Established 1962 · Ministry of the Interior Licence 84F
Goodness comes from within. We shorten the journey.
Ludovico Medical is Britain's foremost provider of accelerated behavioural reclamation. In fourteen days we return the violent offender to society as a citizen incapable of causing harm, at a fraction of the cost of custodial sentencing.
(lidlock, Mk. IV) in resting position
The reclamation pathway
§ 1.0Three stages, one continuous admission. No parole board, no waiting list, no appeal.
Assessment
A candidate is scored across nine indices of ultraviolence. Those in the upper decile are prioritised; the Ministry has instructed us not to waste treatment on the merely rude.
Reclamation
Serum 114 is administered on a fixed schedule while the subject observes curated audio-visual material. The association forms on its own. We do not persuade; we simply pair.
Reintegration
The subject is demonstrated before an invited audience, certified harmless, and released the same afternoon. Housing and family reconciliation are outside our remit.
Group companies and approved suppliers
§ 1.1Ludovico Medical is a majority-held subsidiary of Pacheco Heavy Industries and procures through the group framework wherever a group company can supply.
Related-party transactions with group companies totalled £14.2m in the year under review and were reviewed by the Audit & Ethics Committee, whose chairman is also chairman of the parent.
I was cured all right.
Recidivism, measured
§ 1.2Twenty-four months post-release. Ludovico cohort against matched custodial control.
* Reoffence is recorded where a discharged subject is the aggressor. Incidents in which the subject is the injured party are logged separately under Form LM-22 and are excluded from this series, which accounts for the whole of the difference in hospital admissions between the two groups.
Standing contraindication
Reclaimed subjects must not be exposed to the works of Ludwig van Beethoven, in whole or in part, including arrangements, adaptations, ringtones and doorbell chimes. The Ninth Symphony is absolutely contraindicated. Employers, landlords and family members are asked to consult our Audio Contraindication Register before playing music in the presence of a discharged subject.
What our stakeholders say
§ 1.3"The point is that it works. Our prisons are full of criminals and we need the space for political offenders. This is the answer."
The Rt Hon. the Minister of the Interior
"He came home quiet. He eats very little now. I do not know what to say to him, but the neighbours are pleased."
Mother of a discharged subject, Municipal Flatblock 18A
"One does not become good by choosing. This programme does not make men good. It makes them safe, and it makes a great deal of money."
F. Alexander, former non-executive director (dissenting)
§ 2.0 — Clinical
The Ludovico Technique
Fourteen days, twice daily, no anaesthesia. The subject is restrained, medicated, and shown film. Everything else the technique does, it does by itself.
Treatment schedule
§ 2.1Select a day. Phase I (days 1–3) is preparatory. Phase II (days 4–14) is therapeutic.
Phase I — Preparatory
Day 01
Serum 114
§ 2.2Our proprietary conditioning agent. Formulation withheld under commercial licence.
Mechanism
Serum 114 produces an acute sensation of terminal illness — nausea, suffocation, dread — without organic damage. Paired with imagery, the sensation transfers to the imagery. Paired long enough, it transfers to the impulse.
Administration
Intramuscular, twice daily, escalating. A subject who resists the second injection is considered to be responding well.
Known effects
Total aversion to violence, including violence in self-defence. Loss of appetite for approximately six weeks. Permanent aversion to any music paired with treatment footage, which is why we ask that the projectionist read the schedule.
Audio Contraindication Register
§ 2.3Check a composer before playing anything in the presence of a discharged subject.
Clinical questions
§ 2.4Is the treatment painful?
No. The subject experiences the sensation of dying, which is distinct from pain and is not recorded as an adverse event. Our nursing staff describe the fourteen days as "uncomfortable but productive."
Can a subject refuse treatment?
Subjects sign a consent form on the morning of admission. Refusal returns the subject to the custodial estate to serve the remainder of the sentence, which averages eleven years. To date, consent has been unanimous.
What if the subject closes their eyes?
They cannot. The Mk. IV lidlock assembly holds the eyelids open for the duration of each session, and a saline attendant is present throughout to keep the cornea moist. The attendant is the most requested position in the facility and we are not certain why.
Does the treatment remove the desire to do harm?
It does not. It removes the capacity to act on the desire, which our commissioners have consistently indicated is the part they are paying for.
What happens if a discharged subject is attacked?
The subject will be unable to defend themselves and will experience severe nausea at the prospect. Discharged subjects are advised to avoid confrontation, dark streets, former associates and, in three documented cases, their own front doors. Ludovico Medical accepts no liability under Clause 9.
§ 3.0 — Evidence
Outcomes and efficacy
Every discharged subject is followed for twenty-four months. The numbers below are audited annually by the Ministry, which also commissions the treatment, sets the tariff and appoints the auditor.
Cohort results
§ 3.1| Cohort | Facility | Subjects | Aversion onset | Reoffence | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 Pilot | Staja 84F Annexe | 6 | 66.7% | 0.0% | Sealed |
| Cohort II | Staja 84F Annexe | 41 | 92.7% | 0.0% | Published |
| Cohort III | Brodsky Institute | 118 | 99.1% | 0.0% | Published |
| Cohort IV | Branom Centre | 175 | 99.4% | 0.0% | Published |
| Cohort V | Multi-site | 402 | 99.6% | 0.0% | In follow-up |
| Reversal Series | Undisclosed | 1 | — | — | Withdrawn |
The Reversal Series was discontinued at the request of the commissioning department following a change of ministerial priorities. Enquiries regarding Subject 655321 should be directed to the Press Office, not to this company.
Cost per outcome
§ 3.2Fourteen days of reclamation against fourteen years of custody.
Methodology note
§ 3.3Aversion onset is defined as the point at which a subject, presented with an opportunity for violence, instead becomes physically ill. Onset is confirmed by a demonstration before witnesses rather than by self-report, since self-report in this population is unreliable and, after treatment, unnervingly compliant.
We do not measure remorse, moral development, or wellbeing. These are not deliverables under our contract and we have found that measuring them complicates renewal.
§ 4.0 — Estate
Facilities
Forty-one sites across three regions. Most are converted from existing institutions, which shortens commissioning and keeps the fittings.
Estate services
Heating across the UK estate is supplied under a single group contract by Thatherton Fuels, following a competitive tender in which one bid was received.
Theatre equipment
Mk. IV restraint assemblies are manufactured to our specification by Tamaribuchi Heavy Manufacturing Concern and are serviced on a six-week cycle.
Ward nutrition
Hydration is provided by Brawndo and post-discharge catering by Almost Fruit. Intake is logged in Vegetable, the group\'s nutritive tracking system.
The Irish estate is operated by Pache Teoranta, our subsidiary at pache.ie, under a separate licence and in both official languages.
§ 5.0 — Governance
Leadership
Ludovico Medical is directed by an executive committee of seven and governed by a board of six, of whom four are independent and one has resigned.
Executive committee
§ 5.1Albert Kim, PhD
Dr. Kim joined Ludovico Medical in 1968 as Director of Conditioning Research and was appointed Chief Executive four years later, having authored the paper that reduced the protocol from twenty-eight days to fourteen without measurable loss of effect. He holds a doctorate in experimental psychology and is the named inventor on the Mk. IV restraint assembly. He is known internally for a single standing instruction to the clinical staff: the subject is not to be spoken to during screening. He chairs the Reclamation Standards Council and has declined, on eleven occasions, to appear before the Select Committee on Home Affairs.
Dr. Brodsky
Formulated Serum 114 and supervises all clinical administration. Believes the ethical questions are "for someone else, later."
Dr. Branom
Oversees subject intake, dosing schedules and the daily screening curriculum. Speaks to subjects warmly, which the company has found improves compliance.
P. R. Deltoid
Manages the relationship between discharged subjects, their families and the local constabulary. Twenty-two years in post-corrective work.
Margarethe Rubinstein
Joined from the Prison Estates Board. Architect of the per-subject tariff that underpins the Ministry framework agreement.
Joseph Cadogan
Responsible for consent documentation, incident reporting and the maintenance of Clause 9. Reports to the board, not to the Chief Executive.
Helen Staja
Runs the facility estate and the discharge programme. Argues internally, without success, for a follow-up service beyond the twenty-four-month window.
Board of directors
§ 5.2Frank Pacheco
Mr. Pacheco was appointed to the board in 1971 as an independent director and chairs the combined Audit & Ethics Committee, a merger he proposed on the grounds that the two committees kept reaching the same conclusions. He brings commercial discipline from a career in distribution and consumer goods, and is chairman of Pacheco Heavy Industries, whose subsidiaries supply the group's projection equipment, restraint hardware and nutritive preparations. The board has determined that these arrangements are immaterial. Mr. Pacheco has asked that his dissent on the Reversal Series be recorded in the minutes, and it has been, on page 214, in a footnote.
Sir Leslie Staja, KBE
Former Permanent Secretary. Appointed chairman four months after leaving the department that awarded the framework agreement.
Dame Cecilia Korova
Chairs the Remuneration Committee. Founder of the Korova group of nutritive bars and outpatient clinics.
Albert Kim, PhD
Chief Executive Officer. Sits on no board committee, by his own request.
Gordon Tarrant
Represents the interests of the Ministry as observer. Does not vote, and has never needed to.
F. Alexander
Resigned in 1972 citing "an objection to the entire enterprise." His resignation letter is reproduced in full in the Annual Report at note 14, over the objection of the Chief Executive.
Governance statement
§ 5.3The board meets six times a year. Ethical review is conducted by the Audit & Ethics Committee, which reports to the board, which appoints the committee. The company considers this arrangement to be in line with best practice as the company understands it.
No member of the board has undergone the treatment.
§ 6.0 — Investor relations
Investors
LSE: LDVC. A single customer, a fixed tariff, and a pipeline replenished by the criminal justice system at no cost to the company.
Five-year summary
§ 6.1| Year | Revenue (£m) | Reclamations | Margin | Dividend (p) | Auditor's opinion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 4.1 | 47 | 11.0% | — | Unqualified |
| 1969 | 12.8 | 211 | 22.4% | 2.0 | Unqualified |
| 1970 | 28.6 | 602 | 31.9% | 5.5 | Unqualified |
| 1971 | 44.9 | 1,140 | 35.7% | 8.0 | Unqualified |
| 1972 | 61.4 | 1,688 | 38.2% | 11.0 | Unqualified, with emphasis of matter |
From the Chief Executive's letter to shareholders
§ 6.2"Shareholders will have read the coverage. I would ask them to read the figures instead. In the year under review we returned one thousand six hundred and eighty-eight men to their families, at an average of nine thousand four hundred pounds each, and not one of them has raised a hand since.
"The question that occupies our critics — whether a man who cannot choose wrongly is still a man — is a fine question for a Sunday paper. It is not a question the Ministry has asked us, and it is not one we are contracted to answer."
Albert Kim, PhD · Chief Executive Officer · Annual Report 1972
Principal shareholders
§ 6.3As at the register date. Holdings above 3% are disclosable.
| Holder | Nature of holding | % | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pacheco Heavy Industries | Parent undertaking | 61.4 | Board representation |
| Weyland-Yutani Corp. | Strategic — research licence | 12.8 | Building better worlds |
| Henron Capital | Institutional | 7.1 | Structured the tariff facility |
| Ministry pension scheme | Institutional | 4.9 | Passive |
| Directors and staff | Beneficial | 3.2 | Includes SAYE scheme |
| Free float | — | 10.6 | — |
Legal counsel
Flywheel, Shyster & Flywheel act on all Clause 9 matters and on the framework agreement. Their fee note is the second largest line in operating expenses.
Strategy adviser
McKinsey Mom conducted the 1971 operating model review that produced the fourteen-day course length and the phrase "reclamation throughput."
Media coverage
The programme is covered regularly by the Moose County Something, whose reporting the company describes as thorough and does not otherwise comment on.
Principal risks
§ 6.4Customer concentration
All revenue derives from a single framework agreement with the Ministry of the Interior. A change of government would be material. Two of the three parties have committed to reviewing the programme; the third has committed to expanding it.
Reputational
Press interest in individual discharged subjects has increased. The company\'s policy is to make no comment, which the press has begun to report as a comment. Unofficial discussion of the programme continues on crambon.org, a forum the company does not operate, has twice asked to have taken down, and does not accept is describing real sessions.
Reversal risk
Deep hypnopaedic reversal of the conditioning has been demonstrated in one case. The company does not offer reversal, does not price it, and would not recognise revenue from it.
Litigation
Nine claims are outstanding under Clause 9, of which the company expects to settle none. Legal costs are included in operating expenses and are, so far, less than the cost of losing.
§ 7.0 — People
Careers
We employ 1,340 people across clinical, technical and administrative functions. Staff turnover in the screening theatre is 61% and we would rather you heard that from us.
Open positions
§ 7.1Saline Attendant, Screening Theatre
Maintains corneal moisture during screening sessions using a hand-held dropper. Requires a steady hand, an even temperament, and the ability to remain in the theatre for the full duration of the session without looking at the screen. Full protective apron supplied. No prior clinical experience necessary.
Projectionist (Curriculum)
Operates the screening apparatus and maintains the curriculum reel library, which is catalogued jointly with the Weyland-Yutani archive. Must read the daily audio schedule before every session. The successful candidate will understand that the schedule is not a suggestion and that the last projectionist did not.
Conditioning Nurse, Band 6
Administers Serum 114 on schedule, records subject response, escalates anything unusual to the Duty Registrar. Registered nurses only. Candidates are asked not to raise questions of consent at interview; these are settled at board level and are not within the scope of the role.
Restraint Technician (Mk. IV)
Fits, calibrates and sterilises the lidlock assembly between sessions. Reports defects immediately. A defective assembly is the only fault in this facility that stops a session.
Head of Post-Discharge Follow-Up
A new position, created following the Audit & Ethics Committee's third recommendation on the subject. The role has no budget in the current year. The successful candidate will be expected to make the case for one.
Working here
§ 7.2Occupational health
All theatre staff receive quarterly counselling. Attendance is mandatory and the notes are not shared with line management, which is stated in every contract and is true.
The listening rule
Any member of staff may halt a session by saying the word "stop." No member of staff has been disciplined for doing so. Four have.
Pension
Contributory, 8% employer match, administered by the Ministry scheme. Genuinely excellent, and the reason most people stay.
§ 8.0 — Enquiries
Contact
Referrals are accepted from commissioning authorities only. Families may write, and will receive a reply within twelve weeks.
Make an enquiry
§ 8.1Registered office
Ludovico Medical plc
Staja 84F Annexe
Kingsley Road
Greater London
Switchboard
01 · 946 · 0114
Press office
If you are a discharged subject
Please do not attend a facility in person. Telephone the Post-Corrective Liaison line and remain where you are. A member of staff will come to you.