Prisoner say ring those bells we are united.

Prisoners are warning will be fighting for our health, our life!

That we will be banging on the doors of our cells for 3 weeks continuance until we are listened too, 

beginning on the 27th April 2020.                "Shouting out        HELP US!

Almost 300 known prisoners have tested positive for coronavirus in prisons in England and Wales - 13 have died. Figures are said to be a lot higher!

Almost 300 prisoners have tested positive for coronavirus in prisons in England and Wales.

Thirteen inmates with COVID-19 have died, the Ministry of Justice said.

As of 5pm on Sunday there were a total of 278 confirmed cases in 64 prisons.

Some 194 prison staff have also contracted the virus in 53 jails as well as eight prisoner escort and custody services staff.

Some 700 staff have been tested and 6,268 were self-isolating, according to the latest available figures.

A 66-year-old inmate at Strangeways died in hospital with coronavirus on March 26.

Last week prison charities launched legal action against the Justice Secretary, claiming measures so far taken to address coronavirus behind bars are 'unlawful' because they will have a 'manifestly insufficient impact'.

Lawyers acting for the Howard League for Penal Reform and Prison Reform Trust wrote to Robert Buckland with details of a proposed application for judicial review, should urgent action not be taken to address the concerns raised.

Earlier this month inmates described heightened tensions behind the walls at Strangeways and Salford's Forest Bank prison - with prison officers saying it was 'remarkable' that tensions had not spilled over during the crisis.

The MoJ plans to build some 2,000 single-occupancy temporary prison cells in the grounds of seven jails in a bid to prevent the spread of coronavirus, to be used by low-risk category C and D offenders.

Self-isolating or symptomatic prisoners and those who have tested positive are put in a cell on their own, but those who have not displayed symptoms may still be sharing cells with other inmates.

The MoJ has also pledged to release up to 4,000 low-risk prisoners on temporary licence in a bid to ease overcrowding, as well as pregnant inmates and mothers behind bars with babies.

All offenders must pass a risk assessment before their release is approved.

There were plans to release a "significant number" last week but the programme had to be put on hold after six inmates were released by mistake due to an "administrative error" before being returned to prison, the MoJ said.

As of Friday, the number of criminals behind bars in England and Wales had dropped by more than 1,000 in a fortnight to around 81,000.

Some 17 pregnant inmates and mothers with babies out of around 70 have been temporarily freed, Mr Buckland told the Commons Human Rights Committee on Monday.

Answering concerns that a ban on visits meant children were being denied the chance to see their mothers, he told the committee more telephones have been made available so relatives can keep in contact, adding that he would not be creating a system that "would allow a blanket release".

When asked if single mothers would be given priority, he said: "I think it would be wrong of me to sit here and try and create categories of people based upon their characteristics.

"I recognise the particular pressures on the children of single mothers but, at the same time, I think the early release system that we've created and compassionate release powers that I already had and am using together with the need to shield the most vulnerable is the most effective way for me to strike a balance here in a way that the public would accept and understand."

This is utterly disgraceful!

14 of 70 pregnant women have been released and 4 of the theoretical 4,000 wider prisoners according to @lucyfrazermp at hearing of @CommonsJustice 

Comments 

Horton 

By the time they actually get round to releasing a significant number of prisoners, it will be too late to do much good

Kelly 
Agree Ann still moving prisoners to different wings if they refuse it's disobeying a order loss of enhanced had to clean cell himself, left his old cell kettle, TV, ect got to new cell No shower no kettle tv. lunch delivered 2 packs of noddles 1 blue ribbon biscuit No kettle.  prisoners I write my daughter's Dad is one. They believe the figures in jail are a lot higher than we're being told.

Logan
Through the gate and off to prison
into a world where no one listens
no one cares what we think or say
i dont even have a release day
how is there hope if theres none to give
how can we plan a life to live
if failing to plan is planning to fail
i feel like im stuck in a boat without a sail
lost on a ship with no land in sight
thoughts on my mind night after night
lost in a system with a serious flaw
what listens to people who dont know about law
saying lets put them in prison on an ipp
tell them to do courses if they wanna be free
if we offer no courses we provide no hope
but its just a tactic to win some votes
if we lose at court we will appeal to buy some time
then release a statement saying we are tough on crime

a poem by my friend P.Kenny a IPP prisoner

Owen Truer words have never been said 🤔 The IPP sentence needs to be put to bed!

Logan thats why they cut legal aid .. they were losing to many cases and the best way they had to stop that was to remove the funding for it
Corrigan Sad but true

Morris Truly awful and sad know from personal experience with my own son x

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 ‘I Tried to End My Life’: Covid-19 Exposes the Injustice of ‘never-ending’ IPP Prison Sentences

When John Cavanagh heard about the first confirmed cases of Covid-19 reaching UK prisons he told his mum he wished he would get the virus because he ‘couldn’t take it anymore’. 

With prisons across the country facing severe lockdown measures, the government has announced the temporary release of up to 4,000 “low-risk” prisoners.

Cavanagh is one of more than 3,000 people serving time in prisons across England and Wales without a release date, he is detained under a controversial and now abolished Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentence, a form of indeterminate sentence which makes such prisoners ineligible for early release. 

“Some of us are really struggling. A lot of us have lost hope,” he says, talking on the phone from his cell in a Suffolk prison. 

Speaking to Novara Media, the Ministry of Justice made clear they are not releasing anyone who has to have their release granted by the parole board — which is the case for IPPs. 

Responding to this decision, the families of IPP prisoners believe that the measures implemented by the Ministry of Justice, and other institutions, to fight coronavirus have laid bare the injustices of indeterminate sentences. 

‘The situation is compounding delays.’

The IPP sentence, in which offenders are given a minimum jail tariff, but no maximum, for a range of crimes, was scrapped in 2012 after being deemed in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights. 

But this abolishment was not applied retrospectively and  IPP prisoners continue to serve out these “draconian” sentences, despite calls by groups such as the Prison Reform Trust to enact legislation that would “end the injustice it represents for those serving it”. More than 93% are still in prison having passed their tariff date. 

IPP prisoners are also subject to a life licence, meaning they can be recalled to prison at any time if they breach the terms of their license — which could range from committing a crime to missing curfew.  

Such is the case for Cavanagh, who was handed a five-year minimum tariff for armed robbery when he was in his twenties. In total, he’s serving nine years over tariff, after being recalled to prison without a criminal charge four years ago. He says one of the reasons for recall was because his parole officer was not aware of a trip he made to London, which breached his parole terms. 

Most IPP prisoners are required to complete a number of Offender Behaviour Programmes in order to be considered eligible for release. However, these programmes often have long waiting lists or are unavailable in certain prisons, making it impossible in some cases for prisoners to prove to the parole board that they are no longer a risk.

And with all face-to-face courses now on hold for the foreseeable future, as prisons try to reduce the risk of infection, the situation is compounding delays that IPP prisoners have already been facing for years. 

“The way in which risk-based decisions for IPP release are made can miss the underlying reasons — such as continued incarceration — of why someone might not be improving,” says Dr Harry Annison, an associate professor in Criminal Law and co-author of a report into the resettlement of people serving IPPs.

“The Parole Board and other relevant organisations need to make sure that this current crisis that is out of prisoners’ hands isn’t effectively held against them in due course.”

A spokesman for the Parole Board says: “[We are] continuing to progress cases wherever possible through remote hearings and our new intensive paper review process. Despite the coronavirus pandemic our principles of protection of the public, fairness and the test for release remain.”

‘I tried to end my life.’

Prisoners serving indeterminate sentences suffer significantly higher rates of mental health problems than other prisoners and self-harm rates among IPPs are around 70% higher than among the general prison population, according to the Centre for Mental Health. 

And under the new coronavirus restrictions, the vulnerability of those serving these sentences will be put at further risk. 

“The delays to parole hearings will be very difficult to cope with for many IPPs. Being in prison in itself removes control, and the little control they did have is now no longer there,” says Dr Ruth Tully, a forensic psychologist who has worked in prisons and now works independently, regularly visiting prisons to assess people in relation to parole and criminal proceedings. 

Tully also stresses the impact the prolonged lock-up and being cut-off from family will have on IPP inmates’ mental health. “Staff should take context into account [when assessing IPPs],” she explains, “They should consider that a decline in mental health because of extreme situations is different to a decline in behaviour that is risk related.”

This context might cause irreversible damage to those who are already struggling. As a result of the suspension of parole hearings, Cavanagh’s legal visit was delayed, which exacerbated his own mental health issues.

“I tried to end my life on this recall.” he says, “You’re in limbo, you don’t know what’s going on. The people who have a release day have hope – we don’t even know when the parole boards are coming”. 

Adam Watson, a prison rights activist, filmmaker and IPP,  was recalled to prison for a second time in January 2020 for breaching his parole terms, which included a formal complaint he made about a forensic psychologist working on his case. 

He is now fighting to stay positive under the new Covid-19 restrictions. “Words cannot express my deep sadness and great pain at being recalled to custody again, without committing a crime, facing the prospect of a lifetime in prison,” he wrote in a recent letter. 

Watson received an IPP sentence in 2006, and served more than three years past his one year 10 month minimum tariff.

After his first recall, he self-harmed and attempted suicide and was diagnosed with severe PTSD exacerbated by the indeterminate nature of his sentence and the trauma of witnessing “the horrific self-harming and human suffering among short-tariff IPPs in Winchester prison.” 

After his initial release in 2018, Watson had been campaigning for the rights of IPPs and is studying for a degree in criminal psychology. 

Now back in prison he described over the phone how he is being kept in his cell for more than 23.5 hours a day in de-facto solitary confinement, which is causing him to “suffer greatly”, placing an even greater toll on his already poor mental health. 

‘The whole thing is unjust’.

5 April marked 15 years since IPP sentences were introduced in England and Wales. The Home Office initially estimated 900 serious offenders would go to prison, but more than 8,000 IPP sentences were handed out, including for low-level crimes, placing a huge strain on probation, parole board and prison resources. 

A report from the Prison Reform Trust and Southampton University last year called for legislation to be introduced to “end the injustice” of IPPs who are over tariff. 

39 year old David, who asked to use just his first name, was handed a 20-month minimum tariff in 2006 for an arson offence and remains incarcerated to this day, currently residing in a Lancashire prison. 

“Of course arson is a very serious crime, and the judge at the time said he would normally sentence him to five years,” his father Peter told Novara Media. Despite this, David has been inside for more than 14 years. 

“He’s a lifer. Once they’re out of prison they’ve only got to fall foul from a bureaucratic issue and they’re back inside again. The whole thing is unjust,” Peter says. 

With coronavirus restrictions, David is currently getting about 45 minutes outside of his cell to make a phone call and have a shower, with only about 10 minutes of fresh air. All preparations for his August parole review have been put on hold. 

“You’ve got no end in sight anyway,” his father says, “But this is going to extend the sentence even beyond what it is already.”

Alexandra Genova is a British/American journalist and producer. She has a particular interest in social justice, arts and culture and indigenous peoples. 

Naomi Larsson is a British-Chilean journalist who covers human rights and social justice. She was listed on Forbes 30 under 30 in 2020.

by Naomi Larsson and Alexandra Genova

@naomilars @Alexandraaa_cg

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To: The Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP

Release the Remaining IPP Prisoners

 Justice secretary faces legal action over corona virus in prisons

Petition:  https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/free-the-remaining-ipp-prisoners

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Justice Secretary Robert Buckland is facing legal action over his handling of the coronavirus outbreak in prisons across England and Wales.

Two charities claim his plans to tackle the spread have been "too slow" to make an impact, making them "unlawful".

The government says up to 4,000 prisoners could be let out up to two months early to create more space - but on Tuesday, only 18 had been released.

The government said it had robust plans in place to protect prisoners.

But Labour's shadow justice secretary David Lammy said: "Time is of the essence to prevent our prisons from becoming Covid-19 hotspots."

By Wednesday, 232 prisoners had tested positive for Covid-19 across 60 jails.

A total of 96 staff had also been infected so far, with coronavirus detected in over half of all prisons across the two countries.

The Prison Governors' Association has called for the prison population to be reduced by 15,000.

Low-risk prisoners set for early release

Two Pentonville Prison staff members die from outbreak

The Howard League for Penal Reform and the Prison Reform Trust issued a formal legal letter - the first step in judicial review proceedings - on Friday.

The charities said it came after "weeks of urgent correspondence" between them and the government, calling for faster action.

'Rise to this challenge'

Chief executive of the Howard League, Frances Crook, said Mr Buckland had "accepted publicly that the number of people in prison must be reduced significantly in order to save lives". 

But she said it could not be achieved by the measures the government has in place.

"The rate of infection is accelerating, and the window of opportunity to protect people is vanishing," she added. "Ministers must rise to this challenge and act immediately to avert a public health catastrophe."

Peter Dawson, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said the government's actions when it came to prison had been "too little, too late".

'Temporary release'

He added: "The scientific and operational advice couldn't be clearer - if ministers are serious about following it, they must go much further, and do it now."

The Ministry of Justice said it would respond to the letter in due course.

A spokesman said: "We have robust and flexible plans in place keep prisoners, staff and the wider public safe based on the latest advice from Public Health England.

"As part of the national plan to protect the NHS and save lives, we have already announced up to 4,000 risk-assessed prisoners who are within two months of their release date will be temporarily released from jail, along with pregnant women."

But Labour's Mr Lammy said there were still a number of issues, including inadequate PPE for staff and sparse testing of inmates.

He added: "We hope the secretary of state for the Justice takes this warning shot by these leading criminal justice[organisations] very seriously.

"Urgent action is needed to prevent a public health disaster in the justice system."

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In a week where it was confirmed that the prison population in France has been reduced by 10,000 people in six weeks and Myanmar decided to release 25,000 prisoners early

Prison population in England & Wales. On Friday 17th, the prison population stood at 81,454 – a drop of 1,875 individuals compared to 31st January, the date of the first death from coronavirus in the UK.

UK Administrative error is content

Prisoners were mistakenly let out of two open prisons in Gloucestershire and Derbyshire, and a young offenders institution in south-east London. Justice Secretary Robert Buckland had previously said rigorous checks would take place before inmates were let out on the scheme.

There is overwhelming and collective fear and uncertainty that loved ones are feeling.  

We "relatively low confidence in this Secretary after the deaths of hundreds of IPP prisoners.  And now with the virus the Minister Robert Buckland would of been aware of social distancing” and the lack of global supply of masks but failed to act to get prisoners out, unlike other countries We are seeing more deaths due to this virus , are the government going to hide the statistics like they did with IPP prisoners,aprox10 years after the fact we new the scale of deaths.  

I would not leave a dog in a cage with other infected dogs so why would the government  do this to humans. Families are out of their minds with worry as are  prisoners. We don't know who the carriers  so why risk one  life.

Bhatt Murphy Solcitors  

Our ref:SRC/NMA/002471-4-5/8499
Your ref: Email s.creighton@bhattmurphy.co.uk

The Lord Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Justice
102 Petty France
London 
SW1H 9AJBy 

By Email only17 April 2020

Dear Sir/MadamOur clients: Howard League for Penal Reform and Prison Reform Trust 
Your client: Lord ChancellorLetter before claim: pre-action protocol for judicial review

We are instructed by our clients in relation to a proposed application for judicial review in relation to the Secretary of State’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic as it affects prisoners, and in particular his response to the obvious need (which he acknowledges) to substantially reduce the prison population in order to save lives and avoid a public health catastrophe both within prisons and beyond. The announcements of 31 March 2020 and 4 April 2020, alongside various other public statements, acknowledge the need to reduce the number of people in prison at this time but the rate of releases has been too slow and too limited to make any substantial difference to the prison population and the plans as we understand them are incapable of achieving what the Secretary of State has publicly acknowledged is required. The current prison population is some 81,5001. Almost 70 per cent of prisons in England and Wales are overcrowded (84 of the 121 prisons), with nearly 18,700 people held in overcrowded accommodation—more than a fifth of the prison population.

2The risk the Coronavirus poses both within prisons and for infecting the wider population is obvious. The Secretary of State has recognised the obvious need to reduce the prison population. Yet, the measures he has taken to date which have been described as multifaceted,3have had, and will have, a manifestly insufficientimpact on the population as a whole or on manyof the most overcrowded prisons.3.We consider that to be unlawful for the following reasons:(i) It is not a rational response to a crisis that requires a substantial reduction in the prison population to avoid significant loss of life to take steps that will have little substantial impact on that population (both in terms of the overall population and the population of overcrowded prisons). (ii) the Secretary of State has stated publicly that he will take steps to reduce the prison population so as to lower the risks to mass infection and loss of life within the prison estate. It is a breach of legitimate expectation to have failed to take steps which have any realistic prospect of doing so.(iii) Prison Rule 9A(1) authorises the Secretary of State to make a direction describing specified prisoners who can be released in response to the Coronavirus. The purpose of the provision is to enable the Secretary of State to make substantial reductions to the prison population across the prison estate and in individual prisons in order to reduce the risk of significant numbers of prisoners being infected. It runs counter to and undermines that purpose to have failed to take measures which will have any substantial effect on the prison population.(iv) The currentresponse is contrary to the common law duty and human rights duties to protect life and health, especially of those most vulnerable to the disease.(v) The failure to publish the operational details of the release schemes is contrary to the legal requirements of fairness and....... coninued in link 

http://prisonreformtrust.org.uk/portals/0/documents/letters/Letter%20before%20claim%20HL%20PRT%20coronavirus%20judicial%20review.pdf

Justice and Fairness in Prisons · 9 Apr 2020

Protecting the rights of those who remain in prison during a pandemic

The last Justice and Fairness blogpost discussed how, in the middle of a pandemic, the rights of people in prison are more important than ever. Last week’s post focussed on the need to release people from prison in order to relieve pressure on the system. This week’s post focusses on the daily experiences of those who remain inside.
Over the weekend, the government announced that they would release up to 4,000 people who are within 2 months of their release date over the coming weeks. This seemed to be a significant step which paved the way for much-needed further action. However it is becoming clear that the restrictions and complicated requirements of the release scheme may mean that only a tiny proportion of those 4,000 who might be eligible will actually be released. We have just written to the Secretary of State for Justice outlining what more needs to be done. But even if the government does go further in releasing people, what about those who will inevitably remain inside? Their rights and their health – and, consequently, the public health of the wider community – must be protected too.
Since the lockdown began two weeks ago, we have heard multiple reports – both from people in prison through our legal adviceline and from concerned relatives – of the new constraints that people in prison are living under. Unlike the constraints that the rest of us are living with, which might be difficult, or tedious, or lonely, but help to protect us from the spread of disease, the constraints that people in prison are living under often do precisely the opposite and put them directly in the way of harm. Failing to protect vulnerable people in prison from the spread of disease risks breaching the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Batchelet, warned last week.
Prison healthcare has long been a source of serious concern. In 2018, a report by the Health and Social Care Committee concluded that “the Government is failing in this duty of care towards people detained in prisons in England. Too many prisoners remain in unsafe, unsanitary conditions that fall far short of the standards we should expect.” We have heard multiple reports of shortages of hygiene facilities, cleaning products and PPE in prisons. One concerned relative told us that:

there is no disinfectant, no gloves for staff or cleaners, no hand gel and the work parties are still moving between different sections, making a mockery of lockdown and isolating any contamination.

Prisoners aged over 60 are the fastest growing group within the prison population and healthcare provision in prisons has not been able to keep up. A Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) review in 2017 identified “unacceptable examples of poor care of the elderly and dying in prison” and reported that “there is still no properly resourced older prisoner strategy, to drive consistent provision across prisons” despite the PPO having called repeatedly for such a strategy.
The provision of care in prisons has been put under even more strain by the coronavirus pandemic. We have heard reports of people over 70 with conditions such as emphysema (a progressive disease of the lungs) who will not be released following the government’s announcement because they still have four (rather than two) months left to serve in prison. We have also heard several reports of people in prison with asthma – teenagers among them – who made requests for inhalers before the Covid-19 lockdown but are still waiting to receive them. This is not unusual: people in prison often have to wait a long time to get their health concerns acted upon. As one teenager put it:

It’s much harder being in jail now. They think two people on my wing have the virus – they are not allowed out their cell but I am worried I will get it and I have asthma. Some people have to share cells.

Another young person in prison told the Howard League that:

It’s scary, there are a couple of cases on every wing. It’s not safe for a person like me who’s asthmatic.

Coronavirus places even more pressure on already over-stretched resources and make it harder to protect vulnerable people – inside and outside prison – from the spread of disease. The government need to take swift action to reduce the prison population so that those who remain can receive prompt and effective care.
Most people in prison are now spending 23 hours out of 24 in their cells with virtually no activities or interventions. We have heard reports of education sheets being handed out to children under the door. One child in prison told the Howard League’s legal team that these sheets contained some Maths and English exercises that would take him between 20 to 25 minutes a day to complete. There was no support with this work. We have heard of adult prisoners who have been supplied with colouring books and crayons in order to pass the time. As one distressed relative put it:

[My partner] gets 15 minutes on the yard a day then he’s locked back up until the next day it’s disgusting. He was handed 6 colouring pencils and a colouring book yesterday to keep him occupied! He’s 32 not 2!!

Most people in prison report getting between half an hour to an hour of outdoor exercise a day, limited access to showers and handwashing facilities and a decline in the quality of prison food due to kitchen staff shortages. We have heard reports of prisons where no fresh fruit or vegetables are available. A young person in prison gave us this account of daily life under lockdown:

They get us up at 7.45 in the morning, but you don’t sleep properly anyway, your 25 minutes out of cell start from them shouting you awake, not when you get to the social room, it doesn’t leave enough time for a shower and to get outside. The day drags out.

Relatives have spoken of their deep concerns for the mental health of those imprisoned in these conditions. In the first two months of this year, eleven people have already taken their own lives in prison. Standards of care and nourishment must be improved for those that remain inside.
The government could start by distributing more mobile phones. Severely limited access to the outside world is another enormous problem for prisoners in lockdown. The prison service recently distributed 900 mobile phones across the 57 prisons that do not already have in-cell telephony. The prison population currently stands at 82,456 – 900 phones are nowhere near enough. These handsets will be shared between prisoners and between cells which is neither fair nor hygienic. People in prison should not have to choose between contacting their families (Lord Farmer’s report last year revealed the enormously important role maintaining family contacts has on reducing reoffending) and contracting a potentially fatal illness.
It is crucial that the cumbersome processes and bureaucratic delays that characterise prison life at the best of times do not compound the public health crisis we are facing. In one especially Kafka-esque example, we have heard about a man who came down with all the symptoms of coronavirus while out on temporary release from prison. Despite his illness, he was required to return to prison and had to take public transport in order to do so. Another prisoner who was also due to return to prison after being out on temporary release told us:

I’m due to return to a now locked down camp where I will have no chance of self-distancing or isolation. I have to share a small room with another inmate and one shower and three toilets with 40 plus not to mention a canteen servery with 200.

All of this is happening at time when there is barely any independent scrutiny or monitoring of what goes in prisons. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons has suspended almost all of its prison inspections in line with social distancing measures and the work of the Independent Monitoring Boards has been greatly restricted. The reports that we are receiving from people in prison and their relatives are all the more important for that reason. Now, more than ever, we must listen to the voices of those in prison and take swift action.

Comments
Owen
A clear picture of how our prisons are sliding down a slope from which it will be difficult to recover from. Once we leave the EU I cannot help wonder whether the government will stop inspections all together as the only reason we have them in the first place is because it is a requirement of being a member of the EU. The may of course keep them and instead not publish the full report. We appear to be heading for a US style system where sentences get longer and longer and of course inmates become more alienated with society. Crime goes up not down, crimes become more horrific as criminals become more desperate. I also have a real issue with negotiating a trade deal with a country that still has the death sentence 😔. Some of our EU neighbours have made massive advances in reducing crime and reducing prison numbers.

kelly

No one is listening

Kaleen
 my husband has been on it for a few years, I’ve joined to c if anyone can give me any support at the min, my husband has aIPP sentence he had been out of prison for 9 years half years happily married to me we have four children together, a home, and had his own business .we were all happy living a normal life ,he hadn’t been arrested in those 9 years year s .then it all started to go wrong last year when he tried to get his supervision order removed he wrote to our local MP who then got in touch with probation officer ,she then put him bk on monthly s bcoz she didn’t think he should  have done this , so in October our four kids have never been abroad and been the lovely dad didn’t want to let them down ,when my big two kept asking for us to go on a airplane so he decided to take all of us but had not informed the  she asked him to admitt and he didi she said  he was only to get a warning for it  however  2 days later a phone call from the police saying that they wanted to talk to him about a car incident, he then he attended  the interview  and on the Monday  he was surrounded by police and recalled to prison  ,it was so important the incident that they still have not charged him with no car offence are anything,  no parole date nothing, it’s a bit of a coincidence that he tried to get his supervision removed and probation didn’t want it removed then this happens, we are left utterly devastated 😢

Powter
That’s absolutely disgraceful,, sounds like it’s his probation officer that’s got serious issues,, I’m sorry you have to go through all this . It’s like ,, does the 9 and a half years not count for anything..

Hill this is a utter disgrace its made me cry so sad is their no end to the punishment and mental torture please keep us updated fight this all the waylove xxxxmy son is ipp

it’s been heartbreaking 😢💔a try to stay strong for our kids but it’s been so hard 😢sorry to hear your son has also got this sentence there horrendous 😢xxxx

Kramin May our loving and very caring God intervene in some way to deal with all of this in a fair way. This just is not o.k. God Bless you all as you wait on the Lord. God is with you all of the way. Lean on the Lord.

Crowe Sounds about right unfortunately.
Prison system is a joke.
Majority of staff are NOT helpful or nice.
My son, currently 11 years OVER tariff, he has served 12 so far......we have been trying to fight for his release for AGES!
Just keep fighting is all you can do.

Michael J. O'm I remember talking with Ricky about it last year via inbox. Once released and 4 years on licence has elapsed with no recalls, you can apply to have the supervision element dropped which is where you no longer need to report and have no officer asigned to you. You can live where you like without permission, go abroad etc. Most ppl won't get theirs dropped after 4...Ive been out 8 now and might get mine off this year. The earliest I know of is a friend having his dropped after 5 years. The 10 year minimum mark is where the sentence disappears altogether...once you have your licence removed there's no more sentence, no more recalls etc. I dont know of anyone who's passed the 10 year on licence point let alone had it removed as recalls set you back and you have to start the 10 yr process all over again unless you can appeal it...say uve been out 9 yrs get recalled get out 6 months later im guessing theres an appeal process so u don't have to do 10 yrs or whatever. Crappy process really.

Owen
Hi Mikala Killeen, really sad to hear your news 😟. You have given enough information to enable me to reply. I am somewhat confused however why your husband contacted his MP in relation to seek an end to his licence and why he did this after nine years. According to prison instruction PI08/2015 he can apply after ten and if turned down he can apply every year after that. It's covered under section 31A of the 1997 act. He should have applied through his supervising officer however if he wasn't in regular contact i would have recommended doing it through the deputy director of probation. However, I appreciate that this obviously is nolonger relevant. He now sadly has to wait until he is given his recall dossier, if this hasn't already been given to him. The test for recall of an IPP prisoner are covered in PI27-2014. An IPP can be recalled much easier than determinate sentenced prisoners but the probation officer would need evidence that his Perceived risk of harm had increased. No prosecution or conviction is required, we are talking about a perceived danger that the probation officer thinks and can evidence in some way. So as the parole hearing hasn't occured yet I would give his legal counsel all the information you can in date order of everything that had happened in the last five months before his recall. I note that your husband had a profile on Facebook so I would print screen everything. It will be something the police would already have done and they would use it to evidence their concerns if they were involved. Doing this will undoubtedly help you remember events as well. A good solicitor will welcome this insight as it will give them material that could prove useful when they receive the recall dossier. I would also advise you to be careful what you say to your husband on the phone concerning events you think may be relevant. All conversations are recorded and they will use it. Always best to discuss such concerns with his solicitor but more importantly-

Crowe Your last sentence of this post is a powerful one, but how can you "take on" a system that doesn't really care?

bello The current covid crisis is the perfect opportunity to review these sentences and see who actually needs to stay in prison all
people need the opportunity to give back to society and to build up self worth
It’s a terrible sentence and they need to review the current ones

Horton And from what I know, the organisation for getting homeless prisoners to accommodation immediately on release is not working, either.

Regards to prison tranfers
Pullen Im sorry but I feel that's selfish, surely transferring d catts in closed conditions can relieve thst pressure in the closed prisons...need to empty most existing d catts home thst are in opens st present......then make more space for uninfected d carts trapped in closed conditions who are virus free...

£80 discharge for all prisoners
Owen Still way short of enough money for someone who may well be hundreds of miles away from their home county .

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Beyond Recovery – supporting vulnerable people in prison

Adapting through creativity

This is the fourth in a new blog series chronicling the different ways in which organisations in the criminal justice sector are helping their service users survive the impact of coronavirus. It is written by Rob Hollows of Beyond Recovery.
If your organisation – statutory, voluntary, or private – would like to share how you’ve had to adapt to be able to continue to provide your service, please get in touch.

From running our first pilot group at HMP Onley five years, until just a few short weeks ago, Beyond Recovery delivered its mental health programmes (to more than 400 people) in prison face-to-face. This was mostly in group situations, supplemented by one-to-one sessions for those who were harder to reach. So, when it became apparent that it wasn’t safe to deliver our programmes in person, we needed to find creative ways to continue to support the men and women with whom we’ve been working.

Staying Connected

We have a small but incredibly dedicated team of facilitators and volunteers, all of whom have pulled together to explore how we can continue to help those who have already been impacted by our work in prison. We all agreed that it was vital to stay connected, and to ensure that everyone felt supported, despite the Covid-19 restrictions. Therefore, we decided to write personal weekly letters to every individual who is assigned to our programme in prison.
We have already seen the impact these letters are having, with some incredibly heartfelt and moving replies received to date; some of them several pages in length.

Continuing Impact

With the increased restrictions faced by those in prison, including being locked up in their cells for longer than usual each day, we wanted to provide activities that would help them pass the time, while also continuing to positively impact their mental health. We are now creating ‘Beyond Packs’ each week, which contain a mixture of relevant reading materials, learning activities, inspiring quotes, colouring and word searches.
 The feedback we’ve received about the packs has been very encouraging and we can see that they are not only keeping minds occupied, but also reminding people about the key principles of the work we do with them. We have received requests for the packs from several UK prisons alongside those we work with currently, the Prisoner Learning Alliance, and they have even been requested as far afield as New Zealand, so we feel sure they are making a difference.

 Creative Solutions

 We are busy exploring other ways in which we can reach people in prison when face-to-face contact is not possible. For example, we are looking at whether we can utilise prison TV and radio channels to share content that we know can be helpful for wellbeing.  We’ve compiled a list of inspirational and educational YouTube videos to be channelled directly to the prison residents.  We’re also examining the possibility of running digital courses that can work within the prison regime. This will be a challenge but it’s one that we’re willing to meet head on because we know how important it is for people in prison continue to receive our help and support.
 For those no longer in prison but who continue to receive our support – the Beyond Recovery Apprentices – we are now running a weekly online support group in place of the previous monthly meet-ups in person. Staying in contact and holding a regular space for our apprentices is vital at a time like this, when everyone is facing so much uncertainty.
 We all need to be reminded of our innate mental health and wisdom from time to time and the knowledge that we’re all in it together can be comforting. To that end, we are also holding online weekly meetups for anyone who wishes to feel connected and join in with a conversation about how we’re all navigating life in these unprecedented times.
 Once thing is certain … Beyond Recovery’s resolve to continue to adapt and find new and better ways of delivering its programmes to those in prison. On our various team calls each week we discuss all aspects of our work and we will go on finding creative solutions to continue it as the Covid-19 situation evolves. And, even when things have returned to a degree of normality, we won’t simply go back to doing things the way we did before. Instead, we’ll channel other methods of connecting with and impacting those in prison, alongside our in-person groups. We can see that having the time and vision to adopt new ways of working is a positive and we’ll continue to embrace the outcomes.

https://howardleague.org/blog/protecting-the-rights-of-those-who-remain-in-prison-during-a-pandemic/
https://howardleague.org/blog/protecting-the-rights-of-those-who-remain-in-prison-during-a-pandemic/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52334848
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/almost-300-prisoners-tested-postive-18121731?fbclid=IwAR0nexFe88cI77MIp3P1C5VJYyzIqAGzicdnVCYRP43oXjx9q12diX7n9k0