Man died in prison after police wrongly took him from psychiatric unit, inquest finds – The Guardian

‘Mark Groombridge killed himself in Dovegate prison two weeks after he was removed from secure ward by probation officers and recalled to prison – a move that probably contributed to his death, jury finds.’

Full story

The Guardian, 17th April 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Glen Parva criticised over Greg Revell death – BBC News

Posted April 20th, 2015 in coroners, death in custody, inquests, news, ombudsmen, prisons, suicide, young offenders by sally

‘A coroner has criticised a young offenders’ institution for failing to identify the risk to an 18-year-old remand prisoner who hanged himself.’

Full story

BBC News, 18th April 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Regina (Coll) v Secretary of State for Justice – WLR Daily

Regina (Coll) v Secretary of State for Justice [2015] EWCA Civ 328; [2015] WLR (D) 157

‘In providing approved premises for women released from prison on licence, the Secretary of State for Justice had not discriminated directly under section 13 of the Equality Act 2010 or indirectly under section 19.’

WLR Daily, 31st March 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Self-harm, drug-taking and sexual abuse more common in privately run prisons, new figures show – The Independent

Posted April 7th, 2015 in contracting out, drug abuse, news, prisons, self-harm, sexual offences by sally

‘Twenty-five years after the first private facility opened in Britain, private jails are performing far worse than government-operated facilities on at least a dozen counts. They account for a higher proportion of fighting, sexual assaults, drug-taking, self-harming, hunger strikes, and prisoner escapes than public-sector prisons, according to an analysis by The Independent on Sunday of new government statistics.’

Full story

The Independent, 5th April 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Warning over Islamic radicalisation in England’s prisons

Posted April 7th, 2015 in gangs, Islam, news, prisons, reports, terrorism by sally

‘Staff shortages are making it harder to tackle Islamic radicalisation in England’s prisons, the former head of the National Counter Terrorism Security Office has warned.’

Full story

BBC News, 7th April 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Strangeways: Britain’s Toughest Prison Riot – BBC Two

Posted April 2nd, 2015 in news, prisons, violent disorder by sally

‘Twenty-five years after the biggest riot in British penal history, this film brings together the ringleaders of the trouble with the prison guards they battled with over three weeks of anarchy that brought Strangeways to its knees.’

iPlayer

BBC Two, 1st April 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Prisoner ‘absconder policy’ is ruled unlawful by High Court – BBC News

Posted April 2nd, 2015 in fugitive offenders, illegality, news, parole, prisons by sally

‘A government policy to ban inmates with a history of absconding from being transferred to open prisons has been declared unlawful by senior judges.’

Full story

BBC News, 1st April 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Introduction to the Care Act 2014 – Doughty Street Chambers

‘This paper deals with the following issues:
a. Establishing ordinary residence
b. Dispute resolution mechanism
c. Financial adjustment between local authorities
d. Prisoners
e. Challenges and appeals.’

Full story (PDF)

Doughty Street Chambers, March 2015

Source: www.doughtystreet.co.uk

Lord Woolf: 25 years on from Strangeways, prisons are still in crisis – The Guardian

‘Harry Woolf, the former chief justice who wrote the report on the 1991 Strangeways prison riot, says its lessons haven’t been learned.’

Full story

The Guardian, 1st April 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Inside Europe’s biggest sex offenders’ prison – BBC News

‘Europe’s biggest prison for sex offenders is in Nottinghamshire. How does it try to rehabilitate the inmates, asks Rex Bloomstein.’

Full story

BBC News, 30th March 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Convicted murderers become first gay couple to marry in prison – The Guardian

Posted March 30th, 2015 in equality, homosexuality, marriage, married persons, murder, news, prisons by sally

‘Two convicted murderers detained in one of Britain’s toughest prisons have become the first gay couple to marry behind bars.’

Full story

The Guardian, 28th March 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Strangeways riot: Ex-inmates recall siege, 25 years on – BBC News

‘The Strangeways riot was the longest in British penal history and dramatically changed the way UK prisons were run. Twenty-five years on, four people at the centre of the siege explain their part in the drawn-out drama.’

Full story

BBC News, 23rd March 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Lord Woolf: Conditions in prisons are as bad now as they were 25 years ago

Posted March 23rd, 2015 in inquiries, judges, news, prisons, recidivists, standards, statistics, violent disorder by sally

‘Conditions in prisons are as bad now as they were at the time of one of Britain’s worst jail riots, a former lord chief justice has warned.’

Full story

The Independent, 23rd March 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Burglar who sued prison for back injuries caught carrying stolen widescreen TV – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 19th, 2015 in compensation, costs, news, personal injuries, prisons, theft by sally

‘Judge rules HMP Manchester still has to pay Ryan Hough nearly £3,000 compensation for bunk bed fall despite burglar being caught taking TV in raid on fire-hit home.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 18th March 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

What should we do with violent children? One secure home may have the answer – The Guardian

‘The young people locked up in Clayfields House have been convicted of serious crimes, from assault to murder. Under close supervision, many have turned their lives around – but now this unusual prison may be under threat.’

Full story

The Guardian, 18th March 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

UK justice minister ‘complacent’ over 38% rise in prison deaths, say MPs – The Guardian

Posted March 18th, 2015 in budgets, death in custody, news, prison officers, prisons, sentencing, violence by sally

‘The justice secretary has been accused of complacency by a cross-party group of MPs for denying any link between prison staffing cuts and a sudden rise in self-inflicted deaths and violence inside jails in England and Wales.’

Full story

The Guardian, 18th March 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘Reality of consensual and coercive sex in prison’ exposed by review – The Guardian

Posted March 17th, 2015 in health, homosexuality, news, pornography, prisons, rape, reports by sally

‘Rape is extremely rare in prisons in England and Wales, whereas consensual gay sex, pornography and masturbation is widespread and accepted, according to the findings of the first systematic review of sex between inmates.’

Full story

The Guardian, 17th March 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Regina (Black) v Secretary of State for Justice – WLR Daily

Regina (Black) v Secretary of State for Justice: [2015] EWHC 528 (Admin); [2015] WLR (D) 105

‘The provisions of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of the Health Act 2006 were, by necessary implication, binding on the Crown and so applied to all public places and workplaces within its scope for which the Crown was responsible, including state run prisons.’

WLR Daily, 5th March 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Smoking ban must be enforced in prisons, judge rules – The Guardian

Posted March 6th, 2015 in news, prisons, smoking by sally

‘The ban on smoking in public places must be enforced in state prisons as well despite warnings that it could provoke widespread unrest in jails across England and Wales, a high court judge has ruled.’

Full story

The Guardian, 5th March 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Their crimes provoke repulsion but it is our duty to rehabilitate sex offenders – The Guadian

Posted March 2nd, 2015 in news, prisons, probation, recidivists, rehabilitation, sexual offences, statistics by sally

‘In the wake of Stoke Mandeville’s report on Jimmy Savile, an award-winning project that works with prisoners has cut reoffending rates by 83%.’

Full story

The Guardian, 1st March 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk