Violence and self-harm in UK prisons continue to surge – The Guardian

‘Violence in prisons has increased to record levels, according to new figures released by the Ministry of Justice, with 27,193 incidents of assault and serious assault in the year to June 2017.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 26th October 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Identity of anonymous prison murder trial witness mistakenly revealed in court – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 25th, 2017 in anonymity, murder, news, prisons, trials, witnesses by michael

‘An anonymous witness in the Pentonville prison murder trial has withdrawn after his cover was blown after less than an hour in court in what a judge described as a “very regrettable accident”.’

Full Story

Daily Telegraph, 25th October 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Black and Muslim prisoners suffer worse treatment, study finds – The Guardian

‘Black and Muslim offenders are more likely to be badly treated in prison, leading to poorer outcomes and mental health concerns, research has found.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 19th October 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Disgraceful conditions at Bedford prison fuelled riot, watchdog finds – The Guardian

Posted October 19th, 2017 in news, prisons, release on licence, reports, sentencing, violent disorder by sally

‘A riot at Bedford prison that led to two wings being “totally trashed” was fuelled by frustration over “disgraceful conditions” including a failure to provide basic items such as soap, cleaning materials and toilet paper, an official watchdog has concluded.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 18th October 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Black or Muslim inmates twice as likely to have negative experiences in prison, report finds – The Independent

Posted October 19th, 2017 in equality, news, prisons, race discrimination, racism, reports by sally

‘Black and Muslim prisoners are twice as likely to have negative experiences in jail than white inmates – with the figure nearly four times as high for black Muslims – new research has revealed.’

Full Story

The Independent, 19th October 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Prison has ‘deliberate policy’ of accepting sex offenders to help reduce violence, report finds – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 13th, 2017 in news, prisons, sexual offences, violence by sally

‘One of the UK’s most violent prisons has begun a “deliberate policy” of accepting sex offenders to help tackle high levels of disturbance, according to a watchdog report.’

Full Story

Daily Telegraph, 12th October 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Prison has ‘deliberate policy’ of accepting sex offenders to help reduce violence, report finds – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 12th, 2017 in news, prisons, reports, sexual offences, violence by sally

‘One of the UK’s most violent prisons has begun a “deliberate policy” of accepting sex offenders to help tackle high levels of disturbance, according to a watchdog report.’

Full Story

Daily Telegraph, 12th October 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Closures of ageing jails on hold for five years as prison numbers soar – The Guardian

Posted October 12th, 2017 in bail, detention, imprisonment, news, prisons by sally

‘The head of the prison service has ruled out any closures over the next five years, shelving a 2017 Conservative manifesto pledge to shut down and sell off dilapidated Victorian jails across England and Wales.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 12th October 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Prison inmates given life sentences for murder of convicted double killer – The Guardian

Posted September 26th, 2017 in conspiracy, murder, news, prisons, sentencing by sally

‘Two prison inmates who murdered a convicted double killer in his cell after being “ordered by God” to attack him have both been handed life sentences.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 25th September 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Prison ‘reboot’ may free up 7,000 prison places, says thinktank – The Guardian

Posted September 14th, 2017 in criminal justice, news, prisons, probation, rehabilitation, reports by sally

‘A “reboot” of the government’s “rehabilitation revolution”, including the early release of well-behaved prisoners, could free up more than 7,000 prison places, according to the latest report from a centre-right thinktank.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 14th September 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Prisoner ‘trapped’ in jail for 11 years to be released – BBC News

Posted September 14th, 2017 in mental health, news, prisons, sentencing by sally

‘A man who has served 11 years in prison for what was a 10-month sentence is to be released, the Parole Board has said. James Ward was sentenced under Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP), after he set fire to his bed while in jail for actual bodily harm. The 33-year-old has mental health problems and has regularly self-harmed while serving his indefinite sentence.’

Full Story

BBC News, 14th September 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Prison visiting rules punish children, says charity – BBC News

Posted August 23rd, 2017 in children, families, news, prisons by sally

‘Children whose fathers are in jail are being punished by rules which limit visits if prisoners do not behave well enough, says Barnardo’s.

Full Story

BBC News, 23rd August 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Justice secretary told to ‘get a grip’ on backlog of prisoners held beyond sentence – The Guardian

‘The chair of the Parole Board has expressed his frustration at the government’s failure to “get a grip” on the issue of prisoners serving indeterminate sentences under the discredited imprisonment for public protection (IPP) programme.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 14th August 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Prisoner ‘suicidal’ 11 years into 10-month jail term – BBC News

Posted August 14th, 2017 in arson, imprisonment, news, prisons, self-harm, sentencing by sally

‘In 2006, James Ward was given a 10-month minimum jail sentence called an IPP (Imprisonment for Public Protection) for arson.’

Full Story

BBC News, 14th August 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Landmark review places family ties at the heart of prison reform – Ministry of Justice

Posted August 10th, 2017 in families, prisons, rehabilitation, reports by sally

‘Ministry of Justice welcomes Lord Farmer’s recommendations to strengthen family ties to help offenders turn their lives around and protect public safety.’

Full press release

Full report

Ministry of Justice, 10th August 2017

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

More than one prisoner a week is released from jail by mistake, figures reveal – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 27th, 2017 in assault, mistake, news, prison officers, prisons, statistics by sally

‘Dozens of prisoners have been released by mistake as violence in jails surged to a new high, official figures reveal.’

Full Story

Daily Telegraph, 27th July 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Stephen Lawrence killer gets legal aid for compensation claim – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 26th, 2017 in assault, compensation, legal aid, news, personal injuries, prisons by sally

‘One of the killers of Stephen Lawrence has been granted legal aid in a battle to get compensation from the Government after he was allegedly beaten up in prison.’

Full Story

Daily Telegraph, 25th July 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Care failings contributed to death of woman in prison, inquest finds – The Guardian

Posted July 21st, 2017 in death in custody, mental health, news, prisons, women by sally

‘A jury at the inquest of Sarah Reed, a mentally ill prisoner at HMP Holloway who took her life at the jail last year, has identified serious shortcomings in her care.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 20th July 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Prisons inspector warns of ‘staggering’ decline in safety at youth jails – The Guardian

‘There has been a “staggering” decline in standards and safety at youth jails in England and Wales, the chief inspector of prisons has said.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 18th July 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Neglect contributed to Liverpool prisoner’s suicide, jury finds – The Guardian

Posted July 17th, 2017 in accidents, death in custody, inquests, mental health, news, prisons, suicide by sally

‘An inquest jury has found that neglect contributed to the death of a prisoner who killed himself at Liverpool prison last year.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 16th July 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com