United Kingdom
Seen in the press
Read our selection of press reports about this country.
UK : prison violence epidemic partly due to staff cuts, MoJ admits
Self-inflicted deaths at a record high and assaults rise 34% as observers condemn “toxic mix of violence, death and misery”. The Ministry of Justice has explicitly acknowledged that staff cuts are a factor in the rising tide of violence in prisons in England and Wales.UK : criminals under 25 should not go to adult prison, MPs say
‘The Ministry of Justice has not clearly articulated to us why it has not acted decisively to develop a systematic new approach to young adults, given the weight of evidence’. Young offenders are still developing neurologically up to age of 25 and should be kept out of adult prisons, a group of MPs…UK : prison and probation 'must be overhauled to cut re-offending that costs taxpayer billions of pounds'
Prison and probation services in England and Wales must be overhauled to drive down re-offending rates that cost the taxpayer billions of pounds, according to a report. Ministers were urged to push up staffing numbers and bring in legislation to establish a new rehabilitation “duty”.UK : prison reforms 'simply not achievable' amid 'loss of control'
The government’s ambitious prison reform plans are “simply not achievable”, the former chief inspector of prisons has warned. Giving a lecture in London, Prof Nick Hardwick said rising suicides, assaults and murders in jails were proof of the “loss of control”. His comments come days after a prison…UK : the hidden mental health crisis in women’s prisons
From self-harming in groups to starvation and self-immolation, women are overwhelmingly more likely than men to hurt themselves while incarcerated. So why isn’t the prison system responding? Maria, 29, is a disability rights activist who uses a wheelchair. She also has borderline personality disord…UK : Juliet Lyon, ‘If the state takes away your liberty, it must keep you safe’
The almost 17 years Juliet Lyon spent as director of the Prison Reform Trust before stepping down in July was good preparation for her new role as chair of the Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody (IAP). With figures last month showing violence and death in English and Welsh prisons at a…UK : prisons inspector slates HMP Bedford as 'abject failure' over standards
It is easier to get illegal drugs than to get clothes or sheets in Bedford prison, where standards have declined to “unacceptable levels”, according to the new chief inspector of prisons. Peter Clarke, the former head of police counter-terrorism, said it was hard to understand how there had been “s…UK : prison violence at 'wholly unacceptable' level, ombudsman finds
An official inquiry has criticised the “wholly unacceptable level of violence” in English and Welsh jails after a record six inmates were killed in 2015-16. A report by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman into the six homicides also uncovered a 38% rise in the number of assaults involving a blade o…UK : prisoner died after jail staff "failed to treat his severe asthma"
A prison inmate who suffered from severe asthma died due to “serious failings” in the way jail staff managed his medical condition, a coroner has ruled. Senior Coroner Andre Rebello has warned that unless lessons are learned from the death of Ashley Gil, the prison service may experience future fat…England and Wales : rise in prisoners moved to mental health hospitals
More prisoners are being diagnosed with mental health problems requiring hospital treatment, official figures obtained by the Guardian show. The number of male prisoners being transferred to hospital under the 1983 Mental Health Act grew by more than 20% between 2011 and 2014 in England and Wales,…Grande-Bretagne : lutte contre l’islamisme radical en prison
Le gouvernement britannique va dévoiler, lundi 22 août, un plan contre l’islamisme radical en prison, prévoyant notamment d’isoler les détenus les plus dangereux et d’interdire à ceux qui encouragent des croyances contraires aux “valeurs britanniques fondamentales” de participer aux prières.Scotland : nearly 70 prisoners sign petition alleging "medical neglect" at Edinburgh prison
An investigation is underway after 65 prisoners signed a petition criticising the medical services at Edinburgh prison. The inmates have alleged “serious medical neglect” and claim that a prisoner who died recently did not get the help he needed.UK : the first annual report of HM Chief Inspector of Prisons released
“Uniquely we focus on the prisoner experience. We make our judgements based on international human rights standards, in support of the UK’s treaty obligations. The Inspectorate is not a regulator in the sense of having powers to enforce standards. Our power comes from the ability to publish our rep…UK : women forced to give birth in front of male prison guards in case they try to escape prison
Babies born in prisons have a much higher chance of developing mental health problems, the report claims. The Government is coming under pressure to justify why it imprisons pregnant women and their babies, after a report suggested that the practice can cause significant harm to infants and mothers…