Prisoner is suicide risk after more than two years in solitary, high court hears – The Guardian

‘A prisoner’s detention in solitary confinement in England for more than two years has been “wholly unnecessary” and has made him suicidal, the high court has heard.’

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The Guardian, 25th April 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

The King v Arie Ali [2023] EWCA Crim 232 – Drystone Chambers

‘In this case the Court of Appeal held that the exceptional factor relating to the overcrowding conditions of the adult male prisons can properly be taken into account by a sentencing judge, particularly for short term prison sentences.’

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Drystone Chambers, 5th March 2023

Source: www.drystone.com

Prisoner died after staff were ‘not properly trained to save lives’, coroner rules – The Independent

‘A prisoner died after staff when to provide adequate life support after he was found unresponsive in his bunk, a coroner has ruled.’

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The Independent, 22nd January 2023

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Ministry of Justice ad banned for reinforcing negative stereotypes of black men – The Independent

‘A Facebook ad for the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) was likely to cause serious offence by reinforcing negative stereotypes about black men, a watchdog has ruled.’

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The Independent, 2nd November 2022

Source: www.independent.co.uk

High Down inmate was on prison officer interview panels, POA says – BBC News

Posted October 14th, 2022 in employment, Ministry of Justice, news, prison officers, prisons by tracey

‘An inmate appeared on interview panels for officers in the jail where he was imprisoned, the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) has said.’

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BBC News, 13th October 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Inmate sentenced for throwing boiling water in the face of prison guard – Crown Prosecution Service

‘An inmate who threw boiling water into the faces of a prison guard and a vulnerable fellow prisoner at HMP Wandsworth has today been sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment.’

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Crown Prosecution Service, 4th August 2022

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

New Guidance Will Help Modern Slavery Victims In Prison – Each Other

‘Victims of modern slavery are to receive better support in prison following a legal challenge which highlighted a lack of guidance for prison staff. The new guidance, to be issued later this year, will help prison staff support victims and potential victims of modern slavery who have been imprisoned under criminal powers.’

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Each Other, 4th August 2022

Source: eachother.org.uk

Misconduct in public office – ECtHR reviews foreseeability of common law offence – UK Human Rights Blog

‘On 6 July 2021 the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) published its judgment in the case of Norman v UK (Application no. 41387/17). The case concerned Mr Robert Norman, an officer at Belmarsh prison, who in 2015 was convicted of misconduct in public office for passing a variety of information to a tabloid journalist in exchange for money. The ECtHR found that, in Mr Norman’s case, the offence itself did not constitute a breach of Article 7 ECHR (no punishment without law): Mr Norman’s conduct was sufficiently serious for it to have been foreseeable that it would constitute a criminal offence. The ECtHR also found that the newspaper’s disclosure of Mr Norman’s activities to the police, and his subsequent prosecution and conviction, did not breach his rights under Article 10 ECtHR (freedom of expression).’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 6th September 2021

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Leeds prison punished inmates by restricting showers, report finds – The Guardian

‘Prisoners were unlawfully prevented from showering daily as punishment for poor behaviour, with shielding and self-isolating inmates also unable to do so, according to a damning report.’

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The Guardian, 12th August 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Smitten prison officer helped inmate lover escape – BBC News

‘A former prison officer has been jailed for forming a relationship with an inmate and helping him escape.’

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BBC News, 10th August 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Covid: ‘Prioritise prisoners for coronavirus vaccine’ – BBC News

Posted March 17th, 2021 in coronavirus, news, prison officers, prisons, statistics, vaccination by sally

‘Prisoners have an elevated risk of dying of Covid and should be prioritised for vaccination, along with prison staff, say researchers from University College London (UCL).’

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BBC News, 17th March 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Terrorism watchdog to open inquiry into radicalisation in prison – The Guardian

Posted January 25th, 2021 in inquiries, Islam, Ministry of Justice, news, ombudsmen, prison officers, prisons, terrorism by tracey

‘An inquiry into the way prisons deal with convicted terrorists is being launched by the independent terror watchdog amid concerns of growing radicalisation behind bars.’

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The Guardian, 24th January 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘Deep crisis’ in British prisons as use of force against inmates doubles – The Guardian

Posted January 4th, 2021 in news, prison officers, prisons, standards, statistics, violence by sally

‘The use of force against inmates has doubled over the past decade, amid continuing concern over high levels of violence and disorder in prisons. A loss of experienced prison staff, overcrowding and a subsequent growth in violence against both prisoners and staff has been blamed for force being used 49,111 times in England and Wales in the 12 months before the Covid pandemic began.’

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The Guardian, 3rd January 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Prisoners convicted of attempting to murder prison officer in HMP Whitemoor terror attack – The Independent

Posted October 8th, 2020 in attempted murder, news, prison officers, prisons, terrorism by tracey

‘Two prisoners have been found guilty of trying to kill a prison officer in a terror attack inside a maximum-security jail.’

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The Independent, 7th October 2020

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Terrorist prisoners hit record high in British jails amid warnings of radicalisation – The Independent

Posted September 18th, 2020 in bills, Ministry of Justice, news, prison officers, prisons, recidivists, statistics, terrorism by tracey

‘A record number of terrorists are being held in British prisons, new figures show amid warnings over radicalisation inside “chaotic” jails. Statistics released by the Home Office on Thursday indicate there were 243 people in custody for terror-related offences, up 24 on the previous year.’

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The Independent, 17th September 2020

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Prisons watchdog finds children ‘routinely handcuffed’ – BBC News

‘Detainees, including children, are still being routinely handcuffed in custody in a practice described as “inappropriate and very concerning”.’

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BBC News, 1st July 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Major failures led to accidental release of serial rapist, report finds – The Guardian

‘Significant failings by prison and probation staff, and a policy of not recalling high risk prisoners to alleviate pressure on a growing prison population, saw serial rapist Joseph McCann mistakenly freed from jail to attack 11 women and children, a review has found.’

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The Guardian, 30th June 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

UK prison officers punching compliant inmates, report says – The Guardian

‘Prison officers are allegedly punching compliant inmates who they suspect might misbehave in the future in a practice known as “preventive strikes”, a European human rights watchdog has said in a damning report on the state of jails in England.’

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The Guardian, 30th April 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Up to 4,000 inmates to be temporarily released in England and Wales – The Guardian

‘As many as 4,000 prisoners in England and Wales are to be temporarily released from jail in an effort to try and control the spread of coronavirus, the government has announced.’

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The Guardian, 4th April 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Coronavirus: Inmates could be freed to ease virus pressure on jails – BBC News

‘The government is considering releasing some offenders from prisons in England and Wales to ease pressures caused by the coronavirus pandemic.’

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BBC News, 25th March 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk