Parents threaten to remove children from school after court moves sex offenders to nearby OPEN prison
Parents in the UK have threatened to remove their children from a primary school in the community after it was announced that convicted sex offenders are going to move to a proposed prison just down the road. The announcement was made by the Ministry of Justice after it made the decision to move the men to the jail, that is barely 20 yards from the school, by the end of 2018.
The open prison, which is a minimum security facility and which will have limited restrictions, is going to be moved to Thorn Cross near Warrington, Cheshire. Due to this sudden decision to move the prison, students from the Appleton Thorn Primary School and two other nearby nurseries may be forced to move from their local educator.
Zoe Jones, the Head Teacher of Appleton, told the BBC in an interview: "I am deeply concerned by this change in category of prisoners at Thorn Cross open prison, having been given assurances in the past that no sex offenders would be placed here. This news has come completely out of the blue and the school was not consulted." The convicted sex offenders could end up serving out the rest of their sentence at the minimum-security prison that is said to come just across the road from the primary school.
The Warrington Guardian reported that the Ministry of Justice made the decision because there has been an increase in the number of sex offenders who are getting custodial sentences. A petition that was launched by the publication, to stop the convicted sex offenders from completing their sentences in the facility, has already garnered more than 2,000 signatures in a 24 hour time period.
41-year-old Richard Whitehead, a parent whose youngest daughter goes to the primary school across the road from the prison, said: "I find it difficult to believe that this decision has been made in accordance with safeguarding regulations and procedures given how close the prison is to the primary school." Another parent, Joseph Ryan, whose son goes to the primary school then added: "Why would anybody agree to put sex offenders in an open prison near to where my son goes to school? He is aged eight."
One person has written in the petition: "Absolutely the wrong location with a primary school right across the road." Another person agreed by saying: "This is a stupid decision given the fact there is a school across the road. It’s like the ministry for justice don’t even do basic research before making decisions. Horrific for the area if this goes ahead."