Beyond Redemption

Beyond Redemption tells the true story behind one of the most controversial events in modern Prison Service history. This story has never before been revealed. The raid on Blantyre House resettlement prison in Kent in May 2000 by a battalion of prison officers, many wearing full riot gear, wielding staves, crowbars and sledge hammers, was the climax to an ongoing conflict between myself and my line manager at Prison Service headquarters, Tom Murtagh. The conflict was due to our opposing views about how a prison should be run and what a prison should achieve.

As the Governor of the prison I insisted on giving long term prisoners with serious criminal histories trust and responsibility. This resulted in Blantyre House being credited with the lowest reoffending figures in the country. Tom Murtagh however was not impressed. He was heard by a teacher at the prison exclaiming that Blantyre prisoners were "beyond redemption," and using bullying tactics and threats against me he pressed for more control and tighter security. I resisted for nearly two years until finally at Tom Murtagh's instigation the Director General of the Prison Service sanctioned the infamous raid.

Nothing comparable had ever happened before in a UK prison. Just ten weeks earlier the Chief Inspector of Prisons had written a glowing report about what he found when he inspected Blantyre House: "I conclude by praising the consistent, innovative and courageous approach of the Governor and Staff. Blantyre House has established a reputation for excellence." Yet raid officers had been briefed to look for firearms and explosives and had been told that the prison was "awash with drugs." They had also been told that the prisoners were, "running the place." Rigorous searching during the raid by specialist teams including dog handlers lasted for 15 hours yet produced, "no significant finds." All the prisoners were tested for drugs - all tested negative.

The raid was dramatic. But the lengths to which the Prison Service went in order to protect Murtagh and discredit me after the event were extraordinary and the truth behind what happened has never been told until now.

I was charged with "financial irregularities" and accused of "disobeying orders." And finally, in an outrageous smear in a secret evidence session the HASC was told categorically by the Director General of the Prison Service that I was "corrupt." In the end none of the charges or allegations stuck and I was vindicated by the HASC who declared they were, "dissatisfied at the attempts made (by the Prison Service) to mislead the Committee and public."

The episode almost destroyed both me and Murtagh. In the months following the raid, shunned by my local community and some colleagues I found myself up against the combined forces of the organisation I had served loyally for 22 years. In this book I will explain how I was brought almost to breaking point and how I fought back against the odds to finally have my name cleared. After my vindication I did eventually return to service as a prison governor and later I was elected President of the Prison Governor's Association. Tom Murtagh retired under a cloud two years after the raid.