Second transgender prisoner found dead in male jail – The Guardian

Posted December 2nd, 2015 in attempts, codes of practice, death in custody, gender, murder, news, prisons, suicide, women by sally

‘A transgender woman has become the second trans prisoner in the space of a month to apparently take their own life while serving time in a male jail in England.’

Full story

The Guardian, 1st December 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe may be moved to a normal jail – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 1st, 2015 in mental health, news, prisons, violent offenders by tracey

‘Peter Sutcliffe is not mentally ill and should be moved out of psychiatric hospital, doctors claim.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 30th November 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Prison law failing trans people: the Round-up – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted November 26th, 2015 in news, prisons, suicide by tracey

‘LGBT campaigners have called for an urgent reform of the law, following the death of 21 year-old transgender woman Vicky Thompson in an all-male prison. Ms Thompson had previously said that she would take her own life if she were placed in a prison for men.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 23rd November 2015

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Prisons announcement – Ministry of Justice

Posted November 26th, 2015 in press releases, prisons, rehabilitation, women by tracey

‘Written Ministerial Statement made by the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Michael Gove.’

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 25th November 2015

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

Is it lawful to detain immigration detainees in prisons? – Free Movement

Posted November 24th, 2015 in appeals, detention, human rights, illegality, immigration, news, prisons by sally

‘The Court of Appeal says “yes”, it is generally lawful to detain immigration detainees in prisons rather than detention centres. The case is R (On the Application Of Idira) v The Secretary of State for the Home Department [2015] EWCA Civ 1187 and the Court rules that there is no principle that administrative immigration detention in prison generally breaches Article 5(1) of the European Convention on Human Rights, the right to liberty. In giving judgment, though, the Master of the Rolls acknowledges that “detention in an IRC is generally more appropriate for immigrant detainees than detention in prison”.’

Full story

Free Movement, 24th November 2015

Source: www.freemovement.org.uk

Partner of transgender woman found dead in prison calls for law change – The Guardian

Posted November 23rd, 2015 in death in custody, equality, gender, news, prisons by sally

‘The partner of a transgender woman found dead in an all male prison after telling friends she would kill herself if she was sent there has said he contacted prison authorities to warn them about her vulnerability.’

Full story

The Guardian, 20th November 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Humber Prison report: Wolds and Everthorpe merger ‘traumatic’ – BBC News

Posted November 18th, 2015 in assault, delay, health & safety, news, prison officers, prisons, reports, standards by tracey

‘The merger of two prisons in East Yorkshire has been “traumatic and prolonged”, inspectors have found.’

Full story

BBC News, 18th November 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Gove admits the UK sentencing framework needs to be more sensitive, & 7 more things we learned at the 2015 Howard League AGM – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

‘Since his appointment as Justice Secretary & Lord Chancellor in May this year, the Rt Hon Michael Gove has maintained a fairly low profile. Aside from his Making Prisons Work speech in July, Mr Gove’s plans for the future of the Criminal Justice System have not been very clearly outlined. Although since his swearing in, to the delight of many, Gove has managed to overturn the previous Lord Chancellor, Chris Grayling’s ban on books for prisoners; scrapped plans to create a super youth prison; and halted massively controversial plans for the UK to undertake Saudi Arabian prison training contracts.’

Full story

Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 6th November 2015

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Spending review: Nine new prisons to replace Victorian jails – BBC News

Posted November 9th, 2015 in budgets, Ministry of Justice, news, prisons, rehabilitation, statistics by sally

‘Nine new prisons will open in England and Wales – five by 2020 – under plans to close Victorian jails and sell them for housing, the government has said.’

Full story

BBC News, 9th November 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

England and Wales court cells ‘squalid and dangerous’ – BBC News

Posted November 6th, 2015 in courts, detention, health & safety, news, prisons by tracey

‘Conditions at cells in courts in England and Wales are an “accident waiting to happen”, a report has said.’

Full story

BBC News, 6th November 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Ex-prison officer jailed for selling George Michael stories to the Sun – The Guardian

‘A former prison officer has been jailed for 12 months for selling stories about George Michael’s time behind bars to the Sun.’

Full story

The Guardian, 3rd November 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Soho nail bomber David Copeland sentenced for prison attack – BBC News

Posted October 29th, 2015 in assault, hate crime, news, prisons, sentencing by sally

‘One of the UK’s most dangerous hate-crime killers has been sentenced to three additional years in prison for attacking a fellow inmate.’

Full story

BBC News, 28th October 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Prisoner deaths: Warning over young inmates – BBC News

Posted October 29th, 2015 in news, prisons, reports, suicide, young offenders by sally

‘Young people will “continue to die unnecessarily” in jail unless ministers act on recommendations in a report into self-inflicted deaths, its author says.’

Full story

BBC News, 29th October 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Calls for transgender woman to be moved from male prison – BBC News

Posted October 28th, 2015 in assault, gender, health & safety, news, prisons, sentencing by sally

‘A petition calling for a transgender woman to serve a prison sentence in a female prison has attracted more than 10,000 signatures in under 24 hours.’

Full story

BBC News, 27th October 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Violent offenders: Fears over management after release – BBC News

‘Is the system in place to manage dangerous offenders when they are released from prison keeping people safe?’

Full story

BBC News, 25th October 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Britain’s most dangerous prisoners to get meditation lessons – The Guardian

Posted October 20th, 2015 in mental health, news, prisons, rehabilitation, violent offenders by sally

‘Prison staff are to teach meditation to Britain’s most dangerous criminals in an attempt to aid their rehabilitation and quell their violent impulses.’

Full story

The Guardian, 19th October 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Former Serbian general awarded £50,000 over Wakefield prison attack – The Guardian

‘A former Serbian general convicted of genocide for his part in the Srebrenica massacre has been awarded more than £50,000 in compensation from the Ministry of Justice after his throat was cut in a British prison.’

Full story

the Guardian, 16th October 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Unauthorised solitary confinement incompatible with prisoner’s rights – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted October 15th, 2015 in appeals, human rights, news, prisons, Supreme Court by sally

‘The Supreme Court has held that the continuation of a prisoner’s solitary confinement for safety reasons was not authorised under domestic rules and incompatible with the right to private life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (“ECHR”).’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 15th October 2015

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

CJEU ruling on prisoner voting – open door for successful UK challenge? – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted October 9th, 2015 in EC law, elections, France, news, prisons, proportionality by tracey

‘Delvigne (Judgment), [2015] EUECJ C-650/13. In a judgment much anticipated on both sides of the Channel, the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”) has held that French restrictions on the eligibility of prisoners to vote are lawful under EU law.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 9th October 2015

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

EU court ruling favours UK prisoner vote ban – BBC News

Posted October 6th, 2015 in EC law, elections, human rights, news, prisons, proportionality by sally

‘The UK’s ban on prisoners’ rights to vote looks set to continue after a ruling by the European Court of Justice on a case in France.’

Full story

BBC News, 6th October 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk