Submission to the PPO's call for evidence on Medomsley Detention Centre
Submission to the PPO's call for evidence on Medomsley Detention Centre
This submission responds to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman's call for evidence for Operation Deerness, its investigation into historic abuse allegations against detainees at Medomsley Detention Centre. Drawing on research conducted in 2016-17 for a project funded by HM Prison & Probation Service, which examined safeguarding in youth custody between 1960-2016, the document provides methodological guidance and substantive insights regarding historical institutional abuse. The submission addresses specific questions about oversight mechanisms, leadership structures, complaint systems, and abuse of power within detention centres. It offers detailed reflections on the challenges of using archival materials to investigate historical institutional abuse, including the limitations of documentary evidence and strategies for interpretation. The document includes comprehensive references to relevant archival sources at The National Archives and provides practical recommendations for accessing and analyzing these materials. Three annexes supplement the main text with additional research resources, including a historical timeline and details of relevant archival records.
youth custody, safeguarding, archival research, detention centres, medomsley, historical criminology
Jarman, Ben
17792bef-9b37-408e-b734-acb707842715
Lanskey, Caroline
11d18d4e-50b3-4a0c-85b6-2feb1e316b7a
Jarman, Ben
17792bef-9b37-408e-b734-acb707842715
Lanskey, Caroline
11d18d4e-50b3-4a0c-85b6-2feb1e316b7a
Jarman, Ben and Lanskey, Caroline
(2024)
Submission to the PPO's call for evidence on Medomsley Detention Centre.
(Submitted)
Abstract
This submission responds to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman's call for evidence for Operation Deerness, its investigation into historic abuse allegations against detainees at Medomsley Detention Centre. Drawing on research conducted in 2016-17 for a project funded by HM Prison & Probation Service, which examined safeguarding in youth custody between 1960-2016, the document provides methodological guidance and substantive insights regarding historical institutional abuse. The submission addresses specific questions about oversight mechanisms, leadership structures, complaint systems, and abuse of power within detention centres. It offers detailed reflections on the challenges of using archival materials to investigate historical institutional abuse, including the limitations of documentary evidence and strategies for interpretation. The document includes comprehensive references to relevant archival sources at The National Archives and provides practical recommendations for accessing and analyzing these materials. Three annexes supplement the main text with additional research resources, including a historical timeline and details of relevant archival records.
Text
Submission to the PPO's call for evidence
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Submitted date: 9 September 2024
Keywords:
youth custody, safeguarding, archival research, detention centres, medomsley, historical criminology
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 506728
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/506728
PURE UUID: 2d896ab9-d4cf-4079-ab19-7cc827bf5f41
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Date deposited: 17 Nov 2025 17:46
Last modified: 20 Nov 2025 03:11
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Contributors
Author:
Ben Jarman
Author:
Caroline Lanskey
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