The maddest idea
Recent newspaper reports have brought us the most
surprising news that the MoJ are to consider inviting the public to
attend parole hearings. Is the Secretary of State so desperate to save
his job that he will do or say anything?
“Since recent public outrage has led to a ban on live
animals performing in circuses, it probably makes sense to the Minister
to replace the circus ring with Parole Board hearings.”
I don’t even think that a previous Home Secretary, Michael
‘Something of the night’ Howard, once the most harsh and divisive of
Home Secretary’s would have considered such a move.
Who would they invite to attend? Probably a number of less
than respectable journalists from the gutter-press of the UK. Would
they sell tickets? Perhaps there is money to be made from selling
souvenirs or even refreshments? Where would they take place? I just
cannot imagine prisons being opened up to the public so that they can
see the dirty secrets that they unwittingly spend so much of their
tax-money on.
But the most urgent question in my mind is why are the
Parole Board being held responsible for recent fiascos when it was
clearly the fault of the MoJ and the cost-cutting that caused the
problems in the first place? The Parole Board should be congratulated
for the fantastic work they have been doing for many years.Author -S Kidd - HMP Berwyn -
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Katherine Gleeson
Parole Board made up of the public .
I totally understand those who maybe sceptical concerning the public being part of the parole board however I do believe the public should be part of the parole board decisions making. Our existing Parole board I feel tend to be snobbish with comparable education and background,. I would like to see a Modern and diverse Parole board joint with Students, Nurses, and"Senco Teachers those that understand behaviours".
Your views on the topic Email katherinegleeson@aol.com
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In January, the Chief Inspector of Prisons, Peter Clarke,
was so disturbed by what he found during an inspection of HMP Nottingham
that he made it the first referral to the Justice Secretary under the new ‘Urgent Notification Protocol’. Now the actual report, described as “one of the most disturbing reports in recent years” has been published
and Mr Clarke asks if some of the apparently self-inflicted deaths were
caused by prisoners unable to “face life in the violent, drug ridden prison”. He says the prison is “defined by the prevalence of drugs and violence”.
Prisons Ombudsman and Inspection report recommendations
had not been implemented and cell call bells were still not being
responded to quickly. Mr Clarke said: “This prison will not become fit
for purpose until it is made safe. It was clear from our evidence that
many prisoners at Nottingham did not feel safe.”
Elizabeth Moody, acting Prisons and Probation Ombudsman,
said of the report: “The Chief Inspector is right to highlight the
apparent inability of the prison to learn lessons and I agree that until
it can demonstrate progress in this critical area the risk of future
deaths will remain high.”
Inspector ‘Appalling’ and ‘Tragic’
4.500 incidents of use of force in 6 months with little governance;103 assaults on staff in previous six months;
Over 50% of prisoners reported bullying and victimisation;
40% of prisoners felt unsafe on their first night;
Nearly 50% of prisoners had mental health issues;‘Persistent and fundamental lack of safety.’
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Problem Solved
‘Champions are here to help solve the problems of prisoners in HMP Wealstun’
At HMP Wealstun, 18 men are trying out a brand-new scheme
where prisoners are given training by the Universities of York and Leeds
to help their peers gain problem solving skills.
The scheme is informed by research which shows that problem solving
skills are accessible and can have beneficial impact on their health and
well-being. The Problem-Solving Champions deliver problem solving
skills to prisoners on the wing or in their place of work. The role of
the problem-solving champion is not to resolve the problem, but to show
fellow prisoners a systematic approach to deal with their own problems
in a proactive manner.
Everyone has problems in prison, for example – limited access to family visits: ‘The
problem I have is that I can only see my family for one hour a week.
So, I do everything I can to get home asap. I’ve got all the information
I need to see if I’m considered for HDC, I’ve weighed up all my pros
and cons and I’ve made plans to do every course necessary and set goals
to help me see them through. I love my family and I’ll do anything I
need to do to get home to them sooner’.
Step one: Define the problem
‘I can only see my family for one hour a week.’
Step two: Stop and think
‘What can I do to occupy my time’? How can I act positively?
Step three: Gather information
Are there courses I can attend? What job could I do? What
hobbies do I like? Can I improve my education? How can I find ways to
relax?
Step four: Finding solutions
Think of as many different ideas as you can to resolve the
problem. Identify courses, what jobs can I do, how do I apply? I enjoy
reading and painting; can I go to the library or access a painting
course? I would like to improve my computer skills, are there any
exercise classes I can attend?
Step five: Weighing up the pros and cons
Write down each solution and then identify the pros and cons. Which solution or solutions to do you prefer?
Step six: Making a plan
Put your preferred solutions into order; decide which you are going to do first. Make a plan – when are you going to do each task? Make a date and time. Do you need help from anyone else?
Step seven: Review your plan
In this step we encourage people to review how their plan
worked. Did they manage to action everything? If not, why not? Reviewing
the problem helps people to develop their problem-solving skills, and
when things have not gone to plan, to assess why and try again.
What do the problem-solving
champions think about the scheme?
l “I see a lot of people with
problems struggling around me and when I heard of the scheme (problem
solving) I thought it would be good to take part and help the ones who
need it that I see every day. As I’ve been there and know how it feels
to let your problems build up.”
l “I have learnt that there is
nothing wrong with asking others for help if you need it. It’s better to
face your problems rather than ignore them. We made plans in my own
life and I’ve set myself goals to see them through and stay assertive
with a positive attitude to life.”
What do staff at HMP Wealstun think about the scheme?
l “As an Induction Officer, I
can see that the Problem-Solving Champion role has had a massively
positive effect on the way new arrivals into Wealstun are put at ease
and helped through their first few days in the establishment. Problem
Solvers are readily available on the wing and easy to spot in their
labelled t-shirts in order for new arrivals to approach them.”
l “Induction Officers are often
very busy, but the implementation of the Problem Solvers has allowed us
more time to do the important work that so often gets left to the last
minute while we’re racing around answering questions and settling new
prisoners. Staff are, and always will be, a port of call for all
prisoners but Problem Solvers are approaching new arrivals and helping
them with all manner of things, including where to find applications,
how to apply for work and even where to get a toothbrush or toilet roll
from – things that are very important to prisoners. The fact that new
arrivals no longer have the stress of thinking they’re not being heard can only have a positive effect on stress levels, and ultimately lower the number of ACCT documents being opened.”
l “For the Problem Solvers
themselves, the scheme has given them a chance to not only help other
prisoners seek methods to resolve their own issues but to use their
skills inwardly. This will go a long way to helping them manage life in
prison and also on the outside, which I’m sure will have a positive impact on rehabilitation.”
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IPP knock – back
I have come to the conclusion that the Parole Board is a
joke! I have recently received my latest knock- back. I am an IPP
prisoner maintaining my genuine innocence and was given a nominal tariff
of 1 year and 2 months. I have now been incarcerated since January
2006. Yes,
that’s correct, 12-years.
I am now 64-years old and I believe that the Parole Board
are being influenced by recent events and publicity and erring on the
side of caution. It is time the government stepped in and ended this barbaric and inhumane sentence once and for all. After all, it was the government that created it.
“They should convert the remaining IPP
sentences to determinate terms. I’m sure that there are many, like me,
who are innocent yet still lost in a nightmarish system without hope.”
Perhaps there is a solicitor out there who would take on
this challenge? I don’t profess to know the law but it seems to me that
when a sentence is passed, the trial judge, being in possession of all
the facts, gives a sentence that is correct. Surely it could be argued
that being incarcerated 10-years beyond what the trial judge intended
makes a sentence become ‘manifestly excessive’? Any thoughts on this? By M D Loxley - HMP Littlehey 2018Enough is Enough
Ministry of Jokers scratch-card, scratch away the shiny allure of hope
and below the surface is mayhem.
It is with great sadness, yet again,
that I am forced to write about the very sad and untimely passing of
another young man. He passed away in a cell above mine on the evening of
31st March 2018. He had been suffering real family distress recently
which had led to him being in a constant-watch-cell.For reasons that are unfathomable to us here on the wing
he was suddenly reduced to just a 15-minute watch on the day he died. It
has also become known that he had his medication reduced. Whatever the
reasons are, constant watch is constant, not walk away and come back
15-minutes later. With much heartfelt wishes to his family from all the
lads here on Alwen A-Lowers and around the prison.
An internal investigation, by the PPO, and likely the
local coroner, will now ensue and then a message to say ‘lessons have
been learned’ will be disgustingly trotted out. Hundreds of prisoners
are losing their lives every year in prisons up and down the country
simply because no lessons are EVER learned. The MoJ just doesn’t care if
a man, woman, or child dies in their so-called ‘care’. They have a
thinking that there’s always someone else to take our place. I’m a
middle-aged man now and angered by the sadness I feel at this young man
losing his life. I now therefore ask ANY solicitor and counsel to write
to me with a view to taking a judicial review v SSJ for corporate
manslaughter on a grand scale and misfeasance in a Public Office. The
waste of any lives is criminal.
Why is it that prisoners are the only
ones who seem to be outraged by these events? Joe public, it’s high time
you and the national press acted.After leaving behind the years of degradation I’d been forced to endure
since 2008 in the High-Security estate and ‘B’ Trainer system, I arrived
here seven weeks ago. Flagship prison with an ethos to make a
difference
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Comments
Dear Katherine
I am very concerned about a very serious issue. This in in regard to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC). Whilst I was browsing the internet, I found that the CCRC have had their 20th Annual Conference in November 2017 in London, yet the general public and other bodies were not informed. CCRC is the self claiming independent body of the Government, to be looking at Miscarriages of Justice, when it comes to referring cases back to the Court of Appeal.
My concern is, how come in the last 20 years, CCRC has never invited the general public and other institutes to these conferences. What are they hiding? and from whom?
Can you please write something on your blogg regarding this matter. In any miscarriage of justice including IPP and others, one has a right to attend and be free to speech. Where is the democracy in this country? is it in the hands of Ministers or the people?
Thanks
https://insidetime.org/ipp-knock-back/#comment-111956
https://insidetime.org/enough-is-enough-2/
https://insidetime.org/exeter-prison-urgent-notification-protocol/- https://insidetime.org/the-maddest-idea/#comment-112526
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