HMP Oakwood: ‘Serious failings’ over inmate’s death – BBC News

Posted October 10th, 2013 in news, ombudsmen, prisons, reports by tracey

“The Prison Ombudsman has identified ‘serious failings’ by staff at the UK’s largest privately-run prison after the death of an inmate.”

Full story

BBC News, 10th October 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Osborn (FC) (Appellant) v The Parole Board (Respondent); Booth (FC) (Appellant) v The Parole Board (Respondent); In the matter of an application of James Clyde Reilly for Judicial Review (Northern Ireland) – Supreme Court

Osborn (FC) (Appellant) v The Parole Board (Respondent); Booth (FC) (Appellant) v The Parole Board (Respondent); In the matter of an application of James Clyde Reilly for Judicial Review (Northern Ireland) | [2013] UKSC 61 (YouTube)

Supreme Court, 9th October 2013

Source: www.youtube.com/user/UKSupremeCourt

Analysis: HMP Oakwood report – BBC News

Posted October 9th, 2013 in budgets, drug offences, health & safety, news, prisons, rehabilitation, reports, standards by sally

“The official website for HMP Oakwood says that it wants to ‘inspire, motivate and guide prisoners to become the best they can be.'”

Full story

BBC News, 8th October 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Hundreds of criminals, including knife offenders, spared jail under Coalition – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 9th, 2013 in community service, news, prisons, sentencing, statistics, weapons by sally

“Hundreds of criminals who commit multiple crimes are being spared jail, new figures have revealed.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 9th October 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Chris Grayling scraps early release for child rape and terrorism – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted October 7th, 2013 in child abuse, early release, news, prisons, rehabilitation, statistics, terrorism by sally

“Today [4 October] the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) announced that there would be significant changes to the early release provisions. An MoJ press release stated that primary legislation would be brought forward in the new year.”

Full story

Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 4th October 2013

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

‘Send Yorkshire Ripper back to jail’: Expert says Broadmoor ‘out of step’ and too keen to hold on to celebrity patients – The Independent

Posted October 7th, 2013 in hospitals, medical treatment, mental health, news, prisons by sally

“Broadmoor, the high-security psychiatric hospital, where some of Britain’s most notorious offenders are treated, has been criticised as an ‘expensive anachronism’ which holds on to ‘celebrity’ patients when they should be back in prison, according to one of the country’s most respected psychiatrists.”

Full story

The Independent, 6th October 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Mark Bridger prison attack: Inmate’s life sentence doubled for slashing April Jones killer in attempt to make him reveal where her body is hidden – The Independent

Posted October 3rd, 2013 in news, prisons, sentencing, wounding by sally

“A prisoner has had his life sentence doubled after he slashed child killer Mark Bridger from temple to chin, severing an artery, in an attempt to get him to reveal where April Jones’s body was hidden.”

Full story

The Independent, 2nd October 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Tory ECHR Withdrawal, Prisoner Cold Turkey & Niqabs Again – The Human Rights Roundup – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted October 2nd, 2013 in court dress, human rights, Islam, news, prisons, smoking, women by tracey

“This week the Conservative Party Conference is likely to generate human rights headlines. Meanwhile, previous controversies still bubble away. Chris Grayling, taking a break from legal aid cuts, offered his opinion on the Europe debate. Meanwhile, others considered the role of transparency, demeanour, religious freedom and niqabs in the courts, and, with the proposed smoking ban in prisons, smokers may have found another reason not to break the law.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 29th September 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Prisoners will pay for damage repairs, says Grayling – BBC News

Posted October 1st, 2013 in costs, criminal damage, news, prisons by sally

“Inmates who cause damage to prisons and prison property will now have to pay for the cost of repairs, the justice secretary has announced.”

Full story

BBC News, 30th September 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Prisoners made to pay for damage – Ministry of Justice

Posted October 1st, 2013 in costs, criminal damage, news, penalties, prisons by sally

“Prisoners who cause damage to prisons and prison property will have to pay for the cost of repairs under new plans announced by Justice Secretary Chris Grayling.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 30th September 2013

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

Alison L. Young: Prisoner Voting: Human or Constitutional Right? – UK Constitutional Law Group

Posted September 30th, 2013 in bills, elections, human rights, interpretation, jurisdiction, news, prisons, select committees by sally

“As is well known, in Hirst v UK (No 2) the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights concluded that Section 3(1) of the Representation of the People Act 1983, which removed the franchise from prisoners, was a disproportionate restriction of the right to vote found in article 3 of the First Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights. After two consultation papers, further judgments from the European Court of Human Rights, a declaration of incompatibility from the Scottish courts, a series of criticisms from the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and the Joint Committee of Human Rights, a change of Government and a House of Commons debate, the Voting Eligibility (Prisoners) Draft Bill was proposed and is currently being scrutinised by a Joint Select Committee. To add to the mix, we are awaiting judgment on the latest discussion of the issue by the UK Supreme Court, in R (Chester) v Secretary of State for Justice and McGeogh v Lord President of the Council, heard on 10 June, not to mention the adjourned case of Firth v United Kingdom.”

Full story

UK Constitutional Law Group, 27th September 2013

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org

Muslim prisoners sue over contaminated halal pies – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 30th, 2013 in compensation, food, human rights, Islam, news, prisons, religious discrimination by sally

“Nearly 200 Muslim prisoners are suing the Government after being served halal food contaminated with pork, claiming their human rights were breached.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 29th September 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Criminals to be fined for damage caused in jail – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 30th, 2013 in criminal damage, debts, fines, news, prisons, statistics by sally

“Criminals who damage prison property will have their jail wages docked to pay for the cost of repairs, under new measures announced by Chris Grayling, the Justice Secretary.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 29th September 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Smoking ban in prisons: it’s right but is it sensible? – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted September 26th, 2013 in health, human rights, news, prisons, smoking by sally

“According to reports this week, the Prison Service is making preparations to prohibit smoking in prisons. They are doing more than “considering” it, it seems, as they have identified probable pilot sites and seem to have a roll-out plan in readiness if the pilot should be successful. But it is a little less than a final decision; so “making preparations” will have to do.”

Full story

Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 25th September 2013

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

High suicide-risk prisoner Kieron Gray was ‘failed’ – BBC News

Posted September 26th, 2013 in inquests, news, prisons, reports, suicide by sally

“A ‘very serious failing’ led to the death of a suicide-risk prisoner who killed himself on his first day in prison, an inquest heard.”

Full story

BBC News, 25th September 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Two prisoners sentenced to life for murdering child killer in jail – The Guardian

Posted September 24th, 2013 in murder, news, prisons, sentencing by sally

“Two prisoners who bound and strangled to death a fellow inmate in a high-security prison have been told they will serve the rest of their lives behind bars. Gary Smith, 48, and Lee Newell, 44, who were already serving life for killings, were both given whole-life sentences by a judge for the ‘chilling’ murder of Subhan Anwar.”

Full story

The Guardian, 23rd September 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Smoking bans could challenge human rights in prisons and cause riots, ministers warned – The Independent

Posted September 23rd, 2013 in health & safety, human rights, news, pilot schemes, prisons, smoking by sally

“Smoking could be banned across all prisons in England and Wales by 2015, amid fears that prisoners could begin rioting over the change.”

Full story

The Independent, 20th September 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Inmates guilty of child killer Subhan Anwar’s murder – BBC News

Posted September 20th, 2013 in murder, news, prisons, theft by sally

“Two inmates have been found guilty of strangling a child killer with his own tracksuit bottoms at a maximum security prison in Worcestershire.”

Full story

BBC News, 19th September 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Inspectors catch Bristol prison officer denying meals to inmate – The Guardian

“Surprise inspection finds HMP Bristol overcrowded, dirty and cockroach-infested with ‘delinquent’ staff.”

Full story

The Guardian, 17th September 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Wormwood Scrubs prison ‘on knife edge’ because of staff cuts – The Guardian

Posted September 18th, 2013 in budgets, news, ombudsmen, prison officers, prisons, restraint, standards, statistics by sally

“Wormwood Scrubs, the west London prison, is on a ‘knife-edge’, an official watchdog has warned, with an alarming 50% growth in the use of force or restraining measures to control prisoners in an increasingly violent, gang-dominated jail.”

Full story

The Guardian, 18th September 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk