“Education is the best Postcards from prison “They now look forward route to a brighter future.” A showcase of some of the to seeing me and are even the National Newspaper for Prisoners & Detainees Rachel Billington celebrates winning artwork of the PET eating spinach out of my with Outside/Inside graduates ‘Paint-a-Postcard Competition’ hand!” Jenny Greengrass a voice for prisoners since Comment // page 16 Information // page 35 Comment // page 24 May 2019 / Issue No. 239 / www.insidetime.org / A ‘not for profit’ publication/ ISSN 1743-7342 THERAPY LOOKING GLASS 26 // SCOTTISH FOCUS 28 // LOOKING UP 30 // INSIDE RAP 47 An average of 60,000 copies distributed monthly Independently verified by the Audit Bureau of Circulations ‘COMPLETELY UNSATISFACTORY’ Labour MP slams IPP sentences, highlighting the case of Manchester man imprisoned aged 17 for bike robbery still in prison 12 years later who has ‘given up’
Inside Time report in custody for the purpose of retribution and deterrence) of four years. But 12 years later, MP for Withington south Bell is still in prison with little Manchester Jeff Smith (below) prospect of release any time 17 has attacked the iniquity of soon. the now abolished Imprison- ment for Public Protection sentences (IPPs) and has Outstanding educator! agreed to support the family ”I knew I’d be where I was needed, with people who had hit rock bottom” of Wayne Bell, who received The then Justice Secretary Stephen Rogers (pictured above with former PET Chair Alexandra Marks (right) and an IPP in March 2007. “This Ken Clarke MP (above), who Worshipful Company of Educators Chair Jennie Somerville) teaches Functional Skills example highlights that IPPs abolished the sentence, once English at high-security HMP Whitemoor. Last month he received the first Outstanding were completely unsatisfac- described prisons in England Prison Educator award from the Worshipful Company of Educators, having been named tory”. Bell was just 17 when he and Wales as “overcrowded the ‘winner of winners’ out of last years’ Prisoner Learning Alliance award recipients. assaulted another boy in a The discredited sentence was slums” - and told the BBC that park and stole his bike. He introduced by s.225 of the it was “absurd” to keep pris- had a number of relatively Criminal Justice Act 2003 oners in jail beyond their orig- petty previous offences, but (with effect from 2005) by the inal terms. He said the IPP ‘Irredeemably flawed’ the judge decided that for the then Home Secretary, David sentence was “a stain” on the bike theft he should receive Blunkett (above). It was abol- justice system - adding that he Outgoing Chief Inspector of Probation the indeterminate sentence of ished in 2012 by the Coalition believed there was a “ludi- effectively 99 years, with a government thanks to a Euro- crous amount of incarceration says service ‘has been diminished’ tariff, (the period to be served pean Court ruling that in this country.” claimed it violated human Inside Time report companies called Community rights. Blunkett has since ex- “It is quite absurd that there Rehabilitation Companies pressed “regret” about the are people who might be there (CRCs), is “irredeemably In her final annual report be- impact of the sentence. “I’m for the rest of their lives, in flawed”. She says the proba- fore stepping down as proba- to blame for IPP,” he said in theory, who are serving a sen- tion profession has been di- tion inspector, Dame Glenys an interview in 2017, “And we tence which Parliament minished with a national Stacey (left) says the current would do it differently now. If agreed to get rid of because it shortage of qualified profes- model, created by Chris Gray- I had my time again, I would hadn’t worked as anybody “Eight out of ten CRCs sionals and there has been too ling, in which he split the ser- have ensured from the begin- intended.” inspected this year re- much reliance on unqualified vice between a public National ning that the IPP could only ceived the lowest possi- agency staff. be applied for people with ble rating ‘Inadequate’” Probation Service (NPS) and very substantial tariffs.” Wayne Bell’s story page 24 a plethora of private Exclusive interview page 20
MICHAEL PURDON SOLICITOR CALL US: 0191 232 1006 SOMETIMES YOU JUST NEED AN EXPERT VISIT: purdonlaw.co.uk PAROLE - RECALL LONDON: 7 New Square, PRE-TARIFF REVIEWS Lincolns Inn, London, WC2C 3QS (BY APPOINTMENT ONLY) CAT A REVIEWS-TARIFF REVIEWS NEWCASTLE: Wards Buildings, NATIONWIDE SERVICE 31-39 High Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne, Founding members, serving for 3 years as Chair and Deputy Chair of the Association Tyne and Wear NE1 1EW of Prison Lawyers 2 Mailbag ‘Mailbag’, Inside Time, Botley Mills, Botley, Southampton SO30 2GB. Insidetime May 2019 CCRC / SCCRC all the same? insidetime Choke Mailbites a voice for prisoners since 1990 Chris Readings - HMP Glenochil the beast OMU less than useless the national newspaper for prisoners published by When will prisoners in all corners of the United Kingdom re- J Kingscott - Name supplied - HMP Gartree Inside Time Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of alise that making submissions to either the CCRC or the Scot- HMP Dartmoor The New Bridge Foundation, founded in 1956 to tish SCCRC is a futile and pointless paper exercise keeping The OMU here has made many mistakes in my create links between the offender and the community. inept and uncaring people in jobs? They’re not interested in Dartmoor prison operates parole dossier. I asked for someone, ie helping prisoners receive any form of justice that helps the Inside Time is wholly responsible for its editorial constant lock-ups which create offender supervisor to come and see me, to go prisoner either by quashing a conviction entirely or by reduc- content. Comments or complaints should be dangerous reclusive prisoners through my parole papers so I can show them directed to the publisher and not to New Bridge. ing a sentence. This has been apparent and proved many the mistakes they have made. But true to form, times over and yet again this week. with an anti-establishment outlook, hence the revolv- they have said they don’t have the time to go Board of Directors through the parole dossier with me. This is Take the case of Paul Cleland as featured on the news this ing-door problems of prison. Trevor Grove Former Editor Sunday Telegraph, how bad OMU is here. So yet again I have week 11/03/2019. His solicitor has secured a judicial review of been let down by the OMU. I’m up for parole Journalist, Writer and former Magistrate. the decision by the CCRC over a submission made to them for The only way to break the Dr Peter Bennett Trustee, New Bridge in June and I’ve been in 21 years on a 15 year an appeal they refused. The submission was over a gun used cycle of prisons making mil- Foundation and former Governor of HMP Grendon tariff. OMU has told me to get a solicitor but to help convict him and he has served 25 years for a crime he lions of pounds out of re- Geoff Hughes Former Governor of HMP Belmarsh why do I need one as I’m capable of showing has always denied committing. It now transpires that the turning prisoners is for all John D Roberts Former Company Chairman and mistakes that I have highlighted with a pen. gun could not have been the one used to convict him, yet the prisoners to refuse to work Managing Director employing former prisoners How will a solicitor help with this? Louise Shorter CEO Inside Justice and former CCRC contest the judicial review why? or do their pathetic courses. producer BBC Rough Justice Thus, cutting the supply of Alistair H E Smith BSc FCA Chartered Accountant, Take my case. I have proof I was not even in this country at government cash to the cor- Stop pushing me Trustee and Treasurer, New Bridge Foundation the time of my alleged offence yet the SCCRC won’t refer my rupt institutions, so ending J Howard - HMP Moorland case back to court. Why? The standard response from the the revolving door. More out- I am a happy go lucky type of guy, unfortunate The insideteam CCRC and the SCCRC is one of two answers to submissions, of-cell time is essential to they are, either ‘not arguable’ or ‘not in the public interest’. enough to find myself in this place. I understand prisoners mental health and this is a testosterone-filled atmosphere, there well-being. Ask yourselves, how many people do you know who have are guys who have spent years in here and a submitted paperwork to the CCRC / SCCRC only to have a re- few more to go. There are more guys spending There is also a policy here to sponse of ‘not arguable’ or ‘not in the public interest’. How time on gym equipment than reading a book. try to force prisoners to work many people on the other hand have had their cases referred I’m not a big guy, not musclebound, but I have and do courses so the prison Erwin James John Roberts Rachel back to the courts? Very, very few. The official figure is less weight behind me, for some reason they feel Editor in Chief Publisher Billington OBE than 3% yet when you look at both the CCRC / SCCRC records can make a profit out of the need to push me into fighting. Pulling and Director Associate Editor they themselves produce the actual number of cases referred them. But fixed sentence pranks on me and not being able to take it back to the court is 1%. Is that fair? and recalled prisoners do back, giving criticism and can’t even accept not have to do courses and advice. I’m scared, not of them, but of myself. Prisoners in England, Scotland and Wales need to wake up are not entitled to Category Of all the bull I’ve taken, of all the pent-up and smell the coffee, once you are convicted in this country D, so OMU mislead prisoners frustration, of all the anger I’ve pushed deep you have little or no chance of getting a successful appeal, by promising open condi- down inside myself. I’m afraid of losing myself Noel Smith Paul Sullivan David Roberts even if you have 100% undeniable proof of your innocence. tions then deny them - caus- in the moment and adding a murder charge on Commissioning Editorial Operations Save the planet, stop sending paper to the CCRC / SCCRC, as ing stress and anxiety. Why top of my sentence, doing serious or perma- Editor Assistant Manager they are not interested in prisoners in any shape or form. are we continually lied to? nent damage to someone, the guilt... is it worth the time and effort just to be left alone?
Toilet dining Officially John Wilkins - HMP Birmingham the LARGEST prison law I’m out in 6-weeks and then straight into Colin Matthews Justine Best Carla Rowe provider in approved premises for at least 3-months. The Layout and Head of Admin Assistant the Country Design Administration people that run these bail hostels may be The National Prison Law Specialists surprised that when I am given my meals I will take them and go into the toilet and sit on the Trusted by more prisoners in England and Wales floor and eat my dinner. They may find it than any other Solicitors. strange, but I will think it’s the norm sitting next to the lavatory eating whatever meal, as Gary Bultitude John Bowers Louise Van With Experts across the Country, this is what I have done since being in jail. To Website Design Proof Reading Mechelen we can represent you in ANY PRISON. me, it’s very hygienic, as the people who run and Advertising Accounts our jails must think it is. Supervisor Call our dedicated team on 0115 986 0983 Correspondence or write to us at: FREEPOST RTAB-BATB-HGAU Inside Time Botley Mills, Botley, Southampton, Carringtons Solicitors, Hampshire SO30 2GB. Telephone: 01489 795945 [email protected] / www.insidetime.org Nottingham NG2 2JR. The emailaprisoner service Facebook: InsideTime / Twitter: @InsideTimeUK www.carringtons-solicitors.co.uk allows family, friends, legal Subscribe professionals and organisations a quick, efficient, secure way to Inside Time is distributed free of charge send a message to a recipient in throughout the UK prison estate. It is available to Our Expert team of over 40 specialist advisors prison from any device and any other readers via a postal subscription service. have a wealth of experience to offer you including: location. Many prisons also SUBSCRIPTION CHARGES operate the reply and photo £35 per annum with concessions available see • Parole Board Reviews • Category A Review attachment service. website for details or [email protected] • Recall to Prison • Minimum Term Reviews Available in 100%of UK Disclaimer • Police Interviews • Sentence Planning Boards prisons. Views expressed in Inside Time are those of the • Independent Adjudication Hearings • Re-Categorisation Emailaprisoner is now authors and not necessarily representative of those • Governor Adjudications • Transfer held by Inside Time or the New Bridge Foundation. Available on the • HDC “Tagging” & Sentence Calculation • Close Supervision Centre Review App Store. If you wish to reproduce or publish any of the content in Inside Time, you should first contact us 03333 70 65 50 for written permission. Full terms & conditions can for immediate FREE advice for further details or visit: be found on the website. call us at the local rate on 08454 750 650 Inside Time is a not for profit publication. www.emailaprisoner.com
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Mailbag 2-9 Importance of a woman’s space “I am now known Lisa Simpson - HMP Littlehey as carrot man.”
Can I applaud HMPPS for finally doing something sensible in relation to trans prisoners by setting up a unit that isolates those assorted freaks that think it’s acceptable to invade Page 5 women’s safe places with an intact penis. Newsround 10-15 “It isn’t until you have the thing removed that you are a woman and “We can raise awareness of how shouldn’t be mixing with vulnerable women.” powerful sport can be in the rehabili- It is, however, a problem that HMPPS created for themselves by making conditions for us in Page 14 tation process.” the male estate so abysmal. The combination of moronic staff who think it’s funny to refer to me as Mr., guys, lads etc., administrative staff who get their jollies making it impossible to Comment 16-33 order make-up, governors who think I should be happy smelling like a man and an LGBT “Reflect on your group that treats us as submissive gay men they can rape and abuse at their whim and make “You called?” © Andy Aitchison/Doctored image absolute lack life in this dump pretty unpleasant. So instead of making life cozy for those who have invaded of success as a the female estate, how about sorting out the morons who make life difficult for those of us Muppets needed… criminal.” who recognise the importance of women’s spaces and will remain in the male estate until we Page 31 have surgery. Steve Kidd - HMP Berwyn Information 34-38 I am writing this as an open invitation for members of the “Learn as much We’re all in it together Give with one cast of The Muppets to come and take over the running of as you can whilst hand… HMP Berwyn. The level of incompetence here is unlike any- you are still in Bruce Child - HMP The Verne thing any of us have ever seen. prison.” Brent Healey - HMP Garth Page 34 The Prison Reform Trust PPN report shows there are many in- “Kermit, Miss Piggy and the rest couldn’t fail to Legal 39-43 mates who do make an effort to suggest ways to improve the It seems to me that these improve this ‘flagship’ joke shop.” situation we all face inside and there are many examples of past few years we are getting “The murder was more and more modern con- “good practice” highlighted each month amongst the pages We currently, for the second year in a row, have a heating a robbery that veniences in prison. In-cell of “Inside Time”. and hot-water failure. The governors have lied, in writing, by went wrong. Tell showers, ATM type applica- saying it is working fine. The contractor, Amey, has then, me the worst...” tion machines, phones and also in writing, contradicted the governors by saying they are Page 42 I have survived three different establishments and have en- now even video-link visits working around the clock to fix the issues. dured lack of activities, obstructive staff and much frustra- are being considered. Jailbreak 44-56 tion trying to deal with totally crazy systems and regimes, on The governors have (also in writing) lied to Wrexham MP Ian “Rock ‘n’ roll is the other hand I have been helped by caring officers, com- One might be forgiven for Lucas by alleging the problems have been ‘rectified’. Now dead. My kids like mitted education staff and absolutely brilliant gym officers, thinking that the prison sys- Amey reduce all cells to just three presses of the shower but- grime and drill.” tem has gone soft on us. without these, life inside would have been unbearable. Any- ton and told us that governors have ordered them to do it. one who has been inside for a few months can identify what However, many of the pris- Page 53 ons which seem to have works well, how respect between officers and prisoners can Please can we have Kermit brought in as soon as possible? avoid or reduce conflict, how positive, useful activities pre- given on the one hand, have taken away with the other. vent boredom, efficient mental health care results in happier Because, although having inmates and how support leading up to and following release these facilities available to results in fewer people re-offending. us in the comfort of our own cells may look humane, it I may be naïve, but it seems to me that since we, both officers has often come at the ex- and prisoners, can see what works and easily point to many pense of losing our time out- examples, surely it isn’t beyond Rory Stewart and his col- side of our cells. leagues to collect information from all of the prison depart- ments who do things properly and make a difference and Which makes it much easier show it to those who constantly fail. I’m sure it would be far for the governors to imple- more efficient than thousands of cans of PAVA spray. ment these 24-hour lock- down regimes. It wouldn’t surprise me to learn that So, Minister, focus on what works well. If you really don’t soon they will be issuing us know what that is then ask us, it would be good for us to be all with in-cell coffins, so positive for a change. Then act on what you find, don’t make they only have to let us out excuses about lack of funds, doing things properly first time for our actual funerals. will save you money. If prisons offer better, more effective Whatever happened to good service then it’s the taxpayers, the general public who benefit. old association? Contributing to Mailbag If you would like to contribute to Mailbag, please send your letters to the address on the left. It is very important that you ensure the following details are on all paperwork sent to Inside Time: YOUR NAME, PRISON NUMBER & PRISON. Failure to do so will prevent us responding to you and your submission being withheld from publication. Please note letters for publication may be edited. ‘Mailbag’, Inside Time, We will be using the new ‘Money Transfer Service’ for prize money so include Botley Mills, your DOB on your entries. Botley, Southampton, To avoid any possible misunderstanding, if you have a query and for whatever Hampshire reason do not wish your letter to be published in Inside Time or appear on the SO30 2GB. website, or yourself to be identified, please make this clear.
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On the Mental Health Wire Listen good Death and Mailbites Stephen Lawson - HMP Northumberland mental Illness Mental Health problems Screws are people too Good Listeners are fellow inmates who can Paul Tiernan - MY - HMP Lewes Stefan Gilmour - HMP Swinfen Hall help with stressful problems, thus taking A prisoner’s relative Though it is often said that prison officers can pressure off the staff, and helping us to ad- and have been supportive in the lives of I’m writing as I read about what makes us commit crime and vise our visitors too. A problem shared is a I am not sure if you are prisoners, too few truly go in-depth. about how this course and that course can change and reha- problem halved, as they say. Having both aware of the events that Therefore, I would like to thank two officers in bilitate us. Also, hearing someone say that people with men- physical and mental health disabilities, I’ve have taken place recently in- particular; officer Connors I would like to tal health problems are more likely to end up in prison struck needed Listeners on several occasions. a nerve. volving the suicide of an in- thank for his diverse knowledge on things relatable to bringing up memories marked by Night clockies here prefer inmates to ‘ring the mate at HMP Wormwood the time banged up away from family and also I have mental health problems, but my brother has ADHD Samaritans’ even if we aren’t suicidal. The Scrubs. Wayne Hurren, who and he’s never been in trouble and people blame their of- prisons in-cell phone system is inactive from had a history of mental thank him for his comedy as smiles are assured when he’s patrolling! I would also like to thank fending on drugs, bad past, didn’t have a good upbringing, 11.30pm - 7.30am, then a call to the Samari- illness and was held in nu- officer Cruz for his endless support during and all these other excuses. Well I say ‘man up’ and take re- tans is cut off at the normal call maximum of merous psychiatric hospitals sponsibility for your actions. Only we can make our own moments when prison hits you hard and all thirty minutes! My depression is bad enough, in previous years, was ne- choices, no matter what the circumstances. We have our own the advice he’d have on offer for the odd but it’s a good thing I wasn’t suicidal on this glected by prison staff on mind and we, as prisoners, chose the wrong path and I hate occasion. Recently I was taken to the listeners wandering newbie. Thank you guys for going Friday 15th March, this ne- people blaming all but themselves, and now even the gov- suite at 3.30am after an officer confirmed it was the extra mile to make prison less of an glect led to him taking his ernment are making excuses for us. impossible to ring out from my in-cell phone. enduring fear to us troubled and trapped lot. own life the following day We decided to do the crime knowing the outcome so don’t Back in February the Governor’s written reply Saturday 16th March. 0% interest blame the world, and as for rehabilitation, all these courses to my Comp 1 stated: “Whilst this matter is Name withheld - HMP Rye Hill that we are told will help us change, well I’m sorry it’s a load important, this unfortunately is not a confi- Wayne had asked to speak to of bollocks. I’ve done years of my childhood in prison start- dential matter. However, I have forwarded your a “Listener” that Friday Savings in prison - everyone knows that ing when I was 12 years old and I’ve done loads of courses complaint to the deputy head of residence to evening. A “Listener”, which someone leaving prison with nothing is more that supposedly should have rehabilitated me, but here I am likely to commit another crime than some- look into and respond directly”. His footnote I’m sure you are aware of, is at 26 with a long sentence. I spent 2 years out, met a girl, but body who has saved up a bit of money. So, I for her urged: “please action as outlined a volunteer that’s provided one punch changed all that and I’m now doing 10 years. above and can I be copied into the response”. ask, why do we receive 0% interest on our own to give confidential and It’s now mid-March and I’m still waiting. prison savings and why are we not given I would never have needed to punch someone if I didn’t turn emotional support to fellow financial guidance or allowed access to real back to my old lifestyle because I wanted more and I’m not In custody mental health related deaths are inmates that are struggling savings schemes whilst we are in prison? I am saying this because I got a big sentence, or because the sys- a national reality and can easily result from to cope. Wayne was ignored. lucky to have received a cheque from an old tem has changed or rehabilitated me, but because I want lack of communication: the ‘fell through the He was left alone with noth- insurance policy for £1500, which I want to back what I had in those two years whilst I was out. So, stop net’ syndrome. Too many excessive sen- ing but irrational thoughts invest in premium bonds. Does anyone know wasting money on courses, as you will only change if you / tences (and miscarriages of justice) and over- in his prison cell, which re- if this is possible to do from prison? Come on we as “criminals” want to change. If we don’t then no matter crowded and short-staffed prisons are sulted in him taking his own HMPPS, help me to help myself reduce my what you do won’t get through. impacting on all of us. Listen. Save a life. life in such a brutal manner. likelihood of reoffending by allowing me to invest my own money. Integrated therapeutic communities This sparked a reaction from First Timer Name withheld - HMP Whitemoor myself and Wayne’s son Paul Hurren to protest out- Kevin Byrne - HMP Hewell May I encourage NHS England and HMPPS to think again about integrated therapeutic communities and per- side the scrubs on Friday Last year, aged 57, and due to the common sonality disorder units in prison. It is neither fair nor reasonable to expect any offender to truly get to connect 22nd March, it was not vio- alcohol-divorce-anger triangle, I became a to their traumas and inner child modes when either their crimes or behaviours are weaponized or punitively lent and went as planned. first-timer. Outside, a busy professional hard highlighted against them. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a common theme amongst women and men in We want the issues to be ac- worker; inside the boredom nearly killed me. therapy in prisons up and down the country. Re-traumatising those who are punitively managed because of knowledged, mental health A mentoring course led to a job in the prison expression of their innermost masked emotions, when they become dysregulated or temporarily overwhelmed. & suicide is not a joke, it’s library which offered something for everyone; a quiet safe haven, a chance to learn or Common features of integrated TCs and PDUs are the secretive bullying or suffering addictive behaviours and real and happening much continue to read, to chat with prisoners you undercover self-harm. I would suggest that you would see a higher graduation of offenders in offence specific too often in prisons. The sys- might not otherwise meet, a chance to chat services and less self-inflicting or imposed reactionary behaviours. There is a huge backlog of offenders wait- tem failed Wayne, but if we with civilian staff who wanted to and could ing to access and move on from having completed or been deselected from services. That must have a negative can help another by bring- help; a place where you could just about impact on hope, optimism and behaviours. I’m led to believe that PIPE units in the system are having better ing this to light then we have success when it comes to risk reduction and graduation rates are higher when their units are offence specific. remember what real life had been like. Inside succeeded. Please feel free Time is popular, especially letters and stories Commonality and camaraderie between offenders would make better units and community environments. to contact me if you have of prisoner’s experiences, such as their You cannot expect people to be exposed to therapy when their group members or peers have offence back- any further questions. concerns, and experiences are often very grounds similar to their traumatic events, and vice versa. Please rethink the system, it would save lives and different from the public’s perception. Please give better returns. Blood and guts page 27 keep writing in! Dr Anton van Dellen Janine Doolan Harry O’Sullivan Dedicated Challenge Your Sentence Prison Law Important Parole Case Coming Up? Instruct direct access barristers Solicitor Get Someone Detailed knowledge of sentencing North West Who Gives a $@*#! legislation and procedure “I can’t believe how fortunate we were in choosing Based 99% of Clients happy with the Emmersons. You were amazing, I would recommend Advice on and representation in (will represent Emmersons to anyone looking for an approachable and outcome of their case reliable firm of Solicitors.” appeal against sentence Nationwide) 52 John Street, 137A Back High Street, Gosforth, Challenges to type and length of Legal Aid: Write to: Nearly all clients achieved release or sentence and other orders Sunderland SR1 1QN Newcastle NE3 4ET - PAROLE Janine Doolan, open conditions Representation in appeals to the 0191 567 6667 0191 284 6989 - RECALL 54 St James Crown Court and Court of Appeal Freephone - ADJUDICATIONS Street, We are experts in category A reviews Liverpool Very competitive fee structure - CAT A REVIEWS and independent adjudications 0800 193 0146 L1 0AB Call Mike Johnson on 020 7427 7173 - PRE TARIFF emmersons-solicitors.co.uk [email protected] EXPIRY REVIEWS Parole Hearings • Adjudications • Recalls • Category A Reviews EMAP Goldsmith Chambers, Goldsmith Building, - PAROLE / RECALL 0151 3622421 Registered with Temple, London EC4Y 7BL SPECIALIST 07842 996400 Members of the Association of Prison Lawyers Insidetime May 2019 ‘Mailbag’, Inside Time, Botley Mills, Botley, Southampton SO30 2GB. Mailbag 5 Deportation Give us more than OBPs Feed the hungry W Mundy - HMP Guys Marsh KG Woolger - HMP Bristol
lottery What’s in a name? Sadly, not a lot when it It is a constant battle trying to get fed prop- Maranda Dimitri - comes to Offender Behaviour Programmes. erly and adequately in this place. It’s a well-believed myth that engaging in HMP Wakefield OBPs will radically change your outlook. The food portions are very small anyway but Sadly, this is not the case, as assessments by the time the hot-plate workers have their Regarding issues for those are customised and tailored so that each in- giant portions (part of the perks of being a who face immigration and dividual always fits the criteria. deportation from HMP hot-plate worker) and have sorted out their paying (bribing) customers there is even less Wakefield, it appears that However, this merely creates a ‘cash pot’ for left for the rest of us. once we have served our funding and allows facilitators to remain in a time, we seem to spend world full of opinions and views. Clear evi- Carrot chaos Tonight, one of the servers tried to hand me a Credit: Goroshenka Photography many months of delay in re- dence of what I am saying can be seen in the half-full foil container of chow mein. When I turning back to our home way that course titles are given new names, complained, he said there was nothing he Kendrew’s Carrots countries. The main issues but the fact of the matter is - all they have ac- could do, it was either short ration or nothing. we see and hear is that after tually done is change the dust-jacket. The David Kendrew - HMP Bure I showed it to the cleaning officer who runs all documentation and book remains the same. the hot-plate workers and he just shrugged flights are paid for, we have I have been working in the kitchens here for about five his shoulders and turned away. It’s alright issues with escorting indi- The failed SOTP was closed down early in months now and on this particular day I was assigned to the for him, he’s going home for dinner or into a viduals from Wakefield to 2017, and yet this has been incorporated veg prep and one of my tasks was to do the carrots for dinner. nice café so why should he care if we go removal centres and flight along with HRP and CSCP - and is now called hungry. I prepared the machine ready to do the carrots and got myself escorts. We seem to have Kaizen. My analogy is - if it’s not broke then a large tub to put them in as they exited the machine. After don’t fix it, but if it is useless then throw it more chance of winning the I’ve tried written complaints to the kitchen my fellow workmate topped and tailed about five bags of car- away. lottery than being deported. and governor, but they go unanswered. We rots, I started to put them through the machine. After about When you go into a supermarket to look for a get very short-changed in our tea packs, with five minutes I had half a tub of carrots. Another workmate I am clearly frustrated by the jar of Bovril - you know it will be in a black the sugar and milk taken out before we get came from the sandwich area and asked if he could have lack of understanding and jar with a red lid and label (simple). The rea- them. Butter and marge has been taken off some ‘grated’ carrots for the salads, he asked if he could take the continuing waste of tax- some from the tub. I told him I would grate some for him as son manufacturers don’t change the product the canteen list so now we cannot buy the payers’ money by holding none was done. He replied there’s some in the tub. My work- is because it actually works and has done for life-saver 50p tub of marge and now it’s dry foreign nationals in a mate said ‘Dave what have you done?’ He then went on to say many decades. Unlike the Offender Behav- bread for us. high-security prison many that we needed ‘sliced’ carrot not grated! iour industry who are intent on flogging a months after our original de- dead horse. The whole food situation here is inhumane, So, I had to clean the machine, change the blade, get another portation date. Furthermore, unclean and insufficient. There is no regard large tub, five more bags of carrots top and tail them. So we we now seek to obtain fur- So, please spend this vast amount of funding for health & hygiene, and I have spoken to have enough grated carrots for the week at least! I am now ther legal aid in order to on work-related projects that would benefit staff, but no one is bothered. We get one hot known as carrot man. So, when I hear Elton John’s ‘Rocket fight our deportations - not us on release. Offending Behaviour Pro- meal per day in UK prisons, so is it too much Man’ on the radio, I will quietly sing to myself not I am rocket to stay here, but to return grammes don’t give us a living, only the psy- to ask that it be decent and sufficient? At man, but I am carrot man! home to our loved ones. chologists get that. least give us adult portions.
JAMES’ STORY...
Inmate James’ top bunk didn’t have a safety rail; he rolled and fell 5 feet onto an unforgiving concrete floor fracturing his pelvis.
Unfortunately, the subsequent operation failed because a collapsed screw underpinning the fracture went undetected.
Through no fault of his own James had to endure considerable pain for several months. We sued the prison and the NHS on his behalf for personal injury and negligence. In the end, James was awarded £30,000.
James is just one of many prisoners Jefferies Solicitors have successfully represented over the years.
You may not have your freedom but you still have your rights. YOU could be entitled to make a claim for personal injury caused by trips, burns, gym or workplace accidents or dental and clinical negligence.
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2596_InsideTimeHalfPageAdSuite.indd 1 19/06/2018 09:36 6 Mailbag ‘Mailbag’, Inside Time, Botley Mills, Botley, Southampton SO30 2GB. Insidetime May 2019
I am a Positive Mailbites paedophile Experiences Behind the door Name withheld - Gareth - HMP Whatton Robert Spindlow - HMP Parkhurst HMP Berwyn I know there is a tendency Is it possible to explain the behind the door’s procedure? I work I am a 50-year old male with for prisoners to use ‘Mailbag’ on a Bic’s course at the moment and for reasons beyond my no sexual convictions, and I as a venting channel for all control some days the workshops are closed. Other prisoners have never been suspected things wrong with the prison and I are locked up all morning and afternoon. It feels like we’ve of any. But in the last service, and in fairness I done something wrong and are being punished for not being 18-months I have been hon- don’t blame people for feel- able to go to work. I’ve tried asking officers but just get put est with Probation, OMU, etc The perfect cuppa? ing as they do. I’ve been behind my door. Please help clear this up for all those affected. and made them aware that I © Andy Aitchison there, and I’ve vented in this am indeed a paedophile and way. But sometimes it is too I have known this fact for H.M.Tea easy to forget about the posi- Food packaging Will Taylor - HMP Wetherby most of my life. Though I Mark Dalgleish - HMP Ford tive experiences, more so have managed to keep it when they come at a time I personally think that HMPPS across the whole estate should under control in my head. I have been reading your paper each month, and I have no- where other areas in the have all cold food options such as sandwiches, baguettes, ticed no-one has covered the most important subject, which prison are letting us down. pasta-pots and wraps in rigid packaging with clear plastic and a “There seems to be no is how to make the perfect H.M.T! By which I mean the good computerised label which contains the product name, ingredi- Whatton is by no means per- old-fashioned cup of Rosie Lee. ents and allergies / use by dates. This could be done directly help anywhere for me fect, it has its flaws, but from the kitchens by machine which is better than a polysty- what I will say is this, it’s because I have no Before I was sentenced, me and a close friend, who ran a bar, rene box of sandwiches and this will reduce hunger strikes as psychology department is previous convictions found ourselves having a debate over the perfect cup of tea, well as YP’s only eating sealed food. GeoAmey do it with their outstanding. There is a cul- we even involved the customers. food and they are contracted by HMCTS. and no victims.” ture of support so as offend- But now I am putting it to you; I think the perfect cup of tea is ing behaviour can be Sex offender prisons and addressed. If you need or The standard living policy courses cannot help me like this: cup, teabag, hot water, strain (depending how strong you like it) and then milk! My friend thinks it’s this want more one-to-one ses- Name withheld - HMP Isle of Wight until I have victims. I sions no problem! Even if thought I was doing the right way: cup, milk, teabag, hot water and then strain! Which in All cells should be equipped with telephones, a fridge, Freeview my eyes tastes so different. you just need to sound off thing by being honest so I about how a session has left TV and in cell sanitation. Fridges are a necessary requirement can get help. It is no wonder to ensure personal food hygiene and safety, telephones to So, my question to all your readers up and down the country you feeling, there is always that paedophiles go under- someone on hand for that. allow 24/7 family contact and in cell sanitation is compatible cover and do not come out is are they a milk first, like my friend, or milk after, like me? with human rights. Freeview TV is much cheaper, as the current until they have been caught system costs over a £100k a year to maintain. A fee of £1 should My other question is what prison does the best teabags? As This isn’t just one or two offending. What message is cover our TV rental and fridge replacements per week. Kettles, from prison to prison it can differ, with close friends quoting: people doing a good job, this sending out to others microwaves and toasters should be made available on the “you can get Happy Shopper like teabags to sticks and twigs” across the board there is a who might want help? Any wings. We will then move towards a Scandinavian model where which he had at his last establishment. My other friend say- high standard of care and advice on where or how I commitment to prisoners’; prisoners are still people and will one day be citizens again. can get help to control my ing it reminds him of tea he used to get in the army. Well I look forward to your feedback on the perfect cup of H.M.T! so credit where credit is due, urges would be welcome. this lot are good at what Coercive control they do. In itself this compli- Keith Rose - HMP Coldingley ment may seem like nothing Given that in a recent appeal court ruling Sally Challen has won out of the ordinary, but for her appeal and highlighted the criminal offence of ‘Coercive me it really is. I was previ- Control’, can we now expect to see a significant number of ously at HMP Ashfield where I had a hellish time with prison psychologists acquiring criminal records for doing the Fighting for you, Always protecting your rights psychology, they couldn’t same thing? have been more different in their approach, using bully- Dreams can come true PRISON LAW ing techniques, pre-deter- Ronnie Daly - HMP Frankland mining outcomes, offering • Specialists in parole board cases little to no support. Less than two years ago I talked to one of my peers about what was happening to him and his plans for the future. He is a lifer • Lifer & IPP reviews This proves that we shouldn’t who had already done 30 years in prison and was still Category A. • Recall appeals & hearings tar all psychology departments At this time, he had accepted that he would probably die in with the same brush. I’ve prison and he felt hopeless for the future. But, to show how • Experienced advocates with over ten years expertise in parole done a full 180 degree turn things change when you least expect it, he has just been board hearings on my views of such depart- downgraded from Category A to Category D and will soon be ments and I owe it to the fab- moving on with his life. This proves that no matter how dark • Legal Aid Available for most parole/recall reviews & hearings ulous team here at Whatton. your future may seem, there is always hope. Never give up. • Other areas of prison Law work undertaken under private funding
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On the IPP Wire Star Letter of the Month Congratulations to this months winner who receives our £25 prize Toothless Parole Board Punishment Name supplied - HMP Bullingdon v Public To all those who happen to be under a life or IPP sentence, it’s official, the Home Office have again gained control of all of those Protection under such sentences. In fact the oral hear- Purple Chameleon - HMP Stafford ing proceedings are all but a total farce, which are carried out to give an impression Why are so many of us being punished for that you are being heard by an independent crimes we haven’t committed? Why have we body. served decades in prison but haven’t com- mitted a crime to merit this punishment? The The Parole Board lost its independence after Trans blunders
difference between being punished by being © Deposit Photos the case of taxi driver John Worboys. The sent to prison and being in prison for public Home Secretary jumped to the tune of the protection is non-existent. This means that Are they stupid? media when reporting the case of Worboys every IPP prisoner who is over tariff and still Sasha Chi Chi Hart - HMP Leyhill and that was the end of the so-called Parole in prison is being punished, having already Board having independence. When you go served their punishment for whatever crimes I write to voice my concerns at how sex offender trans inmates are being allowed into female before a Parole Board, the Board will smile prisons. My title ‘Are they stupid?’ is aimed at the MoJ, I appreciate each case is done on its at you whilst you argue your corner, but you they originally committed. This is especially own merits but after a recent high profile case I would have thought the MoJ would want to can see that they have decided already. relevant when you take into account that IPP sentences were abolished by British courts protect its female prisoners in the future. It is said that the Parole Board have released as being a breach of human rights and an more IPP prisoners over the last three years abomination of the justice system. “How can it be right to put a pre-op trans sex offender in the female estate, than ever before? That is a really big brag by even if they are on hormones, the mindset doesn’t change in these individu- the Parole Board, seeing that the Board have “The day the punishment point of als and they still have their hands even if other bits don’t work.” been punishing those under such sentences the sentence ends, the following day as IPP for years. The Parole Board is ap- Since being in prison I have witnessed 17 sex offenders jump on the trans bandwagon hence pointed by ministers and its ministers who the public protection commences is my article of October 2016 “trans imposters” and having had the misfortune to live amongst act on the voice of the media… need there be exactly the same. There is no change these characters I can tell you with the exception of about two of them, I would hate to see more said about the Parole Board? in environment, conditions, treat- any of them in a female prison. Take for instance a prisoner transferred to a female prison from a sex offenders’ establishment. Within months they’re down the seg for their own protec- ment or status.” tion over an inappropriate relationship and now in HMP Downview to be held in a prison Another nail within a prison. What’s the MoJ playing at? Are they stupid? People are sent to prison for loss of liberty, in the IPP coffin that is what prison is for and it’s the only Symon Rockfellows - HMP Whatton purpose of a prison. Another nail in the IPP coffi n, when is this going to end? We have done our time, we If we are to remain here for public protection have jumped through hoops, ticked every and we are not being punished, why can’t we box and been told how bad we are and the have a job that earns real wages and pay our damage we have caused our victims and still taxes? Why can’t we vote? Why can’t we re- this witch-hunt goes on. The IPP was place the shockingly poor-quality items the abolished in 2012. The High Court judge prison dumps on us such as TV’s, mat- stated we will not be forgotten but the reality tresses, bedding? Why can’t we have access is we are like a parcel left on a shelf at the to kitchens to cook? Why can we not have Royal Mail - unwanted, just gathering dust monitored access to the internet and unlim- Your Prison Injury Specialists and getting old. Many inmates come to ited communication with our families? prison for the same off ences and get 4 years with a release date - how is that fair to us? I We are defenseless and ignored, treated as have had two knockbacks by parole on my animals and simply warehoused, powerless 7-year IPP and am now 5 years over. I can’t against an authority that chooses to ignore believe that victims can appeal a decision of Medical Negligence release and keep us in longer, yes, we can the rulings of the courts, abandoned by the appeal as well but what is the point? I hypocritical and cowardly politicians who believe that we are the victims of the IPP, refuse to do what is right for fear of their own isn’t it about time our family can sue for political careers. Why aren’t we treated as damages of stress and anxiety caused by this human beings, with respect and courtesy? unlawful incarceration? Come on Why are we being punished? Accident Claims Government get this sorted. Trapped page 24
How’s that then? Vincent Davenport - HMP Garth Assault Claims I am serving an IPP sentence. I was given 3 years and 3 months tariff 6 months before the sentence was quashed by the Courts and deemed inhumane. Right, it is now 8-years that I have been locked up, including remand time, how is the government getting away with this? If the sentence is ‘inhumane’ then why do I and thousands of IPP’s still sit rotting away in the system with no hope? I’ve had three parole hearings (oral) and each time my outside proba- Call us: 0161 429 8383 / Freephone: 0800 387 967 tion recommends I be released into a hostel and that she feels I’ve done all the work and more. I’ve done so many courses - even the same course under a diff erent name and I go for parole in 2018 and I get a knockback. But guess what? You don’t need to do any courses just Write to us: Prudential Buildings, 63 St Petersgate, Stockport, SK1 1DH sit back for the next 13 months, don’t get any nicking’s or IEP’s and if I’m not a risk I should be released. If I am a risk, I will have more courses to do. We need action taken now. 8 Mailbag ‘Mailbag’, Inside Time, Botley Mills, Botley, Southampton SO30 2GB. Insidetime May 2019 Pointing What is prison Kaizen prog- the finger ramme coercion to you? Dave Ferguson - HMP Wakefield at Healthcare Harry Leigh - HMP Lewes John Stoakes - HMP Leeds Here at Wakefield a number The other day I was asked a very difficult of lifers who maintain inno- This prison is a joke. They question, what is prison to you? After end- cence have been coerced say this is one of the leading less thinking and contradictory ideas, I came into taking part in the prisons for maintaining fam- up with this answer: Kaizen programme. All were ily ties - please, this is a lie. told that they could partici- I’ve been here some time Prisons are being used to appeal to a certain pate despite their mainte- now and still not had a trend present in society of the time we live in nance of innocence. The phone call to my family who with one or two reactions to events of that offender management unit don’t even know where I am! period, nevertheless anybody working in the © Andy Aitchison/Doctored image and the assessment centre I wasn’t offered a reception criminal justice system and indeed prisoners (psychology) both gave the call, so if this is the leading The nub pickers themselves realise that we should use pris- impression that it would prison on maintaining fam- ons as sparingly as possible. They work for allow those maintaining in- Paul Buffy - HMP Oakwood ily ties then I’d hate to see certain needs of society, but they don’t work nocence to address issues of the other prison status on as a main approach to the criminal justice risk without compromising I’ve been locked up for 8 years and since the smoking ban in prison, I think this matter. system. their position and enable the thing I miss most is watching some of the prisoners picking up fag nubs, them to progress. “the nub pickers”. I miss watching them as they find a nice nub, seeing their “I am due in hospital I think, however, before we make too many eyes light up and how they slowly walk up to the nub then tread on it, then broad statements about prison, we’ve really In fact, the complete oppo- soon to have my finger bend down and mess with their shoelace and ever so sneakily get that juicy got to satisfy ourselves that we’ve answered site has occurred. Not one amputated. This isn’t a nub, “genius”. the question, what is prison for? lifer maintaining innocence has received a recommenda- joke as its infected and One time, I saw a guy out of my window on the yard. He clocked a right big I mean, is prison about keeping tion for re-categorisation or I still haven’t seen a nub, in the world of nub pickers this was a 5-star nub, but it was on the other “ progression. Instead, ensu- doctor!” side of the fence “just out of reach”. Now thisM guyi hads ballsca becauserri ahe neverge opeoplef J in ucustodysti orc ise prison? about ing reports by psychology gave a shit who saw him, no sneaking up to this nub, “this guy was a pro” as rehabilitating people once they are have used the prisoner’s he was trying to get his nub he just couldn’t get it noA matterSH howL hardEY he tried S MITH & CO maintenance of innocence to I’ve put in complaint after Our experienced and dedicated team are specialists in and after 5 minutes of trying he just walked away. As I was watching I was in custody?” imply that they failed to complaint but I’m still not willing him not to give up! Appeals & CCRC fully engage, or that they getting anywhere. So, I went Undertaking work for privatWell,ely f uI ndon’tded thinkclien there’sts onl yreally. a consensus have failed to be open and to the meds hatch and the I felt sad for him and he looked broken. About two minutes go by and who at all whether prison is for one or for the accountable for the con- nurse said that I needed ur- Parole Board Representation comes walking back over to the 5-star nub? The pro is back and like the leg- other and it seems to me, as someone in the victed offence for which they gent attention but still noth- For both legally aided and privately funded clients end he is, he has a twig in his hand and now he is lying on his belly poking prison system, that the system can be criti- maintain innocence. Yet, ing. All I want is for the this twig through the fence, it was likeAll watchingPrison a Lwildlifeaw m programme,atters in see-cludingcised In dfore pbeingend tooen austeret Adj andud iatc atheti osamens each prisoner was accepted so-called professionals to ing the chimps using twigs to poke ants out of holes. By Onown bI ecan’thal ftake of pmyri vateltimey fu nnotde beingd cli austereents. enough. We use im- for the course by psychology see my finger and give me eyes off this fella, he was there forIn a a goodll priv fiveately minutes funded m scrapingatters we this will nub,quote but yo u a reprisonmentasonable fix easd fae epunishment, - staged whe were a don’tpprop sendriate. knowing that this was the the correct medication. My he is getting no closer and I can seeP rhimofe sgettingsional angry,and ap butpro aI’mch aproperble we loving offer a Natpeopleionwid eto S prisonervice for an dpunishment accept age andncy Iw thinkork prisoner’s position in the finger is rotten and smells to all this. As for window watching, this was pure gold! for Parole Board Rweepr areese innt aat islightlyon. confused ideological era first place. It is no wonder high heaven. This has to be For a prompt responseand ple theas epeople writ ehave or verycall contradictory de- that prison psychologists a failure on their behalf. I Just as this nub was beating him he does whatAsh anyley pro S nubmi tpickerh & wouldCo, Candri minmands.al D eWhatfen wece want Sp ise clessia lcrime,ists but what have reputations for being am thinking of seeking legal that’s break the end of the twig a bit so it’s turned 4into-6 aL scrapingee Hi gmissionh Ro andad , Lweon alsodo want,n, S emotionally,E13 5LQ is revenge. We’ve sinisterly manipulative, de- advice, but I don’t think they he gets the 5-star nub, gets up off the floor, wipes the dirt off his top and bot- got all sorts of feelings tangled up and the ceptive and outright liars are bothered because I still toms, puts the nub in his gob and sparks up and walks off like a0 gangster.208 463two 0 things09 can’t9 be done at the same time, in when they conduct them- haven’t been seen. Who needs TV! the same way. selves in such a manner.
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CRIMINAL LAW - MENTAL HEALTH LAW - PRISON LAW ASHLEY SMITH & CO Our experienced and dedicated team are specialists in Fixed Fees From £150.00: We specialise in Prison Law, we also offer expertise in Guittard Applications Pre-Tariff Review Appeals & CCRC Criminal Appeals and Immigration Re-cat Reviews HDC Undertaking work for privately funded clients only. We pride ourselves on delivering a client centric service, Straight talking legal experts who put your needs first Legally Aided Parole Board Representation Parole Independent Adjudication Category A Reviews We provide legal aid services in : We offer competitive Re-call Pre tariff Parole Board Reviews For both legally aided and privately funded clients • Parole Hearings Fixed Fees: Closed Supervision Centre • Adjudications • Re-categorisation matters All Prison Law matters including • Sentence calculations Mental Health Law (Legally Aided) • Sentence planning Transfer to Hospital under Section 47 & Section 48 Mental Health Act Independent Adjudications • Licence recalls • Governor On behalf of privately funded clients. • Pre-Tariff & Tariff Reviews adjudications Criminal Law • Challenges to Parole Board DO YOU have an ongoing confiscation order? • Independent risk In all privately funded matters we will quote you a decisions assessments DO YOU have an ongoing case and want to change solicitors? reasonable fixed fee - staged where appropriate. • Cat A Review Boards DO YOU want to appeal your IPP sentence? • HDC /ROTLS • Challenges to Close Supervision • Segregation Professional and approachable we offer a Centre and Separation Centres Mental Health Law (Legally Aided) Nationwide Service and accept agency work for • Transfers Transfer to Hospital under Section 47 & Section 48 Mental Health Act Parole Board Representation. We offer fixed fees in, Bail Applications, Deportation For an immediate response, please contact: and Asylum. For a prompt response please write or call We offer fixed fees in all Immigration matters. Yasmin Aslam Solicitor Advocate/Prison Law Supervisor We have Legal Representatives who speak Lithuanian and Bengali and can assist you. AGI Criminal Solicitors,489 Chester Road 0208 463 0099 Old Trafford, Manchester, M16 9HF For more information, please contact Ashley Smith & Co Kathryn Reece-Thomas or Sara Watson 24 Hours -7 days a week Criminal Defence Specialists T: 0203 841 8580 4-6 Lee High Road ReeceThomasWatson, 758 H olloway Road, CALL US! Registered with Islington, London N19 3JF emailaprisoner 0161 226 2070 London SE13 5LQ Insidetime May 2019 ‘Mailbag’, Inside Time, Botley Mills, Botley, Southampton SO30 2GB. Mailbag 9
On the Autistic Wire Fakers Stuck Mailbites Name supplied - HMP Stafford Name supplied - HMP Belmarsh Long way from home Over the last few months I’ve read many con- James Hamlin - HMP Dartmoor tributions to Inside Time about peoples’ ex- In January I was having is- perience with autism. TJ Walker of HMP I have been to prison so much through my drink and drugs sues with another house Whatton being a prime example. Many years abuse. I’ve had no support here at Dartmoor, just as I didn’t block and it was serious ago I was diagnosed with something called when I was out. I have just got on with it in here, but it is a enough for it to be suggested ‘medium function autism’, apparently I was struggle. I am just asking for a bit of help. I had been drinking to me that I go on the VP born with it. But I could be cured. for about 18 years with no support so coming to Dartmoor, rule (Vulnerable Prisoners). which is supposed to be a Cat-C prison, I thought would help. Me and my two co-defend- Recently on the wing someone told me that The amount of lock up is massive, it’s supposed to be a ants signed up and we were he’d been given an under-achiever (negative resettlement jail but, again, there is no sight of this. I am from told that because of the cir- IEP) for being autistic. I couldn’t believe that. the East Sussex area, so I am not getting visits here at all, it is cumstances we would be Apparently, he was throwing stuff around the just too far away so I would like to go back to Lewes, a B-Cat Trust in each other © Deposit Photos moved within a matter of workshop and was asked to stop 5 times. An- but has a Cat-C wing that was open a lot more and the staff weeks. other chap was swearing at an officer (who just actually care and want to help, unlike the staff here who are stood there and took it) and told me he can’t rude and lazy. They just won’t do anything on G-wing. They are Awareness After two months of being control what he says because he’s autistic. bullies and do not care about anyone. Charles McBride - HMP Parc on the VP wing nothing had happened, so I decided to Now I fully respect autism is different for Dog therapy and mental well-being sign off the rule as we were In response to TJ Walker’s article (March every person who has it. But I don’t misbe- Mark - HMP Wymott told that it wouldn’t be pos- issue) titled “Don’t hate the autistic, we have, I work really hard and I have a good re- sible to transfer to a local count too”, I would like to say firstly that as lationship with the staff. I’ve only ever had Here at Wymott we have just finished dog therapy sessions prison if we were still VP’s. an Aspergian (my own term!) I fully concur one under-achiever and numerous which was done over a few months with about 14/15 prisoners. Even after telling staff that with all that he has said, and I couldn’t have over-achievers. I wouldn’t say I struggle with My role was to help out making brews, interacting and making we were safe we were not al- put it better myself. In having read his article stuff but sometimes I need things explaining everyone feel comfortable. Prisons can be hard and cold places lowed out of our cell. The TJ has teased out some more exceptional a few times. It’s better to write things down and if you don’t get visits, letters or have mental health issues Senior Officer said she has ideas / solutions from my mind, in conjunc- for me - hence the pad clipped to my belt. dog therapy is a really good thing. I watched from day one how tion with those I was already working on. been told that if we come it made people smile and sometimes emotional just being out, we will be assaulted. I’ve been told that I don’t hold back when I around a dog and stroking it, throwing a toy for it. Also, How can staff listen to ru- “I have become an autism cam- speak - I don’t actually speak that much. The listening to the dog handlers’ stories and how she really cares mours from other prisoners? paigner as I believe the level of guy who got the under-achiever, sorry pal, you and is passionate about what she does. And hearing about got it for being a dick, not for being autistic. what the dog went through was sad. All the staff involved were negativity towards us is unaccept- I am 20 years old and have I’m really sick and tired of people blaming great and really pushed to get it working and running smoothly. 17 months left to serve and I able - there remains a stigma.” their bad behaviour on being autistic. Since I One person needs a big shout out - Klare - she was the driving desperately want a transfer don’t behave like everyone else I’ve met who force behind it and Fiona, Justine, Mariana and the pro- out of Belmarsh, since I’ve I have had to endure a double stigma for claims to be autistic then I surely must be grammes department played their part, and it was held in the been here it’s been nothing years since I was thrown out by my uncaring cured. Thanks for listening to my rant. CAMEO centre which is run by Ian from the Salvation Army. alcoholic parents to fend for myself. It’s all but trouble for me. I am try- very noble to be a campaigner but I’d suggest ing to get to HMP Rochester Well done IT a more radical approach by being pro-active, All in my head? as I want to start doing Cottam - HMP Preston by which I mean don’t ask uncaring, selfish, Name supplied - HMP Ashfield courses and I’m literally not lying politicians and social services for help. progressing here. I am sur- Dear good people of Inside Time, I’m writing to say many We as a whole 1% of the British population I write in relation to TJ Walker’s letter about rounded by convicted mur- thanks for all the interesting prose, plus views from individuals, affected by the spectrum should band to- autism in prison. I was diagnosed with derers or men on trial for professionals + cons serving sentences. So here is a big shout gether and start our own business (employ- autism in early November 2018 while I was at murder and it’s quite fright- out to all the team and good people of the world for trying to ing only autism suffers) and then pool our HMP Leyhill, 15 days later I was transferred ening to be honest. make a difference. Well done! resources to buy private land to build our back to closed conditions. Leyhill seemed to own gated community and start the N.A.P acknowledge my diagnosis but as soon as I (National Autism Party). returned here, I have been told I don’t have DAVIES & JONES autism, is this all in my head? I got diag- Basically, all you autistic folks out there, SOLICITORS nosed by an independent psychologist who please realise that you will never be treated specializes in autism and have received no fairly or with dignity/ respect, we can only Specialising in trust each other and look out for each other. support whatsoever. No reasonable adjust- We accept and understand each other. There ments have been made to assist me with my Criminal Defence and is no unity to be had with these lesser mor- diagnosis which I am still trying to get my Prison Law tals who abuse and neglect us, so the only head around. These places don’t seem to real solution is to sort out our own problem think of autism as a disability, unless you O f f e r i n g on our own terms. have a walking stick or wheelchair. Dillex Solicitors N a t i o n w i d e S e r v i c e Specialist in Prison Law & • All Criminal Court Proceedings Pickup & Scott cover the majority of Criminal Defence prisons in the South East including • Parole Applications Matters but not limited to: HMP Bullingdon, • Licence Recall Appeals (All convictions & Sentences) HMYOI Aylesbury, HMP Woodhill, • Appeals CCRC & Judicial Reviews HMP The Mount, HMP Bedford, • Adjudications HMP Grendon & Springhill Parole, Adjudication Recall & Re-categorisation Contact We are able to assist with all Police Station/Crown/ Please contact David Rees or Simon Palmer aspects of prison law, including: Magistrate Court Representations The Prison Law Dept at: Davies & Jones • Parole Board Reviews Pickup & Scott Solicitors Confiscation/Forfeiture 32 The Parade, Roath, • Recall to Prison 6 Bourbon Street Do Not Hesitate To Contact Lucy Today Cardiff, CF24 3AD • Independent Adjudications Aylesbury Dillex Solicitors • Sentence Calculation Bucks HP20 2RR 107b Ripple Rd, Barking IG11 7NY Tel: 029 2046 5296 01296 397 794 TEL: 02085913351 or 24 Hour Emergency Number: Members of the Association of Prison Lawyers (24H) 07572086247 079 7096 9357 10 Newsround www.insidetime.org Insidetime May 2019
Urgent Notification Protocol Success for staff (Bedford, Birmingham and Call to end short sentences Progress checking Exeter). These will have coaching scheme The Justice Select Committee, a cross-party Parliamentary IRPs. Four other prisons New follow-up inspections announced committee looking at justice issues has told ministers they have also been notified that Prisons Minister Rory Stewart should consider abolishing all sentences of less than a year to they are subject to the new has met specially-trained Inside Time report help ease the ‘enduring safety crisis’ in prisons. The UK has follow-up visits (Chelmsford, prison staff to congratulate the highest incarceration rate in Western Europe (only Russia Highdown, Manchester and them on their efforts to is higher) and drug use and violence is endemic across the HM Chief Inspector of The Mount). support officers in some of prison estate as overcrowding continues and prison staff were Prisons, Peter Clarke, has the country’s most challeng- drastically cut back. announced a series of new “Inspectors will make ing jails. He spoke to follow-up visits to failing members of the Standards A new report by the committee says: “The scale of the prison and unsafe prisons designed one of four possible Coaching Team (SCT) and population crisis is such that it requires a fresh and decisive to give the government an Peter Clarke: “IRPs are judgements against the officers they are support- response.” In Scotland, plans are already in place to abolish independent assessment of an important new area ing about their work in the each recommendation; such sentences and replace them with robust community how much progress has been of work for us.” jails which are the focus of sentences. The committee says: “We are now in the depths of made in improving the no meaningful pro- the 10 Prisons Project. an enduring crisis in prison safety and decency that has treatment and conditions for gress, insufficient IRPs will differ from normal lasted five years and is taking significant additional invest- prisoners. The visits, called The Project was launched inspections, which assess progress, reasonable ment to rectify, further diverting funds from essential Independent Reviews of last year to bring down the treatment of prisoners rehabilitative initiatives that could stem or reverse the Progress (IRPs) started in progress and good violence in some of the most and the conditions of predicted growth.” April and reports have been detention against HMIP’s progress.” challenging prisons, and promised within 25 days. SCT was created to provide ‘Expectations’ and four Reoffending cost £15billion and short sentences have been Commenting on the new advice and encouragement healthy prison tests. The shown to be ineffective with many prisoners losing their jobs Peter Clarke says the IRPs inspections, Peter Clarke says: to officers in the 10 prisons. IRPs instead will follow up and accommodation, both seen as vital in stopping reoffend- will give ministers independ- “IRPs are an important new on a selection of key ing. Conservative MP Bob Neill, who chairs the committee, ent evidence about how far area of work for us. They are Prison staff now say they are concerns and recommenda- accused the Ministry of Justice and Treasury of taking a “crisis jails have implemented prison designed to give the Secretary feeling more confident, tions and make judgements management approach” to prisons. He said: “Throwing inspectors’ recommenda- of State an independent relationships with prisoners about the extent of progress money at the prison system to tackle multiple issues takes tions following particularly assessment of whether have improved and officers made. HMCIP will identify funding away from external rehabilitative programmes that concerning inspections. He prisons we have found to be say wings are calmer and establishments for an IRP could stem or reverse many of the problems.” said that the Prison Service based on a number of unsafe or otherwise failing more stable. Stewart said: should not “mark its own are getting to grips with our “The Standards Coaching factors, including: healthy Prisons Minister Rory Stewart said: “Our clear focus is on homework” when reporting key recommendations for Team is a fantastic innova- prison test scores over time rehabilitating prisoners to reduce crime and keep the public on the achievement of improvement. There are tion - putting training of the (and) the key risks at the safe, but this can only happen if prisons are safe and decent. recommendations. Extra many governing teams and highest standard at the heart establishment.” IRPs will That is why we are investing significantly in improving funding has been made staff working hard in very of healthy prisons. I am typically take place 8 to 12 conditions and security, and developing a long-term strategy available to fund the visits so challenging jails and really impressed by these months following the full to deliver prison places and reduce violence.” that normal inspections are inspection. through our IRPs we will officers - drawn from across not disrupted. Prisons will work constructively with the country - and they are Peter Dawson, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said the be told in advance they are them to support the improve- making a rapid visible In the last year three prisons report provides a “unanimous endorsement of the Government’s subject to an IRP. were subject to the new ments we all want to see.” difference in all the prisons wish to abolish pointless short prison sentences”. they visit.” Fighting for the Rights of Vulnerable Immigration Detainees in Prison Vulnerable immigration detainees in prison are not given the same rights as those held in immigration removal centres. Duncan Lewis Solicitors are leading a challenge to address the Home Office’s failure to provide safeguards for potentially vulnerable immigration detainees held in the prison estate, which could find them unsuitable for detention. Solicitors Our Challenge Vulnerable detainees held in immigration removal centres can be identified Our specialist team of prison immigration solicitors are as unsuitable for detention under a Rule 35 assessment. This includes: currently bringing a judicial review on behalf of a claimant who was held under immigration powers in prison. Whilst in prison he disclosed that he was a victim of torture, but since there is no • Victims of torture obligation on medical staff to report torture or health concerns • Modern slavery victims to the Home Office, he remained in detention. • Victims of trafficking • Those with mental health problems We have submitted to the High Court that this is unlawful discrimination, as it breaches Article 14 of the European If you believe you fall under any of these categories, we want to hear from Convention on Human Rights and the Equality Act. you, as you may be eligible to join our challenge.
Contact our team to find out about our challenge and how we can represent you: 020 3114 1333* @ [email protected] Immigration Prisoners Team, Spencer House, 29 Grove Hill Road, Harrow-on-the-Hill, HA1 3BN *No matter where you are calling from England and Wales, we can assist you.
Interpreters Offices Available 8 all across England & Wales Insidetime May 2019 www.insidetime.org Newsround 11
Looking Vitamin D defi cient legs Child custody Newsbites
Back... shake-up No cut for knife crime sentences through the Inside Changes have been an- Justice Minister David Gauke is said to be considering watering Time archives nounced into the way Secure down his plans to stop prison sentences of less than six Training Centres (STCs) are months. Following the recent spate of knife murders, it has May 2009 emerged that up to 4,000 people a year are given sentences of inspected. Following consul- New Inspector tations, the new inspection six months or less for carrying knives. 59% of knife-offenders regime started last month. receive the short sentences and Gauke is now examining of Probation whether he could exempt them from his plans. Director of the • When an STC is judged to Centre for Crime and Justice Studies Richard Garside said: The Secretary of State has be inadequate, inspectors “Over the past decade, sentences have already got a lot announced the appointment will return to check on the tougher. Those calling for even tougher sentences need to of Justin Russell (above) as centre’s progress within 8 explain why they think this will work.” Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector Rickets concerns weeks of the initial inspection. of Probation for a tenure of 3 Expanding body scanners years. His appointment will A lifer’s wife writes • STCs are given advance at YOIs warning of inspections. The X-ray body scanners have now been installed in 8 prisons commence on 1 June 2019. “I am a lifer wife who considers notice period will be re- - Altcourse, Belmarsh, Doncaster, Forest Bank, Holme House, He replaces Glenys Stacey herself to be motivated and A Care Quality Commission duced to 4 days. Leeds, Northumberland and Peterborough. These allow staff to who was appointed in 2016. strong willed. However, I refuse (CQC) inspector, responsible • A ‘point-in-time’ survey of detect items hidden within prisoners’ bodies. There are plans Mr Russell has spent over to support prisoners’ families’ for checking out healthcare the views of children at an to introduce the scanners, which the Prison Service say are thirty years working on a charities for the simple reason issues during prison STC will be used to inform harmless, in another ten prisons including the High Security wide range of criminal they persist in raising negativi- inspections has said he is the timing of an inspection Estate. After these have been evaluated, there is a tender out to justice issues as a research- ty to the surface. It is weari- concerned that young people and key lines of inquiry. provide the scanners at many more prisons. er, policy maker and major some reading comments from locked up for up to 23 hours • A revised, simplified, programme leader and has a people that persist in blaming a day were at risk of vitamin judgement structure will New disability inquiry long-standing interest and the system. One of the most D deficiency and are help tell a clearer story The Equality and Human Rights Commission has announced involvement in probation bizarre and inane comments vulnerable to deficiencies about what life is like for the an inquiry into support for disabled people in the criminal and youth justice policy. He I have ever read is that from that cause bone deformities children living at the STC. justice system. Commenting on the announcement, Peter has also worked for the ‘Action for Prisoners’ Families’. like rickets. Professor Steve Dawson, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said: “Significant Audit Commission and On their website it features a Field told The Independent: Peter Clarke, HM Chief progress has been made in recent years supporting vulnerable Mental Health Foundation quote that says: ‘I find the “Young kids, locked up in Inspector of Prisons, said: defendants, particularly through the continued rollout of and was a non-executive defendant guilty. I sentence his their cells on their own for “The new framework has the liaison and diversion services in police stations and courts Director of Turning Point. six year-old daughter to nine most of the day weren’t experience of children at the across England. However, far more could be done to ensure the Until recently, he was years of punishment’. Who getting the physical and centre of all judgements and justice system meets its duties under equality law, for instance Director General for Justice exactly sentences this child to mental stimulation they provides the foundation for through the increased use of accessible information, interme- Analysis and Offender Policy punishment - apart from her should do. They weren’t developing a comprehensive diaries and other reasonable adjustments. The increased use of at the Ministry of Justice and own mother or father who getting access to sunlight, so inspection regime as chil- video-link and online technology pose significant questions for is currently the Director foolishly made the decision to I was worried about vitamin dren’s custody is reformed the ability of many people with mental health conditions, General for No Deal EU Exit commit a crime in the first D and all sorts of things.” and new models of detention learning disabilities and neuro-disabilities and conditions to Planning at the Ministry of place?” Mailbag Credit: The Independent developed.” participate effectively in the legal process.” Justice. A prison officer writes “I want to congratulate you Prison officer ‘lucky to be on your paper ‘Inside Time’. alive’ after his throat was cut No I have been reading it for the Upfront past 18 months as I find it helps Fee me do my job more effectively. A prison officer is ‘lucky to be alive’ after having his throat cut REQUIRED It gives me an insight into by an inmate at HMP Nottingham. The male officer required 17 some of the problems and the stitches after being attacked but did not need surgery and has views that prisoners have since been discharged. The officer’s attacker has been arrested whilst in prison. It has also and charged with grievous bodily harm with intent, wounding We are specialists in raising finance quickly to pay outstanding given me information that has with intent and a racially aggravated public order offence. confiscation and other types of enforcement orders. helped me point prisoners in the right direction. Inside The national chairman of the Prison Officers’ Association, Time has helped me to build a Mark Fairhurst, said the officer received 17 stitches after being DO YOU NEED MONEY TO PAY YOUR CONFISCATION? better relationship with attacked with a razor in an ‘unprovoked attack’. prisoners who I am responsi- Our efficient and helpful team can explore the possibility of releasing ble for as their Personal “Apparently, as soon as his door was unlocked this money from property and other assets in the UK held or jointly held by Officer, so much so that I am morning, he attacked the first officer he saw with you to settle your order and preserve your property. getting questioned by other prisoners because I under- a razor blade. He has cut his neck. The officer has Our team works with experts who have extensive knowedge of such stand more. Keep up the good gone to hospital and received 17 stitches. At the orders and who can provide realistic solutions to you whilst liaising work, I find it a great read and hospital, staff said he’s lucky to be alive as it was directly with your case lawyer and family members to achieve very informative.” Mailbag very close to the main artery on his neck.” this, or alternatively you can contact us directly.
Probation days gone by Fairhurst also said that the officer was a new member of staff “Can anyone remember the still on his probationary period. days when probation used to be there to actually help you? It comes after the prisons inspector issued an ‘urgent ‘Probation and Aftercare’ it notification’ about HMP Nottingham, declaring it ‘fundamen- was called. Not anymore, it tally unsafe’. In a highly critical report the Chief Inspector of has now become a police Prisons, Peter Clarke, found that levels of violence at the force and court all rolled into prison were ‘very high’, with 103 assaults on staff recorded in £ one.” Mailbag the six months before the December 2017 inspection. The report also noted eight self-inflicted deaths at the jail since a TIMELESS No Upfront FIVE A shoe in previous inspection in 2016. PROCESS Fee REQUIRED STAR REVIEWS “Timpson, a shoe company with 650 branches, has opened A Prison Service spokeswoman said: “We do not tolerate [email protected] 01992 568820 their first prison workshop to violence against our hardworking officers, which is why we @ train offenders and provide job introduced the Assaults on Emergency Workers Act, which Bridge Finance Direct, Prince of Wales House, 3 Bluecoats Avenue, Hertford SG14 1PB opportunities.” Newsround ensures perpetrators receive the maximum possible sentence.” 12 Newsround // Focus www.insidetime.org Insidetime May 2019 Birmingham says goodbye to G4S Newsbites ultimately make sure that we (POA) General Secretary Your number’s up are better protecting the Steve Gillan said his As the number of mobile phones in British prisons increases public.” members had campaigned the Prison Service (HMPPS) say they have been forced to close hard to bring HMP hundreds of social media accounts run by prisoners from inside In response to the move, G4S Birmingham back under prison. In the last four years 1,700 accounts have been blocked. custodial & detention public control: “We will Items removed include photos posted which were taken inside services managing director continue to campaign to get prisons and messages posted to people outside. Mobile phone Jerry Petherick said: “HMP all prisons under public finds in prisons in England and Wales increased by 15% to Birmingham is an inner-city control where they rightfully March last year with 10,643 incidents. remand prison which faces belong,” he said. exceptional challenges Spiced up mail including high levels of Roger Swindells, chairman An undercover operation by police, codenamed Operation prisoner violence towards of Birmingham’s Lima, to tackle the supply of the drug Spice into prisons has Inside Time report awarded in 2011 and G4S still staff and fellow prisoners. Independent Monitoring uncovered a plot by ‘organised criminals’ to smuggle the drug had seven years to run on its We believe that it is in the Board (IMB), said that in through fake legal mail. Legal mail is covered by legal contract and the cancellation best interests of staff and the transferring it back to the privilege and cannot be opened or read by prisons except in It has been announced that is an unprecedented move company that management public sector was “good exceptional circumstances. Raids by Manchester Police and the the G4S contract to run which, the Ministry of Justice of this prison is transferred news”. He said: “I’m pleased North West Regional Organised Crime Unit seized cannabis, trouble hit Birmingham (above) said had been done ‘with the to HMPPS and we will work there’s some clear direction. amphetamines and quantities of cash in targeted raids and is to be cancelled and the full agreement’ of G4S. closely with the Ministry of It takes away the uncertainty arrested two men. Operation Lima has been running for about Prison Service will take over Justice to ensure a smooth - prisoners and staff have nine months and police say they have seized drugs, including the running of the prison. Prisons Minister Rory transition over the next three lived under a cloud for the Spice, which have a prison value of more than £300,000. After an appalling inspection Stewart said: “I am confident months.” past seven months.” report, and an Urgent that HMP Birmingham has Prison knife crime Notification, the prison was made good progress since HMPPS has agreed a As part of its work to raise The number of knife assaults in prisons has seen an unprece- temporarily taken over by the the ‘step-in’ but to build on settlement with G4S paying standards, HMPPS say action dented rise. Latest figures (for 2017) show a jump of 34% to 657. Prison Service last autumn. this, the prison needs £9.9 million to cover the includes: The stabbings and slashings have been linked to gang members The prison, one of Britain’s stability and continuity. That additional cost of the ‘step-in’ • The introduction of a new being imprisoned and include, allegedly, shanks and lock- largest, was described as is why we have mutually action - including additional dedicated search team to knives flown into prisons by drones. It is thought that the ‘unmanageable’ with agreed with G4S that the HMPPS staff and essential detect and deter those increasing use of knives outside prison is being reflected inside. ‘alarming levels of violence’ public sector is better placed maintenance work. G4S staff responsible for bringing Knife crime is not the only prison violence on the increase; which saw frightened staff to drive the long-term at Birmingham will transfer contraband into the estab- incidents of scalding attacks have almost doubled. locking themselves in offices. improvements required and to HMPPS and experienced lishment. A recent full Drug use was so endemic the contract will end. Our Governor Paul Newton, who lockdown search was highly that chief prison inspector priority remains the safety of took over at the prison last successful in addressing In the papers Peter Clarke described men prisoners and staff, but this August at the time of the contraband. ‘walking about like zombies’. move to restore and consoli- ‘step-in’, will remain in post. • A bolstered senior manage- date order at one of our most ment team and more than 30 The 15-year contract was challenging jails will Prison Officers Association additional, experienced prison officers supporting the team on the ground. 01865 987781 • New safety initiatives Prison sentences including the roll-out of the Mark Day - Prison Reform Trust key worker model - ensuring [email protected] that each prisoner has Sir, The justice select committee has produced a compre- dedicated support from a www.theburnsidepartnership.com hensive demolition of our national obsession with imprisonment, prison officer, and a fed by governments of all colours (“MPs warn of jails crisis”, refreshed violence strategy April 3). The cross-party group of MPs rightly highlights the to tackle the causes of Sorting it out responsibility of politicians for the crisis, pointing to the impact violent behaviours. of legislative change as the principal reason for the near • Additional training for staff doubling of the prison population in the past 25 years. The When you are in prison it is very difficult to deal with in managing vulnerable and Prison Reform Trust’s evidence to the committee highlighted property and finances on the outside. violent offenders. research that shows the provisions of the 2003 Criminal Justice • The refurbishment of one Act alone, which introduced the disastrous indeterminate wing which is now being This can be done by making a power of attorney sentence for public protection as well as mandatory minimum repopulated. The visitors where you appoint someone you trust to do what you tariffs for certain serious offences, increased the prison popula- centre is also undergoing need and deal with everything for you. tion by 16,000. The justice secretary has called for a public renovation and a new family conversation about how we punish the most serious crimes. His strategy has been response to this report should be the start of that dialogue. You should also make sure that you have a Will in introduced. place to make sure that those Unit 19B, Imperial House, you care about receive your 64 Willoughby Lane, property after you are gone. London N17 0SP CANTERS CRIME Call us: 0208 8017422 We are a friendly rm, with solicitors and legally Email: [email protected] quali ed sta who are experts in their particular www.legalguys.co.uk We can help you with specialist advice on all aspects areas of law of law relating to your personal legal affairs. This The Legal Guys AREAS OF WORK includes powers of attorney, Wills, change of name, Do you need an immigration lawyer? probate issues and protecting your property. LICENSE RECALL PAROLE REVIEWS We can help with: IPP REVIEWS ADJUDICATIONS Represantations to the Home Office We are very experienced in dealing with these areas Other Prison Law issues considered for prisoners. We will visit you or work with you Appeals against deportation but payment may be on a private fee basis All areas of Criminal work including Police Bail applications remotely or work with family or friends to help sort Interviews/ Court Appearances things out. Leave to remain applications CONTACT US Partner applications 0151 239 1020 Contact Edward James or Jessamie Henry by post, phone or email. [email protected] The Carpenters’ Workshop, Blenheim Palace Sawmills, Combe, Oxfordshire OX29 8ET 24 DALE STREET , LIVERPOOL L2 5RL Insidetime May 2019 www.insidetime.org Newsround 13
Ten years for false rape claims World prison review A woman who made false rape claims against 15 men, one of Finish AI whom spent two years in prison, has lost her appeal against a Prisoners at two prisons in ten-year sentence. Her lawyers had claimed that stories about Finland are helping to train false claims were myths and, even if guilty, she shouldn’t artificial intelligence (AI) Sheriff slams have been jailed because she says she was abused as a child. algorithms to build a comprehensive database of rucksack scheme Lady Justice Hallett, one of England’s most senior female companies around the world judges, said after announcing the judgement: “This case went that helps businesses find The former High Sheriff of far further than myths and stereotypes about a complainant’s contractors to work with. The Suffolk, George Vestey (above), behaviour. The appellant was accused of being a serial liar task requires hundreds of has criticised the lack of thousands of business articles who fabricated accounts mostly of a sexual nature. In the support given to released to be read and labelled. light of the evidence called, even if the guidance was given it prisoners in his county. Although there are computer Speaking at an awards would not have assisted the appellant. The system of justice systems that can do the task ceremony he said: “HMP has suffered considerable harm - considerable resources have Miguel Roldán: Compassion fatigue in English and other common Norwich houses the largest been spent investigating and prosecuting crimes which never languages, there are none population of Suffolk happened. There has been no indication of remorse on the Jail for rescuing migrants that can do the task in residents and on release they appellant’s part.” Miguel Roldán, a Spanish fireman who dashed out to sea to save Finnish. Finland has very receive a rucksack, £40 and a sinking boat full of migrants has been told he could face 20 progressive prisons with a a sleeping bag - what an abject years in prison for “aiding illegal immigration and conspiring with third operating as open admission the resettlement More temporary release human traffickers”. The man was spending his 20-day vacation prisons where prisoners can system is failing. This is volunteering on a rescue boat. Spanish authorities have also live and work as if they were resulting in personal tragedy for work placements seized their boat, claiming the migrants were in Libyan waters. living in the community. on a multiple scale, continued disruption in the community It has been announced that the government are thinking of France tops suicide league Painful execution ‘Okay’ and a complete waste of relaxing the rules about prisoners getting work placements Although Russia has the highest total number A man who was due to be executed in taxpayers’ money.” During his outside prison. Justice Secretary David Gauke believes that of prisoners and the UK has the second Missouri went to court because he has a rare year as High Sheriff, Vestey greater use of release on temporary licence, particularly for highest incarceration rates in Europe, France condition which would mean the lethal started a new project at work placements, can act as an incentive that will help to has the dubious honour of having the most injection could cause him severe pain and Warren Hill where mentors choke him on his own blood. Although reduce violence and disorder in jails. self-inflicted deaths. The Council of Europe, recruited from the surrounding admitting his crimes and accepting the death which collated the figures from 45 countries area help prisoners prepare penalty he asked for execution by suffocation Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for for their release and contin- which responded to its questionnaire, say with nitrogen. His pleas went all the way to the Penal Reform, said: “These plans would ease pressure on ue to support them for six caution should be exercised when comparing US Supreme Court who ruled that he could months when they are free. closed prisons, which are in a terrible state. There are lots of data from different countries because of not have an alternative execution method and He said the project, along people who get stuck in closed jails who could move to open different data collection methods. France has although the US Eighth Amendment bars cruel with others he has started to conditions. It would be good to give more prisoners opportu- long been criticised for its poor prisons with and unusual punishment the Court ruled that help cut reoffending, are nities to work in the community before they are released. If outdated infrastructure and serious over- it does not guarantee a prisoner a painless “small steps” - but with the we can give prisoners more work experience and prepare crowding. At the lowest end of the figures are execution. The Court said that although the potential to make huge gain. them for work in the real world, that would be a good thing.” Cyprus, Croatia, Greece, Iceland, Luxembourg Eighth Amendment bars the deliberate and Montenegro. France has a suicide rate, per infliction of pain; because there was no 10,000 prisoners of 12.6 followed by Austria at evidence that the state intended to cause the man to choke on his own blood during his 12.3 and then Germany with 11.8. The UK execution, the amendment does not apply. should not be complacent, Inside Time The ruling comes two months after the estimates that the UK suicide rate per 10,000 Supreme Court determined that a Muslim man prisoners is around 10 (this is a combined rate would not be able to have an Imam in the for England, Scotland and Northern Ireland) room during his execution, a ruling that liberal and although it fell last year is on the way up justices considered a violation of the establish- again. ment clause of the First Amendment.
Yoga turning? Russian MP Yelena Mizulina - who wrote the country’s gay propaganda law - believes that practicing yoga could make prisoners gay. Mizulina forwarded a complaint from a Russian theologian to the Prison Service which asked that yoga classes for prisoners be stopped as they could turn them gay. Yoga classes were suspended but now the Russian Prison Service say prisoners will continue doing yoga. “No one will be drawn to homosexuality by yoga and the ancient Chinese breathing technique called Qigong”, said Valery Maximenko, deputy head of the Federal Prison Service adding: “Even if it does, we’re in a democracy and everyone has the right to choose their own path”. Homosexuality is not a criminal offence in Russia.
Forensic Accountants CONFISCATION PROCEEDINGS UNDER POCA! Bartfields have considerable UK wide experience of We take pride in providing a analysing and revising prosecution benefit calculations within tight deadlines. (Legal aid available) full range of Free prison visit for all pre-confiscation hearing cases Recent Cases: Criminal and Prison Law Prosecution Benefit Bartfields Benefit Services. Mr M £69,000 £8,000 Mr C £3,684,000 £47,000 Mrs D £271,000 £45,000 FOR ASSISTANCE PLEASE CONTACT Mr O £378,000 £16,000 Mr L £1,015,000 £111,000 Hannah Rumgay Mrs N £785,000 £103,000 Contact Raymond Davidson on 03332224445 (opt3) Prison Law Solicitor Bartfields Forensic Accountants Tates, 12 Park Place, Leeds LS1 2RU Write to: • 13 St.John Street MANCHESTER M3 4DQ St Paul’s House,23 Park Square,Leeds,LS1 2ND • 15 Old Bailey LONDON EC4M 7EF [email protected] www.bartfieldsforensic.co.uk 0113 242 2290 14 Newsround // Local Prison News www.insidetime.org Insidetime May 2019
The overall aim is to identify Good Prison News the role of community sports Newsbites partnerships in delivering sport in prisons and how Flushed with anger sport can best support Prisoners at Barlinnie were angry when they people in desisting from were issued with buckets last month after the crime after they are re- toilets in B-Hall, which holds about 260 leased. The long-term prisoners, stopped flushing. Fortunately, ambition is that the ‘best prisoners did not have to relieve themselves practice’ template created as “On me ‘ead sister!” into the buckets but, instead, were told to fill part of the project will be © Deposit Photos them with tap water to manually flush the widely adopted. Downview women toilets. Prison staff said the problems were Research evaluating the caused by an aging infrastructure which sports club model’s impact footballers couldn’t cope with the 50% overcrowding. is being led by Dr Juliette
© Deposit Photos Stebbings from the The Twinning Project, where professional Popping out for ‘needs’ University of Portsmouth. football clubs work with prisons on a sports According to The Sun, prisoners at Ford are Sport supporting She is assessing the effects programme to boost rehabilitation, has ‘popping out to visit prostitutes on day release’. on participants’ physical announced its first official Twinning Project They say the prisoners are using smuggled activity levels, confidence, where Arsenal, supported by the Football mobile phones to arrange meetings and then rehabilitation motivation, communication Association, will support women at HMP ‘popping out’ on day release to visit them. skills, engagement, attitude, Downview. Arsenal is offering a six-week According to the paper, working women with Two innovative ‘sports club’ encouraged to engage in relationships with peers and programme to 12 Downview prisoners that names such as Nelly, Yaya and Chantel, have projects are aiming to aid the CACT and Fight for Peace staff, and levels of violence will include weekly workshops both in the told them: “They want a service and we are rehabilitation of young programmes taking place in and aggression. The classroom and on the football pitch. It will willing to do it. They have needs.” A Prison people in Kent. The projects the community. It gives them research will also assess the focus on helping prisoners develop leader- Service spokesperson told The Sun that any at Medway Secure Training consistent and ongoing impact on the prison ship skills, form positive relationships, prisoners who abuse the system face ‘tough Centre (STC) and HMP access to the same coaches, environment more widely. understand the laws of the game, and build sanctions’. Cookham Wood are funded positive role models and their technical football skills in outdoor by Alliance of Sport and supportive social environ- She commented: “By training sessions. Upon completion of the Old prison ‘love in’ deliver weekly sports clubs ment that they had whilst in producing what will be a course, the prisoners will earn a certificate A pilot for a new competition show is being delivered by prison staff and prison, which can act as a solid piece of scientific from Arsenal, officially recognising their filmed at the redundant Shrewsbury prison. It teams from Fight for Peace distraction from reoffending evidence showcasing the participation. is being made by a small company and will be and Charlton Athletic and previous negative peer effectiveness of this project, shown on YouTube. Called ‘Love Locked Down’ Community Trust. They groups and lifestyle habits. we can raise awareness of David Dein MBE, former Vice Chairman of it involves three couples being locked in the consist principally of football how powerful sport and Arsenal and the Football Association, and prison for three days with various challenges and boxing with coaching, The project has been physical activity can be in founder of the Twinning Project, said, “We to perform. personal development and launched in response to the the rehabilitation process, are delighted that Arsenal has teamed up mentoring. inconsistency in delivery of and we can make a real with HMP Downview to deliver the first new sport and physical activity difference to the lives of programme for the Twinning Project. Our Extra time for staff assault After their release from in youth and adult prisons these young people.” hope is the course will be truly life changing A Dartmoor prisoner has had 18 months prison, prisoners are across England and Wales. Credit: allianceofsport.org for the Downview participants, helping them added to his sentence after what was described build self-esteem and develop skills that will as a ‘sustained and violent attack’ on four unlock better opportunities for them upon prison officers, leaving two with long term release. It is a fantastic result to have injuries. The man claimed he was unhappy Arsenal, one of the world’s top women’s about his lack of privileges at the prison. The football clubs, take the lead on tackling the judge told him that it was a ‘sustained attack’ reoffending rate among women in the UK.” and a ‘terrible act of violence’.
Addiewell police raids Closed circuit telly In an effort to stop smuggling into Sodexo run Addiewell, police raided three properties in Lanarkshire and West Lothian. A spokeswoman Prison Law Experts / Legal 500 Recommendation for Addiewell said: “Drugs, mobile phones and other illicit items are an issue across the whole Nationwide Coverage - in-house video link facilities available prison estate, and we regularly carry out intelligence-led searches of the prison. A planned intelligence-led operation with the Specialist advice on support of Police Scotland was carried out at the prison and at a number of locations parole reviews police interviews outside of the prison. The results of the Inside broadcast operation will be shared with the Scottish recalls criminal appeals Prison Service and any appropriate action will Prisoners at Lowdham Grange run their own be taken.” extradition adjudications television station called ‘Inside TV’ and a drama made by the prisoners, showing the Inverness prison delays criminal defence con scation & impact of crime on victims, has been praised Fears are growing that the new £80.5million by prison inspectors after they visited in prison at Inverness is being delayed indefinitely. proceeds of crime January. The channel, which produces The prison, which is due to be built close to programmes including cookery shows, games Inverness Shopping Park, is meant to replace Members of the Association of Prison Lawyers reviews and items on drugs and Islamist the city’s aging, overcrowded, Victorian prison. extremism, was described by inspectors as Scotland’s justice minister Humza Yousaf has “well resourced”. As well as providing declined to say when construction on the Contact our Prison Law Department programming for prisoners, staff can use the project will begin. Yousaf has previously said channel to issue newsflash alerts if the prison the building is dependent on capital funding enters lockdown. Prison director Mark being available. Inverness councillor Carolyn 01904 431421 Hanson said the channel “helps us to be able Caddick said: “The proposed new prison will be [email protected] to communicate effectively with the prison of great benefit to Inverness, so I really hope population” and gives inmates the chance to this project is not being delayed. Not only will Howard and Byrne learn practical skills that benefit them once it provide increased job opportunities, it will Chestnut Court, 148 Lawrence Street, York YO10 3EB they leave prison. “They get valuable also mean prisoners can be moved from the communication skills and they actually get a current Victorian prison, which is not really fit qualification,” he said. for purpose.” Insidetime May 2019 www.insidetime.org Newsround // Local Prison News 15
Medomsley staff jailed Newsbites
Following on from our story last month about the horrors at Medomsley Detention Centre, three of the offending staff have now been jailed for a total of over 14 years.
One, who was charged with misconduct in public office and various assault charges, got the longest sentence - 8 years. Another, who was also charged with misconduct in public office and various assault charges was given 2 years 10 months. A third, charged with two counts of misconduct in public office was given 2 years 9 months.
“The trials were the culmination of the largest ever investigation into abuse, with young boys Credit: National Trust physically and sexually abused by staff at the Prisoners hide centre during the 1970s and 80s as part of Not so yummy mummy Prisoners from Grampian have Michael Howard’s ‘Short Sharp Shock’ treatment.” Worse than dog food helped to build a new nature An investigation is underway at Risley after a prisoner posted hide at Crathes Castle. They Judge Howard Crowson said pushing, shoving and even photographs of his food to a local newspaper, calling it “worse helped local community giving inmates a clip round the ear would not have constitut- than dog food”. The prisoner said he wanted to highlight the groups build the hide (above ed misconduct in the 1970s and 1980s. He said the young men low quality of prisoners’ food and he would “rather starve than and right) to help visitors get sent to Medomsley were abused in a regime of fear. “Many eat it”. The Ministry of Justice replied to his criticism saying that a better view of wildlife on had experienced brutality and violence at the hands of prison all meals met nutritional guidelines and said: “All prisoners are the Crathes Estate. Designed community. officers, but nobody wanted to hear about it. Those who had offered fruit and vegetables as part of three healthy meals a the courage to complain when they were released were either by the National Trust for day, which meet nutritional guidelines set out by the Food and ignored or warned that to pursue the complaint would risk a Scotland, who manage the ‘Thanks to the hard work of Standards Agency and the Department of Health.” They added many people over the past return to Medomsley - nobody wanted to risk that. In those estate, the hide was built off- that, if identified, the prisoner would face extra time in prison. site by prisoners at Grampian. seven months, visitors can days any complaint was likely to be regarded as further now enjoy nature like never evidence that the trainee was anti-social, that he had not Toni Watt, National Trust for before at Crathes Castle, learned his lesson and was complaining about appropriate No excuses for Scottish prison deaths Scotland ranger at Crathes Garden & Estate.’ The team treatment.” The parents of a student who took her own life in Polmont have Castle, said: ‘The hide is a of prisoners worked on the accused the Scottish Prison Service of presiding over “nothing fantastic example of commu- project for 7 months. As well Two other ex-Medomsley staff will be sentenced later. For short of a massacre” by neglecting those in its care. A year after nity partnership in action. It as a chance to give back to many years Inside Time has been getting letters and website their daughter’s death they met the media at Holyrood (Scottish has also been a wonderful their community, the young comments from people who say they experienced the terrors Parliament) and said the 258 deaths in the last ten years opportunity for Grampian adults were able to build the of Medomsley. For many the late justice meted out to their amounted to Scotland still having a death penalty. They are prisoners to learn and develop hide as part of their work abusers will provide little relief as many victims are now in concerned about a recent rise in self-inflicted deaths in their skills on something of towards achieving a John middle age and say the abuses they suffered have marred Scotland and said it represented the stark reality of what is genuine benefit to the local Muir Award. their whole lives. going on in Scottish prisons. They said there should be “No gloss over, no excuses, no spin or sound bites … It is a hidden, invisible Violent Feltham genocide behind the doors of the cells in our prison estate.”
Twenty prison officers were Company collapse delays Glen Parva assaulted and thirteen had The collapse of Interserve, one of the government’s favourite Child Abuse to be taken to hospital after outsourcers has thrown a spanner into the works of the an outbreak of violence at building of the new prison at Glen Parva. Interserve was due to Helping victims achieve justice Feltham, in a wing that holds start construction work on the new prison later this year and 150 boys under-18. Staff were the Ministry of Justice has now said it will have to re-tender the bitten and punched, and one £170million contract. It has not been announced when the new got a broken nose. The tendering will take place but is likely to delay the building of the The law allows people to make claims for compensation Prison Officers’ Association new facility, which includes six four-story house-blocks and even if the abuse they suffered took place many years ago. say the violence at Feltham supporting buildings. had been increasing after a High Court ruling banned From Walford to Belmarsh Our specialist abuse solicitors deal with cases the use of segregation for the Former EastEnders star and now an accredited investigative against children’s homes, other institutions and young men. They said there journalist, Ross Kemp is heading for Belmarsh to make a were no effective sanctions ‘behind-the-scenes’ documentary for ITV. It is the first time a social services for lack of care. now against bad behaviour television company has been given such access and Kemp and violence. hopes to film and talk to governors and staff as well as a cross We have a proven track record in handling child abuse section of the prison population. ITV say; “A focus will be on In March, the Independent innovative ways staff attempt to rehabilitate prisoners. They claims and can help you if you have been the victim of Monitoring Board at the prison educate them in business and encourage entrepreneurialism. It warned that urgent action sexual, physical or psychological abuse in childhood. will film Ross talking to inmates from petty thieves to hardened was needed after a rise in Speak to one of our specialist male or female solcitors criminals and observe the staff, from officer to Governor.” gang-related violence. They in complete confidence. said: “It is clear from talking to prisoners and staff that Dovegate officer dies many prisoner-on-prisoner A Dovegate prison officer and her husband have been tragical- assaults and multi-prisoner ly killed in a motorcycle accident. Janine Mander was a Prison Visits Legal Aid Available Complete Confidentiality fights are ‘organised’ and passenger on her husband’s motorbike when it was involved in happen as a result of gang a collision with a tractor. A spokesman for Serco, who run activity on the outside.” Dovegate, said: “Janine was a highly regarded member of staff 0800 260 5002 [email protected] and will be missed by all her colleagues.” Prison Visits Legal Aid Available Complete Confidentiality www.simpsonmillar.co.uk www.abuselaw.co.uk The Prison Service said that a new segregation type unit, A cup full of wee called The Falcon Unit, A prisoner had received an extra 12 months on his sentence © Simpson Millar LLP, 100 Talbot Road, Old Trafford, Manchester, M16 0PG. Simpson Millar LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales: No OC313936. Registered office opened in March to support after pouring a full cup of his urine over a prison officer at 21-27 St Paul’s Street, Leeds, LS1 2JG. A list of members in available from our registered office. We use the term ‘partner’ to refer to an employee of equivalent standing to that of a partner in a partnership. Members of the Law the more challenging young Cardiff. The targeted attack was described by the sentencing Society’s Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence Panels. A list of our offices can be found at www.simpsonmillar.co.uk. men and said it would calm judge as “unimaginably disgusting” as some of the liquid Authorised and Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Registration No. 424940. the unit down. entered the officer’s mouth and eyes. Snacks and a chat on the couch with Jezz,
16 Comment www.insidetime.org Insidetime May 2019
students, Amirah, explained Jezz on to me that although the Out- the telly side Learners’ situation was (right) so different from the Inside Learners, they were able to swap ideas and learn.
Apart from the actual pres- entation of the awards, which is always moving, my favour- ite moment of the afternoon was when Piers, an Inside Learner, announced forcefully: Credit: Wayout TV ‘Officially, I’ve retired from being a drug dealer.’ Good news, although he couldn’t The ‘way’ to watch TV resist adding: ‘The system has won.’ Since Piers has served Now to a different way of de- original programme’s bite- two long prison sentences, livering education. Turning size of around ten minutes this is no light-hearted decla- on the television is the first had to be the kind of …‘TV you ration. Later he showed me resort for men and women would watch online if you had ‘Outside Learners’ and teachers some of his writing in the ex- who are spending many online which you don’t…’ He Credit: HMP Pentonville cellent Pentonville Magazine, hours in their cells without was clear that he needed to ‘The Voice of the Ville’, and occupation. At least there’s a interest men who had most said that after finishing the world outside prison on the probably got nothing from course, he was hoping to screen. That is not to say that school and if they were to en- Graduate success! make a new career in writing people don’t read books, large their lives must be en- or perhaps public speaking. write, study, draw, or indeed gaged first. sew; but, just like on the out- And turning on the positive telly experience In the past, other Inside side, most people turn on the Wayout TV is now in thirty Learners have decided to television when they’ve noth- prisons, all of whom have Month by Month carry on into higher educa- ing much to do. been visited by Jezz to dis- tion. Jose explained that the cover just what will work. One In the summer of 2014, Jezz innovation is a ticker tape This is the fifth combined Wright, ex-BBC, then working that senior staff in the prison Outside/Inside learner course in HMP Wayland for People can set up themselves to give run by the redoubtable Jose Plus, who deliver education important information, e.g. Rachel Billington Aguiar who, incidentally, into prisons, began to think ’The hot water’s broken and also runs courses at HMPs about television and its pos- we’re working on it.’ But all Grendon and Coldingley. This sibilities. Why ever shouldn’t along Jezz’s eye, with his I suspected I was in for a cheer- one is headlined ‘Criminol- television be used to deliver backers, People Plus, was on ing afternoon when I met ogy: Prisons and Desistance’ informational material that more specifically educational Ayesha on my way in to Pen- and Jose was keen to point out would help prisoners get a material. And so a second tonville Prison. Pentonville is to me that the event is a News better hold on their day and channel is coming into being obviously not a cheery place, Story because for the first understand better what they this month: Way2Learn. built 175 years ago and show- time the course is accredited, might get out of their time in ing its age, its closure has been at 20 credits FHEQ Level 3. Khadija receiving her award prison? Jezz describes the difference Credit: HMP Pentonville rumoured for years but until between the two channels: a place is found for approxi- We outsiders headed past the My favourite other part of his News Story I talked to Jezz last month and Wayout TV is to inspire men mately 1,200 inhabitants, any walls and barbed wire and was that Pentonville students he explained further. ‘I was back to education and Way- change is unlikely soon. many locked doors to the li- moment of the completing the course are au- working in IT and Media in 2Learn can give what Jezz brary, where I chatted to the tomatically eligible for a Gar- HMP Wayland, a progressive describes as ‘blended learn- Ayesha and I were both going two men who delivered the afternoon was when field Weston sponsorship to prison where there were tal- ing, half in cell, half in class- in to celebrate the Graduation course, Dr. Sacha Darke and Piers, an Inside the Open University (60 cred- ented tutors, but the problem room.’ It is paper based and a Ceremony of twenty men and Dr. Andreas Aresti. The its) which means their first was that no matter how good route through to qualifica- women who have been on a course is designed to replicate Learner, announced year is free. Francesca Cooney a job, you couldn’t get news tions. For example, Mark was criminology course for the as far as possible the under- forcefully: ‘Officially, of the Prisoners Education through to the wing… we were commissioned to write a Cre- last eight weeks. I really did graduate teaching and learn- Trust also pointed out that relying on posters pinned to ative Writing course which is write ‘women’ because this is ing experience at the I’ve retired from their organisation is there to the wall.’ now presented in a workbook a joint learning project be- university. Andy spent time in being a drug dealer.’ provide support. From my and three videos that go out tween the all-male prison and Pentonville in 1997, so knows own point of view I might add So the idea of using television on the Way2Learn channel. the University of Westmin- only too well how difficult it Good news, al- that the Longford Trust (of to communicate directly to .Jezz hopes that even more ster. Ayesha, it turned out, is to study in prison. though he couldn’t which I’m a trustee) provides prisoners was born and chris- prisons will join up and, as he had travelled down from money and mentors for men tened ‘Wayout TV’. Those of has done first in HMP Way- Manchester to visit her boy- When the awards ceremony resist adding: ‘The looking to go into higher edu- you who read Inside Time land and at the moment in friend Samson, who has suc- started, this was the point cation. This seems to me the carefully might remember HMP Norwich, set up their cessfully completed the made by Deputy Governor system has won.’ most important message that from last month PET’s ‘Mark’s own hubs to develop material course. ‘Definitely, it has re- Stephen Dixon. Prison makes the afternoon presents: there Story’ where he describes his and, hopefully, employ pris- ally changed him,’ she told everything harder. He also a Barnardo’s home, so he too are people and organisations own involvement with the oners. At the moment HMP me with a wide smile. revealed that he began life in has an idea what it’s like to set up to help, even inside the project as a prisoner. This ful- Bristol is showing interest. progress out of a difficult sit- most difficult prisons. filled one of Jezz’s hopes that uation. I was sitting between the men themselves would I asked Jezz how the channels Ayesha and another visitor As the Head of Westminster help, made possible by spon- were going down with the whose son, Jerry, has com- University’s School of Social sorship from the Longford men and he quoted a few re- pleted the course. Jerry told Sciences, Professor Dibyesh Trust. Five years on, Mark actions, ‘Your channel is the me confidently, ‘It’s given me Anand, pointed out, our sys- himself, now outside prison, reason I’m not doing spice…’ a very different perspective.’ tem can be unjust: ‘Prince is being employed as part of ‘Your channel gives me some- Harry and the Queen will the Wayout TV team. thing to do…’ ‘I’m studying a This seemed to be the theme never go to prison.’ But the Business Enterprise Course - I of the day. Samson also point, he added, is to work Jezz is a man who believes don’t want to be a stoner.’ talked about ‘listening to dif- within the system, using what that the most important gift ferent views’ and ‘honest it has to offer and never lose you can give any man stuck It seems that not everyone opinions’ and ‘seeing the Out- the sense of your own worth. in his cell is hope or even in- wants to watch the Jeremy side Learner’s perspectives.’ Education is the best route to Andy, Diyesh, José and Sacha spiration. But he was set Kyle show for the umpteenth
Credit: HMP Pentonville One of the Westminster a brighter future. against any ‘preaching’. The time. Insidetime May 2019 www.insidetime.org Comment 17
Stephen Rogers Not every day is a good day. It does upset you Winner Stephen if you have disruptive learners. I am in a high-security prison; it’s an oppressive envi- I served in the Army for 15 years before becom- ronment where you sometimes feel you can’t ing a teacher. I started out teaching in a col- do anything right for doing wrong. It’s also lege, but after a few years in the role I was quite tough for resources - we can’t have tab- disillusioned. I felt students were only there lets, we hardly have any ICT. In Ofsted reports because they had been sent over the road from we get comments like, ‘You’ve got one com- the Academy - attendance was poor and there puter, you have no internet access’, but there’s wasn’t much structure. Perhaps it sounds nothing we can do about it. Staffing levels also naïve but my main motivation for applying to have a massive impact on us. We tell the learn- work in a prison was wanting to help people. ers - we’re here every day, but there aren’t I knew I’d be where I was needed, with people enough officers to man the department, so we who had hit rock bottom and were at the mercy can’t teach them. of the system.
If I can look a learner in the eye - someone who I enjoy learning from the is doing a 30-year sentence - and smile, and men too - not how to cook listen - that small gesture makes a huge differ- ence. It was the guys I teach who nominated food in a kettle, but about me for a Prisoner Learning Alliance award. Some of them had mentioned they were plan- where they’re from, their ning to put my name forward, but I thought, religion, their lives. ‘I’ll believe it when I see it’. In the end, 15 of them wrote in. That was a very good feeling. It meant a lot. One of the highlights of my work has been The bigger picture running the ‘Fathers Inside’ programme. It’s a nine-week course, all based on drama. We look If I can look a learner in ‘The most important thing is positive communication’ at parenting different age groups: choices; the eye - someone who is doing explains award-winning prison teacher responsibility; homework; listening. There’s a 30-year sentence - and smile, an emphasis on ‘good dad’ not ‘perfect dad’. me a spring in my step. I’ve taken it as a mes- bringing you papers and work and a pen, and I’ve seen big men breaking down - saying and listen - that small gesture sage to carry on building positive relation- I’ll see you next on this or that day. This con- ‘Steve, can I have a quiet word’, and then cry- makes a huge difference. ships. Even if it’s just a five-minute chat to ask, sistency has a massive impact on behaviour ing on my shoulder saying how much they are ‘Are you thinking of returning to education? when they’re down segregation; it makes missing their children. As a father myself I What are you interested in? things easier for the officers as well. learnt every step of the way. It made me 100 I was absolutely flabbergasted to be named times more aware of how as a parent, a small child views a big adult. overall Educator of the Year. The extra award As a teacher, I’ve definitely realised that the There have been times in the past when the was announced as a surprise. I was sitting most important thing is positive communica- pay cheque has been the main motivator. But there thinking … ‘That’s nice, whoever gets tion. In this profession, it sometimes aston- When you think of the bigger picture, you often the last three or four years have been different. this deserves it.’ When they said my name I felt ishes me how bad at communicating we are feel powerless. But I love teaching. I enjoy What gets me to work in the morning is just the blood drain from my face. It was totally - not being clear; negative body language. If learning from the men too - not how to cook being with the guys and having a good session. unexpected after hearing about the other PLA you’re a poor communicator, the class will food in a kettle, but about where they’re from, winners - learners, mentors, librarians; people know in seconds whether you’re teaching in a There are lots of times when someone has their religion, their lives. When you get en- who are doing staggering work in really diffi- primary school or inside a prison. started with a lack of confidence in themselves gagement and connection, I couldn’t think of cult places. I was in a state of shock for quite a and their abilities, there might have been be- a better feeling. while. I make a point of visiting learners while they’re havioural issues, but through consistency and in segregation. The reason for that is to show good communication and trust they achieve The Prisoner Learning Alliance is a network of Winning the award has definitely made a dif- consistency. Its saying: even if I’m talking more. Then they’ve got ‘the learning bug’ and over 100 organisations and individuals commit- ference. I’m turning 50 this year, and it’s given through a flap in the door, I’m here and I’m you’ve got them. ted to prison education.
The Johnson Partnership Criminal Law & Prison Law Specialist Harjit Chana Our dedicatedSolicitors prison law team have years of experience representing prisoners and fighting for their rights. Covering: Our team ensure all prisoners nationwide can have the HMP The Mount best representation available. We have specialist and expert knowledge in the areas of HMP Rye Hill parole board proceedings, adjudications and other areas HMP Onley such as HDC and re-categorisation. ‘Nicking’ On a legal aid basis we can represent clients for: HMP Woodhill Adjudication Before The Judge Licence Recalls HMP Bullingdon Lifer/IPP Reviews Judicial Reviews Cat A Reviews Pre Tarriff Reviews Oral Hearings ‘Nicked’ HMP Littlehey We are also able to represent prison law clients on a HMP Grendon number of other prisons law matters for which legal aid is not available which include: ‘Adjudications’ HMP Aylesbur y Challenging License Conditions HMP Springhill Adjudications Before The Governor Whatever it is called, it can lead to an Contact Us For A Quote extra 6 weeks on your sentence. Covering: Prison Law Department Don’t go it alone, get expert lawyers Police Investigations/interviews in prison Call 0115 9419141 on your side. 24 Hours a day Magistrates & Crown Court 7 days a week Parole & Recall Appeals against sentence Nottingham Office J Call us: 01642 247656 Cannon Courtyeard P Off Long Row Write to: Harjit Chana, 5 Holywell Hill, Nottingham, NG1 6JE Write to us: 102-108 Borough Road, St Albans, Herts AL1 1EU [email protected] Middlesbrough, Teesside TS1 2HJ Telephone: 01727 8 4 0 9 0 0 OFFICES NATIONWIDE 18 Comment www.insidetime.org Insidetime May 2019 Swaleside - the good the bad and the infantile Keith Rose - HMP Coldingley Legends in their own lunchtime, many of these Swaleside on the Isle of Sheppey is a mass of contrasts. A decade ago it was regarded as one children, moped muggers, and of the better Category B establishments. Today, purse snatchers, regard them- it is known to locals as “stab city” or “stab central” due to the levels of violence now seen selves as the criminal elite, equal almost daily. So what happened? at least in status to the Krays, In many ways Swaleside remains a good Pablo Escobar or El Chapo, prison if you are not interested in or involved in the drug culture, but there are other factors whereas in reality, they are which handicap Swaleside, unlike other pris- little more than playground ons. One problem is location, the prison not only suffers from poor air quality, courtesy of bullies, preying on the druggies, London and the prevailing winds, but also has the weak and the foolish. imported the knife culture of the metropolis together with “prisoners with attitude” from Mealtimes are interesting at Swaleside, the remand centres like Thameside, where “don’t kindergarten brats do not believe in queuing, give a shit” seems to be the inclination of grad- so simply walk to the front and demand what- uates from that and similar institutions when The other side of hilarious… ever takes their fancy as it is “undignified” for looking at serving their respective sentences. © Andy Aitchison them to fill in a menu sheet or stand in a queue. Once again, staff are reluctant to challenge As stated however, Swaleside still retains University students. The art facility is excel- drug use has spiraled out of control. One this immature behaviour. many of the qualities that made it one of the lent, with examples of prisoner’s murals to be prison officer cannot police a wing of 90 pris- better prisons to serve a sentence in, around seen throughout the prison. There are plans to oners on his own, even if he wanted to, and Armani EA7 uniforms are not the only mark of 10 years ago. Prisoners, responsible prisoners, introduce a music technology course in the why would he want to? Confronting a large status among the children, mobile phones are run most of the day-to-day functions within, near future. group of contumelious prisoners solo takes an a ‘must have’ accessory, and of course smart- ranging from induction to anti-violence strat- exceptional act of boldness, especially when phones carry the most kudos. With an average egies. These include P.I.D. workers processing Most prisoners will progress through Swale- you know back-up support may also be short- Samsung smart phone changing hands for prisoner applications through to award-win- side without experiencing any aggression or handed. Add to this the stabbing incident of a around £800, drug dealing becomes the most ning “emotional wellbeing” mentors to the violence themselves but, regrettably, they will senior officer in December, combined with popular way of achieving a lifestyle they prob- “crying sons” meditation and anti-violence witness it during their stay. almost routine assaults, even on female staff, ably didn’t experience in the real world in spite strategies. Swaleside boasts some excellent where is the incentive to intervene? of claims of earning millions a year. (I never facilities. The education department, although A major handicap to reducing violence at imagined moped mugging or purse snatching handicapped by the MoJ’s payment by exam Swaleside is Chris Grayling’s staff cuts. With In January, a prisoner was stabbed 14 times was so lucrative). results policy, has an “open academy” re- the rise of drug use, particularly Spice, which over a debt of 50 quid and stabbing someone source to cater for distance learners and Open cannot be detected in conventional drug tests, 14 times over such a petty debt takes a particu- Nonetheless, not all wings are contaminated lar kind of idiocy. Even the routinely inept Kent by violence or gangsta culture. Some wings are police would regard that as attempted murder, rarely affected by violence or kindergarten Legal aid may be something they would have to prosecute rather behaviour as Swaleside management have Crown available on your case. than leaving the prison to deal with - as they finally learned not to dump troublemakers on do all too often. quiet wings in the belief that a wing with more mature prisoner behaviour may rub off on the DEFENCE SOLICITORS Kent Constabulary’s reluctance to get ‘in- divvies. volved’ in prison issues has led to a situation Our specialist POCA team headed by Solicitor- Advocate where it has become almost customary for a Swaleside itself is quite progressive, and Katie McCreath has saved over stabbing perpetrator to be returned to the wing whilst the OMU is quite efficient it is regretta- within a couple of hours of an attack. Prison ble that probation services are so poor. Cat-C Standing Orders state that serious acts of vio- progression appears to be above average and £1/2 billion C ontact lence must be referred to the police, thus a it may be that the recent provision of in-cell telephones and reduced call charges will re- from confiscation for individuals 0121 392 8000 governor cannot convene an adjudication, and as the block is usually full, moving the victim duce the number of mobile phones. It is as- and defended enforcement proceedings to ensure and returning the attacker is often the only tounding that it has taken so long to realize default sentences are not activated for non-payment Please write to: course of action open. the benefits of in-cell phones. of financial orders. FREEPOST CROWN SOLICITORS Why this descent into mindless violence at Some aspects of Swaleside life are hilarious, gym first sessions regularly last up to two and We are a specialist bespoke team of dedicated Swaleside? In part it is due to the knife culture Email: which has arisen in the country over the past a half hours due to the control rooms inability experts, who successfully challenge draconian to count, and multiple repeat roll-checks being cases of all values. [email protected] few years. Age is a factor, particularly among “gangsta” graduates from Thameside, Bel- carried out. PRISON LAW ADVICE & REPRESENTATION marsh etc., graduates regarded by others as kindergarten escapees due to their behaviour. So, who is the old fart calling gangstas ‘chil- CRIMINAL DEFENCE & APPEALS dren’? Well, I prefer old school, and old school means you settle your differences one on one, Legends in their own lunchtime, many of these not five-handed with weapons when your vic- CONFISCATION & POCA children, moped muggers and purse snatchers, tim is taking a shower, which is the gangsta regard themselves as the criminal elite, equal IMMIGRATION way. Old school also means at least I met Reg- at least in status to the Krays, Pablo Escobar gie Kray, and have done my time in dispersals, or El Chapo, whereas in reality they are little so have met more real criminals than you tee- Defending our clients nationwide from exaggerated more than playground bullies, preying on the ny-tots have had bottles. & inflated figures sought in POCA matters. druggies, the weak and the foolish. Swagger- ing around the wings in their alternative Grow up, children. If you continue to use weap- Don’t give in to sums that you will regret prison uniforms of EA7, these children have ons to settle your petty disputes you could one – Let us help protect your legitimate income & assets! no respect for others, or indeed themselves. day win the lottery and win yourself and your Cell thieves used to be regarded as the lowest posse life sentences with 35-year tariffs - then of the low, akin to child molesters, but it is not somebody may just regard you as ‘real’ crimi- 0121 392 8000 www.crowndefence.com unknown for a prisoner to return to his cell nals. I won’t, I will still regard you as infantile after collecting his meal to find it stripped. schmucks. Insidetime May 2019 www.insidetime.org Comment 19 Inside Voices Conversations with Clare Quiz and chips please! “A good play is like a good loaf” We were refuelled and ready to go, and the questions started flying again. ‘Who played Storm in X-Men’? No problem. ‘What’s Sarajevo the capital of’? Uh… ‘Who scored the fast- est hat-trick in the premier league’? Goodbye first place! All too soon it was time for the final scores. The room held its breath as the Deputy Governor held what looked like a scroll in her hands and like a town crier announced the winning © Deposit Photos team: Whatever. There was silence. “YES!” shouted one of Chris - HMP Ford collecting society to a poster the IMB members, his fist soar- for Europe’s most wanted! ing triumphantly through the air as he danced down the HMP Ford’s charity committee The quiz began. One of our aisle. There was general relief is famed for organizing a host members failed to appear - as no one could begrudge the of events throughout the year would that be the end of us, or much-loved IMB the win. In a to raise money for various more plunder for the rest when last-minute twist, they turned charities, but on 14th March we won? Only time would tell. down the prize; giving it to they outdid themselves. My We still had three offenders of ‘Empathy, anger, fear’ whoever came second. friend Zach and I worked close- varying ages and a librarian, ly with the committee to host so I liked our chances. The We were tied for second with our Play shines a light on reality of prison a quiz that not only raised over questions were coming hard neighbours and the typhoons, £300 for Stonepillow, a local and fast: ‘what country is so it was still anyone’s game. doing a PhD on women who people to look after you even charity that provides a lifeline Timbuktu in’? Easy! ‘What’s a It was a one question shootout: kill. She thinks she knows if they are getting paid for it.” for homeless people, but also group of owls called?’ Ok. ‘What is the biggest island in everything there is to know the spirits of all involved. Clare Barstow ‘What is Ford’s new café going the world’? Some of us thought about her subject, but as her Sophie said,” Writing this to be named’? Oh God help us Australia, I voted Greenland. friendship with Kelsey deep- play has been like making a In dribs and drabs, offenders … we’re going to lose. We went with Greenland … the ens she realizes she doesn’t loaf of bread. You have to put and staff arrived out of a bleak Last summer, Bruce Wall from answer was … Greenland! know the first thing about all the ingredients together in and blustery night and into the the London Shakespeare It was halfway and somehow Praise be! We claimed our prison. Based on true events, the right order so that it can brightly lit visits hall. The Workout Prison Project asked our team, the Lady and Three prize: an enormous assortment the Amygdala sheds light on ride and be palatable for the teams of five took their places, me if I would help in the de- Tramps, were in second place. of chocolates, some phone our abilities to show empathy audience.” most composed of all staff or veloping of a play about The team next to us (Officer credit and vouchers for extra and forgiveness. The amyg- all offenders; but a few brave prison. I agreed and went to Brooks didn’t show up), were gym sessions and somehow dala is a diamond shaped It was the inaugural play by groups dared to mix it up - was meet the writer Sophie Anne also clearly missing a member got back to our rooms intact. lump of grey mass inside each Lady Muck Theatre Company, it harmony at last, or was it Fox at the South Bank in Lon- but were in the lead. There was cerebral hemisphere of the an all female company which merely a tactical decision? only one point between us. The quiz was a fabulous exam- don. She interviewed me about my experiences in brain which deals with mem- aims to highlight issues that Thoughts quickly went from ple of how an event within a ory and emotions; particu- largely affect women. This With twenty teams in total, the scores to the chips. For years, prison can be both enjoyable prison and used it as part of the basis of her play The larly empathy, anger and fear. play deals with the impact of visits hall was beginning to offenders have been asking for and productive. Aside from the domestic violence on the in- look like a casting call for the Amygdala. It premiered at the chips to be added to the menu, money raised for Stonepillow, “I was thinking about those dividual and society as a latest episode of Midsummer Chapel Playhouse in Kings and for years they have been the quiz saw cooperation and shows during my first week in whole. I hope it is the first of Murders. You had three IMB Cross in March. I was really told in various ways by numer- friendly competition between prison and realized f**k … many productions for Lady members looking very much impressed by the finished ous people about the myriad offenders and staff. It was ex- they don’t have a f**king clue. Muck. like the Three Musketeers, the product. The writing and per- impossibilities of preparing actly the kind of event which Because you think it’s the healthcare team like an emer- formance was excellent and such an intricate delicacy as promotes a rehabilitative cul- place where society puts gency room welcoming com- incredibly dramatic. chips at Ford. But for one night ture within the prison system everyone they can’t handle mittee, and all manner of of- only, somehow, someway, that we would like to see much but it’s also the place where Clare Barstow is a writer and fender teams looking like there were to be chips; and more of. Thank you to all those Kelsey is in prison doing a life you get a bed every night and former resident of HMPPS everything from the local stamp they were glorious. involved. sentence for murder. Thea is
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carrying over a hundred cases and still coming in each day. I’ve often said this, they are so professional. There are people out there who, Erwin James if they were told the only way you can do this work is by standing on your head and doing it - they’d do it. Because they want to make a Outgoing Probation Inspector Dame Glenys difference. They really do. It’s a skilled job, and Stacey (right) was brought up in a modest they know how to do it given half the chance.” home - her father was a painter for local coun- cils and her mother worked in factories all her I do respect the current life. Born in Walsall, Stacey was bright enough to go to Shire Oak Grammar school in the Mid- ministers, because they listen lands where she thought she might end up in to the evidence I present them, a teaching career. There were no expectations from her family however that she would stay they’re interested in it, they’ll on at school for ‘A’ levels or go to University. Instead, she left school and got her first job in not only read my reports, a Ministry of Defence explosives factory. “I was they’ll speak to me about testing explosives,” she says, smiling, “But I soon discovered I wasn’t really a natural sci- them - they really want to entist.” She left the factory and got a job as an understand what’s going on. assistant in a local law firm. “I loved that,” she says, “That was the making of me.” Three Ministers listening years later she did go to University after receiv- I wondered what her hopes were for the Pro- ing support from someone she worked for at bation Service, given that her last report was the firm. “He said to me, ‘you can stay doing so condemnatory of the system. “I think the what you’re doing Glenys, but you’ll get all the Journey of a regulator reports of HMI Probation have been extremely rubbish work - or you can take this seriously helpful to government.” She speaks to Prisons and try and get qualified. Live to your poten- Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Probation shares her career Minister Rory Stewart and Justice Secretary tial’.” She did her ‘A’ levels in her own time at David Gauke. “I do respect the current minis- the same time as studying for a qualification path and, despite the failings of former Justice Secretary ters, because they listen to the evidence I pres- with the Institute of Legal Executives, which Chris Grayling’s Transforming Rehabilitation project, ent them, they’re interested in it, they’ll not was enough to get her a place studying Law at only read my reports, they’ll speak to me about the University of Kent. her hopes for a more effective probation model them - they really want to understand what’s going on. They have never tried to affect my Setting up the CCRC prove his innocence. Everyone was quite in probation I had an open mind. I had no independence, and they are listening and After qualifying as a solicitor she worked in shocked. But there are some lessons there pre-determined view of privatisation being thinking about how probation should be con- private practice for several years before going actually.” good, bad or indifferent. I know in the first figured for the future, and I’m very heartened to work for the Law Society and eventually year, when we were inspecting, our Inspectors by that. My hope is that it is configured in the rising to the position of Area Manager in Leeds, Qualifications had some sense of hope that there would be future in a way that enables professional pro- running the northern region of the Legal Aid After three years she went on to run the Mag- lots of innovation and we were seeing organ- bation officers to give of their best and do all board. After ten years in legal aid she success- istrates courts in Greater Manchester. “That isations making some effort to do that. But of that they are able to do to assist people to fully applied to be the first chief executive of was when I first came across probation,” she course it didn’t take long before it became ap- change their lives for the better.” the Criminal Cases Review Commission, says. Four years later she left to become the parent that this was in very real difficulties. (CCRC) setting it up in 1997. “That was a really chief executive of Animal Health and oversaw For a number of reasons it wasn’t properly Have hope big learning experience for me,” she says, “Set- arresting the spread of multiple outbreaks of funded. The contracts were not well struc- What would she say to the probation officers ting up the Commission from nothing.” Foot and Mouth disease which had threatened tured. But actually, systematically it’s not a who are struggling to manage caseloads of 80, to wipe out the country’s meat supplies. “We good idea to split the service in that way. It’s 90 or a hundred plus? “Well, the first thing I What is interesting is how had about a dozen outbreaks and we contained just not. And so my expectations were only would say is ‘thank you’. I have a great deal of them all,” she says. In March 2001 she became that we would inspect well and actually tell respect for what they do and I’m full of admi- few people protest their inno- chief executive of Ofqual, the examinations the world whether it was good, bad or indiffer- ration for what they do, sometimes in very regulator, and spent five years regulating qual- ent. I didn’t know which it was going to be. difficult circumstances and I’m proud of them cence, some do, but most are ifications, GCSEs, AS levels and ‘A’ levels par- Pretty quickly it became apparent that it as a profession for doing it. It’s not well under- saying that their conviction is ticularly. So what was it that attracted her to wasn’t a brilliant idea.” stood in the public. The second thing is, have unsafe. Probation Inspection? “By the time I’d done hope. Because we’ve got ministers who are that I knew a bit about the law, but I knew a lot The contracts were not looking at the evidence and are thinking about about regulation and inspection. In Animal what the future model should be. So please We often get letters from people in prison who Health I did inspection, in Ofqual I did regu- well structured. But actually, have hope that we can get to a model that is are really unhappy about various aspects of lation and inspection - so I knew a bit about systematically it’s not a good more likely than the current one to deliver well the CCRC, I tell her. “It is interesting at the probation and I was a lawyer, so I thought, I’m for many more people. And I’m very proud of Commission,” she says, “That very few people not a bad fit for the Probation Inspectorate. I idea to split the service in that our Inspection team. We’re currently inspect- say whether they are guilty or innocent. The was very aware, particularly in the latter years ing in the whole of Wales. It’s a big task to in- issue is almost always about the safety of the at Ofqual that there were a lot of children that way. It’s just not. spect well and inspect fairly.” conviction - that’s what the CCRC are interested were never going to get the chance of ever tak- in - not in guilt or innocence. That’s not what ing those qualifications. I became aware of the Evidence based it was set up to do. What is interesting is how inequities in the system really. For a large pro- Did she speak to Peter Clarke, the Chief Inspec- few people protest their innocence, some do, portion of the population they wouldn’t ever tor of Prisons? “Yes, quite a lot,” she says. “So but most are saying that their conviction is be able to aspire to this. They’d already been Peter and I were appointed at the same time. unsafe. Only one person knows the truth in written off before they got to GCSE. I was aware We were new kids on the block together. The these cases. So many serious offences are not that I hadn’t been written off, my kids hadn’t job is all about saying it like it is, without fear committed in front of witnesses. There are been written off. I thought I owed something or favour. And actually doing it in a neutral We send books and other some cases where no version of the facts adds actually. I was curious about probation and its way on an evidence basis. Part of my job is to reading materials to lesbian, up. They’re the most curious cases.” She re- relationship with prison. I didn’t quite under- make sure that the way we inspect was suffi- calls the CCRC’s work on the James Hanratty stand the churn around between the two and ciently evidence based. And part of that was gay, bisexual, transgender, case, the so-called A6 murder. Hanratty was I thought I got the chance to, well I thought I building a set of standards for Probation. Be- queer and intersex (LGBTQI+) convicted of murder and rape and hanged in owed it - I’d had a privileged life really. I inher- cause with Transforming Rehabilitation there people who are in prison in Bedford prison in April 1962. For decades, a ited a work-ethic from my family, so I thought was an open field - you could innovate as much the UK. To receive an order number of groups and individuals campaigned ok, I’ll give it a go.” as you liked. But actually there is an evidence form, write to us at: for Hanratty’s conviction to be posthumously base for good practice in Probation and we Books Beyond Bars, overturned - until 2002, when DNA evidence Failure of TR built on that and we’d inspect against those finally proved Hanratty’s guilt conclusively. Stacey came into the Inspector’s job in the standards. You can compare inspections. But PO Box 5554, Manchester, “No-one was more surprised than us,” says whole Transforming Rehabilitation (TR) era. I’ve said it already, it’s irredeemably flawed. M61 0SQ Stacey. “We thought the evidence we would What were her expectations? “In the face of They’ve tried their level best to make it work. present by way of DNA would conclusively opposition to TR from people already working You’ve got to take your hat off to people who are beyond-bars.org Insidetime May 2019 www.insidetime.org Comment 21
Inside Time Report but if numerous people were regularly smok- ing with open cell doors or in communal areas, given the likely increased potency of most Spice and similar drugs, known as ‘synthetic SCRAs, it is possible that a non-user would cannabis’ are called, within the Prison Ser- absorb enough over a prolonged period to ex- vice, ‘New Psychoactive Substances’ (NPS). SPICED OUT perience some of the adverse health effects. Their technical name is ‘Synthetic Cannabi- noid Receptor Agonists’ or SCRAs. ‘Spice’, The facts about synthetic drug Spice for the non-user The SCRAs are very difficult to test for but, in ‘Black Mamba’ and ‘K2’ have now all become theory, if a particular compound was being generic names for any synthetic cannabis chemicals, and as such it is impossible to be mental health services in several Nottingham- sure what the effects of any particular batch shire prisons, has said there is a risk to the looked for and the person had been exposed product. They are notoriously difficult to test to sufficient passive smoke, then they might for, although the Prison Service is making on an individual will be. However, among the long-term health and wellbeing of its staff from most commonly reported effects they are like the ‘prolonged inhalation’ of vapours, and the indicate positive in a drugs test. We understand some headway in developing testing, and that a defence to a positive drug test, citing training sniffer dogs to find the raw materials. natural cannabis but generally more height- Prison Officers’ Association (POA) claim that ened or intense; such as sedation, dissociation 500 of its members have been hospitalised passive smoking, would be very difficult to prove. One of the main drivers for the upsurge in their The available evidence shows it is probable popularity is the difficulty in testing and the (a feeling of being disconnected from reality) through second-hand smoke. The Prison Ser- and time dilation. Common adverse effects vice has said it takes the health and safety of that a sufficient amount of SCRA second-hand absence of the strong smells given off by can- smoke exposure could pose a greater acute/short nabis and tobacco. The Courts and Criminal include psychosis, loss of memory and para- its staff very seriously but has not commented noia, in addition to physical undesired effects about the health and safety of non-using pris- term risk to a person’s health than an equiva- Justice Bill which was passed in January 2015 lent amount of second-hand tobacco smoke. gave prisons the power to specify non-con- such as tremors and chest pain: people often oners breathing the noxious vapours. experience the negative effects far more seri- trolled drugs, including ‘legal highs’, which The Prison Service claim that prisoners are can be tested for as part of the MDT pro- ously. Public Health England say there is new If a prisoner, or someone evidence that users are suffering heart attacks now getting letters soaked in SCRAs and, as a gramme. Spice had already been declared a they know, feels like they are short-term measure, they are photocopying Class B drug in 2009. and cardiac arrest; they say: “Symptoms and signs, such as levels of consciousness, pulse prisoners’ letters. Some prisoners say they are suffering the effects of inhaling also opening and copying legal letters, which The former Chief Inspector of Prisons, Nick and blood pressure, may fluctuate wildly, even in a matter of minutes, making management fumes they should inform staff is potentially illegal without reasonable sus- Hardwick, reported in September 2015 that picion, but to date there has been no testing of two-thirds of prisons had a significant prob- difficult and challenging for healthcare and immediately, get as much other staff in attendance.” the policy. The Prisons Inspectorate noted that lem with SCRAs and described them as pre- fresh air as possible and drink the “intrusive measure had caused much senting the most serious threat to safety and anger among prisoners” and warned that the security in prisons. It is estimated that, in In September 2016, the Prisons and Probation some water. Ombudsman (PPO) reported that he had iden- practice should be reviewed to ensure that it some prisons, up to 50% of prisoners are using remained proportionate and effective. the substances and that they are more preva- tified 58 deaths in prison, which occurred be- As with natural cannabis, it is possible that lent in local prisons than in high security es- tween June 2013 and January 2016, where the someone sharing a confined, poorly venti- prisoner was known, or strongly suspected, to lated, space (such as a cell) with someone If a prisoner, or someone they know, feels like tablishments, which may be due to tighter they are suffering the effects of inhaling fumes security and a lower turnover of the prison have been using SCRAs before their death. smoking a SCRA would experience similar Whilst the PPO was careful not to make a causal effects. It is also possible that somebody who they should inform staff immediately, get as population. The MDT process has faced much much fresh air as possible and drink some water. criticism and is suggested to be a fundamental link between synthetic cannabis use and these has second-hand exposure could experience reason why SCRAs use has increased whilst deaths, 39 deaths were self-inflicted, in some more intense effects than somebody exposed the older types of drug, such as heroin, has cases involving psychotic episodes potentially to the same amount of cannabis second-hand. Information on SCRA kindly provided by Dan- declined. linked to SCRA use. By 2017 the number of The exhaled smoke is likely to dissipate over iel Williams, Drugs Researcher at Release, the attributed deaths had risen to 79. Nottingham- an area the size of a wing so shouldn’t have national centre of expertise on drugs and They come as a bewildering array of different shire Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs too much effect, in those areas, on non-users; drugs law. www.release.org.uk
LIAM’S STORY...
Liam fell from his top bunk whilst having a nightmare… and that’s when his next one began.
Despite asking repeatedly, the missing safety rail on his bunk had not been replaced. As Liam fell, he hit his head on a pipe and suffered deep lacerations and whiplash to his neck and lower back. The blood from the cut triggered his Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD), which he suffered following his 10 years in the army.
After Liam contacted Michael Jefferies, we claimed for both his physical and psychological injuries and he received £6,000 compensation.
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ide i e al a eAdS ite i dd 22 Comment www.insidetime.org Insidetime May 2019 Inside Voices Reasonable doubt
D Leach - HMP Littlehey We all know from the cases that are constantly surfacing that in the area of prosecution, the police are known to corrupt evidence; however, We have been informed by the UK’s Northern due to the governments tweaking of the Criminal Ireland public prosecutions office that in the Justice Act, they are now on a roll; plenty of cases of the historic crimes of 13 murders, al- prosecutions and the filling up of prisons to the leged to have occurred 47 years ago, that, apart gunnels, courtesy of historical sex cases. Much Once soporifi c, now a raging inferno from one exception, no charges could be © Deposit Photos of this achieved without the cost and effort of brought - the reason being that they could not all the leg-work and investigations resources or plant food, but were known pass the litmus test; the cornerstone that has that would normally have been necessary one as a legal form of mild canna- upheld the quality of truth and justice in our imagines? Bully for them! But everyone from Buddy can you bis-effect when smoked. British Courts for generations. And it is this: Home Secretary down to the unfortunate “guilt must be proven beyond reasonable doubt”. Grandads knows the system is tragically flawed The reason these legal highs and cannot prevent innocent men’s lives being gained ground inside prisons Why then, in the name of God - and don’t forget destroyed. spare a joint? was for a couple of reasons. that God is still very much part of our British One was that they actually criminal justice system - have probably hun- Even if, let’s say, 99% of all defendants in his- worked and could give you a dreds, maybe thousands of elderly men been The rise of Spice and Mamba torical sex trials were actually guilty, it would mild buzz similar to canna- convicted and subsequently sentenced to 15 mean that one innocent man in every hundred bis. But the main reason was years or more for historical sex crimes? These strong undercurrent of disgust is likely to spend the rest of his life in prison. because they could not be alleged crimes said to have occurred longer and severe distrust amongst Can this be an acceptable outcome? I don’t think detected under Mandatory than 47 years ago? And, unlike ‘Bloody Sunday’, those prisoners who refused so, and neither would the rest of society. When Noel Smith Drug Testing. This had the there are obviously no eye witnesses available. to succumb. The hardest part we were young, when Britain was still great, tendency to incense the au- Only hearsay and incidents concocted behind was that by now most of the the standards and excellence of our justice sys- thorities as they could see a closed doors by the claimants, their witnesses, more influential prisoners tem was the envy of the world. That’s why we In the 2000s, British prisons red-eyed soporific population the police and ‘reasonable doubt’? Shh! It’s not and those who only a few walk into the lobster-pots that are our courts, have become hotbeds of her- shuffling around their pris- mentioned anymore, even though the whole short years before had been believing that we are protected by British justice, oin and crack cocaine use. It ons but couldn’t nick anyone procedure reeks of it! so anti-heroin that they would and that the truth will out; believing we are was hard to walk down a for what they deemed drug- spit on the ‘junkies’, were innocent until proven guilty. But gradually the landing without bumping abuse. So, they forced the And one might ask … ‘what in God’s name could suddenly ‘dabbling’ them- truth dawns; we started off guilty and realize into a prisoner who was either government to act by making possibly induce a claimant to brand a poten- selves. Either for the high or that our naivety and ignorance is no match for selling drugs, wanting drugs these substances illegal. tially decent, innocent, elderly man with ‘pae- for the money these drugs the imagination of the prosecution and the ma- or on the ponce for drug par- dophile’ thus ruining not only his life but also produced. ‘Dabbling’ was the nipulative procedures of the court. I am talking aphernalia. ‘Anyone got any Of course, just decreeing that of his family? The motivation for most word for those who believed about those of us who are truly innocent. We Jimmy?’ became the mantra something illegal does not get crimes is money - but in this case it’s called they could try the goods a few have no idea the claimant has been told that of the heroin-addicted - rid of the problem and now ‘compensation’. And of course lying in court is times and not get addicted. whatever she says will be believed. ‘Jimmy’ being the slang for They were wrong. And soon these illegal highs, far from a criminal offence and let’s not talk about ‘aiding tin foil (Jimmy Boyle) on disappearing, just changed and abetting’. Also, potential claimants have the stench of desperation and So, the truth is our once Great Britain is now which the smackheads ingredients and flourished in the added incentive to have been officially as- burnt foil was palpable on operating a shameful biased system of justice burned and chased their elu- ways they never had before. sured … ‘they will be believed’. most prison landings. that I feel does not belong in this century when sive ‘dragon’. After all, the creators and sell- it comes to historical sex cases. The trouble is, ers were onto a sure mon- Now obviously I realize that in genuine cases Something had to change. there are too many winners, too many depart- Heroin was king behind bars, ey-maker. Every time the of sexual abuse, particularly of children, there Prisoners were being robbed, ments being credited with doing excellent work but crack was also there in government put the ingredi- have to be assurances given and procedures to tortured and beaten, either in catching sex criminals, when in fact our now the background for those who ents on a banned-list, the protect them. Although the majority of historical for whatever they had of value corrupt and sullied system short-cuts the pro- could afford it. The trouble makers tweaked them to sex prosecutions are initiated by mature mid- or for not paying their drug fessional time and energy that used to go into with crack, and not the only make them legal again. After dle-aged women. But I am not denying that debts. Cell-thieving, an activ- our British Justice system that was the envy of one, was the fact that the several years of this to-ing there are indeed some hideous sexual predators, ity that would have been rare the world. ‘buzz’ or ‘high’ only lasted a before heroin became king, and fro-ing the result was a rapists etc. that need to be caught - but at any short time, so it became a cocktail of Frankenstein mon- cost? At the degradation of the British Justice and used to be punished by What worries me as much as anything is why very expensive drug to main- ster-type drugs going under system? And the inevitability of the forgotten holding the culprit’s fingers our ‘honorable’ judges and ‘learned’ barristers tain in prison. As a result, the brand names of Spice or numbers of innocent men? Men who hitherto into the jamb of a cell-door and did not protest against the deterioration of their ‘crackheads’ (as the users Mamba. There have been doz- have, in most cases, contributed much to society then slamming it, was now noble and renowned profession when the pol- quickly became known) ens of deaths and hundreds with 50 years of hard work and have an exem- casually accepted as ‘needs iticians started meddling? would turn to the slightly must’. Drugs had changed the of injuries in UK prisons plary record of law abidance. cheaper heroin in order to whole landscape of our pris- linked to these New Psycho- bring them down and relax. ons in less than a decade. And active Substances (or NPS as So, crackheads became then came ‘legal highs’. the official term has become), smackheads (‘Smack’ being a and because there is still no colloquialism for heroin). A When legal highs started to definitive test to detect them, joke doing the rounds of the make an impact on prisons, this will only get worse. ON YOUR SIDE landings at that time per- officials were always describ- Being on your side is one thing. Fighting your corner is another. We do both. fectly illustrates how non- ing them as ‘so-called legal So, that is how the authorities drug-using prisoners felt highs’, which was twaddle, managed to turn a mild can- • Miscarriage of Justice experts • Defending false allegations • Crown Court advocacy about the junkies in their because they were legal to nabis problem of the 70s and • CCRC applications • Prison law specialists • Parole applications • IPP and Lifer reviews midst. It goes - ‘What is the buy, sold in most markets and 80s into a raging drug inferno • Adjudications • Recalls • Sentence progression difference between a crack- in 2019. Yes, our prisons are could be ordered with no We offer Legal Aid and Fixed Fees along with a nationwide service. head and a smackhead? They trouble from the internet. plagued with drugs and a lot For more information contact us using the details below. would both steal their moth- They had been around in of the responsibility for that er’s purse, but the crackhead their mild form since the early belongs to the dealers and would help her to look for it!’ 1980s, when they were adver- smugglers. But let us not for- get that a huge part of this tised in the back sections of Changing the way you see lawyers. So, even though drugs were problem was created by the comics and magazines. They 01302 365374 www.qualitysolicitors.com/jordans sweeping through the prison authorities themselves. The have never been sold specifi- 4 Priory Place, Doncaster, DN1 1BP population in tsunami-type cally for human consump- message for everyone is - Led by Mark Newby Solicitor Advocate with a relentless record of quashing convictions. proportions, there was still a tion, but rather as pot-pourri don’t dabble. 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caught in the net - and may Garden Chronicles never escape it. The average prisoner serves half their sen- the air from a standing posi- TRAPPED! tence. That means Wayne has tion. They obviously do not served the equivalent of a 24- need any spinach to give them year sentence, longer than their energy! “We are all hoping, but many convicted of far more serious crimes. I know it is the farmer’s live- Wayne has given up” lihood, but I still feel sad- Seven years ago, IPPs were abolished on the back of a Eu- dened that their life will be Inside Time report jail terms, brought in while he cut short once they are a cer- was in office, have led to “in- ropean Court ruling that they tain weight. But that is the justices”. The Criminal Justice breached human rights - on story of dairy and lamb farm- Wayne Bell was given the Act of 2003 introduced Inde- the grounds that prisons had ers. They care and nurture the now-obsolete type of indefi- terminate Sentencing for Pub- failed to provide prisoners offspring of their cows and nite sentence, the discredited lic Protection, or IPP, designed access to the rehabilitation ewes but don’t get too at- IPP, for robbery in 2007. Now for serious sexual and violent courses required to demon- tached as they are destined 29, he has suffered a mental offenders in England and strate to the Parole Board that Spring gambolling for the markets and abattoir. breakdown and feels Wales. Mr Blunkett said the they were safe to be released. “trapped” after being repeat- Labour government had “got But the abolition wasn’t retro- On a lighter note, our ducks Jenny Greengrass so these are put in a barn in edly turned down for release, the implementation wrong”. spective, so today, even are doing well, although they the ‘Intensive Care’ unit to be his relatives said. The Parole though more and more are have now found somewhere hand-fed... much to my Board said it was handling When it was introduced, the being released there remain to lay their eggs and even with Lambing time delight. cases ‘as quickly as possible’. government estimated that almost 2,500 prisoners still daily searching, we have not Mr Bell received the Imprison- IPP would lead to 900 extra found any. The chickens how- locked up on IPP sentences. Those that are old enough to ment for Public Protection offenders entering the prison Well, I felt sure I would be ever continue to readily give Wayne Bell’s case is all the go into the field are now be- (IPP) sentence in 2007 after he system. But the measure was sitting here writing my chron- us our three eggs a day - more unusual because he was, coming independent of their was arrested for taking a bike applied far more widely and icle in lovely springtime enough to keep us in scram- in the eyes of the law, still a mothers and already forming from a boy he assaulted in by 2012 - when IPP was weather. No such luck! We are bled egg breakfasts; so thank child when he got his IPP. in the middle of a snowstorm little groups … jumping and Withington, Manchester. He scrapped, but not in existing you Tilly, Flossie and Tiny. was told he would serve a cases - there were more than with very few spring-like tem- running excitedly around the Justice Minister Jeremy Wright peratures promised. How- field. I am always amazed at minimum sentence of four 6,000 IPP prisoners. IPP pris- Jenny Greengrass is a keen said the release of prisoners ever, the garden is still how they manage to jump into years for the crime. Mr Bell’s oners were given tariffs, or amateur horticulturist serving indeterminate sen- looking fruitful and colour- father, Carl, said his son had minimum sentences, at the gone before the Parole Board end of which the Parole Board tences was a matter for the ful. The daffodils have been independent Parole Board, lovely and they have been every two years but had been assesses whether they are Flower of the Month which had to be satisfied that blooming for a few weeks denied release for a number still a danger to the public or “an offender can be managed now. The weather has been of reasons. ready for release. safely in the community”. He controlling the profusion of flowers, but I do fear for them His son had been unable to Mental health risk added: “If prisoners pose too lasting too long now that the access courses to tackle is- IPP prisoners appear to be at high a risk of harm to the pub- weather has changed. sues, including anger man- a significantly higher risk of lic, they can be kept in cus- agement, because they were mental health problems than tody for the rest of their lives. My vegetable garden is also oversubscribed, he said. He other prisoners, according to The IPP scheme was complex doing well. I am picking spin- said his son had been an the Centre for Mental Health. and widely criticised, which ach, kale and Swiss chard “easy target” for other prison- In a study it carried out in is why the government re- regularly, and have been ers which had led to him be- 2008, it found that one in ten placed it with a new regime of planting out peas, mange coming involved in fights and IPP prisoners were seeking tough, determinate sen- tout and courgettes into the further hampered his release. psychiatric help in prison, tences, alongside life sen- raised beds. But as a family, Lesser Stitchwort (Stellaria graminea) “We are all hoping, but Wayne double the rate in the general tences for the most serious we can only eat so much spin- This beautiful, delicate little flower is found in woodlands and has given up,” he said, “He’s prison population. offenders. However, we have 29 years-old and he’s had no ach, however I have now hedgerows from May - September. A perennial creeping wild- no intention of retrospec- life.” Mr Bell said the aboli- Some 8,711 IPP sentences found a very keen recipient to flower, each plant covers 20-40 cm , with each flower meas- tively altering lawfully im- tion of IPP sentences in 2012 were dished out between help us consume it. The ad- uring between 0.5-1 cm in width. It has 5 white petals separated posed IPP sentences - they had come too late for his son 2005 and 2012, contributing joining field has been given out into 2 halves, they last up to 3 days with more popping up were handed down for the over to two ewes and their to take the place of each one as it passes. It has narrow, grass and called on the government to a huge rise in the prison to release him. population. Some were for most severe crimes, to ensure lambs; an absolute delight to like leaves and was known as “Soldiers Buttons” years ago - public protection.” watch. The lambs are still perhaps because the flowers mimic stitches around button repeat violent or sexual of- quite close to their mum but Regret fenders who posed a continu- holes in the past. The Greater Stitchwort has larger flowers - up Ed note: Are lengthy IPPs are now becoming very tame. In 2014, former home secre- ing danger to the public. But to 3 cm wide - but this little snowflake flower is one of our helping rehabilitation or just I thought the ewes might like favourites to spot. www.greenergrowth.co.uk tary David Blunkett expressed others, relatively petty of- making matters worse? a change of diet and have “regret” that indeterminate fenders like Wayne Bell, were been giving them some spin- ach as I pass by the fence. Our team of specialists can o er They love it, as they are prob- free advice and assistance in ably a bit fed up with endless PURCELL PARKER Dedicated Prison Lawyers For You relation to Legally Aided issues, days and days of eating grass. including: Solicitors Over 60 years’ combined experience They now look forward to see- BIRMINGHAM’S TOP ing me coming back from the Lifer/IPP Parole Board Reviews (Pre/Post Tari ) PRISON LAWYERS IPP & Lifer Parole Reviews vegetable patch and are even Recalls eating the spinach out of my Independent Adjudications Licence Recalls Licence Recalls hand! Category A Reviews Prisoner Adjudications IPP & Lifer Parole Independent Adjudications We can also o er competitive xed fees for matters I love this period of lambing. HDC Sentence Calculations which are not currently covered by Legal Aid such as: I can call in at the local farm Sentence Calculations to see how the lambs are pro- Sentence planning/calculations Re - Categorisation Criminal Defence Work gressing and love the fact that Challenging Licence Conditions Call Stephanie Brownlees today on there are some that are being Re-categorisation Call now to speak with: hand-fed and I can help out. Accessing O ending Behaviour Programmes Tiernan Davis, Sadie Rice or Jan Arkwright 01902 275 042 These lambs are usually part Contact us today: Address: Purcell Parker Solicitors 204 - 206 Corporation Street Birmingham B4 6QB of triplets. Sometimes the T: 01752 600833 Genesis O ce 6, 235 Union Street West Midlands House, Gipsy Lane, older ewes have not enough @: o [email protected] Plymouth, Devon PL1 3HN Willenhall WV13 2HA milk to feed more than two, 0121 236 9781 Insidetime May 2019 www.insidetime.org Comment 25 From over the wall Tales of Wisdom
ignored by the press after the initial sensation Best hold on - and eventually the offenders were released on waters rough ‘ere Terry Waite CBE parole. Myra Hindley did not stand a chance and she died in prison. The job of an editor is - wouldn’t wanna to sell copies of his or her newspaper and as drown. Archbishop of nightclubs sensation sells, the so-called sensational cases Since returning from New Zealand a few weeks are going to be highlighted. Over the years, him - “My dear fellow, never many of the public begin to believe that every- ago, life has been pretty full. One of the tasks studied? Then half of your life facing me was to read six books! Before going one who has spent time behind bars is a black has been wasted!” away I had agreed to be one of the judges for hearted villain and should endure Her Majesty’s the Michael Ramsey book prize. Pleasure for as long as possible. As the boatman continued to wrestle with the boat, fearing I doubt that there will be many readers who Truth about the system it might capsize, he turned to have the faintest idea of who Michael Ramsey The other week at the annual Emmaus the passenger and asked. was. He has been dead for many years, but at Conference (readers of this column will know “Have you ever learned how That sinking feeling…
one time was Archbishop of Canterbury and I Emmaus is an organization for the homeless) © Deposit Photos to swim?” “No. Why would I knew him when he resided in Lambeth Palace. the Editor in Chief of ‘Inside Time’ - Erwin want to do something like Sid Arter the scholar took his seat on He came to Lambeth from being Bishop of James - came to speak. He was brilliant. Erwin, that? There are much more the ferry. Durham but at heart he was an academic more as some of you may know, spent 20 years inside important things for a person and he told his story as it was. As he spoke, I to learn and understand, like than a Bishop. In no way did that mean he was The boat was soon in mid- thought to myself … ‘how many times have I Lifelong astrology, geology and the a man remote from the world. In those days I stream and the water was lived in Bristol and often travelled through heard similar tales?’ A disturbed childhood sciences” replied the scholar. beginning to come over the The boatman then turned to London on my frequent journeys abroad. I followed by a poor record at school and then learning side and fill the boat. As the the scholar and replied, “Then called to see him frequently, and he was the entry into the world of crime. ferryman struggled to handle all your life has been wasted most generous of hosts. One afternoon, a ferryman the boat and was beginning - we are sinking!” Tattered fabric was taking a passenger across to panic that the boat might I remember the time he got caught out by the Today, British Society is changing rapidly. a river. The river was wide, sink, the scholar turned to If only we all learnt the things press. As Archbishops do, he spent a part of Single parent families are struggling to manage. deep and flowing very fast and him and rather bluntly asked that would help us to make his life travelling to visit the Church in different Money is tight and many kids are heading down clearly the only way to cross him if he had ever studied the most of our lives and pre- parts of the world. On a visit to the United States, the wrong path. Thirty years ago, a good friend was on his boat. He only had grammar; as he was startled pare us for the challenges that he stepped off the plane and was greeted by of mine wrote several pieces for the Guardian one passenger, a lecturer at a at how the boatman had spo- life might bring. Remember, the usual band of photographers and reporters in which he said that Britain was heading for nearby college who was going ken to him. The boatman ex- it’s not too late to develop our - one of whom asked, somewhat mischievously, trouble insofar as more and more of life was out into the countryside to plained he had not had much work and life skills… ‘Will you be visiting any nightclubs in New geared towards making money. It is often said gather rock samples for his time for books and the like and was a simple fellow. The York, Archbishop?’ In an attempt to give an that unless something pays for itself then it can studies. “Best hold on - waters scholar turned to the boatman Sid Arter is a teacher amusing answer he replied, ‘Are there any be scrapped. Whilst we all need sufficient to rough ‘ere - wouldn’t wanna drown”, said the boatman as and rather scornfully said to and entertainer nightclubs in New York?’ The next morning he keep going, not everything in life can be meas- was alarmed to read the headline in one paper: ured in monetary terms alone. In reality, the “First question Archbishop asked as he entered social fabric of this country is in tatters. There America - ‘Are there any nightclubs in New are far too many youngsters facing profound York?’. It was of course accurate reporting, but challenges who are being exploited by the totally misleading. I don’t suppose many read- growing drug culture and all that goes along ers took that remark seriously but there is no with that. doubt that the media are influential in shaping public opinion. I don’t want to preach to anyone; that is not my way at all. All I can say is don’t waste your Sensation sells time inside. Always remember that you are a You may remember the late Myra Hindley and unique individual and no matter what your the one photograph of her that was repeated background, you still have an opportunity to time and time again in the press. It showed a make something of your life … for yourself and young blonde woman looking pretty terrible. for others. Over the years she was built up as an icon of evil and admittedly the crimes in which she It is a tough road, of that there is no doubt, but participated were terrible. There were many not an impossible one. So, for me it’s back to read- others who had committed equally terribly ing the six books on the table before me. Next crimes but, for whatever reason, they were time, perhaps I’ll let you know what they were.
MASZ PROBLEM Z HOWARD BERNSTEINS o l i c i t o r s RECALL - DCR/IPP PICIEM? PAROLEBOARD HEARINGS ANONIMOWI ALKOHOLICY MOGA IPP/LIFERS/EDS/DCR CI POMOC PRE-TARIFF REVIEWS Zadzwon lub napisz: CAT A REVIEWS 020 3916 00 97 NORTH WEST ADJUDICATIONS Poniedzialek - Piatek 19.00 - 21.00 POCA/CONFISCATION Sobota i Niedziela 17.00 - 21.00 CONTACT BRENT PATTERSON AT: Telephone: 0161 343 4136 [email protected] Tameside Office: Number 3, Henry Square Chambers, www.aa-pik-wielkabrytania.org.pl Portland Street South, Ashton-under-Lyne OL6 7UE Glossop Office: 12a High Street East, Glossop ALCOHOLICS ANNONYMOUS POLISH SPEAKING HELPLINE Derbyshire SK13 8DA 26 Comment www.insidetime.org Insidetime May 2019 Inside Voices A journey through the therapy looking glass
have admitted it, let alone over, let’s make an example of wrote it down in a newspaper him” or “If I get seen thanking Breaking down walls article for you to read. In all that screw for sorting my can- the years that I have served teen out, I’ll be labelled a Jessica - HMP Downview Last year I was one of the ‘inside’ students, (six sentences, dating back to grass”. Please don’t get me feeling nervous about meeting the ‘outside’ the 90’s) I didn’t ever sit down wrong, this is not fear as in students, but after the first 2 weeks I soon settled and think about the reason being scared of getting into Lori Pompa founded the Inside-Out Prison in with everyone and then learned what was why prison life can be so pres- fights, but fear of what people Exchange Programme at Temple University in expected of me. It is a module for university surised. At times it is volatile will think if I don’t do the ex- the United States, with the first session taking (level 5) and you are expected to write essays place in the Philadelphia prison system in 1997. in the form of critical reflection exercises (1,000 and dysfunctional, despite the pected. What a bunch of cob- words) worth 20% of the final outcome and a routine of lock up and unlock blers! Consequences of fear As of 2012, the Inside-Out programme has grown reflective learning journal (3,000 words) worth being fairly predictable. Why personally include unfulfilled in strength by involving more universities and 80% of the final outcome score. The number of was the whole experience on dreams, addiction, lost rela- prisons throughout the United States and be- words is enough to put anyone off and I remem- a daily basis so unpredictable? tionships and years of trying And I think I may finally have to live up to a false vision of yond. Inside-Out came to the UK in 2014. HMP ber coming close to backing out when I had © Fotolia.com Durham was the first prison to do the pro- 4,000 words to do last year, but anyone can do the answer. One very powerful myself. When is enough ever gramme with Durham University and HMP Low it as long as you complete the readings and pay Nathan Joshua four-letter word …’Fear’. enough? Newton was the first women’s prison. attention in the sessions - the words soon come out of you and not only that, being in prison Shout out to Reece I have heard a lot of people say Grendon has slowly and subtly The Inside-Out programme is a unique educa- we have the experience to reflect on. The facil- “I don’t give a f*** what people helped me to conquer the par- itators are always on hand at the end of the think of me”, and at face value alysing effects of fear. Through tional opportunity to learn about criminology I’m sure those of you who have and the criminal justice shared space. To give sessions to help assist when it comes to the I guess the crimes we commit the act of sharing my inner writing elements. followed this column for the past you a sense of what happens in an Inside-Out few years will agree, it is great and the daily grind of prison world with people, managing session, picture this; a group of (up to) 15 uni- life might demonstrate that, conflict in a better way (which This year I feel privileged to be a classroom news to hear Reece Johnson is versity student and 15 prisoners come together but in truth all of the daily rit- still happens daily), taking assistant, along with an outside student from now moving on, having com- each week to study crime, justice and related uals of imprisonment actually responsibility for my past, as last year. From doing the programme and help- pleted his time here at Grendon. issues, usually in a room within education (de- well as reforming my values ing out with the programme, having had the Thank you Reece for your story- point to an entirely different pending on your prison establishment and its chance to sit back and observe, it is clearer to telling and therapy reflections, reality. People do really care as a person, ‘fear’ has some- education facilitators). We sit in alternate seats me this year that the students are not so judg- I can only hope the next steps in about what people think. how begun to lift. I believed - inside student, outside student, inside, outside mental. The majority of students understand your sentence lead swiftly to There wouldn’t be anywhere fear had served a great purpose around the circle. In the circle, everyone is that behind every crime there is a reason … freedom. Good Luck! near the amount of violence in at times, as I thought it kept equal - with an equal voice and equal stake in why? Don’t judge a person by their crime. the prison system if people me safe in a place like prison the learning process. Everyone has the same Living with fear didn’t care what others where it is the language. In readings and an equal amount of writing, and If you have been sitting in your cell not knowing thought. truth though, it kept me locked the focus of the education methodology is on what to do but at the same time getting frustrated I cast my mind back a few years up in my own close-minded, dialogue. The programme only runs for 12 weeks with the prison system, or even have an interest now, when it was a roasting I reckon a need to have a rep- self-centred and selfish exist- and just once a year. in criminology, why not find out if the Inside- hot summer’s day. The yard to utation, is driven by fear; a ence; surrounded by many Out prison exchange programme can come to our wing, in the long-term B sense of needing to keep the others doing the same. Within the programme we look into why does your prison? cat I was in, had been open all final scraps of masculinity and crime happen? Why study criminology? day, so most of us were burnt male pride that isn’t stripped Surely if I didn’t realise that it Different approaches to justice, drugs, victims A massive ‘thank you’ to Giulia, Linnea and from the sun. The skylight win- from us when we enter prison. was fear that ruled me, how of crime, prostitution and then group work to Camille from Greenwich University for bringing dows were letting the breeze If we didn’t have some fear of many others are currently liv- showcase what you have taken from the pro- Inside-Out to Downview, it has already opened flow onto the landings and a the reality that comes with ing in the same way? gramme in the closing ceremony. the eyes of so many both inside and out. couple of pals and I were sit- being vulnerable, lonely and ting down on the ground floor locked up against our will, I’ve since discovered the out- to eat a Thai Beige curry I had then we wouldn’t be human burst that had ruined our curry 250 people have been on cooked in the microwave. We at all, would we? night a few years ago was all the scholarship pro- Never giving up were laughing and joking at over who was next on the gramme, with 85 per cent of the not green or red colour of washing machine. Now I’ve them graduating and get- People do Longford scholars in it for the long-term this Asian delight, and for a seen many reasons for fighting ting good jobs. Gavin is prison day it was a pretty good really care about in the past; but smashing now on a graduate trainee Peter Stanford one. There was a happy re- someone’s head in for pushing scheme with a major British what people think. laxed atmosphere for a in a queue, really? manufacturer. change… There wouldn’t be The support he received Therapy has so far been the If you think gaining a uni- anywhere near the from the Longford Trust to Then ‘Whack!’ - suddenly, out most testing, struggling, frus- versity degree could help go to university “went be- the corner of my eye, the sight amount of vio- trating, exhausting and, at yond finances”, says Gavin you build a new future, find out more about the awards of a new arrivals fist came lence in the prison times, tragic experience of my (pictured right), one of 14 flashing past me straight onto life. But as I prepare to begin Longford Scholars who in the prison education de- the back of another lad’s head. system if people my fortieth year alive; it has graduated with degrees last partment, or the library, or Before I could blink, another also been the most exhilarat- summer, nine of them with contact the Longford Trust didn’t care what bloke appeared with a tin of ing, sober, caring, and firsts. “There was mentoring direct at: PO Box 64302, fish in his hand and started others thought. eye-opening experience I’ve that provided emotional and London NW6 9JP, or call them chasing the injured fella up known. I now see two choices academic support, espe- on Tuesdays and Thursdays the landing pursued by his Most of us, when faced with I will forever be faced with, cially when discrimination on 07747 365037. You will need to fill out an applica- mate. The alarm started the option to change, ‘f**k F**k Everything And Run, or became an issue. The wider Trust never gave up on me.” tion form, which the trust screeching, “Everybody be- everything and run’ instead. Face Everything And Reform. Longford Trust network is will send you. Closing date hind your doors!” the officers For me, I ran for years, blaming I know which one I’ll be choos- made up of some of the most Each year, the Longford Trust for applications to the Long- yelled - and that was the end and resenting, lying, cheating ing. I just wanna be a free man, brilliant, intelligent, kind makes 25 awards of financial ford Trust for the 2019-20 of our civil summer’s day Thai and hurting my way through this side or the other. Fear, and caring people. My jour- and one-to-one mentoring academic year is June 7. Beige. ney to graduating was a roll- support to young serving and the lives of others; full of fear therapy can help with that. - refusing to honestly ‘face ercoaster. Where most ex-prisoners who want to con- Arriving here at Grendon from tinue their rehabilitation by everything and reform.’ people would have assumed a long termers jail two years studying for a degree at a UK Peter Stanford is the Director Nathan Joshua, a nom de I somehow brought trouble ago, I felt anxious of what was on myself, the Longford university. To date, almost of the Longford Trust I’d say things like: “If I let him plume, is a resident of HMP to come, though I would never mug me off, I’ll be walked all Grendon Insidetime May 2019 www.insidetime.org Comment 27
(outside of prison) I have no doubt that Wayne would have received Blood and guts treatment for his condition and would have been transferred to a mental health facility, but being a A lonely and pointless death at the Scrubs high-profile criminal serving a very from the previous year. It is a sad lengthy sentence the authorities pre- and astonishing fact that more peo- ferred to class him as ‘bad’ rather ple are dying annually in the British than ‘mad’. Noel Smith prison system than died under the brutal and notorious regime of the Finally, at the age of 57, Wayne bar- As the Commissioning Editor of In- Spanish Inquisition. Something is ricaded himself into his cell at HMP side Time, one of my main jobs is to seriously wrong in our prisons. Wormwood Scrubs. He asked for help go through the, literally, hundreds and to see a Listener, but this was not of letters we receive each issue and to be. The next morning Wayne was pick out themes of what is going on found cold, stiff and dead. At the time in our prisons. There are certain of writing, the Prisons and Probation Seeing red… themes that are constant - the open- Ombudsman is looking into his death ing of Rule 39 mail, food, Spice, in custody. I would guess that there cleanliness, poor wages, IPPs, is more to the detail surrounding they said it was ‘because we feel the hope ahead. healthcare and mental health, to Wayne’s death and that the truth will prison has blood on its hands’. The system is a huge machine and, name but the obvious. out in the final official analyses. For the majority of poor souls who like a machine, it tends to deperson- alise its charges, to dehumanise the But the evidence of the last few Obviously upset at the treatment breathe their last in the fetid bowels victims that fall, or are pushed, be- years, certainly since the staff and Wayne did not receive for his mental of the British prison system, sur- neath its grinding wheels. Every budget cuts in the prison system, is health problems, and the fact that he rounded by the grim paraphernalia number on that Ombudsman’s list is of a severe deterioration in mental died alone, two of his relatives staged of incarceration and with no way more than the sum of their crimes, health amongst prisoners. The evi- a protest outside the prison. His son, out, there is the standard shaking- more than the ‘leering lawbreakers’ dence is there for those who care to Paul Hurren and his brother-in-law of-heads, the sad looks and the offi- that the tabloids dub them, more look; higher than ever suicide and This was brought home to me per- Paul Tiernan threw buckets of pig’s cial promises to ‘look into’ or ‘learn than the ‘lowlife criminals’ that the self-harm rates, more prisoners sonally with the news of the death blood over the front of the prison and lessons’ from what has happened. majority of the public would have being diagnosed with mental disor- of an old friend in HMP Wormwood on prison transports waiting at the But for the family and friends of them. They are human beings, some- ders and drug psychosis. And people Scrubs in March this year. Wayne gate. They then glued themselves to every single victim there is years of body’s son, brother, father, mother are finally starting to take notice. It Hurren (above) was pretty well the main gates of the prison and grief, tears, sad memories and lost or friend. has been branded a ‘National scan- known in prison. He was convicted caused hours of disruption. The Met- ropolitan Police said the protesters dal’ by campaigners and even Jus- and sentenced to 20-years in 1988 for Every single death in custody is a tice Secretary David Gauke has armed robbery and for shooting and were safely removed from the gate and arrested on suspicion of criminal tragedy. Nobody should be forced to called it ‘Disturbing’. injuring three police officers. Wayne die in incarceration, away from the did not settle into prison well and damage. The videos were picked up by the mainstream media and the final comfort of their loved ones. In 2018 alone, prison deaths in Eng- was soon suffering from severe men- Prisons have a duty of care for all land and Wales numbered an un- tal illness and diagnosed with schiz- internet. When the protesters were asked why they had thrown blood Sticky protest their charges, and it should be more precedented 325, which was up 10% ophrenia. In other circumstances so for those who are mentally ill.
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ide i e al a eAdS ite i dd 28 Comment www.insidetime.org Insidetime May 2019 © Deposit Photos Inside Scotland! ‘Questions for…’ A selection of articles A new feature of the Scottish provided by our Scottish Supplement
Research Group contribu- In this planned regular feature we inter- tors for our friends and view a leader in Scottish criminal justice to answer your questions. Write to us at Inside colleagues north of the Time (marked ‘SCOTTISH SUPPLEMENT’) border. to tell us who we should interview and what questions we should be asking! This month, Intimate contact required HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland © Deposit Photos Wendy Sinclair-Gieben sat down with us. You asked, and she answered:
What would you like to achieve as Chief Time for love? Inspector of Prisons for Scotland? ‘My strategic ambition is for HMIPS to be recognised globally as leading edge in the Cooking, eating and conjugal visits... scrutiny of how people in detention in Scot- land are treated.’ Trouble at the Glen How serious is the Scottish and informal relations. The sentence too, when they have Prison Service about support- UK and Republic of Ireland committed no crime, but then What is the first or most important thing ing families? Conjugal visits reflect a more conservative are controlled in how and you look for when inspecting a prison? Riots at HMP are not allowed in any UK and prurient bent. In legal when they can access a loved prison, but are coming back decisions, conjugal contact one behind bars. Research ‘The purpose of HM Inspectorate of Prisons on to the radar with the im- has been denied on the evidence also shows that fam- for Scotland is to inspect the conditions in Glenochil? portance placed on family as grounds that prisoners have ily contact and supportive prisons and the treatment of prisoners. My the key to rehabilitation. The no fundamental right to re- relationships are crucial to vision is that ‘all people in places of deten- Sources say extensive disturbances rocked list of countries that allow for produce or have sex. In con- coping in prison. Most ex- tion are treated humanely, with dignity and HMP Glenochil’s mainstream wing during Feb- such visiting includes Com- trast, other places have defined perts and even prison bosses respect’. At the heart of it I want to ensure that the human rights of those detained in ruary and March of this year. Prisoners in all monwealth countries such as family life and contact more agree that the circulation of prison are upheld. Therefore I want to know parts of the prison could hear alarms regularly Australia and Canada, as well broadly and recognised this mobile phones behind bars is that: prisoners are being treated humanely going off; triggering staff deployment in riot as European countries such as a basic human right. mainly down to people call- as Denmark, France, Ger- and with respect, that staff/prisoner rela- gear. Reports of prisoners being dragged out ing home rather than about many and Spain, and a range “Mr Big’s” remotely running tionships are respectful, and that all pris- of cells have been received. The car park dur- While the of other nations around the crime empires. Finally, the oners’ human rights are being observed.’ ing this period was also at capacity; indicating world from Russia and Turkey conjugal visit is weight of research evidence higher than normal levels of staff deployment. to Israel and Brazil. supports the importance of How much do you know about and what Prisoners spoke of an increase in ‘troublemak- conventionally family support in people stay- are you doing about double celling and ers’ being moved to other prisons in the dark While the conjugal visit is understood as ing out of prison for good. overcrowding? of night for disciplinary reasons and because conventionally understood as segregation cells were at maximum capacity. providing for intimate contact providing for The Scottish Prison Service ‘The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) keep me between partners, it covers a intimate contact has, at least on paper, pushed informed of current issues on a daily basis, The causes and exact extent of the recent dis- range of family interaction. In a progressive role in support- and I have had regular meetings with their turbances has not been officially addressed. Canada, for example, families between partners, ing rehabilitation and desist- Chief Executive to discuss their planning Informally, prisoners have been told that food are allowed to have private ance, and supported a range and response to the current population it covers a range of pressures. I am also provided with up to budgets need to be cut and this has resulted in visits with a prison member of family-focused initiatives. date information via our volunteer Inde- one example of losing a regular pint of milk lasting up to 72 hours and family interaction. These, however, mainly focus pendent Prison Monitors (IPMs), who visit normally provided each week. In addition, family can include children, on the experience of younger siblings, grandparents, foster every prison in Scotland at least once per rising numbers across the Scottish prison es- Prison systems that allow for children and making their parents and other relations of intimate overnight visits have visits easier, more fun and week. Generally, where I have serious con- tate have hit Glenochil, leading to routine dou- the prisoner. France also has been moving with the times, less intimidating. A wider un- cerns arising from information received by ble-celling, including of single cells, the a 72 hour visit rule, making updating policies so that vis- derstanding of what it takes IPMs, or one of our inspections, I raise them so-called ‘skinny double’. The latest Independ- available small apartments its are made available to both to keep families going is miss- directly with the Chief Executive and at ent Prison Monitors report on the prison, be- including kitchen, dining and heterosexual and same sex ing in both the work of Scot- regular meetings with the Scottish Govern- tween October and December 2018, had other rooms. Such visits allow couples, as is the case in Bra- tish prisons and the main ment. The rise in the prison population is already noted that the prison’s segregation the family to cook and eat to- zil, Israel, Mexico and family organisations for pris- an area of focus for IPMs at the moment and unit is routinely busy with minimal access to gether, to engage in affection- California. oners. Time to walk the talk? I am monitoring the situation closely.’ programmes and that ‘the increase in popula- ate interactions of ordinary tion is a concern to IPMs’ stating that they ‘will family life. A number of arguments have Is it true that food budgets are being cut monitor this closely over the coming months’. been advanced in support of If you have a view on conjugal in many establishments? Comment is being sought about the heightened These allowances recognise conjugal visiting. This in- visits in Scottish prisons, write level of disturbance reported by prisoners this that family life is maintained cludes the claim that families to us at Inside Time (marked ‘This is not something I have heard about and it has not been reported by our IPMs’. winter. through a range of ordinary often feel they are doing the ‘Scottish Supplement’). Insidetime May 2019 www.insidetime.org Comment 29 Recovery Cafés ‘in jeopardy’ A different kind of justice Rehabs at HMPs Shotts and Barlinnie at risk of closure Judges who want to help ‘have the power to heal’ they are able to confront their In court, those who are there to be judged don’t they feel they were treated. If they felt this was demons. According to one usually get to have much of a say. This is dif- fair, this made it more likely that they would participant, who wishes to ferent in so-called ‘problem solving courts’, obey the law in the future. remain anonymous: ‘The such as the Glasgow Drug Court in Glasgow, cafés are a place where I can where the aim is to tackle the underlying is- Ginger Wren, the next speaker, took up this actually open up, where I can sues that lead to offending. theme and suggested that a judge who behaves say I’m worried about sliding and speaks respectfully to the defendant has backwards and get some ac- On March 11, two pioneers of this approach in the power to heal the broken relationship be- tual support rather than pun- the US gave a talk in Glasgow titled ‘Presiding tween the defendant and the state and its laws. ishment.’ Shaking his head, with Kindness’. Victoria Pratt and Ginger She described how the non-existence of mental he asked, ‘With so many of us Learner Wren, both female judges, were in health services and its impact on jail popula- in prison with a drug issue, of Scotland for a week and also spoke to the Par- tions was first highlighted in Florida in 1994. all the things to cut back on, liament, the Justice Minister and other audi- This led to the establishment of a ‘court of this should be the last thing More than just tea and biscuits ences. The event was organised by ‘Medics refuge’, with the guiding principle that the
© Deposit Photos on the list.’ against Violence’, with much of the leg-work judge sitting in this court would do no harm. done by criminal lawyer Keegan Smith, the She explained how it and other problem-solv- A prison rehab scheme faces cafes in Barlinnie and Shotts Another participant, now a closure despite saving tax- prisons. self-described ‘Caped ACE Crusader’ (ACE ing courts’ secret to success was their willing- volunteer at the cafés, ‘This is stands for Adverse Childhood Experience). payers an estimated £1.2 mil- giving us a purpose. We got ness to hear people’s stories, rather than only lion by curbing reoffending The project has been praised helped by others who have seeing their criminal record. She stressed that and getting inmates off drugs, by prison service bosses for Victoria Pratt, whose TED talk ‘How Judges been in our position, and now judges should choose to see the law through a as reported in The Sun. turning round lives and is Can Show Respect’ is available online, pointed I am giving back to them. Isn’t therapeutic lens. But how can we make this staffed mainly by volunteers. out that many courts are openly hostile to de- this what the whole purpose- happen? In Scotland, there are many judges The Recovery Café requires It offers a peer led approach fendants: they are disrespected and silenced ful activity agenda is about?’ who already try to find solutions for the prob- £60,000 in funding, produc- to life skills and sustainable when they should be given a voice. She takes lems they hear about in their courts. But there ing savings for the Scottish recovery options. Offering a a different approach in her courtroom, empha- A petition has been started on are also those who see their role as just admin- Government by rehabilitating person-centred approach al- sising the interaction with defendants and change.org, and those wish- istering the law. They only look to punish, not inmates, many heroin ad- lows participants to create trying to change the culture of the court in ing to support the cafes are to help, nor to necessarily preside with kind- dicts, who remain clean and their own recovery journey. which she works. Initially the reaction of the being advised to write a letter ness. While the coming presumption against do not reoffend after release. court officers was ‘Oh God, she lets everyone to: Cabinet Secretary for Jus- sentences of under a year might force some The Café’s organisers are call- Prisoners involved in the go home’, but over time they could see that tice Humza Yousaf at The creativity onto judges in that they cannot give ing on the Government to find scheme say it leads to a sense when defendants were given respect, they re- funders to secure the future of empowerment and is one of Scottish Parliament, Edin- short sentence after short sentence, it is less paid this by turning up for later hearings and of the successful recovery the few places in prison where burgh EH99 1SP. likely that it will change the way long-practis- better compliance with their sentence. Judge ing judges see the people appearing in front of Pratt emphasised the impact of the way the them, as more than a criminal record. Ten times the danger judge behaves towards the defendant on how Recommendations in face of rising prison suicide As reported in our last Scottish edition (‘Will The Expert Group commissioned a review of DOES THE this time be different?’), an Expert Group ap- evidence about the causes and prevention of pointed by the Scottish Government has been self-inflicted death in prison. In interviews, investigating support for mental health in researchers point to isolation and the ‘slow TAXMAN OWE prison following the recent self-inflicted violence’ of prison as important but neglected deaths of Katie Allan (21) and William (Brown) issues raised in the review. Slow violence is Lindsay (16) in Scottish custody. Ms Allan’s the name given to ‘the cumulative harmful and YOU MONEY? parents have become active on the issue of often catastrophic emotional and physical ef- deaths in custody calling the number who die fects of everyday practices’ in prison according Free Four Year Tax Review behind bars ‘a massacre’. The Expert Group is to mental health researchers Alice Mills and expected to comment on the causes of distress Kathleen Kendall. These include the hours and self-inflicted death in prison and to make spent locked in cells, the routine ‘hostility’ TAX REFUND DUE? recommendations to improve support, espe- that prisoners can face as well as the lack of a cially for young prisoners. compassionate listener in a place that trains TAX RETURN DUE? people to hide problems and appear to be WORKED IN CONSTRUCTION (CIS) – TAX DEDUCTED? Slow violence is the name coping. given to ‘the cumulative harmful Isolation appears to be the strongest predictor FREE completion and filing of Tax Returns (including mutiple years) and often catastrophic emotional of increasing distress and harm. Isolation in- cludes physical separation but also results and FREE appeals against Tax Penalties. FREE Tax Support after release. and physical effects of everyday from lack of meaningful activities and rela- practices’ in prison tionships. This will raise questions in Scotland where time in cells has been raised continu- DON’T DELAY AND WRITE TO THE TAX ACADEMY™ ously as a problem by prison Inspectors and Data published by the Scottish Prison Service where ‘purposeful activity’ can include read- THE TAX ACADEMY™ Include as much information as possible: shows a rising rate of prison suicide. The cur- ing a book while banged up. In terms of posi- Unit 4, Ffordd yr Onnen • Prison/Prison number rent rate is 125 deaths per 100,000 people (over tive interventions, time out of cells, regular Lon Parcwr Business Park • Your full name including middle name 2015-2018), ten times the level of suicide out- access to family contact, and having good Ruthin • Your date of birth side prison, and a 25% increase compared to quality and confidential peer and social sup- Denbighshire LL15 1NJ • National insurance number 2011-14. Scotland generally has a higher sui- port are crucial. • Employment history cide rate than in England and Wales (1.11 per • Contact address/number on the outside 100,000 over 2015-18). Additionally, deaths If you are feeling isolated, or distressed, con- 01824 704535 due to overdose, serious assaults on prisoners tacting a Prisoner Listener or reaching out to [email protected] Please advise if you change Prisons after responding. by other prisoners, bullying, self-harm inci- a kind officer, can help. You are not alone. If dents are all on the rise north of the border, you want to see particular stories about sup- The Tax Academy CIC is a service exclusively for Prisoners and Ex- Offenders and was conceived by suggesting a worsening picture of distress port in Scottish prisons for mental health, Paul Retout (a tax specialist and tax author) whilst running tax seminars in HMP Wandsworth and HMP Brixton. across the Scottish prison estate. please write us at Inside Time. 30 Comment www.insidetime.org Insidetime May 2019
Mebbe there was more to her Years ago, he’d have sorted Sue’s face suddenly fell, Looking Up we didn’t know, eh? Where’ve Sam out without hesitation. blinking rapidly, finding a they sent her back to?’ Nobody crossed him without smile again, all in a second. ‘Low Newton ... miles way … regretting it. He balled his Jason frowned, realising he she’s got further charges and fists, hard, Sue putting her didn’t really know much The ups, downs, challenges and triumphs of a everything.’ hand over his white knuckles. about her at all. prison leaver’s journey ‘Good job I never signed my ‘Leave it Jay, please… you ‘You OK, Sue? Did I say some- house into her Trust Fund, know what’ll happen…’ thing wrong?’ eh?’ ‘Sooner we’re out of here, the She shook her head. ‘Zoo ‘It was her husband’s money, better’ he seethed. sounds perfect. Get her… a you know.’ fluffy panda, or… something.’ ‘She was carrying seventy She looked ‘Have you got any kids, Sue?’ thousand quid round in her away ... hiding he asked softly. car, Sue. That’s a lot of spare She looked away, folding her change for someone who’s something so hands across her lap, like she bankrupt.’ was praying, slowly shaking ‘Well. She was always nice to painful that Jason her head in complete silence, me. I might send her a note.’ could feel it creep hiding something so painful that Jason could feel it creep An awkward silence sat down under the bench under the bench and climb between them, like a fat and climb into his friend on a date. ‘Listen Sue, into his spine. He shivered, about my offer of a room spine. and let the moment pass. when I move back home…’ ‘Well… Zoo it is then. Listen ‘I know, Jay, it were really There was a flurry behind Sue, fancy some retail ther- kind of you, but with your them as a cat leapt from under apy? Let’s go into town, fetch daughter and everything, I their bench and raced across some wallpaper for your new room, eh?’ Image credit: MW credit: Image understand…’ the lawn, two birds darting ‘No, listen. Nothing’s out of its reach just in time. He pulled her up, playfully, Frank Cotton and her mother, I mean. It’ll absence like an ache in a changed, right? My offer still ‘Jesus!’ shrieked Sue, grip- her moist eyes catching the be limited for now, but it’s a phantom limb. He dried his stands, if probation approve. ping Jason’s fist. He laughed sun. The lurking cat scram- start. Pleased?’ Jason nodded, eyes on his sleeve as a figure I gave you my word.’ as the cat slunk back into the bled up an ivy-clad wall, set- Close to You choked for words. padded across the lawn. bushes; a dog barked nearby, ting the dog off again, ‘Great. I’ll begin the arrange- Sue swallowed, nodding. joining the ruckus. howling mournfully out of Holding his breath, Jason ments. They’ll come up here ‘Hi Sue.’ ‘Thanks, Jay.’ She looked up ‘Don’t panic, Sue. Christ, sight. ‘Duck-egg blue I think, fumbled with the letter, his for the day in a few weeks or She paused, six feet away. seeing a bulky shadow at a you’ve got sharp nails.’ Miss Parker, to suit those eyes chasing words around ‘Good news?’ so. Maybe plan a day out window, silhouetted against ‘God, you’re bleeding! Sorry, peepers of yours.’ Jason the page as they ran to the somewhere, yeah?’ Jason nodded. ‘They’ll be up pale curtains. ‘Is that Screw- Jay, it were instinct.’ margins. winked, squeezing her hand Jason nodded, tucking the in a few weeks so best get my- boy bloody Sam, watching ‘Don’t worry, just a scratch. ‘You OK, Jason?’ as they crossed the lawn, the letter in his pocket, shuffling self tidied up, eh?’ us?’ muttered Jason, ‘Fucking Never seen a cat that fast; ‘Yeah… yeah, just say that Sue nodded, smiling uncer- sparrows excitedly chattering blindly out into the Hostel’s weirdo, he can piss right off…’ must be desperate.’ again please Colin, I just can’t fragrant garden, finding a tainly. ‘I’m… I’m really around them. ‘Don’t annoy him Jay! It was ‘Them birds was faster.’ focus proper…’ bench pooled in sunlight. pleased for you.’ Jason glanced at the window, him that got Kaz arrested, I’m ‘Nature, isn’t it. Can’t help Sally… he was really going to She edged closer, sitting not ready to growl at Sam, but the sure of it. He’s a proper little themselves can they, ani- Jason’s Probation Officer took see her again. He’d been too close, avoiding his gaze. shadow had gone. snitch.’ mals, I mean. That gives me back the letter and smiled. nicked just before her fourth ‘Did you hear about Kaz, Jay?’ Jason fumed, staring at the an idea, d’you think Sally’d ‘It’s about your daughter birthday, the law’s brutal ‘Yeah, it was on the news. like the Zoo? Kids love tigers Jason. They’ve agreed to you guillotine cutting all their Thought the armed police shadow, the figure obviously Frank Cotton is a former having contact. Both Sally lives in two, his daughter’s was a bit much for a fraudster. thinking he couldn’t be seen. and stuff, don’t they?’ resident of HMPPS
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Freephone 0800 254 5001 ADJUDICATIONS Contact: LUCY DOWNES FA - Client found Not Guilty following positive MTD. Hamer Childs Solicitors Murder, Drugs, Fraud? Facing serious criminal charges? 58 The Tything Face them with the Legal Team that is right for you. Worcester WR1 1JT e: [email protected] MKS LAW - Suite 19, Unit 9 Liberty t: 01905 724 565 Centre, Wembley, HA0 1TX www.hamerchilds.co.uk Tel: 020 8123 3404 Fax: 020 8181 6512 13-16 Elm St, London WC1X 0BL “YOUR LOCAL MKS LAW Solicitors www.ikandp.co.uk LAWYER HERE Criminal Defence Lawyers [email protected] TO HELP YOU” Legal Aid & Private Client 020 8123 3404 - [email protected] - mslaw.co.uk Insidetime May 2019 www.insidetime.org Comment 31 Outside Voices Tell me about your first time in custody. It was strange because it was during the prison officer strikes and remand prisoners were going straight to police cells as no one could get Sharing experience into the actual prisons because of the industrial action. There’s me, a bit panicky about going inside, and next thing you know I’m in a police Paul Blight - former prisoner to really think about what they relationships (including cell with a telly and takeaway food and a bit of are doing, not only to them- friendships), financial restric- exercise. I thought to myself - this will do. selves but to everyone else. As tions, limited benefits, making In 1986 I was convicted of at- the saying goes; “wisdom sure you get the benefits you’re tempted murder and having comes with a silent tongue.” entitled to. spent 25 years inside of a life Silence can also be painful. It’s When you’re knocking sentence, and being out on knowing what to say and when The main potential problem is around the landings with your license for almost 8 years, I to say it. your license, because the other thought my words might be pals just look around and problems can be dealt with. helpful to those currently in- The hardest part of my sen- The license you’re given can ponder and reflect on your carcerated - for however long. tence was the easiest. That was be the straw that broke the release day; 11.4.2011. It was absolute lack of success as a It took 9 years easy to go through the prison camel’s back, if you don’t live criminal. gate, but it was also very hard your life within these param- to really ask myself because I didn’t know what to eters. Breaking your license … “what are you expect. I was used to going on takes you back to square one, I bet that didn’t last long? home leave knowing that after because being sent back to doing?” 5 days of temporary confusion, prison means you have hurt Nah, real prison was a lot worse. I had geezers I felt I was going ‘home’ (back yourself and those directly coming up and checking out my trainers to see When I went away I was an to prison). Yes, institutional- involved, which includes your if they would fit if they nicked them off me, idiot who didn’t think about ized. The 6th day, the day of initial victim because they will other geezers giving it evil looks and fighting the future because I didn’t my release, I had to deal with be told you are back inside. Liven up! all over the place. It was a nightmare. know how long I was going to a whole different set of rules They will remember what you be banged up for. It took 9 and regulations as well as did to them and their families …. and grasp your oppor- Were you already addicted to drugs by then? years to really ask myself … laws. The transition between will remember if their loved “what are you doing?” From prison and freedom can be one is no longer alive. tunities with both hands, Yeah, I knew I was addicted but I didn’t class that moment, I served my time tough if you are not familiar myself as a scumbag, I was stealing and doing learning about life in general with it. says old prison veteran So, wisdom comes to those shops and that for money to feed my habit. and who I am as a person. I did Then I inherited a nice bit of money but did it everything to progress, edu- who understand themselves Identifying problems and all in the pipe within 6-months. Then prison cating myself to degree level, as well as those around them. dealing with them appropri- again, 6-months in Lewes block on GOAD be- and completed all relevant It takes less muscles to smile ately can throw up different Noel Smith cause I was unmanageable in and out of prison courses to address my offend- issues. Things like finding ac- than to frown! I wonder what - each of my sentences was turbulent. I ended ing behaviour. I just want the commodation (post-hostel), you are doing right now … up doing around 12-years in all. guys and girls who read this finding employment, building smiling or frowning? Darren Rowlands (above) was once a well- known ‘face’ on prison landings and in court- So, what made you change? rooms. As a feckless and confused youth, he tended to drift into trouble wherever it could SPECIALISTS IN PRISON LAW, PAROLE DELAYS, I got 9-years for armed robbery on a guilty plea EQUALITY CLAIMS, PERSONAL INJURY, be found. Abandoned to the ‘care’ system at Kesar & Co and it was a bit of a relief because the way I was CLINICAL NEGLIGENCE, IMMIGRATION, an early age, he spent time in 22 children’s performing the police or someone else would S O L I C I T O R S CRIMINAL APPEALS AND DEFENCE. homes and secure units and was fostered by eight different families before being adopted. have ended up killing me. My life was hectic and way out of control. I have to say that the We are the prison law specialist with combined CARAT team at both Camp Hill and Parkhurst experience totalling more than 40 years. His early unsettled life left him out of step with others and by the age of 9 he was drinking were a big encouragement on coming off the Parole hearings Recall to prison alcohol, smoking cannabis and sniffing petrol drugs. Those drug workers helped me every IPP Category A reviews and other solvents. This lifestyle brought him week for about 18-months. Then I decided to Excessive use of force Disability discrimination into contact with others of the same ilk and take the big step of applying for Grendon. Police interviews Criminal appeals from thence to the attention of the police. At Sentence calculations Unlawful detention the age of 17 he was serving a sentence of Did it help? three-and-a-half years in Lewes prison and APPEALS PAROLE COMPENSATION had taken his first hit of heroin. From there it A hundred per cent mate, it was a great chal- was the typical spiral of addiction, crime and lenge for me, as it is for many prisoners. If you feel that your defence We are the Parole Hearing CLAIMS imprisonment. Change had to happen for me, and I put the team did not do enough specialists with experience We can assist with claims work in for it. Education-wise I got my Level 5 or that your sentence is totalling more than 40 years! for parole delay, personal At the age of 21 he received an inheritance of Advanced Diploma in Addiction Studies, and unduly harsh, maybe our We will get you an oral hearing injury, clinical and dental £42,000, and within 6-months he had spent Level 4 in Counselling, which, along with team can review your case? and work with you to ensure negligence as well as every penny, ‘mostly on the crack-pipe’ as he being able to understand my own triggers and that you can either progress claims based on age, explains. More imprisonment was to follow. addictions, got me to where I am today - living We have an experienced or get released. disability, religion, race, a free life away from drugs and cells. and dedicated team who sexual orientation etc. Today, Darren is 45 and a changed man. He have successfully appealed In special cases we take active No win-no fee and has left his previous behaviour behind and a number of cases at the steps to have you released legal aid available. What advice would you have for people still in Court of Appeal. into rehab as an alternative now has two children and works as a housing prison and looking to break that cycle? to open conditions. officer in the Bristol area. I caught up with Darren between clients. Quite simply, liven yourselves up! When you’re We specialise in di cult cases knocking around the landings with your pals for lifers and IPP prisoners Hi Darren, the last time I saw you we were shar- just look around and ponder and reflect on and, when possible, we do not ing a landing together in Grendon prison! How your absolute lack of success as a criminal. hesitate to challenge refusals are you? Registered with You’re in prison, I mean, you can’t be much by applications for judicial review. emailaprisoner cop as a criminal then, can you? Then think All good! As you can see, I’m off the old naugh- about the impact on your family and reflect on ties and I’m working with the homeless, that. Lastly, get educated. You can never go Contact us in writing at: Kesar & Co Solicitors, mainly refugees but plenty of Bristolians as wrong with a bit of education. Life is out here well. My kids are healthy, I’m healthy and it’s 2nd Floor, 20-25 Market Square, Bromley, BR1 1NA waiting for it, you’ve just got to make the leap a pretty good life. Better than being in shovel, and grab it with both hands. Good luck! Or by telephone on: 020 8181 3100 that’s for sure. ✔
32 Comment www.insidetime.org Insidetime May 2019
involves messages being Furthermore, the Restorative into the underlying causes passed back and forth be- Justice Council who are the and the effects of the harm tween victim and offender by national voice advocating for that has been caused by the a trained facilitator. The par- restorative practices, have crime committed and can as- ticipants do not meet, and published that 80% of offend- sist with reflection upon one’s messages can be passed via ers who have engaged in re- behaviour. It also gives the letter, video or audio storative justice, and met victim opportunity to ask recording. their victims face-to-face, questions, receive answers were satisfied with the and gain understanding and There are also restorative jus- process. to contribute to the outcome tice courses that run in some of the process. The offender is custodial settings and one then able to offer restitution, such course is run by an or- At the end of be it in the form of an apology ganisation known as The Syc- the meeting, the to the victim or victims or to amore Tree Project - which offer services to the consists of an intensive 5-8 family hugged the community. week programme run by a fa- man who had taken cilitator that enables prison- Restorative justice also holds ers to meet with and work their family mem- benefits for within the custo- with a group of victims, but ber from them and dial setting and would be not their actual victims. Ena- highly beneficial to resolve conflict between prisoners Accepting responsibility to heal bling open and honest discus- stated that they
© Deposit Photos sions with regards to the and also between prisoners effects of crime and the harm were so glad they and staff. Using such an ap- it causes, and discussions had engaged in proach would be highly ben- with regards to how things eficial to a less confrontational can be put right in order for the process. environment for prisoners to Restoring hope both the prisoner and the vic- live amongst, assisting with tims to move forward and There is a requirement that mental wellbeing. Restorative heal and restitution to be the offender accepts respon- justice can also make prisons Repairing harm through conciliatory means made. It also enables both sibility for the offence com- more democratic by empow- parties to express their feel- mitted and participation in ering prisoners to take greater process, and it was assessed nearing release date and ings and experiences. The restorative practices is volun- responsibility for their expe- to be suitable and appropriate there is some apprehension of Sycamore Tree Project has tary and any decision to en- rience within prison. for the parties to meet. As well being released back into the stated that prisoners who gage should be made with Lisa Welch as the family being able to ask community where the offence have participated in the free and informed consent Restorative justice clearly has the question ‘why’ and relay was committed. Restorative course have commented that from all parties and either a beneficial place within a how the crime had impacted justice can also work to im- it ‘really made them think party may withdraw their custodial setting. Restorative Justice, whilst it them and their community, prove a prisoner’s self-esteem about feelings’ and it ‘made consent to participate at any has gained popularity and the family were able to tell the and pro-social skills, which is them change how they felt stage of the process. Partici- Lisa Welch is a final year law momentum in recent years, is offender that they forgave necessary for building about the victims’ and that pation in restorative practices student and a restorative not a new concept. Its roots lie him for what he had done. I healthy relationships upon ‘they have taken a lot from it’. can help to gain an insight justice practitioner within indigenous and reli- saw this grown man crumble release. It can also serve as a gious practices who have used before my eyes and weep, he way of helping victims, fami- it as a method of conflict res- hadn’t gone into the meeting lies and communities develop olution and a mechanism to looking for forgiveness, but an awareness of how a prison repair harm for centuries. The this gesture from the family is assisting an offender in role of restorative justice is to of his victim clearly made a their rehabilitation. WILSONS AUCTIONS bring together those who have massive impact upon him. At been harmed by crime or con- the end of the meeting, the But what exactly are these flict and those who caused the family hugged the man who restorative practices? There WE CAN SELL YOUR ASSETS harm. Its purpose is to em- had taken their family mem- are various definitions and power these individuals to ber from them and stated that views of what it comprises of, · Do you have an outstanding confiscation order? communicate their feelings in they were so glad they had but its core values remain the · Would you like a free valuation and a no obligation an open, honest and positive engaged in the process. From same; to move forward and to quote to sell your assets for the highest price? manner, with a hope to trans- sitting there observing all repair harm caused by help- form and strengthen relation- parties concerned, I could see ing an offender recognise ships and communities. It is that they all looked like they how what they have done has WILSONS AUCTIONS CAN HELP an inclusive practice which had had a great weight lifted affected others and to enable As the sole agent for over 40 law enforcement agencies, Wilsons Auctions specialises involves the voluntary partic- from their shoulders. This is reflection and to offer restitu- in selling assets that are subject to confiscation proceedings, often in sensitive ipation of victims, offenders when I truly realised the tion. There are several mech- circumstances. We are the largest independent auction company in the UK and Ireland and often the community that power that restorative justice anisms that can drive this: and with 80 years of experience, we can sell assets worldwide. has been affected by the crime holds for all parties con- in a bid to repair the harm cerned, where harm has been A victim-offender reconcilia- caused. The end goal being to caused as a result of crime. tion programme build understanding between (VORPs) this involves a for- the parties involved, to en- Crime causes harm and it has mal face-to- face meeting be- courage accountability and to been argued that justice tween victim and offender, provide an opportunity for should focus upon repairing led by a trained facilitator. Jewellery Cars Property All Assets healing to all those involved. any harm that has been Restorative justice is success- caused not only to an individ- Family Group Conferences fully used in schools, work- ual but also to communities (FGCs) similar to VORPs but For more information places, by the local authorities alike. Many proponents for more people are involved, for and police forces, and certain restorative justice focus upon instance family members. FREEPHONE 0300 124 0438 restorative practices are also the benefits to the victim, Simply provide us with the following Name Solicitor (if any) being used inside some however I would argue that Community Conferences details and we can do the rest! Prison / Prison Number Your Asset Details prisons. restorative justice has so similar to VORPs & FGCs but much to offer an offender also involved are members of Several years ago, I witnessed also. It can enable offenders the community who have Trench Lock 2, Telford, Shropshire, TF1 5YL restorative justice in action to strengthen their rehabilita- been affected by the crime. between an individual in tion and to build bridges with prison for murder and his vic- their communities and their Indirect communication www.wilsonsauctions.com tim’s family. Both parties had families. This can be espe- sometimes referred to as shut- Northern Ireland | England | Republic of Ireland | Scotland | Wales agreed to engage in the cially beneficial when it is tle restorative justice, this Insidetime May 2019 www.insidetime.org Comment 33
Crashing and burning
Paul Sullivan
So many amazing developments have hap- pened in my life and 1969, when I was 15, was remarkable for two landmarks. Firstly, Con- corde 002 was the first British built Concorde to fly, on 9th April; and four months later, man landed on the moon. perished, as did four people on the ground. Following this, Concorde was grounded whilst I was smitten with this amazingly beautiful safety improvements were carried out, includ- plane with its sweeping delta wings and long ing extra protection for the fuel tanks. The drooping nose and was very excited, many crash spelt the end for Concorde and although years later, to visit Yeovilton Fleet Air Arm it re-entered service in September 2011, its rep- Museum, where I was able to get on board 002 utation was tarnished and in April 2013 it was which had been bought by the Science Mu- announced that Concorde flights would cease. seum to save it from being scrapped; although There are no current plans to build a new su- Concorde: record breaker it was mostly filled with test equipment. This personic airliner. was the nearest I ever came to it as I could never afford to actually fly in it. When in ser- vice it would often fly over my home in south- east London and everyone would look up in awe; later I lived at West Kingsdown; close to High flying bird! Brands Hatch where the British Grand Prix was then held and Concorde would fly over at a few Fifty years since fastest passenger plane ever built hundred feet. An amazing sight… but I don’t think my ears ever recovered! Six prototypes were built for development and diplomatic spell between England (Prime Min- testing. British Airways and Air France were ister Harold Macmillan) and his French coun- pressured into buying Concorde because, de- terpart Charles de Gaulle. The word Concorde, “Not so grand interior” spite a predicted market of around 350 planes, in French, means ‘agreement’ or ‘harmony’. for a number of reasons other airlines did not want them. Problems were caused by the noise A flight from Paris to New York took just 3.5 Inside Time’s Rachel Billington actually flew of take-off and the sonic booms produced as hours, which is faster than the rotation of the on Concorde, she says: “I went to catch a reg- the plane flew faster than the speed of sound. earth. The record, which still stands, is 2 hours ular flight from New York to Heathrow at The US market, the most lucrative, was there- 52 minutes and 59 seconds. Travelling west to around 10am and was told it was overbooked On the fast wing fore severely restricted. The plane was only New York it was possible to land at an earlier but, if I came back at 2pm, I could fly Concorde, allowed to fly supersonic over oceans because time than you took off! British Airways used which meant I would get in earlier! The interior of the boom. the slogan ‘Arrive before you leave’. At such was narrow and not at all grand; two smallish Concorde was a joint venture between the high speeds Concorde got quite hot and the seats close together on each side of the aisle. French company Sud Aviation , later Aérospa- Both BA and Air France operated seven aircraft length of the plane would increase by nearly The flight from New York, usually around 7 tiale, and the British Aircraft Corporation each although, because of the speed and pres- a foot. hours, was two or maybe two and a half. And (BAC). It still holds the record for the highest tige, both airlines were able to charge inflated there was a screen where you could see how flying (68,000 ft) and fastest (1,354 Mph - Mach ticket prices and made a profit despite the high Alas, a New York bound flight from Paris on fast you were going. I arrived gobsmacked, 2.4) passenger jet. The Russians tried to emu- running and maintenance costs. 25th July 2010 struck some debris on the run- amazed and certain it must be the way travel late it with their Tupolev Tu-144 but that was a way which ruptured a fuel tank causing a mas- would go. Just shows how wrong you can be. spectacular failure; with a crash at the Paris The French version of the spelling Concorde sive fire and the eventual crashing of the plane Living in Dorset, we often heard the crack over- Le Bourget air show. came about during a particularly rocky into a nearby hotel. All the passengers head as Concorde broke the sound barrier.”
M c. IVOR . FARRELL The Johnson Partnership Solicitors Northern Irish Solicitors Criminal Defence experts in all areas of • Criminal Appeals against Sentence or Conviction criminal law All types of cases ranging from road traffic Providing access to justice for all sections of Society • Parole Hearings matters to Murder and everything in between UPDATE: Dr Laura Janes and Rikki Garg have joined • Proceeds of Crime/Confiscation Hearings Offences alleged to have been committed in our prison law team as consultants • Police Interviews under PACE throughout NI and in Prisons prison or on licence Adjudications Actions against the Police Crime • All Criminal Defence Cases Specialist Business Crime and Fraud Department • Judicial Review & Human Rights Cases dealing with high value and complex frauds and Parole Hearings Actions against the Prison Appeals prosecutions by BEIS, Trading Standards, Health • Family Law and Safety, HMRC & others Lifer Tari s Actions against Public Bodies Family • Injury Claims within the Prison POCA cases big and small dealt with by our • Welfare Issues Confiscation Department covering Categorisation Community Care Housing • Prison Visits Arranged within 24hrs Initial applications under Proceeds of Crime Act; Applications to vary orders by the defendant or Recall Mental Health & Public Law the prosecution; Enforcement proceedings in the Court of Protection WE’RE HERE TO HELP Magistrates’ Court Ashford Birmingham Crawley Please call us on 028 9023 7053 or 028 9032 4565 Experienced prison law solicitors Croydon Dartford Leeds Legal Aid work & private work at reasonable rates London Manchester Peterborough or write to us at Contact us now: 129 Springfield Road Belfast BT 12 7AE Criminal Law Specialists 0800 999 3399 or 020 8299 6000 [email protected] IT’S THAT SIMPLE!! Call: 0115 941 9141 Central admin team, 2A Melbourne Grove, London SE22 8PL [email protected] 24 hrs a day / 7 days a week www.mcivorfarrell.co.uk Nottingham Office , Cannon Courtyeard P Off Long Row, Nottingham, NG1 6JE [email protected] OFFICES NATIONWIDE 34 Information // Through the gate www.insidetime.org Insidetime May 2019
need to be registered with the DVLA in order to meet health The Careers Lady and safety regulations; • Personal real-life farming experience. Even though Jon- The first step through the door athan will have the Advanced Diploma he is working to- wards, real experience would to your future be necessary to see if this is a working idea;
I recently spoke to a gentleman of 74 who was • If produce is to be sold, food standards and accreditation
attending an A level course in English. Not in © Deposit Photos will be a major consideration; order to help him get a job, but just to give him a challenge to achieve a qualification. It didn’t today are looking at conver- • Last but not least it is impor- matter to him that he was the oldest in his The Hub sion from the existing farm- tant that as you develop your class, but it was his life experience that gave ing and agriculture farms into business plan you need to more challenging and excit- him the ability and knowledge to produce ex- investigate any grants avail- ing developments - such as cellent compositions. Farming able and develop the business cheese making, ice cream and plan with detailed and spe- futures yoghurt production, as well Learn as much as you can cific timelines as to how the as more unusual organic money will be used. whilst you are still in prison. Jonathan wrote from HMP vegetables. Stafford asking for advice on I would recommend contacting how to set up a charitable Regarding the idea of setting So, going back to the Tree of Life, I compared some organisations that can farm to provide training and up a charitable farm, it is im- it to climbing a tree and moving along each initially help. For example: support for former prisoners portant that organisations branch getting qualifications or practical skills who would like to work within which are currently in opera- • Startups - they will give in- and trying new challenges. It may be that that the farming industry. tion, or who are supporting formation on regulations, particular branch was not helpful, that gave similar organisations, should funding and support as well no satisfaction, but at least it gave an end result
© Deposit Photos I have looked at the Advanced be contacted. They will pro- as how to start a farm busi- - positive or negative. Your CV will look all the Diploma Jonathan is studying vide information on a poten- ness (startups.co.uk); Don’t be afraid to better for the addition of these academic qual- for and the content of it is very tial business plan, funding ifications or training results even if they do not diverse. Farmers today need opportunities, health and • FCN (Farming Community compromise result in the job you ultimately want. At least to be entrepreneurial, risk safety as well as any training Network) (fcn.org.uk) - offer you will have gained an insight into what job managers, financial manag- programmes on offer. If a free confidential pastoral and I often think it is worth reminding ourselves you really do want. No matter what your age, ers and innovative and be smallholding is being consid- practical advice, as well as help in joining as a volunteer that life is a compromise. Things happen that the tree can be large or a newly planted one. It prepared to adapt and change ered, and I would suggest this to assist in developing ideas. might lead us to change direction or reconsider could take several attempts to climb this tree to keep up with growing might be the first step, you our options. The dictionary defines the word or it could be that the very first branch you trends in farming. His ideas will need to: This is a challenging but po- move along gives you the opportunities you will go a long way into devel- ‘compromise’ as … ‘a settlement that is reached • Comply with health and safety tentially hugely exciting ven- by making concessions’. were looking for. oping your business plan as regard to gaining funding. regulations as well as laws ture for Jonathan. But like any regarding animal welfare; new business idea, he must This is very true when considering life and As you climb this tree, look out for people who Farming today is difficult to start researching and sourc- career changes. There are very few jobs, if any, can give you advice, offer you instruction or • Get planning permission if sustain (especially if it is a ing as much practical infor- that are for life anymore. In fact, often employ- just people who can recognise the skills and the land you purchase needs to mation as possible to family-run farm). Many farm- be changed from its current use; ers would not look favourably on someone that qualities that you have. But don’t forget to com- ers have to become diverse in ascertain if the idea is worka- has been in any one job for several years as promise. Consider making changes in your order to maintain standards • If you are considering buy- ble. I wish him luck. that might give them the idea that the appli- ideas if they are not workable. Also, remember of living, and young farmers ing farm vehicles you will cant may be set in their ways, in fear of change, to push aside old ideas that are not relevant. or not being ambitious. Being out of the job market for a long time can make a difference to what considerations you Two years ago, I wrote an article about the Tree have to bear in mind. Research your ideas and Let down by your solicitor? of Life and it is always worth looking at this make sure they will still be suitable for when again. It does not mean that once you leave you leave prison. Learn as much as you can compulsory education this is the end of learn- whilst you are still in prison. Keeping up to Solicitors, like any other professionals, can make ing. Learning is ongoing. Continuing with your date with your academic qualifications and mistakes and you may have suffered as a result. education is always an option; skills training your practical skills will be crucial in order for is always a possibility. Any challenge which you to make any compromises you need to can help you in the job market will benefit you reconsider. Embrace change. Being able to in the long term. compromise is the first step. Jason Elliott Associates Specialists in Prison Law, Parole and Criminal Appeals Have you had a claim against your prison that you think has Expert in release from custody been mishandled by your solicitor? This could be an injury Legal Aid available in suitable cases claim, a failure to provide adequate medical care or an abuse of your human rights. If so, Jordans can consider if you have a - Please contact - claim against your solicitor. Registered with emailaprisoner Jason Elliott Associates Limited Call our Professional Negligence Team free on: 18 Albion House North Shields Tyne & Wear NE29 0DW 03303001103 0191 447 4389 Write to: [email protected] 7A Wellington Road East, Dewsbury, WF13 1HF Insidetime May 2019 www.insidetime.org Information // Education 35 Winners of the PET Paint-a- Postcard Competition announced
Congratulations to all the Communications Team, winners and the highly com- FREEPOST, Prisoners’ Educa- mended entries. tion Trust.
Thank you to all the talented In the coming weeks, keep The winners artists who entered the post- your eyes peeled for the art- Sean - Dartmoor, D - Eastwood card competition to celebrate work appearing on postcards Park, Anon - Buckley Hall, the 30th anniversary of Pris- in prisons across England and Anon - Buckley Hall, Ben - Isle oners' Education Trust! Wales. We want to fill these of Wight, Rhian - Send. cards with answers to the With over 120 entries from 26 question: ‘What does educa- Highly commended prisons, it was a tough call to tion mean to you?’ We’ll be Abul, Dan, Daniel, Danielle, pick the winners but luckily displaying all the messages Eugenii, Fiona, Garry, Isleigh, we had our Grants Pro- we receive at our 30th cele- Jimmy, Lee, Lisa, Mr Bailey, Mr gramme Manager Suzan and bration event in June. Chambers, Mr Marsh, Mr Mur- PET alumni and artists Erika phy, Mr Q, Nigel x2, Nizami, If you’d like to add your mes- Russell, Shay, and the en- Flowers and John Costi on Abul, Dovegate (highly commended) hand to help out. sage, please write to: The trants from Buckley Hall.
