Serco accused of ‘petty and vindictive’ removal of artwork from court cells

A government contractor has been accused of being “petty and vindictive” after tearing down brightly coloured artworks carrying motivational messages that were intended to improve the conditions for people held in court cells.The decision by Serco to remove the artworks, commissioned to cheer up court custody areas that are often underground and “bleak”, is revealed in the annual report of the Lay Observers, independent members of the public who monitor court custody and escort conditions. The report draws on 759 visits to court custody suites across England and Wales, representing almost 2,000 hours of monitoring.In July 2023, when Robert Jenrick was immigration minister, he sparked controversy by ordering brightly coloured murals depicting cartoon characters for children who had just arrived in the UK on small boats to be painted over, on the grounds that they were too welcoming.The report raises concerns about Serco’s decision to remove the artworks created by prisoners at HMP Doncaster, some of which were accompanied by motivational quotes from figures including Madonna, from court custody suites.The artworks were commissioned by the government’s Prisoner Escort and Custody Services to brighten court cells and custody areas which, according to the report, are “bleak” and often underground, with little or no natural light. While the government contractor GEOAmey installed the artworks, Serco-operated courts “quickly removed [them] following instructions from Serco management”.One of the quotes, attributed to Madonna, read: “No matter who you are, no matter where you come from, you can always change and become a better version of yourself.”The murals that Jenrick ordered to be painted over included images of Mickey Mouse and Baloo from Jungle Book.The report found “ongoing systemic failures” across the court custody estate, despite some improvements, such as the introduction of dedicated accommodation for children in 20 courts.At Swindon magistrates court, a detained person spent 10 hours in transport and court custody for a nine-minute hearing. In another case, a disabled person was taken on a five-hour journey simply to access a video-link, rather than using a prison link.In July 2025, Lay Observers found that in 44% of monitored journeys where women were transported alongside men, one or more men had been charged with, or convicted of, sexual offences or domestic violence against women. In the same month, in 38% of monitored journeys involving children, at least one child had been transported with an adult.In one case, a man with only one tooth struggled to eat, but a court manager refused to make dietary adjustments, saying they did not want to gain a reputation for being “easy to manipulate”. The man ate nothing.Observers also reported court staff “barking” questions at detainees, while a poster on the wall reminded staff of financial penalties for failing to process detainees quickly.David Whalley, Lay Observers’ national chair, said: “Safeguarding often vulnerable people in court custody must move beyond aspiration and become embedded in everyday practice. The experiences documented in this report demonstrate that the current situation is not acceptable and underline the need for sustained and coordinated action.”Andrew Neilson, the director of campaigns at the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “In this time of court delays, overuse of remand and miserable prison conditions, it seems petty and vindictive to order the removal of artwork that might offer a source of hope in court custody suites.”Mark Day, the deputy director of the Prison Reform Trust, condemned Serco’s decision to remove artworks from court custody areas. “Serco should come clean as to why it has removed this government-commissioned artwork from the walls of its custody suites … Artwork such as this could have a small but positive contribution to making the environment more humane, and the experience more bearable, for detainees.“Early days in custody are a period of increased risk for self-harm and self-inflicted death. Anything that can be done – no matter how minor – to lessen that risk should be encouraged, not torn down from the walls.”A Serco spokesperson said: “Serco is committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment for detainees in our care. We are working with HM Prison and Probation Service to enhance the look and feel of court custody suites.” A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “It is vital we provide safe environments for those in court custody, and we work closely with suppliers to strengthen safeguards for people in our care. This includes physical separations in prison transport vans to ensure there is no inappropriate mixing and taking cells immediately out of use if they fall below health and safety requirements.”