Is this the truth we have been waiting for?

Dear All

It has been a week since I last posted a blog. I am sorry for the delay in posting but I was tired, although I have been very busy I now feel somewhat refreshed and have a renewed energy to uncover the truth about the children's service and the States of Jersey's senior civil servants.

Those that have looked at the comments from my last blog post will realise that three members of staff have decided that they wish to speak out and help to expose the truth.

I would like to thank these staff and all of the others who have posted comments and voted in the poll - it provides a source of encouragement for me to know that I am not alone in this war on children's rights.

For thise post, I want to focus on this one comment before I return to my commentary on Phil Dennett's report.

I have provided a copy of the comment below for you to view;

"We are a group of 3 staff, we have discussed your blog on many occasions.

Most staff are viewing your blog. We think you want us to explain the grand prix admission.

For years all young people spent 24 hours in a bedroom, prior to Jo Keneddy arriving they would spend 24 hours in a secure cell.

He changed that at least so they could go to a proper bedroom!

If a young person showed bad behaviour or got 3 strikes they would go to the pits for 3 days, living in the secure cell.

They were isolated from the others.

The matteress would often be taken out.

It was dark nd cold.

Toilet behind low level wall in seperate room.

ISOLATION DID happen, you are NOT lieing.

The manager must of convinced his executives that it did not happen and they were foolish to believe them.

Jo Keneddy will blame the staff and say he did not no how long young people were in a cell. the staff who were employed at the time will get the blame.

Read the records.

We understand that the system you fought for and lost your job for is now the system which is being used.

the 24 hours has stopped and so has the 3 days in pits.

Many young people spent weeks in the secure cell.

The managers you talked about never visited the young people.

Tuesday, 27 May, 2008"

The three people who wrote this are very brave and clearly have high morals and integrity - Or, maybe, Bill Ogley will say that they too are lying, and everyone will live happily ever after.

Lets see if the States respond to the comments officially or not - I suspect not, they will figure that the 1400 hits my blog has received in the past 18 days are insignificant and need not worry about the fall out from it.

That said, it appears from the comment posted that the following can be considered as true;

1. Young people were kept in solitary confinement for the first 24 hours upon arrival at Greenfields.

2. Young people would spend 3 days, sometimes more, in the Pits for bad behaviour.

Let is assume that what is being said here is true and that people would be prepared to give evidence to that affect.

Let us also assume that Andrew Williamson and the Howard League for Penal Reform agree that such use of solitary confinement would at best be poor practice and at worst would be illegal.

If this is the case then where does this leave those senior civil servants who have chosen to ignore the issues and instead chose to either minimise or deny the existence of such practices.

For example, I know that Joe Kennedy, on camera for the BBC, stated that in reality, the actual practice of the Grandprix system was not how the policy reads, and that it has been 'read in its darkest light'.

I also know that Phil Dennett has stated that there were 'no signs or reports of an abusive regime being operated in either the former or present Greenfields'.

So, what next -

Lets assume that most of you who are reading this blog believe that what I am saying, and what the three staff are saying, is true and that I/we haven't just decided to make this all up and lead you all astray.

Lets also assume that the majority of us want the wrong doing by the States of Jersey to be exposed, prevent it from occurring again and those who are responsible for such wrong doing to be held to account.

If this is true, then let us fight this together - I want you all to find as much factual information, which can be evidenced, and post it on this blog so that we can expose the truth.

Expose the truth and finally seek justice for the children who were held in solitary confinement

Help push for positive change in tomorrow's service for those children who may need it when they are at their most vulnerable.

I want you all to search in the archives, google, write to the BBC, speak to colleagues and lets put all the evidence of poor practice which was produced in response to allegations about the grandprix system into the public domain.

For example, look in JEP archives, Community Care website, national newspaper articles, States website etc etc.

Find the words that people like Bill Ogley, Mike Pollard, Joe Kennedy, Phil Dennett etc have used to protect themselves and lets prove that they have been lying to the media, to the people of Jersey and to the children.

Also, if the staff who left this message can explain to us all in more detail what happened with the Grandprix system when young people were in the Pits, how much of the time was in solitary confinement, how much was with staff, being education, eating etc?

Also, can you explain how much time out of the first 24 hours was this with staff and how much was in solitary confinement?

One final note, to the three staff, I know it is very hard for you to do but please do this for the children - no one else has the knowledge that you have to protect future children from your managers, the senior civil servants the current Health Minister and his esteemed side kick!