G4S youth jail used pain-inducing holds on children and kept running after failing twice
In July 2025 Ofsted, HM Inspectorate of Prisons and the Care Quality Commission issued an urgent notification to Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood about Oakhill Secure Training Centre in Milton Keynes, a children's prison run by G4S for the Ministry of Justice's Youth Custody Service. Inspectors found safeguarding 'in disarray', that 23 staff had been suspended between November 2024 and July 2025 (16 over conduct with children), that children suffered pain from inverted wrist holds, and that Youth Custody Service monitors had failed to act. The centre had been rated inadequate in October 2024 and had not been rated above 'requires improvement' since 2017. A further full inspection in June 2026 rated it inadequate again, recorded staff restraining a naked child and found violence 'exceptionally high', but G4S still runs the centre.
truly shocking and unacceptable
Oakhill should be closed
Some children have experienced unintentional pain during the use of physical restraint by staff.
In one incident, staff physically restrained a child when they were naked.
Youth justice minister Sir Nic Dakin called the findings 'truly shocking and unacceptable' and promised an action plan within 28 days.
Not yet contacted for this story.
The centre said child safety is its 'highest priority', appointed an interim director and suspended all implicated staff.
No outcome recorded yet.