Introduction:This report is based upon the following documents: Made for Each Other, Greg Dropkin 2004 Yarl’s Wood Fire - Overview Report by the Campaign for Justice in the Yarl’s Wood Trial 19/08/03 Prison Privatisation Report International No 55 May 2003, No 56 June 2003, No. 58, October 2003, No 59 December 2003 and No 60 Jan/Feb 2004 Bloomberg 05/03/2004 Inside the Shadow CIA, John Connolly 1992 Greg Palast: Welcome to my Hall of Infamy, Guardian 03/09/2000 Offence Analysis:Incestuous Relations: Group 4 Falck, Securicor, Geo Group Incorporated, Premier Custodial Group and Global Solutions are the leading names vying for contracts in the Criminal Justice market. With so many different companies there is an appearance of what free market advocates would describe as healthy competition. What actually exists is a complicated and ever changing set of unhealthy relationships. In 2002 Group 4 bought a 57% stake in the US based Security Corporation, Wackenhut. The US company bought back the stake in July 2003 (Prison Privatisation Report No 58 October 2003)) but their relationship with Group4 Falck remained cosy. In 2004 Group4 Falck announced it was considering a £200 million bid from Geo Group Incorporated for its subsidiary Global Solutions Limited. An apparent new comer, the company was none other than the Wackenhut Corrections Corporation rebranded in November 2003 for trade in the UK (Greg Dropkin) (Prison Privatisation Report No 59 December 2003). Wackenhut’s interests included shared ownership of Premier Custodial Group with another company Serco. Following a legal battle and attention from the Competition Commission, Wackenhut sold its share to Serco (Prison Privatisation Report No 55 May 2003 and No 56 June 2003). Meanwhile, on 02/02/2004 Group4 became the world’s second largest security company announced its merger with Securicor (Bloomberg 05/03/2004). Endangering Human Life: The Home Office built Yarlswood Detention Centre to hold failed asylum seekers. Group4 subsidiary Global Solutions Limited received the contract to manage the purpose built, timber framed centre, which lacked a sprinkler system. In the 5 hour training programme given to new recruits, Group4 failed to cover fire safety. They also omitted to hold fire drills. On 14/02/2002 fires lit in the course on a disturbance soon took hold of the building. Following management instructions, Detention Custody Officers locked Detainees in their cells to prevent escape. The fire service and police later complained of excessive delays in gaining access to the Centre. As a consequence of which, some staff relied on detainees for their rescue (Yarlswood Fire- Overview) (Campaign for Justice in the Yarlswood Trial). Racism and Brutality: The disturbance at Yarlswood on 14/02/2002 began when male detainees witnessed 4 Detention Custody Officers pin a 55 year old woman to the ground. She had reacted emotionally after staff repeatedly denied her medical treatment. On one occasion a nurse told her to ‘piss off’. Since the incident, the woman has been walking with a stick. Subsequent reports noted a canteen culture where staff routinely abused detainees. Group4 had even employed in the centre a local BNP candidate. (Yarlswood Fire-Overview) The culture of racism and brutality continued after the re-opening of the Centre. In December 2003 the Daily Mirror carried a report from an under cover reporter who obtained employment using false identification. The report graphically described racist behaviour provoking a parliamentary enquiry (Greg Dropkin). Offender Assessment:Wackenhut was founded in 1954 by former FBI agent George Wackenhut. From the beginning the company engaged in dubious activities such as assisting the McCarthy Witchhunt. By 1965 the company could boast that it maintained files on 2. 5 million US citizens, participants in the Civil Rights and Anti Vietnam War Movements were targets. The assistance of far right causes was, however, not confined to the US Homeland. In 1977 the company obtained permission to operate in Belgium. Wackenhut’s first local director was Jean-Francis Calmete who hired members of the Westland New Post a fascist group. Wackenhut left Belgium in the early 1980’s following allegations that their guards were luring immigrant children into basements and beating them (John Connolly).Today, Wackenhut has expanded commercially and internationally. In the US, the corporation has the security contract for a number of strategic installations including nuclear facilities. Similarly, in Britain, Wackenhut provides security for the GCHQ spy headquarters. (Greg Dropkin). Despite the diversity of operations certain consistencies emerge. They have built a reputation for disregarding safety. At the Oakridge Nuclear Weapons Plant, Wackenhut not only cheated on security drills but required security staff to work twelve hour shifts for six to seven straight days (Greg Dropkin). In a prison in New Mexico, a guard was murdered during a riot after he was left alone to manage an entire wing (Greg Palast). There is a particularly disturbing theme in their custodial institutions; brutality including sexual abuse. At the New Mexico prison, a 17 year old youth was beaten so badly his intestines leaked into his colostomy bag. While in another Wackenhut establishment, the State of Texas indicted twenty guards for sexually abusing prisoners (Greg Palest). A Wackenhut subsidiary in Australia, the Australasian Correctional Management ran six Immigration Detention Centres from 1998 until 2002. The Chief Investigator with the UN Human Rights Commission described the conditions in their Woomara Camp as ‘inhumane and degrading’. ACM subsequently lost the contract to run the centres but in May 2003, an Australian Broadcasting Corporation documentary revealed that the company had covered up child sex abuse (Greg Dropkin). In September 2003 Wackenhut placed a classified advertisement in the Gazette ‘’the authorised publication for members of military services stationed at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base’’. After winning the contract for the security operation of the Migrant Operations Centre, they advertised for 20 posts including Custody Officers. (Prison Privatisation Report No 58 October 2003). Meanwhile Group4 are providing security services in Iraq (Prison Privatisation Report No 58 October 2003). As yet there are no reports of either company being involved in human rights abuses in Guantanamo or Iraq. However, both locations lack the legal rights enjoyed by citizens of Britain, the US and Australia. Furthermore, neither Guantanamo nor Iraq has a free press. Assessment of Harm:The Wackenhut Corporation has an established pattern of malpractice primarily relating to the treatment of its employees and prisoners. Group4 at Yarlswood demonstrated a similar disregard for their staff and the detainees in their charge. These companies are highly likely to re-offend in a manner that will seriously harm salaries and conditions of service of employees in the Criminal Justice System. Furthermore, their conduct presents a serious threat to civil liberties and human rights in this country.
Frank Talk
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