21/05/2021.
Report slams “unacceptable” living conditions at Ford Prison during Covid-19
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons visited HMP Ford near Arundel during March and April, and said it was “unacceptable” that access to laundry facilities and soap was so poor - particularly during Covd-19. The category D open prison held 418 prisoners at the time of the inspection, having reduced numbers following the closure of some old billet accommodation. The report said the prison had the potential for coronavirus to spread rapidly due to “poor hygiene and cohorting practices”. — The Argus

27/03/2021.
Lockdown in lockdown, I watched the country close while in prison
Steve Newark was in prison as the pandemic spread. He came out into a world that had changed beyond recognition — The Big issue

24/03/2021.
Prisoners at Nottinghamshire prison help make PPE for NHS staff
Prisoners at HMP Lowdham Grange have so far made 1,200 sets of scrubs, 716 surgical gowns, 470 surgical caps and more than 16,000 face coverings for the NHS to use during the pandemic. — Chad

11/02/2021..
What it is like in prison during the coronavirus pandemic.
Prisoners said that violence, intimidation and bullying had not stopped, but had instead taken other forms - Gloucestershire Live

19/01/2021..
Commission concerned about COVID prison conditions.
Renewed concerns about the management of COVID-19 in Scotland’s prisons have been raised by the Scottish Human Rights Commission. In a letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Humza Yousaf, the Commission seeks assurances that steps will be taken to address the rising prison population, which it says is fast approaching pre-lockdown levels. - Law Society of Scotland

02/08/2021. Remand scandal
An investigation by Inside Time has revealed the full impact of court delays on the prison population during the coronavirus pandemic. As trials have been postponed, the number of people being held on remand has surged across the UK. At 15 English prisons, more than a third of residents are awaiting trial. At one, Thameside, more than half are unconvicted. Court closures due to the virus have increased the backlog of criminal cases awaiting trial in the Crown Court in England and Wales, from 39,000 early last year to almost 60,000. In response, the Government increased the maximum time that can be spent on remand from six months to eight months. There are 12,000 people on remand in England and Wales, where they account for 15 per cent of the prison population; 2,000 in Scotland (26 per cent); and 500 in Northern Ireland (36 per cent). — Inside time

30/06/2021.
New research on minority women’s experience of prison contradicts claim “systemic racism is not an issue for the UK”
The systemic racism and sexism endured by racially minoritised women in the criminal justice system has been laid bare in a new report – contradicting recent claims made by the Government’s Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, chaired by Tony Sewell, that systemic racism is not a problem in the UK. “When the Sewell Report says there is no systemic racism, I have to disagree”, said Ola – a formerly imprisoned black woman who spoke at the launch of the report by charity Working Chance. “I am a victim of it.”. The new research reveals how black and ethnic minority women with criminal records find it harder to get back into work after being in prison. Population data from the Ministry of Justice found that 18% of the women’s prison population are from an ethnic minority group – compared to 14% of the general population. Black women make up 8.9% of the prison population, even though they are 3% of the general population. Racist attitudes start before women even make it to court, as evidenced by Lashan’s testimony. Once in the courtroom, racially minoritised people are more likely to receive custodial sentences, and receive longer average sentences, than white people. The racial disparity in sentencing has a long-term impact on everything from mental health and family breakdown, to employment opportunities. The longer the sentence, the longer an individual will show up on a criminal record check. — Byline times

01/04/2021.
New rules give victims right to know when offender leaves prison
The code is a charter of rights that dictate the minimum level of service victims can expect at every stage of the justice process, regardless of whether they choose to report the crime or not. Dame Vera Baird, the victims’ commissioner for England and Wales, said the code should help refocus the criminal justice system to the needs of victims and pave the way for a victims’ law. — The Guardian

17/03/2021.
Third of remand prisoners in England being held beyond legal time limit for trials More than 3,600 people – almost a third of England’s remand prison population – have been held beyond the legal time limit awaiting trials as the pandemic wreaks havoc on the legal process. — The Guardian

11/02/2021
Voting in prison should be mandatory – here’s why
In the US, 48 states and the district of Columbia ban prisoners from voting. Far from banning prisoners from voting or making it difficult for them to vote, we think democratic governments should legally oblige felons to vote and call them to account if they don’t. The conversation

27/09/2021. Wellingborough mega prison: How many prisoners will it hold, and when does it open
The privately-owned jail has been built with revolutionary X-shaped wings, instead of the typical K shape, in a bid to shorten the length of walkways. Britan’s biggest ever prison coming to the county has proven to be decisive among locals. Some believe that more needs to be done to keep criminals off of the street, and a prison like this is the perfect image of justice, deterrence and rehabilitaion for the county. It’s also created at least 700 jobs in the local area. Others believe that the £253,000,000 spent could have been better used to combat the root causes of crime, like poverty and inequality. Back in April, protestors blocked delivery vehicles carrying construction materials to the prison, objecting to the privatisation and monetisation of the prison system. A spokesperson for Kier, who built the prison, said of the demonstration: “We respect everyone’s right to a peaceful protest. HMP Five Wells replaces the former HMP Wellingborough and provides modern facilities, creating a safe and secure environment to encourage rehabilitation.” — Northantslive

30/05/2021..
Justice Secretary’s fury as prison bosses run “playgroup” meditation sessions for staff to learn about diversity and intersectionality
Ministers have been angered by staff development methods being used by prison bosses to identify unconscious bias. The session is just one of a series of activities taking place in prisons to teach staff about ‘intersectionality’, a term coined by American black civil rights activist and feminist Kimberlé Crenshaw to describe discrimination and privilege. The kit includes includes information and recommending reading including Ms Crenshaw’s book Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex: a black feminist critique of anti-discrimination doctrine, feminist theory and anti-racist politics and Diversity, by the BBC’s Director of Creative Diversity, June Sarpong. Justice Secretary Robert Buckland is said to have told his civil servant to get a “grip” with one source telling the Sunday Telegraph that Mr Buckland is at the “end of his tether”. — Daily mail

03/02/2021.
Nine buildings and 1,680 prison cells constructed at Wellingborough’s new prison in just 45 weeks
The new prison is due to open early next year. - Northamptonshire Telegraph

23/01/2021.
Hundreds of new cells to be built in women’s jails despite repeat calls to reduce prison population
The Government had promised the early release of some 4,000 prisoners at the start of the pandemic, but instead the Ministry of Justice has announced that it is to build up to 500 new prison cells in women’s jails. - I news

06/06/2021.
Protesters gather outside prison against expansion and alleged racism
A Yorkshire prison was picketed over the weekend by campaigners demanding an end to racism and the dumping of plans to more than double the number of people it incarcerates. The government is planning to create another 10,000 places in Britain’s prisons, on top of the 80,000 which already exist. Campaigners are also protesting against the treatment of two prisoners incarcerated in Full Sutton, Kevan Thakrar and Dwayne Fulgence, who they say have been subjected to racist treatment and violence – allegations which the prison service denies. In March, United Nations special rapporteur on torture Nils Melzer wrote to the government to raise “grave concern at the indefinite and prolonged detention of Mr Thakrar in what appears to be conditions of solitary confinement” and expressed concern at the “prolonged or indefinite solitary confinement” in special units used throughout the prison system. He said that the incarceration of Mr Thakrar resulted in “severe pain or suffering amounting to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment, or even torture”. — Morning Star

27/04/2021.
White prison officers at HMP Full Sutton accused of assaulting a Black Muslim prisoner
Allegations have emerged that a group of white officers assaulted a Black Muslim prisoner at HMP Full Sutton on Thursday 22 April. This is the second complaint that The Canary has seen from inside HMP Full Sutton in two weeks. — The Canary

13/02/2021.
Hundreds of prison staff are fired over sex, drugs and dozing as Ministry of Justice sacks three employees every week
Prison staff are being sacked at the rate of three a week for offences including corruption, fraud and bedding inmates, shocking official figures reveal. - Daily mail online

03/01/2021.
“Deep crisis” in British prisons as use of force against inmates doubles.
The use of force against inmates has doubled over the past decade, amid continuing concern over high levels of violence and disorder in prisons. A loss of experienced prison staff, overcrowding and a subsequent growth in violence against both prisoners and staff has been blamed for force being used 49,111 times in England and Wales in the 12 months before the Covid pandemic began. - The Guardian

16/11/2021. Transgender prisoners: what do Britons think should determine which prison someone goes to?
Following recent legal challenges, the High Court has ruled that it is lawful for women’s prisons to house inmates who were born male but identify as female. This case has reopened the long-standing debate of where transgender inmates should be housed when they are sentenced to prison, with the House of Lords yesterday debating a move to have male-born offenders convicted of sexual offences housed only in men’s prisons. The Transgender Case Board is the body of agencies that currently manages decisions on where offenders are placed. A transgender individual has the choice to appeal to go to the type of prison they prefer, but certain factors (i.e. their legal gender) can impact the result. Different approaches have also been tested, such as a specific wing for transgender women in HMP Downview. There is no public consensus on what factors should determine where a transgender offender is housed, regardless of whether they are a transgender man or a woman. The most common answer was that there should be a specific wing or prison for transgender inmates, with a quarter (25%) of Britons choosing this. The next most frequent responses were that it should be based on the individual’s current physical characteristics (15-16%), their sex at birth (12-13%), or the gender they identify as now (11-12%). Another 9% say placement should be determined by a person’s legal gender. — YouGov

15/11/2021. Record numbers of older inmates in jail at Risley prison
Statistics from the Ministry of Justice showed that 77 inmates aged 60 or above were incarcerated at Risley prison at the end of September, 8.2 per cent of the jail’s population of 936. That was an increase of 7.9 per cent on the previous year and the highest proportion since records began in 2015. Across England and Wales, this figure stood at 6.2 per cent. The MOJ said that the ageing prison population has been driven by recent increases in the number of prosecutions for historic sexual offences. — Warrington Guardian

10/11/2021. Should pregnant women really be sent to prison? How the criminal justice system is failing mums-to-be
“Prison was like living in a bad dream where you’re screaming but nobody hears you – you’re locked in a room and there’s no way to get out if you need help. The walls constantly feel like they’re closing in around you. It’s very claustrophobic.“ Anna was six months pregnant when she was arrested, and remanded into custody just a day later. Understandably, being sent to prison while so far into her pregnancy came as a shock, but it was nothing compared to what she experienced over the coming months, from being forced to endure an internal hospital exam whilst handcuffed to an officer, to having minimal visits from a midwife and a painful labour, which included her mother and baby’s father almost missing the birth due to officers ignoring her requests to contact them. Immediately after her baby was born, Anna was sent to stay on a Mother and Baby Unit (a space within prison, also known as an MBU, where a mother can live with her baby up until the age of 18 months). “I went there straight from the hospital, and as soon as the door shut behind me I fell apart,” the 35-year-old recalls, “I was sitting in a prison cell with a newborn baby and I had no idea what I was doing. From then on, my mental health deteriorated drastically.” — Cosmopolitan

25/10/2021. Jailing of most mothers for non-violent crimes should stop, says report
A report from UK crime and justice consultancy Crest Advisory, called Counting the Cost of Maternal Imprisonment, has tracked the impact of the imprisonment of mothers on both them and their children and, for the first time, worked out the financial cost. Along with the devastation felt by mothers about being forcibly separated from their children, the impact on their children can include school exclusion, suicide attempts, increased vulnerability to exploitation, mental health issues and youth crime. Along with the devastation felt by mothers about being forcibly separated from their children, the impact on their children can include school exclusion, suicide attempts, increased vulnerability to exploitation, mental health issues and youth crime. Only 4% of the prison population is female. The majority of women are jailed for non-violent offences. In 2020 72% of women were imprisoned for non-violent offences and 70% sentenced to less than 12 months in prison. — The Guardian

11/10/2021. Children locked in rooms at youth prison up to 23 hours a day – report
Children being held in a privately run prison have been locked in their rooms for up to 23 hours a day in uncomfortably hot conditions, according to a damning report by three inspectorates. Inspectors who arrived unannounced at Oakhill secure training centre (STC) for boys aged 12-17 identified “widespread failings” which they said were having “a significant impact on the care and wellbeing of the children held there”. The centre’s records showed that from mid-July 2021 onwards, children being held at the institution in Milton Keynes spent approximately 19 hours a day on average locked in their rooms, increasing to 23 hours on some days, and the report noted that the true figure could have been even higher. “The Youth Custody Service (YCS) reported to inspectors that it questions the accuracy of the centre’s data, indicating that the time children have spent locked into their rooms could be higher than that reported by the centre.” the report states. — The Guardian

07/10/2021. How the pandemic is hurting women leaving prison
A two-year prison sentence for fraud left 55-year-old Yasmine* from North East England with post-traumatic stress disorder. Imprisoned from November 2018 to September 2020, Covid-19 restrictions meant she was spending up to 24 hours isolated in a cramped cell, and when she became seriously ill pre-pandemic in 2019 with internal bleeding, she had to frantically convince prison guards to take her to hospital. There, she was diagnosed with haemophilia, a blood disorder, while handcuffed to two police officers. “It was hell,” she tells Huck. Yet, Yasmine still felt safer in prison than she does now on the outside. “When you leave prison, you’re dumped into your old life and everything’s changed,” she says, fighting back tears. “Nothing prepares you for Covid, because nobody told us what it would be like outside. They don’t prepare you for anything in prison.” While women only make up four per cent of the UK’s prison population, they are less likely than men to secure employment or accommodation after their release, particularly if they are Black or from an ethnic minority. When the pandemic put a halt to face-to-face interactions with probation and housing officers, women like Yasmine were even less certain about what would happen to them once they left the prison gates. — Huck

29/07/2021. ”My job is to deradicalise the UK’s most extreme terrorists in prison”
Dr Zainab Al-Ataar works one to one with prisoners convicted of the worst terror attacks seen in Britain and has spoken for the first time about whether she can ever be sure terrorists claiming they want to reform are telling the truth. Dr Al-Ataar told us their evaluations are “forensic” - though it can take more than a decade for the offenders to even begin reflecting on their crimes. “We don’t just base our or our assessment on what people say” she told ITV News. The psychologist says she believes some are worried that what they’ve done will “suddenly lose meaning” and that they feel the need to “convince yourself it was for something”. — ITV

07/07/2021.
Gay rights group to intervene prison sex ban legal challenge A gay rights group is set to intervene in a legal challenge over a ban on sexual contact between inmates and a refusal to allow condoms and other sex aids into the all male prison. The lawyers for the life sentence prisoner at Maghaberry argue that a refusal by prison chiefs to allow the items into the jail are in breach of the human rights act and the European Convention on Human Rights. The inmate, who has been granted anonymity, is challenging a failure by the Northern Ireland Prison Service to permit “effective access to preventative measures to prevent sexually transmitted infections”. Among the items requested are condoms, lubricants, dental dams, and disinfectant tablets together with information about sexually transmitted and blood borne infections. One of the main support groups for the LGBT community, The Rainbow Project, said it may join the legal action. Director John O’Doherty said his organisation has been working on the issue for more than 20 years. — The irish News

16/06/2021.
All children to be taken from privately run Rainsbrook youth jail
All children will be removed from a privately run youth jail because of serious ongoing safety concerns, the government has announced. Work is under way to find alternative accommodation for 33 children at Rainsbrook secure training centre, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said, after calls for urgent action to address problems at the unit. The government was urged to step in after it emerged children were being locked up for more than 23 hours a day at the site near Rugby in Warwickshire during the coronavirus pandemic. Rainsbrook can hold up to 87 children aged between 12 and 17, whether serving a custodial sentence or on remand from the courts. — The Guardian

17/04/2021.
Women in prison: why building more cells isn’t the answer
Currently, around 80% of women entering prison are serving time for a non-violent, petty crime. Their sentences are often short but can carry the same weight as a woman awarded a long one – children’s lives are disrupted, homes lost, stereotypes created, mental health shattered, and job opportunities shot. It’s an issue that has caused many campaigners to push for change when it comes to sentencing women. In 2018 the Ministry of Justice published a female offender strategy that outlined plans to reduce the female prison population, after finding that women are uniquely negatively affected by the criminal justice system. Yet despite this review, earlier this year the Ministry of Justice announced plans to build up to 500 new prison cells in women’s jails, as part of an initiative to steer female offenders away from crime and improve conditions for those already serving time. — Metro

02/03/2021.
Government’s trans women prison policy to be challenged at the High Court
A prisoner who says she was sexually assaulted in jail is taking the Ministry of Justice to the High Court over its policy of placing trans women in women’s prisons. — Metro News

11/02/2021.
Short prison sentences for women are ineffective and a waste of money – investment is needed in rehabilitation.
The government vowed to reduce the number of females locked up and tackle the ‘underlying causes of offending’, its new 500 new prison cell plan proves it is planning to fail. - The Independent

31/01/2021.
Welsh language speaker alleges discrimination at Britain’s largest prison.
In 2018, while recognising HMP Berwyn’s progress, the Welsh language commissioner Meri Huws found that Welsh speakers in prison avoided using Welsh. This is because they feared it would make their lives more difficult. - The Canary

29/01/2021.
The mother, the baby and the prison: a better future?
There are currently thirteen female prisons across England with only six of them accommodating mother and baby units providing care for women and their babies. With around 17,000 children being separated from their mothers after the first 18 months, it raises the question, is there another way? - Prison phone

24/01/2021.
Terrorism watchdog to open inquiry into radicalisation in prison
An inquiry into the way prisons deal with convicted terrorists is being launched by the independent terror watchdog amid concerns of growing radicalisation behind bars. — The Guardian

06/01/2021.
South Wales women more likely to end up in prison than rest of UK
Women across South Wales were given 340 prison sentences last year – the highest across England and Wales. - Barry and district news

03/12/2021. Universities offer free places to prisoners
Two universities are offering free courses to prisoners in the new year – earning credits which could count towards a degree. Learners can choose to study Crime and Society, a module from the University of Westminster’s Law and Social Science foundation year, or Common Law Method and Ethics, a module from the University of Law’s LLB (Bachelor of Law) degree. The distance learning courses are being offered through DWRM, a consultancy launched last year to bring higher education into prisons. Each course starts in January, runs for 12 weeks and has a limited number of places available to prisoners with full scholarship funding. To continue studying beyond the introductory courses, prisoners would need to pay – which may be done through a student loan, for those who are eligible. — Insider Time

20/10/2021. What the food sector needs to know about employing prison leavers
Prisons often teach industry-level skills leading to qualifications, such as in food safety and preparation. The government recently announced the expansion of a kitchen training scheme across England and Wales to enable prisoners to train in prison kitchens while gaining professional qualifications. Some businesses such as frozen food giant Bernard Matthews run workshops in prison that are tailored to their needs, so prison leavers are job-ready on release. Employers can tap into this talent pool to resolve labour gaps and help people get their lives back on track. — The Grocer

12/06/2021.
Prison education: Around 600 staff go on strike
Around 600 staff at 49 prisons across England are set to strike tomorrow in a long running health and safety dispute with employer Novus. UCU says the dispute is over the failure to address health and safety concerns raised by prison educators, a failure to meaningfully engage with UCU on the part of Novus, and repeated attempts by management to intimidate staff who had raised health and safety issues. — TES

07/06/2021.
Collaborative efforts lead to creation of prison academies
Included in the company’s partnership effort with Bell Group is the chance for prisoners to gain vocational qualifications in painting and decorating and a Construction Skills Certification Scheme card. Those graduating from the academy will additionally have the opportunity for working at Bell Group, with the dual benefit of reducing reoffending and assisting with the construction industry’s skills shortage. — PFM

20/05/2021.
Building a set of skills: the new jail being built with the help of prisoners
A new prison is being built in Northamptonshire with the help of prisoners. Prisoners from HMP Sudbury have been working with the construction company Keir to learn new skills as part of their rehabilitation. “I’m planning on doing construction when I get out, so it means a lot to me, it’s definitely an opportunity for me and it’s definitely something I want to get into when I get out” said a prisoner. — ITV News

28/01/2021..
Phones provided to Cork prison inmates during Covid-19 pandemic
In cell phones were provided for inmates of Cork prison during the past year to help them retain contact with their families during the Covid-19 restrictions. The measure was highlighted in a new report from the Irish Penal Reform Trust. - Echo Live

04/01/2021..
Julian Assange to seek release from prison after extradition ruling
Julian Assange will make a fresh appeal to be released from prison this week after a British judge ruled that he cannot be extradited to the US to face charges of espionage and hacking government computers. - The Guardian

18/10/2021. North and north-east prison staff take over 8,000 days off for mental health reasons in five years
In the five years leading up to March 2021, a total of 6,809 days off were taken by staff in HMP Grampian for mental health reasons. A further 1,320 days were lost in HMP Inverness by staff taking days off for mental health reasons throughout the five years. Across Scotland, more than 100,000 working days were lost, with prison staff calling in sick because of their mental health on 100,770 days in the last five years. The “damning” figures have been criticised by the Scottish Conservatives, who said it shows the need for the pressures on prison staff to be tackled head-on. North East MSP Douglas Lumsden said: “I believe the pandemic has uncovered a mental health crisis among our prison officers. But these figures make it clear the problem was brewing long before the events of the last year.“ — Evening Express

23/09/2021. Douglas J. Cusine: More to prison FAIs than meets the eye
The research into fatal accident inquiries, for me, reads rather strangely. The researchers looked at approximately 200 cases of deaths in prison, but because in only 10 per cent of these was any recommendation made, they suggest that the system is flawed. It is not clear whether any comparison was made with the determinations in non-prison cases. In my experience, recommendations in FAIs were in a tiny minority of cases. Prisons have other mechanisms in place to deal with such cases, e.g. a suicide watch, when the prisoner is in the cell and officers will check on the inmate, e.g every 10 minutes. It may be that between one inspection and another, the prisoner commits suicide. The issues for the FAI would be: was the inspection routine adhered to? If not, why? If the inspection routine was complied with, was it feasible/desirable to have a more frequent inspection? Would that be put in place for all prisoners on this category? Staff levels may be such that, even if desirable, it may not be feasible. Another question would be whether, had the prisoner been seen earlier, could the life have been saved? The answer would depend on medical evidence. — Scottish Legal News

20/09/2021. “Get the jab to get unlocked”, Government tells prisoners
The Government has warned that prison regimes cannot get back to normal while so many prisoners are declining the offer of a Covid vaccine. Justice Minister Alex Chalk admitted that in some prisons in England and Wales, half of all residents have turned down the offer of a first jab. He told Parliament last week: “Every prisoner has been offered a vaccination, although there are some decline rates, which are higher in London, of up to 50 per cent. Every effort is being made to encourage prisoners to get vaccinated, because we could then open up the regime.” Since the start of the pandemic 18 months ago, more than 150 prisoners in England and Wales have died with Covid-19. All prisoners were offered a first dose of vaccine by July, a few days after the Government claimed the whole country had been offered the jab. — Inside Time

13/09/2021.
Prisoners lives matter
Savid Javid, the new government Health Secretary, states : “Lockdown must end due to the damaging impact on people’s mental“. Lockdown has caused severe health issues. The continuing present regime means most detainees are facing 23+ hours locked in cells, and some without windows that can be opened even for fresh air and ventilation. There will come a time when this regime has to end. — Insidetime

10/09/2021.
World Suicide Prevention Day: How Labour should approach prison suicide
The rate of suicide in prison for men is five to six times of that in the community; for women, it is 20 times the rate. (In the community, three times more men than women in die by suicide.) There are currently almost two suicides a week in our prisons. Our prisons are not fit for purpose. They are unsafe, unsanitary, overcrowded and understaffed, despite the best efforts of many who work in them as officers, healthcare workers and charity workers. Ongoing exposure to suicide takes a high toll on the prison workforce, increasing levels of burnout and, at times, affecting their ability to respond to future suicide attempts. Prisons should not be places for people in acute mental health crises. — Labourlist

06/07/2021.
Prisons fail to spot autism and dyslexia
Inspectors are preparing to publish a damning report on the way people with autism and dyslexia are looked after in jails. Three inspectorates were asked by the Ministry of Justice to gather evidence on how the justice system treats people with neurodivergent conditions. The term covers autism spectrum conditions; learning difficulties and disabilities like dyslexia; attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and acquired brain injury. We found screening was patchy and many were not assessed at all, either at point of entry or later on. There were some pockets of good practice where programmes were in place to meet neurodivergent needs, but we also found that most staff had had little or no training in how to provide support. It is estimated that at least a third of prisoners have a learning disability or challenge, compared with an estimated two per cent of the population. — Inside time

08/06/2021. Lack of services sees thousands of people with a mental disorder sent to prison, says report The Royal College of Psychiatrists found up to 8,000 prisoners may have received a community sentence or a suspended prison sentence if specialist mental health services were available. Prof Pamela Taylor, lead author of the report, said: “Too many people with mental disorders who get involved with criminal justice are being failed by a system that overlooks the use of Mental Health Treatment Requirements. Sending them to prison for quite minor offences may be dangerous for the offender-patients and may harm the wider community too.”. — Local Gouv

04/06/2021. HMP Woodhill: Urgent review call after unlawful detention death A coroner has called for an urgent review following the suicide of a prisoner detained unlawfully after his release was delayed by a bank holiday. Mark Culverhouse, 29, died in April 2019, but should not have been in custody at HMP Woodhill, Milton Keynes at the time he took his own life. Senior coroner for Milton Keynes claimed: “I consider that there was a clear link between his unlawful detention and his eventual death… and, in order to prevent similar deaths in the future, I believe an urgent review is required and the system changed to ensure that the calculation of the release date is made prior to the decision to recall being taken”. — BBC News

21/05/2021.
”He has got a mental age of 10 - prison is not where he should be”
The Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris, delayed sentencing Joseph Rhys Aldred, 22, for weeks in the hope that a place could be found where he could live with the appropriate help and supervision. But when the case returned to court, defence solicitor advocate Graham Parkin said no place had been found, despite both him and the probation service trying to find one. By then, Aldred had been remanded in prison custody for more than six months. After the court heard how a psychologist had assessed Aldred as having mild learning difficulties as well as a mental age of 10, he was given a two-year prison sentence suspended for two years. — York press

21/04/2021.
Mental health in prison inquiry launched
A serious increase in the level of self-harm incidents in prisons, and generally poor levels of information about wider matters concerning mental health in places of detention, are among the issues that have prompted the House of Commons Justice Committee to launch an inquiry, Mental Health in Prison. “The data on how many people in prison have mental health problems and how much government is spending to address this is poor”.Nevertheless, most research suggests that people in prison are more likely to suffer from mental health problems than those in the wider community. — Committees parliament

15/02/2021.
Erlestoke prison inmates self-harmed hundreds of times in one year
Inmates harmed themselves hundreds of times while behind bars at Erlestoke Prison in a year, figures reveal. - This is Wiltshire

08/02/2021.
Styal Prison sees most self-harm among inmates in England and Wales
There were more incidents of self-harm among inmates at Styal Prison than anywhere else in England and Wales last year, new figures reveal. - Knutsford Guardian

05/02/2021.
Prison lockdowns and mental distress of pandemic believed to have led to shocking self-harm rates of HMP Berwyn inmates
Inmates harmed themselves more than 1,000 times while behind bars at Berwyn Prison in the last year, figures reveal. - The Leader