Police cells holding more than 9,000 mentally ill people a year – The Guardian

Posted June 20th, 2013 in detention, health, mental health, news, prisons, reports by sally

“More than 9,000 mentally ill people a year are being detained in police custody despite official guidance that such powers should be used only in exceptional circumstances, watchdogs say.”

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The Guardian, 20th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Moors murderer Ian Brady appears in public at ‘right-to-die’ hearing – The Guardian

Posted June 18th, 2013 in assisted suicide, mental health, news, prisons, tribunals by sally

“Moors murderer Ian Brady began a legal attempt to prove that he is sane in the hope that he will be discharged from the secure psychiatric hospital where he is incarcerated and sent to a high security jail so he can starve himself to death.”

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The Guardian, 17th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Why are vulnerable women still being jailed? – The Guardian

Posted June 17th, 2013 in inquests, mental health, news, prisons, suicide, women by sally

“Suicide case highlights dangers of unsafe prisons, say campaigners.”

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The Guardian, 16th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Prison experts urge replacement of run down ‘dungeons’ with ‘superjails’ – the Guardian

Posted June 17th, 2013 in budgets, news, prisons by sally

“More than 30 ‘run down and poorly located’ jails, including some of the prison system’s most famous names – Dartmoor, Holloway, Pentonville, Wandsworth and Wormwood Scrubs – should be shut down and replaced with a new generation of ‘superjails’, according to prison experts.”

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The Guardian, 17th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Supreme court urged to reject challenge to prisoner voting ban – The Guardian

Posted June 12th, 2013 in bills, elections, human rights, news, prisons, Supreme Court by sally

“The attorney general, Dominic Grieve, has urged the supreme court to dismiss legal challenges by two convicted murderers who are seeking the right for prisoners to vote.”

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The Guardian, 11th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Two murderers launch Supreme Court challenge for right to vote in prison – The Independent

Posted June 10th, 2013 in elections, human rights, news, prisons, Supreme Court by sally

“Two convicted murderers have taken their fight for the right to vote while in prison to the UK’s highest court.”

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The Independent, 10th June 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Europe’s human rights judge warns UK over Convention threat – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 5th, 2013 in human rights, judges, news, prisons, treaties by sally

“Britain would face ‘political disaster’ and may have to leave the EU if it wants to pull out of the European Convention on Human Rights, Europe’s leading judge on the issue has warned.”

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Daily Telegraph, 4th June 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Broken arms and strip-searches revealed in damning boys’ jail report – The Independent

“Two children at a privately-run Young Offenders Institution had their arms broken by staff last year during routine strip searches, a report by the Prison Inspectorate has revealed.”

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The Independent, 4th June 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Worcester child killer David McGreavy anonymity waived – BBC News

Posted May 22nd, 2013 in anonymity, disclosure, murder, news, parole, prisons by sally

“The High Court has overturned an order granting anonymity to a man who murdered three children in Worcester.”

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BBC News, 22nd May 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Chris Grayling to crack down on criminals freed early from jail – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 22nd, 2013 in early release, news, prisons, sentencing by sally

“Justice Secretary Chris Grayling has plans to crack down on criminals who are freed from jail halfway through their sentence.”

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Daily Telegraph, 22nd May 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

All prisoners face a year of supervision upon release – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 9th, 2013 in bills, news, prisons, probation, rehabilitation by sally

“Low-level criminals who spend a few weeks or months in prison will be supervised
for a year in the community after their release in an attempt to cut ‘shameful
levels’ of reoffending, the Justice Secretary will announce.”

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Daily Telegraph, 9th May 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Sex in prisons: Campaigners warn of culture of denial over sexual relationships between inmates as new commission publishes report – The Independent

Posted May 7th, 2013 in HIV, news, prisons, reports by sally

“The first Commission into Sex in Prisons has drawn attention to a rarely reported issue.”

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The Independent, 6th May 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Toughening up prisoner privileges – Ministry of Justice

Posted May 1st, 2013 in news, prisons, rehabilitation by sally

“Significant reforms are being made to toughen up the Incentives and Earned Privileges (IEP) scheme in male adult prisons throughout England and Wales.”

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Ministry of Justice, 30th April 2013

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

Prison perks: inmates must wear uniforms as Grayling cracks down – The Guardian

Posted April 30th, 2013 in news, prisons by sally

“All convicted male prisoners are to be required to wear prison uniform for the first two weeks of their sentence under a shakeup of life in jail ordered by the justice secretary, Chris Grayling.”

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The Guardian, 30th April 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Regina v Cosford and others – WLR Daily

Regina v Cosford and others [2013] EWCA Crim 466; [2013] WLR (D) 147

“The test for identifying a public office turned on the nature of the duty undertaken and, in particular, whether it was a public duty in the sense that it represented the fulfilment of one of the responsibilities of government such that the public had a significant interest in its discharge extending beyond an interest in anyone who might be directly affected by a serious failure in the performance of the duty. The existence or otherwise of a public office was a question of law to be decided by a trial judge not by a jury.”

WLR Daily, 16th April 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Isn’t it time to abolish most women’s prisons? – Daily Telegraph

Posted April 25th, 2013 in drug abuse, news, prisons, victims, women by sally

“A parliamentary campaign launched today from Soroptimist and the Prison Reform Trust, suggests women and their families are disproportionately affected by a jail term. Ahead of Vicky Pryce’s expected release next month, Cathy Newman appraises the effectiveness of female imprisonement in the UK and considers the alternatives.”

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Daily Telegraph, 25th April 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Class A drugs policy failing, say prison governors – BBC News

Posted April 25th, 2013 in crime, drug abuse, drug offences, news, prisons by sally

“Current policy on illegal drugs creates victims of crime and more prisoners at a cost to taxpayers, the Prison Governors Association (PGA) has argued.”

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BBC News, 25th April 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Older prisoners are fastest-growing part of jail population, says chief inspector – The Guardian

Posted April 23rd, 2013 in elderly, news, prisons, select committees by sally

“Prisoners aged over 60 are now the fastest-growing part of the jail population in England and Wales, the chief inspector of prisons has told MPs.”

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The Guardian, 23rd April 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘The legal status of prisoners in this country is a mark of its humanity’ – LegalVoice

“On 4 April, a matter of days after the cuts to civil legal aid were brought into effect, Chris Grayling has announced the Government’s intention to cut legal aid for prisoners seeking to bring proceedings for judicial review of decisions relating to their treatment or the conditions of their confinement. He complains that £4 million pounds in legal aid is spent annually on such complaints and says that they can be perfectly adequately dealt with by the internal prison complaints system. His justification for the cuts makes neither financial nor constitutional sense and begs the question, what are his true motives?”

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LegalVoice, 18th April 2013

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

No Sky TV, no Xbox: prisoners’ perks to be axed as Chris Grayling gets tough on jails – The Independent

Posted April 15th, 2013 in news, prisons by sally

“Thousands of prisoners could lose their automatic access to gym equipment, games consoles and other perks under plans for a tough new regime in Britain’s jails.”

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The Independent, 14th April 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk