Covid stops family visits for children in youth prisons in England and Wales – The Guardian

Posted September 24th, 2020 in children, coronavirus, families, news, prisons, young offenders by sally

‘Social distancing measures in youth prisons have had “disturbing consequences”, with children denied face-to-face interaction with families and friends, as well as visits from social workers, youth offending staff or lawyers, a report has found.’

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The Guardian, 23rd September 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Terrorist prisoners hit record high in British jails amid warnings of radicalisation – The Independent

Posted September 18th, 2020 in bills, Ministry of Justice, news, prison officers, prisons, recidivists, statistics, terrorism by tracey

‘A record number of terrorists are being held in British prisons, new figures show amid warnings over radicalisation inside “chaotic” jails. Statistics released by the Home Office on Thursday indicate there were 243 people in custody for terror-related offences, up 24 on the previous year.’

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The Independent, 17th September 2020

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Scale of failure in prison system staggering, say MPs – The Guardian

Posted September 11th, 2020 in budgets, Ministry of Justice, news, prisons, standards, statistics by tracey

‘The scale of failure in the prison system in England and Wales is “staggering”, with only 206 out of 10,000 promised new prison spaces delivered by the government, parliament’s spending watchdog has said.’

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The Guardian, 11th September 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Mother sues MoJ over child’s lack of access to father in jails lockdown – The Guardian

Posted September 1st, 2020 in children, families, human rights, news, prisons, telecommunications by sally

‘A mother who fears her 19-month-old child will forget their father if prison visits do not resume soon has begun preliminary legal action against the Ministry of Justice.’

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The Guardian, 31st August 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Legal challenge halts G4S Wellingborough ‘mega prison’ contract – BBC News

Posted August 27th, 2020 in contracting out, news, prisons, tenders by sally

‘Plans to award a £300m “mega prison” contract to the security company G4S have been halted because of a legal challenge, the BBC understands.’

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BBC News, 27th August 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘I Spent 12 Years In Prison For A Crime I Didn’t Commit. Here’s What I Learned’ – Each Other

‘“There are so many people in British prisons that don’t deserve to be there,” said ex-inmate-turned-journalist Raphael Rowe.’

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Each Other, 24th August 2020

Source: eachother.org.uk

Tashan Daniel: Man guilty of London Underground murder – BBC News

Posted August 7th, 2020 in early release, homicide, murder, news, offensive weapons, prisons, recidivists by sally

‘A man has been convicted of murdering an aspiring Olympian who was stabbed to death on a London Underground platform.’

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BBC News, 6th August 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

PC Andrew Harper killing: ringleader sentenced to 16 years in prison – The Guardian

Posted August 3rd, 2020 in homicide, imprisonment, news, police, prisons, theft, young offenders by sally

‘Relatives of PC Andrew Harper, who was dragged to his death in August 2019, have spoken of their pain at his loss as his three killers were jailed on Friday.’

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The Guardian, 31st July 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Ban on prison visits in England and Wales breaches children’s rights, say lawyers – The Guardian

Posted August 3rd, 2020 in children, coronavirus, families, human rights, Ministry of Justice, news, prisons by sally

‘The children of prisoners in England and Wales are having their human rights breached by the ban on jail visits and a lack of video contact, lawyers have claimed, as they begin the first step of legal action against the Ministry of Justice.’

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The Guardian, 31st July 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Judges reject terror offender’s challenge of early release ban – BBC News

‘An attempt by terrorism offender Mohammed Zahir Khan to overturn a ban on early release from prison has been thrown out by the High Court.’

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BBC News, 30th July 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Controversial immigration detention centre in Lincolnshire to close – The Guardian

Posted July 23rd, 2020 in detention, immigration, news, prisons, reports, self-harm, violence by sally

‘A controversial immigration detention centre where several deaths have occurred in recent years is to close.’

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The Guardian, 23rd July 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

The impact of COVID-19 on sentencing – Park Square Barristers

‘This article reviews two Court of Appeal cases which have considered the effect that COVID-19 can have in sentencing in cases where the custody threshold has been passed. In summary, the cases make clear that the adverse effects the pandemic has had on prison life is a relevant factor a sentencing court can take into consideration in deciding: 1) whether to impose a suspend a sentence; and 2) the length of any immediate custodial sentence.’

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Park Square Barristers, 3rd July 2020

Source: www.parksquarebarristers.co.uk

Thousands of high-risk offenders in UK ‘freed into homelessness’ – The Guardian

‘Thousands of high-risk convicted criminals, including those classed as violent and sexual offenders, were being released from prison in England into homelessness, increasing the likelihood of their reoffending, inspectors warned.’

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The Guardian, 8th July 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Are “squalid” prison conditions and the response to the Covid-19 pandemic breaching human rights? – UK Human Rights Blog

‘The latest reports of HM Chief Inspector of Prisons and the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights lay bare the conditions in some British prisons.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 6th July 2020

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Prisons watchdog finds children ‘routinely handcuffed’ – BBC News

‘Detainees, including children, are still being routinely handcuffed in custody in a practice described as “inappropriate and very concerning”.’

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BBC News, 1st July 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Major failures led to accidental release of serial rapist, report finds – The Guardian

‘Significant failings by prison and probation staff, and a policy of not recalling high risk prisoners to alleviate pressure on a growing prison population, saw serial rapist Joseph McCann mistakenly freed from jail to attack 11 women and children, a review has found.’

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The Guardian, 30th June 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Death of baby in Cheshire prison prompts investigation – The Guardian

Posted June 22nd, 2020 in birth, death in custody, news, pregnancy, prisons by sally

‘The prison service has launched an investigation following the death of a baby in prison, the Guardian has learned.’

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The Guardian, 19th June 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘Unrealistic’ appeals system fails prisoners who have been victims of abuse – report – The Guardian

‘One month window to challenge convictions in England and Wales means women who have experienced trauma are unfairly criminalised, campaigners say.’

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The Guardian, 17th June 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Over 1,000 prison leavers left homeless amid pandemic, MoJ figures show – The Guardian

Posted June 16th, 2020 in coronavirus, homelessness, housing, news, prisons by sally

‘More than 1,000 prisoners were released into homelessness at the height of the coronavirus pandemic in England and Wales, figures show, prompting the government to increase funding for accommodation for prison leavers.’

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The Guardian, 15th June 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Private firms to lose role in probation services – BBC News

Posted June 15th, 2020 in contracting out, Ministry of Justice, news, prisons, probation by sally

‘The government has scrapped plans to let private firms run behaviour programmes and unpaid work schemes for offenders in England and Wales.’

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BBC News, 11th June 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk