Comments
Digital copy of Witness 73's witness statement to the Inquiry providing an account of his experiences during his childhood in Jersey whilst under the care of the States of Jersey, primarily at Les Chênes Residential School. [Some details redacted].
| Reference | ZC/D/AW1/B3/12/WS000443 |
| Date | 14 September 2014 |
| Scope and Content | Background and Home Life Details childhood in Jersey with mother, mentioning school, hobbies, and deterioration in behaviour from age of 12, citing cause as learning of mother’s alcoholism and circumstances of his birth. Details arrest by States of Jersey Police in 2001, mother moving him to a school in England, joining him later. Describes difficulties posed by moving school at age of 13, and subsequent further decline in behaviour, mentioning car theft. Recalls relocation of family to Jersey, mother’s ill health and treatment in England, and time spent by Witness 73 in the care of another in Jersey. Refers to arrests in Jersey for stealing cars, culminating in remand in custody at Heathfield Children’s Centre. Institutions Details time in and out of States of Jersey institutions, naming Heathfield Children’s Centre, Les Chênes Residential School, La Preference Children’s Centre, and La Moye Prison between ages of 13 to 16. Recalls arriving at and absconding from Heathfield Children’s Centre, arrest, and remand in custody at Les Chênes Residential School. Refers to placements at Les Chênes between September 2002 and June 2005. Refers to Kathie Bull’s 2002 report for the Education, Health and Social Services and Home Affairs Committees relating to the treatment of young people in Jersey who committed crimes, and consequences of the report on status and operating terms of Les Chêne [see C/D/AW6/B/EE000038]. Describes regime at Les Chênes, mentioning a system of levels and points [presumed to be existing Merit Award Scheme], specifying levels of the scheme from initial solitary confinement, education in the school area, use of the day room, and move to bedroom. Details introduction of replacement ‘Grand Prix’ system at Les Chênes in November 2003, with similar system implemented at the Young Offender’s Institute at HM Prison La Moye. Recalls remand period at Les Chênes in 2002, sentencing, and release into care of mother. Describes committing further offences upon release from Les Chênes, mentioning visit to Accident and Emergency, allocation of Child Care Officer Annie Shine, and transfer to La Preference Children’s Home. Details Christmas at Les Chênes in 2002, release into mother’s care in January 2003, and signing over to the care of Children’s Services. Refers to abolition of child care orders, and his awareness of the rights of children in relation to offences. Refers to Les Chênes doctor Dr M Vincent, and describes other residents at Les Chênes. Details cycle of reoffending, remand to Les Chênes, progress through Les Chênes, and return home. Describes Status 1 and Status 2 System at Les Chênes between 2003 and January 2004. Details conditions of Status 1, mentioning remand to the Secure Suite. Refers to other residents on Status 1 at the same time as Witness 73. Describes cells, solitary confinement with excursions only to use bathroom or wash facilities, or for exercise. Details layout of secure suite. Mentions visit by Assistant Magistrate Ian Christmas and transfer of Prison Officers to Les Chênes due to lack of staff. Refers to release on probation order in 2003, return to Les Chênes, escape attempt, interview at police station, period of seven to fourteen days solitary confinement, and subsequent attempts at self-harm. Refers to doctor and Child and Adolescent’s Mental Health Service being called after a month of solitary confinement. Notes that his longest continuous period in solitary confinement (Status 1) was almost two months. Describes residents’ behaviour of residents at Les Chênes, mentioning disruption and damage to rooms, and arrest and interview by police. Comments on failure of Les Chênes to appreciate reasons for why residents were committing regular offences, and failure of staff to address those reasons. Comments on presence and behaviour of an individual [presumed to be a member of staff] at Les Chênes. Details instance where he was taken for a drive by that individual and offered [a drug]. Comments on another member of staff at Les Chênes who offered Witness 73 cigarettes to gain his trust before asking Witness 73 to make a statement against [a supplier] in exchange for being moved out of Status 1. Recounts making statement to the States of Jersey Police, and Witness 73’s transfer from Status 1 and return to Haute Vallee School. Describes dropping statement due to threats made against him, and criticises the police and Children’s Services for putting him in vulnerable position. Details management of Les Chênes, naming full time and support staff. Describes education procedure at Les Chênes. Details change of name from Les Chênes to Greenfields, and intake of new staff. Recalls restraint of residents by staff on day of handover to Greenfields. Describes change in regime at Greenfields, with regards to teaching staff, privileges for Status 2 residents, addition of locks to bedroom doors, entry procedures, and reinforcement of fence. Recalls incidents in autumn of 2003, attended by States of Jersey Police, staffing changes and difficulties. Describes visit by mother and grandmother in which he had to talk to them through his cell door due to lack of available staff for supervision. Refers to Les Chênes incident reports, thought to have been shredded, and his suspicions that if the reports still existed, they are being held at Jersey Archive. Describes layout of Greenfields with a view to preventing escapes. Details main entrance, reception office, reception room, Headmaster’s office, dining room, kitchen, laundry, corridor to upstairs bedrooms, old gym, secure suite, Deputy Headmaster’s office, toilets, day room, class rooms, library, sleeping areas, night supervisor’s office, and attic. Refers to measures against escape, noting bars at windows, updated fencing, and locking of doors to restrict movement of residents inside the building. Reflects on time in care between ages of 13 and 15, mostly at Les Chênes. Refers to appearances in Court during that time, previous probation orders, and eventual custodial sentence. Details contact with mother whilst in Status 2 once or twice a week, and changing security measures surrounding visits. Refers to another resident’s self-harm witnessed by mother whilst visiting Les Chênes, resident’s restraint by staff and Witness 73’s belief the resident was provided with inadequate support whilst at Les Chênes. Refers to relationship with staff at Les Chênes with regard to treatment in Status 1, and positive relationships with some members of staff. Reflects on expressing his depression to staff, and response by child psychologist citing conduct disorder. Recalls visits to residents by doctors and probation officers after remand and ahead of sentencing. Details sessions with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in 2003 after release from solitary confinement period of six to eight weeks. Recalls believing there was little he could do about his treatment or placement in solitary confinement for extended periods. Expresses belief there was no one for the children to complain to. Refers to actions of Police, Magistrates and Children’s Services in placing and maintaining children at Les Chênes. Refers to custodial sentence to Young Offenders Institution at HM Prison La Moye at age of 15 [See Exhibit 2: C/D/AW1/A1/9/WD003886/2]. Refers to preferring treatment as prisoner at La Moye over treatment as resident at Les Chênes, and realisation he did not want to spend the rest of his life in and out of prison. Details education at La Moye and Greenfields, securing five GCSEs in total. Recalls return to Greenfields under a Care Order after release from La Moye, and subsequent transfer to La Preference Children’s Home upon his sixteenth birthday. Social Services Refers to contact with Children’s Services, Child Care Officers Annie Shine and Stuart Hallam, the leaving care team, and being provided with £5 food vouchers each day by Children’s Services whilst living in a bedsit at age of 16. Abuse and Consequences Recalls two allegations of sexual abuse whilst at Les Chênes, both pertaining to staff and other residents, as well as allegations concerning another member of staff’s previous employment at Haut de la Garenne. Details depression and self-harm at Les Chênes, and effect of experiences at Les Chênes on his later life. Cites emotional abuse at Les Chênes due to procedure of solitary confinement [See Exhibit 2: C/D/AW1/A1/9/WD003886/2]. Events since leaving Care Details move to bedsit at age of 16, reoffending, and return to Les Chênes in 2005 whilst on remand. Refers to community service order, later arrest and eviction from bedsit. Refers to brief residence at St Mark’s Hostel before starting a prison sentence for breaching Court orders and theft. Recalls move away from Jersey between ages of 17 and 18, return to Jersey, further residence at St Mark’s Hostel, and entry into full time employment. Refers to reoffending, and later time at HM Prison La Moye. Refers to criminal record, his difficulties gaining and maintaining employment due to his criminal record, and the long term effects from self-harm whilst resident at Les Chênes. Expresses dissatisfaction at support from Social Security Department, citing their treatment as problematic and discriminative. Refers to application for assistance with housing being declined, and their lack of support with regards to his attempts to further his career in line with his interests and experience. Refers to visit by Police concerning a member of staff at Les Chênes previously employed at Haut de la Garenne, as well as Witness 73’s experiences at Les Chênes in general. Recalls being informed that he had a case against States of Jersey, but hearing nothing more about his complaint. Describes lack of confidence in States of Jersey Police due to their behaviour towards Witness 73 in the years since leaving Les Chênes. Details belief of agencies and officials in Jersey working together to minimise controversy. Refers to a former politician’s support of former residents of Les Chênes, and his treatment by States of Jersey Police. Suggests that there are lessons to be learnt with regards to his treatment at Les Chênes, reflecting on solitary confinement as inappropriate for children, and emotionally abusive. Refers to belief that children committing offences require specialised help as well as any appropriate punishment, suggesting social workers should working with children to address their issues. Statement finishes with Witness 73’s conformation that he is willing to give oral evidence to the Inquiry if required to do so. |
| Names | Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Children's Services Greenfields Centre Education Committee Health and Social Services Committee Haut de la Garenne Haut Vallee School Home Affairs HM Prison, La Moye Heathfield Children's Centre La Préférence Children's Home Les Chênes Residential School St Mark's Hostel Social Services States of Jersey Police States of Jersey Social Security Department Bull, Kathie, Dr Christmas, Ian Hallam, Stuart Shine, Annie Vincent, Michael E, Dr |
| Keywords | abuse | alcoholism | assistant magistrates | child abuse | bathrooms | blackmail | bedrooms | child protection | childcare | Children | Child Care Officers | children's services | children's homes | courts | Cars | counselling | crime | criminal records | drugs | dining rooms | detention cells | detention | doctors | emotional abuse | Education | escapes | fences | families | Hostels | Housing | headmasters | institutions | inquiries | Libraries | solitary confinement | young offenders | mothers | offenders | Police | Politicians | Prison | remand centres | restraint | residential homes | residents | sexual abuse | Schools | social security | social services | staff | theft | teachers | truancy | visits | witness statements | witnesses |
| Places | England, Greenfields, Heathfield Children's Centre, Haut Vallée School, Haut de la Garenne, Les Chênes, Five Oaks, La Moye Prison, La Préférence Children's Centre, St Mark's Hostel |
| Dimensions | 1 pdf file |
| Language | English |
| Level of description | File |
| Access restrictions | PDF file - please click on the link to download |
| Closed until | 2100 |
Context:
Digital copy of Witness 73's witness statement to the Inquiry providing an account of his experiences during his childhood in Jersey whilst under the care of the States of Jersey, primarily at Les Chênes Residential School. [Some details redacted].
ZC/D/AW1/B3/12/WS000443
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