs – Medway and Oakhill in Milton Keynes.

In a statement on Thursday, G4S said: “The behaviour of some of our staff at Medway revealed in January was completely unacceptable.

“We have given our full support to the review being conducted by the Ministry’s Improvement Board and will consider their findings carefully when they are published.”

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