Prison numbers ‘must fall’ for reforms to work says Ramsbotham – BBC News

Posted May 12th, 2016 in mental health, news, prisons, rehabilitation, sentencing by sally

‘Government prison reforms will fail unless inmate numbers are reduced before they are put in place, a former chief inspector of prisons has said.’

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BBC News, 12th May 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Reducing women’s imprisonment: sentencing of mothers – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

‘Ciara O’Neill wrote recently on the Halsbury’s Law Exchange about Michael Gove’s talk on 4 November at the AGM of the Howard League for Penal Reform: “He believes that our sentencing framework needs a complete overhaul…Gove recognised that evidence shows short sentences are more likely than not to lead to recidivism, and that the system needs a more appropriate sentencing framework. This will be based on extensive research into the effectiveness of current sentencing practices.” (“Gove admits the UK sentencing framework needs to be more sensitive, & 7 more things we learned at the 2015 Howard League AGM“).’

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 3rd May 2016

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Tough talk on crime has led to a crisis in Britain’s prisons – The Guardian

Posted May 5th, 2016 in assault, crime, news, prisons, sentencing, suicide by tracey

‘The rapid rise in suicides and assaults behind bars was inevitable, given the UK imported an experiment that had failed – disastrously – in America.’

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The Guardian, 5th May 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Synthetic cannabis having ‘devastating impact on our prisons’ – The Independent

Posted May 3rd, 2016 in drug abuse, news, prisons by tracey

‘Synthetic cannabis known as “spice” or “black mamba” is having a “devastating impact” on normal prison life, the Chief Inspector of Prisons has said. Despite being banned in UK prisons, the odourless marijuana substitute has caused 19 inmate deaths between 2012 and 2014.’

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The Independent, 2nd May 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

UK prison system ‘in total meltdown’ as sexual assaults and violent crimes soar in jails – The Independent

Posted April 29th, 2016 in news, prisons, statistics, suicide, violence by tracey

‘An alarming rise in the number of murders, sexual assaults and attempted hangings has sparked warnings the prison system is on the “verge of collpase”.’

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The Independent, 28th April 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Prisoner who threw boiling water at nurse sentenced to 11 years jail – Attorney General’s Office

Posted April 27th, 2016 in appeals, grievous bodily harm, news, nurses, prisons, sentencing by sally

‘A violent prisoner in HMP Preston who threw boiling water in the face of a nurse today had his sentence increased to 11 years in jail.’

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Attorney General’s Office, 27th April 2016

Source: www.gov.uk/ago

G4S fined 100 times since 2010 for breaching prison contracts – The Guardian

Posted April 15th, 2016 in contracting out, contracts, fines, news, prisons by tracey

‘G4S has been fined at least 100 times for breaching its contracts to run prisons since 2010, according to data obtained by Labour.’

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The Guardian, 15th April 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Ten new laws that come into force in April 2016 – and how they affect you – The Independent

‘April 2016 is a month of big changes for people living and working in the UK. A number of new laws and policies are coming into force, affecting just about everyone from public sector workers to dog owners. Here’s what the new laws could mean for you.’

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The Independent, 3rd April 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

The law of vicarious liability is on the move… and hasn’t finished moving yet – Zenith PI Blog

Posted March 23rd, 2016 in negligence, news, personal injuries, prisons, vicarious liability by tracey

‘“The law of vicarious liability is on the move”, so began Lord Reed in his judgment in Cox -v- Ministry of Justice [2016] UKSC 10.’

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Zenith PI, 23rd March 2016

Source: www.zenithpi.wordpress.com

Deaths in detention a ‘national stain’, says report – BBC News

Posted March 18th, 2016 in death in custody, mental health, news, police, prisons, statistics by tracey

‘More than 200 people have died of “non-natural” causes in detention in Britain since the start of 2014, says the Equality and Human Rights Commission.’

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BBC News, 18th March 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Free to light up… for a little longer – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted March 17th, 2016 in appeals, health, human rights, news, prisons, smoking by tracey

‘In Secretary of State for Justice v Paul Black [2016] EWCA Civ 125 the Court of Appeal ruled that the Crown was not bound by Part 1 of the Health Act 2006 to ban smoking inside public prisons.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 15th March 2016

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Michael Gove announces plans for ‘reform prisons’ – The Guardian

Posted March 17th, 2016 in bills, news, prisons by tracey

‘A new bill is to pave the way for “reform prisons” modelled on academy schools, with league tables and provision for failing jails to be taken over by more successful prisons, the justice secretary, Michael Gove, has told MPs.’

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The Guardian, 16th March 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Serial killer Joanne Dennehy demands compensation for solitary confinement – Daily Telegraph

‘Lawyers are using the European Convention on Human Rights in support of the triple murderer.’

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Daily Telegraph, 13th March 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Vicarious liability: The Supreme Court speaks – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted March 9th, 2016 in assault, negligence, news, prisons, Supreme Court, vicarious liability by tracey

‘Two important Supreme Court judgments concerning vicarious liability were handed down last week. Mohamud v WM Morrison Supermarkets [2016] UKSC 11 affirms the “close connection” test set out in Lister v Hesley Hall Ltd [2001] UKHL 22 and rejects the formulation of a new test for vicarious liability based on “representative capacity”. Cox v Ministry of Justice [2016] UKSC 10 extends the sorts of relationships where a defendant can be made vicariously liable for the conduct of an individual and evaluates Various Claimants v Catholic Child Welfare Society [2012] UKSC 56 (the ‘Christian Brothers’ case).’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 8th March 2016

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

HMP Doncaster: Inspectors criticise safety at ‘very poor’ site – BBC News

Posted March 9th, 2016 in health & safety, news, prisons, reports, violence by tracey

‘A prison branded inadequate two years ago remains “very poor”, with “many violent incidents” leaving staff and inmates injured, inspectors have said. Privately-run HMP Doncaster suffered from a “lack of staff” and “ineffective initiatives” aimed at reducing violence, a report said.’

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BBC News, 9th March 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Prison smoking ban overturned by court of appeal – The Guardian

Posted March 8th, 2016 in appeals, news, prisons, smoking, Wales by sally

‘A compulsory, immediate ban on smoking in prisons has been overturned by the court of appeal, allowing the Ministry of Justice to introduce its own voluntary, phased controls.’

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The Guardian, 8th March 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Michael Gove sets out new rules to safeguard independence of prison inspectors – The Independent

Posted March 1st, 2016 in Ministry of Justice, news, prisons, reports by sally

‘The independence of prison inspectors is to be guaranteed following complaints that the former Justice Secretary, Chris Grayling, tried to water down their reports by removing criticisms of his approach to penal policy.’

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The Independent, 10th February 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Prisons inspector calls for time limit on immigration detention – The Guardian

Posted March 1st, 2016 in detention, immigration, news, prisons by sally

‘The new chief inspector of prisons has backed calls for a limit on how long people can be held in immigration removal centres after finding one detainee held for more than five years.’

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The Guardian, 1st March 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Carer found guilty of murdering her multiple sclerosis-suffering father – The Guardian

‘A carer who claimed she suffocated her father because of his “intolerable” multiple sclerosis has been found guilty of murder.’

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The Guardian, 26th February 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

G4S to sell controversial youth jail contracts – The Guardian

‘The private security firm G4S is to sell its UK children’s services business, including its contracts to run two youth prisons, weeks after damning footage emerged of its staff using excessive force on children.’

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The Guardian, 26th February 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk