One British Industry That Isn't Worried About Brexit 
Bloomberg Businessweek|March 25, 2019

Despite scandals and backlash, private prisons are expanding

Jillian Goodman, Dimitra Kessenides, and Stephen Merelman
One British Industry That Isn't Worried About Brexit 

When British prison inspectors appeared unannounced at Her Majesty’s Prison Birmingham, a large private facility in central England, they encountered pools of blood and vomit on the floors. Guards locked themselves in offices to sleep during patrol hours, and inmates wandered the corridors visibly high. At one point the chief inspector, Peter Clarke, became so overcome by drug fumes that he had to leave the housing unit. Earlier that week, his team’s cars had been torched in the secure staff parking lot, according to a letter he wrote to the justice secretary last August.

Two weeks after Clarke’s visit, ministers used emergency powers to take control of HMP Birmingham from G4S Plc, the private company that had run it since 2011. Britain holds a greater proportion of its inmates in for-profit prisons than any other country except Australia and does so at twice the rate of the U.S. Almost 20 percent of the 82,000 inmates in England and Wales are housed by three companies: G4S, Serco, and Sodexo. The private sector has an even bigger footprint in Britain’s immigration removal centers and prisoner transport services, and it also runs some of its police cells and probation monitoring. A G4S spokeswoman says the company has “no excuses” for the recent conditions at Birmingham, adding that its four other British prisons perform better.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEKView all
Instagram's Founders Say It's Time for a New Social App
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Instagram's Founders Say It's Time for a New Social App

The rise of AI and the fall of Twitter could create opportunities for upstarts

time-read
4 mins  |
March 13, 2023
Running in Circles
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Running in Circles

A subscription running shoe program aims to fight footwear waste

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
What I Learned Working at a Hawaiien Mega-Resort
Bloomberg Businessweek US

What I Learned Working at a Hawaiien Mega-Resort

Nine wild secrets from the staff at Turtle Bay, who have to manage everyone from haughty honeymooners to go-go-dancing golfers.

time-read
10 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
How Noma Will Blossom In Kyoto
Bloomberg Businessweek US

How Noma Will Blossom In Kyoto

The best restaurant in the world just began its second pop-up in Japan. Here's what's cooking

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
The Last-Mover Problem
Bloomberg Businessweek US

The Last-Mover Problem

A startup called Sennder is trying to bring an extremely tech-resistant industry into the age of apps

time-read
10+ mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Tick Tock, TikTok
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Tick Tock, TikTok

The US thinks the Chinese-owned social media app is a major national security risk. TikTok is running out of ways to avoid a ban

time-read
10+ mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Cleaner Clothing Dye, Made From Bacteria
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Cleaner Clothing Dye, Made From Bacteria

A UK company produces colors with less water than conventional methods and no toxic chemicals

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Pumping Heat in Hamburg
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Pumping Heat in Hamburg

The German port city plans to store hot water underground and bring it up to heat homes in the winter

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Sustainability: Calamari's Climate Edge
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Sustainability: Calamari's Climate Edge

Squid's ability to flourish in warmer waters makes it fitting for a diet for the changing environment

time-read
4 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
New Money, New Problems
Bloomberg Businessweek US

New Money, New Problems

In Naples, an influx of wealthy is displacing out-of-towners lower-income workers

time-read
4 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023