“Dozens of prisoners in British jails are routinely under covert electronic surveillance, security sources told The Times last night.”
The Times, 5th February 2008
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
“Jack Straw has made an oral statement to the House of Commons on an inquiry into alleged events at Woodhill Prison.”
Ministry of Justice, 4th February 2008
Source: www.justice.gov.uk
“Bugging devices planted in a prison telephone were illegally used to record privileged conversations between an inmate and his solicitor, The Times has learnt.”
The Times, 5th February 2008
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
“Petra Blanksby killed herself aged 19 after she was jailed for arson – she had tried to burn herself following years of abuse. Now the coroner at her inquest is urging changes in the prison service.”
The Observer, 3rd February 2008
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“The justice minister, Jack Straw, suffered two embarrassing defeats in the court of appeal yesterday, which will force him to pour millions of pounds into the prison and parole system.”
The Guardian, 2nd February 2008
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“This briefing paper on the government’s prison policy provides an update on the prison building programme announced in December 2007, and outlines the further steps we are taking in the specific areas of drugs, prison work and alternatives to custody.”
Prison policy update – briefing paper (PDF)
Ministry of Justice, 31st Janaury 2008
Source: www.justice.gov.uk
“The justice secretary has said fresh prison reforms will cut reoffending rates, reduce drug use in jails and give more skills to offenders.”
BBC News, 31st January 2008
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
“More than 16,000 prisoners have been freed early – including 3,000 guilty of violent crimes – under a government scheme to cut jail overcrowding, the justice ministry revealed today.”
The Guardian, 31st January 2008
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Jack Straw today appeared to back away from plans to build a new generation of 2,500-person ‘Titan’ jails after criticism from the chief inspector of prisons.”
The Guardian, 30th January 2008
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“The government’s “scramble to build new prisons” threatens to move the UK towards a system of ‘large-scale penal containment’ which would mean worse as well as more jails, the chief inspector of prisons warns today.”
The Guardian, 30th January 2008
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Prisoners who are held in police cells as a result of jail overcrowding are costing the taxpayer £459 a night, figures released today show.”
The Guardian, 28th January 2008
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Jack Straw, the Secretary of State for Justice, is to unveil plans to merge the prison and probation services into a US-style ‘Department of Corrections’ to try to get to grips with sentencing and the management of offenders in custody and in the community.”
The Independent, 27th January 2008
Source: www.independent.co.uk
“Ministers ordered a review into open prisons yesterday amid public outcry over the rape of a 16-year-old schoolgirl by a prisoner on the run.”
Daily Telegraph, 25th January 2008
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
“A sixth of all prisoners held in England and Wales have not been found guilty of any offence or are waiting to be sentenced, says the first report to investigate pre-trial detention across the world.”
The Independent, 23rd January 2008
Source: www.independent.co.uk
“Three West Midlands prisons will merge to form one of Britain’s biggest jails, the Prison Service has announced.”
BBC News, 22nd January 2008
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
“Jack Straw is to consider giving up his power to block the transfer of long-term offenders, including murderers, into open prisons in preparation for their release.”
The Times, 21st January 2008
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
“A specialist investigation team is to be sent into one of Britain’s high-security jails after five of its prisoners committed suicide in just over a year.”
The Observer, 20th January 2008
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Privately-run prisons perform worse than those run by the public sector, a document leaked to the BBC suggests.”
BBC News, 19th January 2008
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
“The Ministry of Justice is planning to solve the crisis in the UK prison system by fitting prisoners with surgically implanted tracking chips, claims the Independent on Sunday, citing a senior Ministry official. The chips, claims the paper, would be used to keep order in prison and to enforce home curfews.”
The Register, 14th January 2008
Source: www.theregister.co.uk
“Almost 14,000 prisoners have been freed early from jail to ease overcrowding, Ministry of Justice figures show.”
BBC News, 11th January 2008
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
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