Cherie slams Labour on ‘factory farm’ jails – The Guardian

Posted May 12th, 2008 in criminal justice, news, prisons by sally

“Cherie Blair has attacked the government’s handling of the criminal justice system by accusing Britain’s jails of failing to protect the public. In an outspoken speech that has drawn a strong rebuttal from the Ministry of Justice, Blair, a judge and QC, said at a human rights seminar that Britain had a ‘factory farm attitude to imprisonment’.”

Full story

The Guardian, 11th May 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Pagan convicts allowed magic wands in cells – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 12th, 2008 in news, prisons by sally

“Hundreds of Pagan worshippers locked up in British jails have been given the right to take twigs into their cells to use as magic wands.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 12th May 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Straw rejects absconding fears over open prisons – The Guardian

Posted May 6th, 2008 in dangerous offenders, news, prisons by sally

“The justice secretary, Jack Straw, yesterday denied a claim by a prison officers’ leader that the public was placed at ‘massive risk’ by dangerous criminals being moved to open prisons.”

Full story

The Guardian, 6th May 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘Risk’ from open prison criminals – BBC News

Posted May 6th, 2008 in dangerous offenders, news, prisons by sally

“Dangerous criminals are being placed in low security open prisons due to overcrowding, at ‘massive’ risk to the general public, the BBC has learned.”

Full story

BBC News, 5th May 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Peart Review – Attorney General’s Office

Posted May 2nd, 2008 in dangerous offenders, prisons, reports by sally

“A review to ascertain the circumstances in which Anthony John Peart, aka Anthony Leon Joseph, came to be at liberty on 29 July 2005”

Full review

Attorney General’s Office, 28th April 2008

Source: www.attorneygeneral.gov.uk

Pregnant prisoner chained up in hospital 24 hours a day – The Guardian

Posted April 28th, 2008 in news, pregnancy, prisons, women by sally

“A prisoner who was admitted to hospital after serious complications during her pregnancy was shackled to a security officer on a metre-long chain while she slept, showered and used the toilet.”

Full story

The Guardian, 28th April 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Prison population reaches all-time high – The Guardian

Posted April 26th, 2008 in news, prisons by sally

“The number of prisoners in England and Wales reached an all-time high today.”

Full story

The Guardian, 25th April 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Jail inmates win £120,000 payout over abuse claims – The Guardian

Posted April 25th, 2008 in compensation, news, prisons by sally

“The Prison Service yesterday agreed to pay more than £120,000 to prisoners who said they had suffered beatings and racial discrimination by prison officers, the Guardian has learned.”

Full story

The Guardian, 25th April 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Almost 3,000 children now held in custody – The Independent

Posted April 21st, 2008 in news, prisons, young offenders by sally

“A drive to cut the number of children behind bars in England and Wales – the highest in western Europe – has failed.”

Full story

The Independent, 19th April 2008

Source: www.independent.co.uk

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

Posted April 18th, 2008 in human rights, law reports, parole, prisons by sally

R (Black) v Secretary of State for Justice [2008] EWCA Civ 359; [2008] WLR (D) 114

“S 35(1) of the Criminal Justice Act 1991, giving the Secretary of State power to override a Parole Board recommendation for the release on parole of a prisoner serving a sentence of more than 15 years, was not compatible with art 5(4) of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.”

WLR Daily, 17th April 2008

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Regina (Black) v Secretary of State for Justice – Times Law Reports

Posted April 18th, 2008 in human rights, law reports, parole, prisons by sally

Regina (Black) v Secretary of State for Justice

Court of Appeal

“Section 35 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991, giving the Secretary of State for Justice power to block the release on licence of prisoners sentenced between 1991 and 2003 to prison terms of more than 15 years, was not compatible with article 5.4 of the European Convention on Human Rights, providing that anyone deprived of his liberty had the right to have the lawfulness of his detention decided speedily by a court.”

The Times, 18th April 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Please note the Times Law Reports are only available free on Times Online for 21days from the date of publication.

Inmates win ‘cold turkey’ payout – The Times

Posted April 18th, 2008 in compensation, human rights, news, prisons by sally

“Taxpayers have footed a £1 million compensation bill after almost 200 drug-addicted prisoners sued the Government, claiming that denying them a heroin substitute breached their human rights.”

Full story

The Times, 18th April 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Justice Secretary Jack Straw loses right to block release for prisoners – The Times

Posted April 16th, 2008 in dangerous offenders, human rights, news, prisons by sally

“The Justice Secretary lost his last power to block the release of dangerous prisoners from jail yesterday when the Court of Appeal ruled that it was a breach of human rights.”

Full story

The Times, 16th April 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Jail staff failing to counter extremism, warns inspector – The Guardian

Posted April 15th, 2008 in Islam, news, prisons by sally

“Inadequately trained staff inside Belmarsh high security prison are failing to challenge extremism and are in danger of feeding radicalisation by alienating Muslim inmates, the chief inspector of prisons warns. Anne Owers says staff at the London jail, which holds nearly 200 Muslims, face a danger of fuelling anti-western attitudes.”

Full story

The Guardian, 15th April 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Big rise in rate of self-harm in jail, says charity – The Guardian

Posted April 14th, 2008 in news, prisons, self-harm by sally

“Rates of self-harm in jail have rocketed in the last four years, a prison reform charity claims today. The Howard League for Penal Reform says the number of prisoners deliberately injuring themselves had risen at four times the rate of the jail population increase.”

Full story

The Guardian, 14th April 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Religious rule may let Muslim sex offenders off jail therapy – The Times

Posted April 9th, 2008 in Islam, news, prisons, sexual offences by sally

“Muslims convicted of sex offences could opt out of treatment programmes intended to stop them offending because open discussion of their crimes is against their religion.”

Full story

The Times, 9th April 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Faith in legal system vanishing, says judge – The Times

Posted April 3rd, 2008 in news, prisons, sentencing by sally

“Britain’s most senior judge spoke out yesterday against the early release of prisoners, which he said undermined confidence in the judicial system.”

Full story

The Times, 3rd April 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Sick and suicidal: plight of women in UK jails – The Guardian

Posted March 31st, 2008 in prisons, self-harm, special report, women by sally

“Most women prisoners have mental health problems, and nine of out 10 were convicted of non-violent offences. Now a new study shows an alarming rise in suicides and self-harm – and behind the statistics lie ruined lives and shattered relatives. With four inquests about to open, Amelia Hill reports on the growing scandal in Britain’s penal system.”

Full story

The Guardian, 30th March 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Early release of terrorists prompts Straw to rethink prisons policy – The Independent

Posted March 29th, 2008 in news, prisons, terrorism by sally

“Ministers were forced into a rapid rethink of a controversial early-release scheme last night after it emerged that two prisoners convicted of terrorism-related offences had been freed earlier this year.”

Full story

The Independent, 29th March 2008

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Islamist terrorist freed under early-release scheme – The Times

Posted March 28th, 2008 in news, prisons, terrorism by sally

“A convicted Islamist terrorist who was caught trying to smuggle blueprints into Britain showing how to build a missile has been released from prison early under the Government’s controversial plans to ease prison overcrowding.”

Full story

The Times, 28th March 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk