New child jail director appointed after official concern over the rising use of restraint by staff to control violent teenagers

Child jail gets new head as concern rises over restraint - Guardian

Extract:

"A quarter of young offenders at a troubled privately run child jail have been moved out and a new director appointed after official concern over the rising use of restraint by staff to control violent teenagers.

The Youth Justice Board said last night it had acted after two unpublished inspection reports confirmed concerns about control at the Oakhill secure training centre, near Milton Keynes.

The latest figures show it recorded the highest use of distraction restraint techniques, which involve inflicting pain on a youngster's nose or thumb, in the child jail network. They were used on 110 occasions in 2006 in a centre which holds only 80 trainees. Non-painful restraint was used 921 times. The centre is run by G4S, formerly Group 4.

The announcement was made as MPs debated the outcome of the inquest into the death of Gareth Myatt, 15, who died in nearby Rainsbrook secure training centre after being restrained. The outcome is uncertain of a Lords vote next week on regulations expanding the circumstances in which restraint can be used in child jails."