Institutional child abuse

Les Chenes

Claims that children as young as 13 were routinely punished with solitary confinement by a special school in Jersey have been investigated by BBC South West's Politics Show.

The allegations come as Jersey's children's services face the second major independent inquiry in six years.

In 2001 a confidential report, seen by the BBC, condemned policies, staff and facilities at Les Chenes, the island's secure children's home and school.

The report singled out the practice of locking all children in the secure unit as a routine part of the admission process as "most unacceptable".

But it's now clear that placing all new residents in isolation for an initial 24 hours remained the official policy at the unit until 2006.

The report's author, British childcare expert Dr Kathy Bull, produced a major published report criticising Jersey's provision for children with behavioural difficulties the following year.

In the wake of her findings, Les Chenes was rebranded as Greenfields but remained in the same premises until the opening of a purpose-built replacement in 2006.

Isolation

Chris Knights ended up in Les Chenes in summer 2002 after developing an early alcohol addiction and committing a series of petty crimes.

When his behaviour failed to improve he claims he was placed in isolation for two months with just two visits per week from his family. He was 14.

"Following a kick-off I was put into a cell basically for about two weeks and then following that I was basically in a room completely isolated for about two months," he says.

I used to think about my funeral. I used to think about killing myself every day Chris Knights

"I broke down in tears when a member of staff brought my dinner."

Knights, now 19 and serving a three-year prison sentence for drugs offences in the island's prison, attributes lasting clinical depression to his period of isolation.

"I used to think about my funeral. I used to think about killing myself every day.

"I became clinically depressed. I broke down, I started self harming. There was complete isolation which caused my depression which is something I still suffer from today."

Another, more recent, Greenfields resident spoke to the BBC anonymously. Describing the home as 'more of a prison' she claimed that she had been locked in her room for 24 hours on arrival.

With a better, more enlightened, caring and loving approach many of these people might have had good lives Stuart Syvret

Joe Kennedy was appointed to run Greenfields in 2003 and introduced a behaviour management régime called "Greenfields Grand Prix". It was made clear to all new inmates that isolation was a prominent part of the Grand Prix system.

They received an introductory document explaining the rules and consequences of good and bad behaviour.

The racing analogy prescribed "the pits" - a period of at least 24 hours in a cell - for bad behaviour. The document also made it clear that a 24 hour-period of isolation was a routine part of the admission process.

Peer condemns

Lord Carlile QC, from the Howard League for Penal Reform, condemned the régime described in the document:

"As I understand the system, each child when taken into that establishment was automatically placed in solitary confinement for 24 hours.

"That in my view is a brutal and inhuman form of treatment which could not be better designed to disaffect young people."

Concerns about practices at Greenfields - since 2006 housed in a new building on the same site - are part of a wider crisis in Jersey.

"Another major inquiry into the island's children's services is now under way, as is a police investigation into historic child abuse.

Senator Stuart Syvret, Jersey's former minister for Health and Social Security, believes he was dismissed for demanding action from his civil servants when he became aware of the practices at Greenfields.

The Jersey government insists that Syvret's dismissal was unrelated to his concerns about the home.

Sacked

The whistle-blower who told Syvret about the 'Grand Prix' system has also been sacked. British social worker Simon Bellwood says he was appalled at what he found when he was appointed to a post at Greenfields.

He says: "That routine punishment - isolation - in that scenario without question is institutional abuse."

He believes he was dismissed for criticising the behaviour management system, though his employers say it was for incompetence.

Bellwood continues: "What concerned me most was that it was quite clear that the system was able to go on without a single senior manager or inspector picking up that the system was abusive to children."

It seems to me that there has been a literal reading of this and it's been seen in the darkest light and I can understand this Joe Kennedy

Joe Kennedy insists that the practices described in his policy document don't reflect the reality of life in Greenfields and he's adamant the periods of isolation described were never actually implemented.

He says: "That is implied in the document but, as the running record will show, that didn't happen.

"They were actually brought out for fresh air and exercise. There was a vestibule, they were brought out there for meals. There was a shower and loo facility they could access.

"It seems to me that there has been a literal reading of this and it's been seen in the darkest light and I can understand this."

Kennedy, who has a professional background in the prison service and no social work qualification, refused to show the BBC the home's running records on the grounds of confidentiality.

British child protection expert Andrew Williamson is currently conducting a major inquiry into children's services on the island, due to report in April.

Confidence in report

Jim Perchard, Jersey's assistant minister for Health and Social Security says: "I'm totally committed to ensuring Jersey's children's services are of the highest quality and I have every confidence in Andrew Williamson's forthcoming report.

"I don't want to pre-empt its findings by commenting in detail now, but we will implement its recommendations at the earliest opportunity."

Meanwhile, Senator Syvret hopes the report and its aftermath will provide a clean break with the past in Jersey's children's services.

He says: "I can't help but look at these people and often the very sad and extensive criminal careers they've ended up having and saying honestly that we the States of Jersey are not responsible for a lot of those kids going the way they did. With a better, more enlightened, caring and loving approach many of them might have had good lives."

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