News November 27, 2017 UK: defendants with mental health issues 'neglected' in England and Wales Report by Justice suggests introduction of specialist prosecutors and a change to the defence of insanity.
News November 2, 2017 UK: up to 100 prisoners on short sentences to be given right to vote Change in rules will apply to offenders out on temporary release licence and aims to end 12-year dispute with Strasbourg court.
News October 22, 2017 UK: prison officers to get body-worn cameras in £3m jail safety boost Officers welcome MoJ’s new measures for England and Wales, including trial of incapacitant spray, but say nothing can replace correct staffing levels.
News October 19, 2017 UK: HMP Winchester inmate who died had asked staff about suicide methods Sean Plumstead’s remarks to staff member – who had not had compulsory self-harm training – were not reported, inquest hears.
News October 12, 2017 UK: four dead in four weeks at Nottingham prison Four inmates have died at Nottingham Prison in the past four weeks, the BBC has learned.
News October 11, 2017 UK: inadequate stats on mental health are failing prisoners The last reliable data on prevalence of offender mental health problems is from 1998, when the prison population was about half what it is today.
News September 21, 2017 UK: from war and slavery to prison – life inside an immigration detention centre David spent five years locked in a house in Britain. Then he spent two years in immigration detention centres.
News August 23, 2017 UK: Stafford prison report reveals oldest inmate is over 100 AROUND 40 inmates at Stafford Prison are being held past their release date, an annual report has revealed. The affected prisoners are being held on Indefinite Protection of the Public (IPP) status, which applied to around 50 inmates – 6.7 per cent of the Stafford Prison population – the Independen…
News August 18, 2017 UK: violence, debt and lockdowns It is the powder wreaking havoc inside Teesside’s biggest prison. Spice has been blamed for Holme House Prison wardens “dropping like flies” after inhaling it. A 5.6kg smuggled spice stash - worth an estimated £200,000 - was found in cells last month, stuffed in cappuccino, Oats-so-Simple and Weeta…
News August 4, 2017 UK: prisons in crisis due to ‘perverse’ government overhaul The president of the Prison Governors Association (PGA) has said prisons in England and Wales are in crisis due to a “perverse” government overhaul and a “toxic mix” of pressures.
News June 21, 2017 United Kingdom: new probation services failing to improve re-offending rates, report finds A key plank of controversial probation reforms shows no sign of improving re-offending rates and could be ditched immediately with little impact being felt, a highly critical report concludes. So-called Through the Gate services were introduced as part of a partial privatisation in 2015 to bridge t…
News June 21, 2017 United Kingdom: ex-prisoners will receive support to start their own businesses with a new fund James Furber, the high sheriff of Greater London, has thrown his weight behind a new fund that aims to help people leaving prison become entrepreneurs. The programme will provide inmates with peer and professional mentors who will assist them with business planning and personal development.
News June 20, 2017 'Buried alive': the old men stuck in Britain’s prisons They can’t manage the stairs, so they can’t exercise, or go to classes. They’re afraid to shower in case they fall. The ones with dementia don’t even know where they are. Is this any way to deal with elderly offenders?
News June 20, 2017 United Kingdom: 'buried alive': the old men stuck in Britain’s prisons Dave was 13 when he got his first custodial sentence. It was 1962 and he had been caught stealing from cars. That sentence was followed by others: he can’t quite remember how many. Gamely, he tried to count them: “I think it was 14 or 15,” he finally offered. He wasn’t always put away – at least se…
News June 14, 2017 United Kingdom: youth prison deemed 'unsafe' less than two years after staff accused of physical abusing children A youth prison that came under fire last year after allegations that staff had physically abused young offenders has been rated inadequate by inspectors. Medway Secure Training Centre, which was previously run by G4S but was taken over by the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) last July, h…
News June 3, 2017 United Kingdom: deferred sentences – used again but not used enough News this month of two cases where Judges have used deferred sentences for a few months in relation to women offenders is nothing compared to the Oklahoma women whose sentence was deferred for 10 years after she killed her boyfriend by running him over. She was only 19 and his father spoke in her s…
News May 26, 2017 UK: prison officer risks endangering lives of inmates, says coroner Concerns raised about ‘understanding of safety procedures’ after evidence at inquest into suicide of inmate at HMP Foston Hall
News May 22, 2017 United Kingdom: suicide jail failed to improve, says doctor Safety improvements were not made at a prison with the highest suicide rate in England and Wales despite a spate of deaths, a psychiatrist has told the BBC.
News May 22, 2017 United Kingdom: Wrexham super prison set to open another wing this month The Alwen wing which will house more than 700 men at the £212m HMP Berwyn is on schedule for May opening*
News May 18, 2017 UK: minister announces £3.4m to steer criminals away from reoffending Four mentoring services that work with criminals to prevent re-offending are to receive £3.4m in grants from the Scottish government.
News May 17, 2017 UK: what it’s like to be a transgender woman in a men’s prison During the past 18 months, three openly transgender women have taken their own lives in custody in England: Vikki Thompson, Joanne Latham and Jenny Swift. Their deaths speak of the difficulties that transgender people face behind bars. The ongoing inquest into Thompson’s death sheds some light onto…
News May 16, 2017 British prison is first to use 'disruptor' to create drone-proof 'shield' around jail A British prison has become the world’s first to use a new system designed to stop drones flying over perimeter walls to drop contraband into jails.
News May 15, 2017 UK: female Scots prisoners to have children to stay at weekend Children of female prisoners will be able to spend nights and weekends with their mothers in Scotland’s new community jails.
News May 15, 2017 UK: prison changes needed for older inmates, report suggests Changes are likely to be required to the prison estate to accommodate the growing number of inmates with social care needs, a new report has suggested.