BBC Time writer Jimmy McGovern calls young offenders staff lazy

He said he did not believe an increased use of the policy was due to staffing and funding challenges.

“I’m afraid they’re lazy,” he said.

“I’ve met wonderful prison officers, but I’ve seen some lazy ones and the keep-apart system enables them to be lazy with an excuse for being lazy.”

He said officers should be able to handle fights among the offenders and described conditions as “feral”.

“They’re young boys bursting with energy [being] cooped up,” he said.

“When they get out, they want to fight, but [the staff] are prison officers. They should be able to handle that.”

He said he understood how “tough” the job was and that the young offenders in the facilities were “very, very difficult, so there has to be an element of regimentation [and] rules and regulations… but that’s your job”.