UKDS to run new prisons
01 November 2001
UK Detention Services (UKDS) has been chosen by the Prison Service as preferred bidder for a new 450 place womens' prison at Ashford, south-east England and joint preferred bidder with Premier Custodial Group Ltd for the proposed mens and womens' prison at Peterborough in Cambridgeshire. Both prisons will be Category B and privately financed, designed, built and run. Ashford is expected to open in July 2003 and Peterborough in 2004. According to the prison service, the Ashford contract is worth about £43m in capital project costs, and £213m overall. Neither UKDS nor Premier has any experience of working with women prisoners in the UK. Making the announcement, Director General of the Prison Service, Martin Narey stated that: "These awards will provide modern prisons quickly and at a cost that represents good value for money for the taxpayer. They will help to relieve the pressure on existing prisons in the London and eastern areas and provide much needed additional places, particularly for women."
A round up of some of the most recently filed accounts of British companies operating prisons, prisoner escort services, electronic monitoring and immigration detention centres shows that Premier Custodial Group Ltd, the UK's largest private prison service operator, had a pre-tax profit of £12.4m for the period 28 September 1999 to 31 December 2000. Revenues were £160.9m. The directors reported that they were "optimistic about the long-term prospects for continued growth."
Wackenhut (UK)Ltd - which used to run prison industries at HMP Coldingley, manages Tinsley House immigration detention centre. The company's revenues for the year ended 31 December 2000 were £22.56m and pre-tax profit was £0.76m.
Group 4 Prison Services Ltd is involved in the design and operation of remand centres and prisons and the provision of associated security services. For the year ended 31 December 2000 the company made a pre-tax profit of £2.68m (£1.96m in 1999) on revenues of £27.25m (£28.05m in 1999).
UKDS operates and manages prisons but also tenders contracts for the design, construction, management and financing of other similar projects. During the financial year ended 31 December 2000 the company continued to run HMP Blakenhurst, held the contract to finance, design, build and run HMP Forest Bank and was awarded a contract to manage the Harmondsworth Immigration Detention Centre. The company made a pre-tax profit of £1.89m (£0.75m in 1999) on revenues of £23m (£11.91 in 1999). The company paid directors fees and pension contributions of £171,000 and paid £80,000 in fees to Nicholas Hopkins Associates for public relations services.
Securicor Custodial Services Ltd's principal activities are prisoner escort, court custody services and prison management operations. The company also has an electronic monitoring contract. The accounts for the year ended 31 September 2000 noted that "concerns regarding the increasing application of performance penalties outside of contractual terms and conditions have been resolved. However, there is continuous customer pressure to deliver improving standards of service in all contract areas." The company's revenues for the year were £36.7m. Pre-tax profit was £238,484 (£1.21m in 1999). The company's highest paid director received £148,695. Total directors' remuneration was £673,000, excluding pension contributions.
National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns 28.11.01