Mr. Chambers, Parkhurst (highly commended)
Anonymous, Buckley Hall Ben, Isle of Wight (winner) (highly commended)
Eugenii, Huntercombe (highly commended)
Anonymous, Buckley Hall (winner) Nizami, Buckley Hall (highly commended)
Anonymous, Buckley Hall Anonymous, Buckley Hall (winner) (highly commended) Sean, Dartmoor (winner) 36 Information www.insidetime.org Insidetime May 2019
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• Are you experienced? them to associate with your amongst your friends within - and be proud of your brand! company? prison and your family. By the • Who is your target audience? way, place it everywhere! Cellstudy • Is your product or service Think of a brand as a person Prison is the ideal time to cre- high-cost but high quality? Every one of us is unique Write down your brand mes- ate your brand and associated whose character is comprised sage - Establish what are the logo. Use your colleagues in • Is your product or service of our beliefs, values and pur- key messages you want to prison and the education de- low-cost but high value? pose in life. Our personality communicate to your custom- partment to test your branding determines how we behave in ers about your brand. Every and logo and establish what Start by reviewing the prod- various situations, how we aspect of your business should works and what doesn’t. ucts and services that you wish dress and what we say to peo- encompass your brand and to offer. Identify the space in ple. When building a brand, it most importantly, so should Have fun with the design of the market they occupy and is essential that you consider your employees. your logo! imagine you are looking for the character within it. that product/service. Establish Integrate your brand - Get your tax affairs in order what appeals to you and keep Branding needs to extend to pre-release it simple so that you can em- Prison is the every aspect of your business, 5 April 2019 marks the end of body it in your brand. ideal time to create including your business cards, another tax year - 2018/19 Branding for letterhead, website etc. Brand Building Steps your brand and Remember to contact The Tax associated logo. Develop a slogan for your Academy CIC to review your Defining your brand business - Try and write a tax affairs in order to ensure In order to prepare yourself for your business Repeat business is critical memorable and concise state- they are up-to-date. defining your brand you will A customer that believes in ment that encapsulates your need at the very least to answer your values will remain loyal brand. There is nothing worse than the following questions: Cellstudy™ in association prospective customer can ex- to your brand - repeat business being released from prison and with the Tax Academy™ pect from your products and • What is your company’s mis- is the key to success. Design a template and brand finding that you have tax pen- services. It should also differ- sion? Many companies em- standards across your alties and tax debt that need entiate your product offering body this in a ‘mission Stand out from the crowd business. to be resolved with HMRC An effective brand will give from your competitors. Your statement’. Be innovative and bold, and (see our main advert page 29). you a major advantage in an brand is derived from your ensure your brand reflects this. Believe in your brand - increasingly competitive mar- • What are the particular ben- business DNA, and what you Bigger brands are unable to Customers will not return or ketplace. But what exactly efits and features of your prod- want to aspire to and what change quickly to meet their refer someone else if you do does ‘branding’ mean and how ucts and services that you are people perceive you to be. customer needs. Small busi- not stay ‘true to your brand’. Paul Retout is a tax specialist does it impact on your proving? nesses are ‘nimble and flexible’ and author. business? Use your brand consistently Consider the following: • If you had or about to start and can react to the ever-chang- In very simple terms, your • Are you innovative in your your business what will your ing needs of customers. brand is your promise to your sector? customers and prospects think customer. It tells them what of your company? Branding tips • What are your particular your customer or your You need a great logo! Test it skills? • What qualities do you want
National Prison Law Solicitors www.instalaw.co.uk Wrongly convicted Instalaw Solicitors have over 40 years combined experience of a crime? representing prisoners rights and we can represent you no matter where you are in the country! Specialists in Parole Board paper reviews, oral hearings & independent adjudications Lost your appeal? Our Prison Law Experts can help you with: • Parole Board oral hearings • Mandatory Lifer Reviews • Paper Parole Reviews • IPP Paper & Oral Parole Reviews • Recalls • Independent Adjudications • Discretionary Lifer Reviews • Private cases (Transfer/HDC) What next? Call us today for free advice on: 01782 560 155 Instalaw, 4th Floor Parliament House, The CCRC can look again 42 - 46 Upper Parliament Street, Nottingham, NG1 2AG If you think your conviction or sentence is wrong apply to the CCRC Instalaw, 2nd Floor Copthall House, King Street, • It won’t cost anything • Your sentence can’t be increased if you apply • You don't need a lawyer to apply, but a good one can help
Stephen Luke - Partner (Nottingham) You can get some more information and a copy of the CCRC's Easy Read application form by writing to us at Reise Wright - Prison Law Advocate BA HONS (Nottingham) 5 St Philip’s Place, Birmingham, B3 2PW. or calling 0121 233 1473
Plus Nationwide Consultant Prison Law Advisors Prisoners in Scotland should contact; The Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission, 5th Floor, Portland House, 17 Renfi eld Street, Glasgow, G2 5AH. Phone: 0141 270 7030 Email: [email protected] Insidetime May 2019 www.insidetime.org Information 37
for 12 hours per day as a matter must have the licence condi- of policy. The curfew require- tions explained to them and Keeping Safe The ment must remain in force until must sign the licence, to confirm what would have been the they accept the conditions. conditional or automatic re- RULE lease date (CRD or ARD) at the The following are excluded Keeping in touch halfway point of the sentence. from HDC: • Anyone sentenced to 4 years staff ) from concerned family and friends; do Book Governors must ensure there or more for any offence; not dismiss them as worriers, worse still, nui- are processes in place to de- sances.’ with Paul Sullivan termine eligibility for HDC. • Sex offence prisoners re- Juliet Lyon CBE The earliest date for HDC quired to register; Following an overhaul of ACTT, which many of (HDCED) must be calculated There is no doubt that, for almost everyone you recommended, a new process to assess and • Prisoners convicted of vio- at the same time as other re- serving a prison sentence, maintaining or reduce risk is now being trialled in ten prisons. lent or sexual offences cur- lease dates and this should be re-establishing contact with family and friends The new system encourages greater involve- rently serving an extended given to the prisoner. If there helps to keep you safe. Lord Farmer’s review ment of healthcare staff and family members sentence; are any changes in circum- makes this clear: ‘Lack of contact with families in ACTT reviews. stances which affect a prison- • Prisoners serving a sentence was viewed by respondents to my Review as a er’s release dates (e.g. other for ROTL failure to return; key factor in violence, self-harm, suicide and There is also scope to improve use of release on remand, time spent unlawful- the deterioration of mental health.’ temporary licence (ROTL) to sustain and • Prisoners serving a sentence ly at large, additional days are strengthen family contact and sometimes to for breach of the curfew re- awarded), then the person’s Keeping in touch with family and friends was see someone who is very sick or to attend a quirement of a Community HDCED must be recalculated one of the main things you wrote or talked funeral. People serving long sentences, includ- Order; as well as all other release dates. about when the Independent Advisory Panel ing those still held on an IPP, are oft en con- • Foreign national prisoners on Deaths in Custody (IAP) asked prisoners cerned about the health and wellbeing of fam- Governors must ensure that (FNPs) who have been recom- how best to prevent suicide and self-harm in ily and friends outside. Many are saddened by Policy Framework: there are processes in place to mended for deportation by the prison. Working in partnership with Inside the loss of a grandparent or parent; ‘I’ve lost facilitate eligible prisoners to court and those who are liable Time, National Prison Radio and The my dad and my sister, nan and gran - only mum Home Detention propose addresses for release; to deportation and a decision Samaritans, the IAP heard from men and left .’ The IAP would like to see far more support Curfew (HDC) that the Bail, Accommodation to deport has been served (i.e. women in over 70 prisons. Oft en, people talked off ered to prisoners who have been bereaved. and Support Service (BASS) is not just those with a about the shock of losing close contact. One Issued: 28 March 2019 used where necessary; and Deportation Order); woman wrote: ‘Contact with family is extreme- Then it comes to the hard lessons that must be - Implementation: 28 that a check of the proposed ly important. I am hundreds of miles from learned from inquests into deaths in custody. • Prisoners with less than 14 mine. My mum is my ‘rock’ and I used to see March 2019 release address/area is com- Time and again the same recommendations are missioned promptly. At least days to CRD from date of her or speak to her every day outside. Now I repeated. Importantly, bereaved families them- sentence; Since 1999 a number of prison 10 weeks prior to the HDCED, only get to speak to her once/twice a week selves and the charity ‘Inquest’ are calling for and probation instructions where possible, the prisoner using a phone that crackles. I won’t see my non-means tested legal aid for families and a have been published in relation mum again until October next year as she is more inquisitorial, less adversarial, process in to the HDC process. The aim too ill to travel. My mum can get to my solici- the Coroners’ courts - huge respect for the fam- of this Policy Framework is to tors, where I could have a video-link visit with ilies trying to ensure that no other family has consolidate those instructions her.’ to suff er such loss. into one place and completely replace all of the previous in- So the IAP welcomes work the Prison Service Lastly, it is so very much better to be ‘wise structions (as listed below). is doing to improve technology and the intro- before the event’ and, rather than having to duction of in-cell telephones in a number of learn from tragedy, learning instead about It replaces the following establishments. We urge HMPPS to extend this what works to support people through their Probation Circulars, PSOs and to other prisons. In some places it is already imprisonment. And what we can do together to PSIs which have now been reducing tension on the landings, as well as keep people safe. cancelled - PSO 6700, PSI providing a vital connection to families - par- 43/2012, PSI 17/2008, PSI ticularly for foreign national prisoners who can use in-cell phones regardless of time diff erenc- Juliet Lyon is Chair of the Independent 41/2008, PSI 49/2007, PSI © Deposit Photos 31/2006, PSI 31/2003, PC es. We received this message: ‘At this prison, Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody (IAP) must be provided with the telephones are in-cell and can be used 82/1998, PC 44/1998, PSI & PI • Prisoners who have ever HDC Address form. They must 6.30am-11pm. So if you’re feeling low you can 01/2018. been recalled to prison for The IAP would like to thank everyone be encouraged to provide contact family or friends for help, a chat or to failing to comply with the HDC who has written to us with such good, more than one address if pos- offload. I feel this should be considered for Decisions on HDC may now be curfew conditions; thoughtful advice on how to prevent sible and prioritise them so every prison as this will help everyone.’ taken by Directors of Contracted deaths in custody. What you say matters. that they can be assessed in • Prisoners who have ever Prisons, the Controller will Lately we have had some problems order of preference. If a pris- been returned to custody by Many families want to do more to keep their continue to monitor the receiving Freepost mail which we hope oner is unable to propose an the court for committing an loved ones safe. A family support charity in the Director’s compliance in this are now sorted out. So do write to address, they must be told imprisonable offence during North East, NEPACS, wrote to the IAP to say area. Decisions around pre- FREEPOST IAP and mark your envelope about BASS accommodation the at-risk period; that its members wanted to see … ‘prompt fol- sumed unsuitable prisoners Kenyon McAteer Solicitors,‘Confi Graeme dential House, Access’. and asked if they wish to pro- low-up from phone calls/messages (to prison remain with the Governor, but • Prisoners currently serving Kenyon McAteer Solicitors, Graeme House, CONTACT US ceed with an application with Derby square,Liverpool L2 7ZH there is no longer any require- a recall from early release on Derby square,Liverpool L2 7ZH CONTACT US this accommodation. Probation Kenyon McAteer Solicitors, Graeme House, ment to consult or notify the Kenyon McAteer Solicitors, Graeme House, compassionate grounds. Derby square,Liverpool L2 7ZH CONTACTCONTACT US US HDC Policy team. Governors providers must have processes Derby square,Liverpool OFFICEL2 7ZH in place to ensure that Address OFFICE must ensure that suitability for The Policy Framework is a long 0151OFFICE 305 0780 0151 305 0780 01510151 305 0780 305 0780 Gary McAteer Gary McAteer release on HDC is considered Checks forms are completed document and covers 83 GaryCriminal McAteer Defence and Appeals Gary McAteer fully and accurately within 10 Specialising07824 998 in all131 areas of criminal law, from consistently and promptly. pages. It covers all aspects of POCA / Confiscation 07824 998 131 07824 998 131 working days of receipt, and HDC and is too long to cover POCA / Confiscation minor offences to serious crimes - Murder, that all HDC actions are prop- We are specialists in all POCA & Confiscation matters Fraud, Conspiracy to Defraud, Confiscation Eligible prisoners will be iden- completely in the Rule Book. POCAWe are specialists in /all POCAConfiscation & Confiscation matters Daniel Kenyon 07824 998 131 erly recorded. Prison Law Experts To Include: ProceedingsDaniel Kenyon Appeals, Variation & Discharge of tified accurately and early and Anyone eligible for HDC is Kenyon McAteer Solicitors, Graeme House, CONTACT US PrisonDerby Law square,Liverpool Experts L2 7ZH To Include: Restraint Order and Money Laundering the process will operate to time recommendedPOCA to read the full /We Confiscation are specialists in all POCA & Confiscation matters07515 404 147 Kenyon McAteer Solicitors, Graeme House, Life OFFICESentence Prisoners 07515 404 147 Governors must have in place 0151 305 0780 Immigration and NationalityDaniel Law Kenyon without unnecessary delays, documentDerby and,square,Liverpool if necessary, L2 7ZH Life SentenceCONTACT Prisoners US Gary McAteer processes to ensure that ap- PrisonRecall Law / Parole Experts board representationTo Include: Comprehensive solutions to immigration particularly to HDC releases. discuss any queries either Recall / Parole board representation07824 998 131 propriate release arrange- WeOFFICE are specialistsPOCA / Confiscation CATin all A POCAReviews - Post & Tariff Confiscation Reviews mattersand British nationality issues Release on HDC will be the with prison0151 staff,305 0780 probation or 07515 404 147 ments are made. All prisoners Kenyon McAteer Solicitors, Graeme House, CAT A GaryReviews McAteer - Post Tariff Reviews Family Law norm for eligible prisoners. If their Derbylegal square,Liverpool adviser. L2 7ZHWe are specialists in all POCACONTACT & Confiscation USmatters LifeInstructions Sentence Taken From Prisoners All PrisonsDaniel Kenyon DivorceLEGAL - sound AID advice about your rights and Daniel Kenyon a prisoner wishes to opt out of must be released on licence Kenyon McAteer Solicitors,Prison Graeme Law Experts House, To Include: CONTACT US AVAILABLE OFFICEDerby square,Liverpool L2 7ZH InstructionsIn England & Wales Taken07824 From 998 All131 Prisons LEGALthe AIDoptions available using one of the templates in Prison Law Experts To Include: 07515 404 147 AVAILABLE HDC the reason why must be POCA / ConfiscationCopies0151 305of 0780the newLife Policy Sentence PrisonersIn GaryEngland McAteer & Wales the Licence Policy Framework. Kenyon OFFICEMcAteer Solicitors, Graeme House, Recall / Parole board representation Wills & Probate recorded. On release, the per- FrameworkDerby square,Liverpool should L2 7ZH be availa- KenyonCONTACT McAteer US Solicitors, Graeme House, We are specialists in all POCA 0151& Confiscation 305 0780 Recall matters / Parole board representation07824 998 131 Please contact Anthony Mordi or Michael Okogwu son must be subject to an elec- The Governor must set the ble in prison libraries, or your Derby square,LiverpoolGary McAteer L2 7ZH CONTACT US 07515 404 147 curfew hours POCAto reflect /the Confiscation OFFICE CAT A ReviewsCAT - Post TariffADaniel ReviewsReviews Kenyon - Post Tariff ReviewsGround Fl Rear 143 High St, Barnet EN5 5UZ tronically monitored curfew. Prison Law Experts libraryTo Include:0151Life can 305 0780 download Sentence it from Gary McAteerPrisoners07824 998 131 particular needsWe areof specialiststhe case in all POCA & Confiscation matters Tel: (020) 7619 96 66 This must be for at least 9 hours the Inside Time websiteInstructions - http:// Taken From All Prisons LEGAL AID POCA / Confiscation OFFICEDaniel07824 Kenyon 99807515 131 404 147 AVAILABLE 24 Hour Emergency: 07956 923 482 per day by law, and generally and before release,LifePrison Sentenceprisoners Law Experts To Prisonerstinyurl.com/yxoxohzu. Include: In England & Wales Instructions Taken From All Prisons LEGAL AID POCAWe are specialists / Confiscation in all POCA & Confiscation matters 0151 305 0780 07515 404 147 Gary McAteer AVAILABLE RecallWeLife are Sentence specialists / Parole in all Prisoners POCA board Recall& Confiscation representation matters / ParoleIn England boardDaniel & Wales Kenyon representation Prison Law Experts To Include: Daniel Kenyon PrisonRecall Law / ParoleExperts Toboard Include: representation CAT A Reviews - Post Tariff Reviews 07515 404 147 Life Sentence Prisoners 07515 404 147 07824 998 131 LifeCAT Sentence A Reviews Prisoners - PostCAT Tariff Reviews A Reviews - Post Tariff Reviews InstructionsRecall /POCA Parole Taken board From representation All/ Confiscation Prisons LEGAL AID RecallInstructions / Parole Taken board From representation All Prisons LEGAL AIDAVAILABLE In England & Wales AVAILABLE CATIn England A& Wales Reviews - Post Tariff Reviews CAT AWe Reviews are - specialistsPostInstructions Tariff Reviews in all POCA Taken & Confiscation From matters All Prisons LEGAL AID Instructions Taken Taken From From All AllPrisons Prisons LEGAL AIDLEGAL AID Daniel Kenyon AVAILABLE AVAILABLEAVAILABLE In EnglandEngland & Prison&Wales Wales LawIn EnglandExperts To& Wales Include: Life Sentence Prisoners 07515 404 147 Recall / Parole board representation CAT A Reviews - Post Tariff Reviews
Instructions Taken From All Prisons LEGAL AID AVAILABLE In England & Wales 38 Information www.insidetime.org Insidetime May 2019 The Inspector Calls Paul Sullivan highlights areas of good and bad practice from the most recent reports published by HM Inspectorate of Prisons
HMP/YOI Stoke Heath HMP Featherstone A closed category C male prison with a Category C adult male training and small open category D unit resettlement prison Unannounced Inspection: 12-22 November Unannounced Inspection: 1-5 October 2018 2018 Published: 19 March 2019 Published: 7 February 2019
Safety W W W W Safety W W W W Respect W W W W Respect W W W W HMP Maidstone HMP Lancaster Farms Purposeful Activity W W W W Purposeful Activity W W WW Category C prison holding male foreign Category C adult male resettlement prison Resettlement W W W W Resettlement W W WW national prisoners Unannounced Inspection: 29 October, 5-8 Unannounced Inspection: 8, 9, 15-19 October November 2018 Published: 12 March 2019 “Safe and ordered prison urged to get “Staff commended for achieving signifi- 2018 Published: 19 February 2019 more prisoners into work, training and Safety W W W W cant improvements in two years” education Safety W W W W Respect W W W W ” Respect W W W W Purposeful Activity W W W W Introducing the latest report Peter Clarke says: Purposeful Activity W W W W Resettlement W W W W At the last inspection the prison was judged “The prison was last inspected in 2016 when Resettlement W W W W ‘reasonably good’ in all areas; at this inspection, we found very poor outcomes in safety and “Competent and decent prison with the inspectors found much the same except that outcomes which were not sufficiently good in “Calm but growing drugs problem must capacity to improve further” purposeful activity had deteriorated. our other three tests of a healthy prison. In be addressed” Importantly the report says it was found to be contrast, at this inspection we were pleased to Lancaster Farms showed some improvements “overwhelmingly safe”. The reception area had find evidence of significant improvement. Although the prison appeared calm and well over the three years since the last inspection been improved and was bright and welcoming. Across all four tests we found measurable im- ordered the report warns about being compla- but not enough for inspectors to change their Upon arrival, risk to individuals was properly provements with outcomes in respect, purpose- cent about ‘worrying signs of an increasing assessments from their previous visit. The report assessed and first night arrangements were ful activity and rehabilitation now all sufficient- drugs problem.’ The positive test rate for random says: “The prison was calm and ordered and reasonable. Peer support during this time was ly good. The prison was still not safe enough drug tests had risen to 14.5%. Shortly after this most violent incidents, with some exceptions, useful, although induction arrangements need- but here, too, meaningful improvements were inspection 15 parcels of contraband were thrown were relatively less serious than comparator ed to be more structured, comprehensive and evidenced. over the wall into the prison in the space of a prisons. Support for those prisoners who expeditious. A major weakness of the prison single night. The report says: “Despite the clear self-isolated or entered segregation to escape was the third of prisoners who were locked up “The prison’s recent success was underpinned indications that drugs were a growing problem, intimidation was better than in the previous during the working day. the response to intelligence was poor, with inspection but still insufficient. The use of force by a much more purposeful regime. Time un- backlogs and suspicion searches not being by staff had increased noticeably but was poorly locked was good and daily routines predictable. Violence had not increased, as at other prisons, carried out in a timely fashion or at all. There documented. Care for those at risk of self-harm Only 29 prisoners had not been allocated to and had, in fact, recently declined. Peter Clarke was clearly a need to refocus on the strategy was reasonably good, but too many experienced activity, and during spot checks we found just says: “Work to address violence and incentivise for reducing the supply of illicit drugs.” an isolated life and levels of self-harm were 12% of prisoners locked up during the working prisoners was reasonably good and, overall, much higher than at the previous inspection.” day.” Despite much of the residential accommodation we found a prison that was ordered and under being old, shabby and in need of refurbishment There was “considerable evidence” of a serious control. However, use of force by staff had in- “A largely inexperienced staff group were well and the sports hall being condemned and drug problem at the prison and many prisoners creased, and was high, and more needed to be supported by supervisors and managers and closed, inspectors found generally good rela- said it was easy to obtain them. Drug testing done to ensure comprehensive governance and most prisoners indicated that they felt respect- tionships between staff and prisoners and a produced high positive results. However, Staff- accountability of its use.” higher than usual proportion of prisoners told prisoner relationships in general were very good ed. Residential units were calm and ordered them they were treated with respect by staff. with a reasonable amount of time out of cell. At the time of inspection, prisoners were re- and staff demonstrated the confidence to chal- “In terms of behaviour management, it was The living environment was bright and spacious ceiving photocopies of their domestic mail lenge poor behaviour.” good to see what we have recorded as good and outside areas were clean and well main- rather than the original letters sent in. Managers practice in the use of incentives and earned tained. However, despite a recent increase in explained that this was in response to credible About a quarter of prisoners told inspectors privileges.” the number of activity places, too few prisoners intelligence that some mail coming into the that they felt unsafe and violence remained attended education or work regularly or on time prison had been impregnated with a new psy- high. A range of initiatives had been put in One of the most serious concerns was the decline and cover for staff absences was insufficient, choactive substance (NPS). The prison said it place to confront violence and its causes. Linked in terms of the purposeful activity available to leading to the frequent cancellation of to violence was the ready availability of illicit prisoners. Chief Inspector of Prisons Peter activities. planned to stop the photocopying as soon as it drugs. The report says: “The response of the Clarke says: “For those in employment the received a specialist scanner to screen mail for prison was impressive with a whole series of amount of time out of cell was perfectly ade- There was some improved collaborative work drugs. quate, but there were only sufficient activity between departments to support rehabilitation active, intelligence-led measures in place to try places for around three-quarters of the popu- and resettlement, but many weaknesses per- Of concern to inspectors was the increase in to combat the problem. There was some early lation. Far too much of the work that was avail- sisted. Many prisoners did not have an up-to- self-harm; one prisoner had taken their life evidence that, like the initiatives to tackle vio- able was mundane and menial, and I was sur- date offender assessment system (OASys) or since the last inspection. Peter Clarke com- lence, these measures were beginning to have prised to see large numbers of prisoners in arrived without one. ments: “Recommendations made by the Prisons an impact.” workshops playing games rather than being and Probation Ombudsman following their engaged in work.” Summing up, Peter Clarke says: “The evidence investigation into this death had not been im- Summing up, Peter Clarke says: “The key mes- of this inspection confirmed to us that Lancaster plemented in full, and while prisoners in crisis sage of this inspection was one of improvement. Summing up he said: “The prison was com- Farms remained a competent prison enabled told us they felt well cared for, they were often The prison had come a considerable distance pletely aware of the distinct needs of their pop- by a capable management team and a generally left locked up for extended periods. Some mon- in a relatively brief period of time. Staff were ulation, although more needed to be done to confident staff. There was a definite sense that itoring and case management arrangements supported to do their job and, despite many understand the more negative perceptions of if you were a motivated prisoner with a deter- were insufficient.” having been recruited quite recently, they knew their treatment and conditions held by prisoners mination to improve your own life chances, with protected characteristics. The establish- there were opportunities and resources that the prisoners well and afforded them meaning- ment also needed support in terms of investment were available for you in the prison. In contrast, Summing up, he says: “Forward is to maintain ful care and support. Energy and initiative were to get the fabric of the buildings back to an if you were less motivated, you could easily opt these successes and build on them in a way evidenced throughout the prison. The governor, acceptable standard and facilities such as the out with too little challenge from the institution. that also integrates improvements to the pris- managers and the whole staff group should be sports hall restored.” This was a missed opportunity. on’s regime and resettlement offer.” congratulated for what they were achieving.” Insidetime May 2019 www.insidetime.org Legal 39
Advertorial Exclusion zones and licence conditions
Darryl Foster the community. Contained Can I challenge licence con- Officer will decide whether within a licence are a number ditions? the breach can be dealt with of standard conditions which To be lawful, a licence condi- by way of a warning, or What are licence conditions? will apply to all prisoners tion must be both necessary whether it is necessary for Almost everyone released released on licence. These and proportionate. Necessary you to be recalled back to from custody will be subject include a general requirement means that no other means of prison. If it is the latter, your to a period of time on licence. to engage in supervision; to managing a particular risk is Supervising Officer will For some prisoners this peri- be of good behaviour; and not available or appropriate and decide whether your recall od can be very short and for to travel outside of the UK proportionate means that the should be a fixed term (28 others the period can be for without permission. restriction on the offender’s days) or standard recall life. Licence conditions can liberty is the minimum before contacting the have a significant impact In addition to standard condi- required to manage the risk. Secretary State who will for- upon a person’s time in the tions, additional conditions mally revoke your licence. community and it is impor- can be imposed which are You may feel that a condition You will then be taken to a tant to understand the rea- specific to the person being is either not necessary or pro- local prison which will not sons for them. released. Such conditions fall portionate to manage your necessarily be the prison you into one of the following areas: © Deposit Photos risk - in those circumstances were released from. What types of licence condi- These conditions are availa- set by the prison releasing you can challenge such a con- tions exist? • Residence at a specified ble when it is felt that stand- them, upon guidance from dition. Sometimes the condi- If you find yourself in this Prisoners are normally place; ard conditions are insuffi- the Probation Service. tions which are proposed by position you should obtain released from custody, prior • Restriction of residency; cient to assist in the integra- the Probation Service are legal advice immediately, as to the expiry of their sen- • Making or maintaining con- tion into the community, to Prisoners who are subject to excessive, without considera- representations can be sub- tence, on licence. This is a tact with a person; prevent further offending. release by the Parole Board, tion of the test for necessity mitted on your behalf arguing period of the sentence served • Participation in, or co-oper- including indeterminate sen- and proportionality. Prior to for re-release. It can also be in the community. Some pris- ation with, a programme or Who approves additional tence prisoners, prisoners conditions being imposed argued that your case be oners are automatically set of activities; licence conditions? subject to recall and a review you can make representations directed to an Oral Hearing to released on licence and some • Possession, ownership, con- The process surrounding the by the Parole Board and some to either the Governor or the challenge the recall by dis- are only released at a point trol or inspection of specified imposition of additional determinate sentence prison- Parole Board regarding the cussing the issues and seeing that the Parole Board consid- items or documents; licence conditions depends ers, have their licence condi- conditions. whether your risk can be ers them safe to be released. • Disclosure of information; upon the body granting the tions set by the Parole Board. managed in the community if • Curfew arrangements; release of the prisoner. Often significant exclusion the Board direct re-release. Licence conditions are put in • Freedom of movement; Prisoners released automati- Is the proposed exclusion zones are put forward without place to assist in the manage- • Supervision in the commu- cally, generally determinate zone too large? consideration of the practical How do I get a copy of my ment of a prisoner’s release nity by the supervising sentence prisoners being Exclusion zones can be impacts of such an exclusion licence? into the community and also officer, or other responsible released for the first time, will imposed in a number of cir- zone. Consideration should You will be given a copy of to assist in reintegration into officer or organisation. have their licence conditions cumstances and can relate to be given to the potential for your licence upon your a specific type of place or to a support networks which are release. The document should geographical area. The first placed within an exclusion be read and explained to you. circumstance where an exclu- zone, such as family and Please note that the licence sion zone may be deemed nec- friends, for which a lack of document will remain lawful essary is where it is felt that a access could have negative regardless of whether or not restriction on a prisoner impacts upon a person’s reha- you choose to sign it. It is very entering a particular area bilitation. Any proposed important that you under- upon release is relevant to the exclusion zone should be kept stand the conditions, as a management of that person’s to the minimum required to breach can lead to severe con- risk. Such examples include achieve its goal. sequences. where an offender is part of organised crime and that a Should you already be in the Should you be approaching prohibition on entering the community, you could first release and have concern over area where such activity takes seek to speak to your Offender the conditions which will be place will reduce the prospect Manager about the conditions put in place, you should seek of further offending. Another in the hope that a resolution expert advice from a Prison example is where a prisoner can be reached and the con- Lawyer who can assist in is said to pose a risk of harm ditions amended. You may making representations to a particular person and find that after a period of regarding your licence and its that in order to protect that good behaviour, your super- conditions. Should you be Our open, friendly solicitors working person from harm, an exclu- vising officer is satisfied that returned to custody following sion zone is necessary. certain conditions can be an alleged breach of your in Criminal Defence will help you with all relaxed. licence, advice should be The other occasion where an sought immediately. aspects of Prison Law including: How long will I be on licence exclusion zone is considered for? Licence recall • Adjudications appropriate is where contact Should you require any assis- This entirely depends on the tance, please contact our Parole hearings • IPP queries with a prisoner upon release sentence you are serving. The Prison Law department at could cause distress to a vic- Judicial review • Sentence planning issues length of your licence will Hine Solicitors on: 01865 518 tim or a person engaged with depend on: 971 or Freepost RTHU - LEKE the victim contact scheme. In - HAZR. Hine Solicitors, those circumstances, consid- • When you were sentenced; Seymour House, 285 Banbury Call us on 01865 518971 eration will be given to the • The length of your sentence; Road, Oxford OX2 7JF for our imposition of an exclusion • The nature of your sentence. Oxford office or FREEPOST - or visit www.hinesolicitors.com zone with a view to limiting RTZU - GXKA - KSXG Hine any such contact. There does Your licence will clearly state Solicitors, 558 Walsall Road, not need to be a suggestion the date that your licence ends. Great Barr, Birmingham B42 that a person would seek to 1LR for our Birmingham Office. Oxford Freepost address cause harm were contact to What happens if I breach a FREEPOST RTHU - LEKE - HAZR take place, simply that any licence condition? Hine Solicitors | Seymour House contact would cause the vic- Darryl Foster is a solicitor at 285 Banbury Road | Oxford | OX2 7JF You could face recall back to tim distress. prison. Your Supervising Hine Solicitors 40 Legal www.insidetime.org Insidetime May 2019
Advertorial necessarily be avoided, but acknowledging this, empathising and supporting effective coping is recommended in order for recalled Defending murder cases Recalls prisoners to feel less alone, feel cared about and invested in and continue to engage. This suspect facing trial for murder requires not just may go some way to protect against the pains David Wells experience as a criminal defence lawyer, but of imprisonment, and recall specifically. New guidelines experience in dealing specifically with murder cases, dealing with forensics, experts, dealing 7 Instil hope - communicating a belief that I have represented clients in some of the coun- with and not being afraid to challenge experi- In March 2019, Her Majesty’s Prison and Pro- recalled prisoners can achieve change and try’s most high profile murder cases. Indeed, enced police officers and prosecution lawyers. bation Service published a new best practice have positive fulfilling futures is powerful and I am currently advising and assisting one client guide on Working with Recalled Prisoners vitally important. This can support future ori- in particular whose murder trial has attracted Murder is one those offences which immedi- which revealed that while approximately entation for recalled prisoners, enhance more publicity than virtually any other. That ately conjures up an adverse reaction towards 6,000 people are released from prison every self-efficacy and motivation, and support the case is currently with the CCRC and there is the suspect. Experience tells you to ignore month, about 2,000 are recalled. The guide development of an identity as someone who much optimism about a future appeal. such sentiments and focus on the facts. Being sets out nine best practice principles: has a valuable place in society. Murder investigations, prosecutions and trials accused of murder can never be pleasant, but are invariably both factually and legally com- the reality is that many people who are charged 1 Clear information and communication - sim- 8 Develop therapeutic relationships - these plex. Cases of this type present many chal- with murder are genuinely not guilty of that ple and transparent explanations of recall recommendations may all contribute to devel- lenges, which require considerable experience offence. Defending murder cases requires a decisions, the criteria for recall types and nec- oping therapeutic relationships with recalled and intuition. Such cases are invariably dealt forensic approach. Every aspect of the police essary steps to achieving re-release. This aims prisoners that are based on trust and are open with by more experienced police officers, more and prosecution case needs to be carefully to enhance the recalled prisoner’s understand- and rehabilitative. Research findings have experienced prosecutors, defence lawyers and scrutinised and tested. ing of their recall and perceptions of fairness, highlighted how important relationships are judges, and all for good reason. mapping their path to release, identifying by demonstrating the potential disengagement specifically what progress needs to be made One of the big problems in cases of this type when relationship quality declines. Nowadays, the death of another is an ever in- and how this can be achieved; enhancing their is that once the police and prosecution get a creasing consequence of conflict, and linked theory as to who is responsible for a ‘murder’, feelings of control over progression and giving 9 Procedural justice - there is good evidence frequently to the obvious increase in the pos- and how it happened, they become fixated on hope and clarity. to show that fairness in the application of pro- session and use of knives and other weapons. that theory and are not prepared to listen to cesses and procedures, and how decisions are Violent crime is undoubtedly on the increase alternative theories or explanations. This cre- 2 Frequent communication and interaction - made, make a big difference to prisoners’ be- and certainly for some of the inner-city regions, ates a tremendous burden on the defence to regular communication and interaction be- haviour and how they view authority. This is such as London, death as a result of murder disprove the ‘theory.’ The more experienced tween recalled prisoners and the staff involved called ‘procedural justice’. The best practice appears to be spiralling out of control. lawyers will not just seek to undermine weak- in their management assists in supporting principles, in addition to being valuable in nesses in the prosecution case at trial, but will progress, overcoming barriers to progression their own right, are likely to help improve how My interest in defending clients facing prose- actively investigate police and prosecution when needed and mitigating against the ex- procedurally just recalled prisoners feel they cution for murder and other complex crimes claims with a view to dismantling the theory are treated. When the four principles of proce- perience of feeling abandoned. Having a named has never wavered. Although having to deal in every way possible. individual whom prisoners can approach re- dural justice are present, prisoners are more with a case involving the loss of life is never likely to see authority figures positively, see garding their case is important. For staff based pleasant, representing a client facing trial for An example of this is how the prosecution can their authority as legitimate, and they are more outside of prisons, keeping in contact with murder draws upon every legal skill and at- grossly misinterpret some quite innocent text likely to comply, cooperate and accept decisions, recalled prisoners could be through letters, tribute that you possess as a lawyer. Murder message(s) or phone calls and suggest that in even if the outcome is not in their favour. telephone calls as well as visits and greater cases test your ability as a lawyer as well as on some way such communications were part of use of facilities such as video-conferencing. many other levels as well. a conspiracy to kill or are consistent in some Voice / People need to feel they have had a way with guilt generally. The prosecution can chance to tell their story, feel heard, believing When you are first instructed in a murder case, 3 Collaborative working between managers, try and establish a motive by something a de- what they say will be given serious consider- your mind turns immediately to how the case supervisors and recalled prisoners - determine fendant did or said to someone quite innocently. ation and that they get to participate. might be defended. Is it a matter of mistaken together what recalled prisoners need to ad- Furthermore, cases that involve multiple de- identity? Was the death an accident? Does the dress or demonstrate, and include them in the fendants can often result in considerable potential Neutrality / Prisoners need to see authority client have an alibi? Does forensic evidence process of assessing their risk and progress injustice under the principle of joint enterprise. whilst on recall. Aim to make the recall pro- figures as open, transparent, unbiased and link the client to the scene or deceased? If so, consistent in how they use their authority. The is there an innocent explanation for this? cess one that is ‘done with’ rather than ‘done A few years ago I defended what I regard as the processes and assessments that prisoners are Other issues are often live as well, such as to’ the prisoner. Making recalled prisoners most tragic prosecution of my career. A lady in subject to also need to be experienced as clear, intoxication; the capacity to form any criminal active participants in this process may en- her 70’s charged with killing her husband. She relevant and free of bias. intent at all due to mental illness; was the cli- hance their sense of control over their future, was looking after him at home and he died. ent acting in self-defence? Have the police offer them chances to develop self-efficacy and She was said to have caused his death because Trustworthy Motives / Prisoners need to see wrongly assumed that the client is guilty just reinforce progress that is made, as well as en- of her alleged ‘lack of care’ for him. The reality authority figures as being principled, sincere because he was present at the scene, and is suring the recommendations are seen as was that she was barely able to look after her- and caring, and as genuinely trying to do what there a potential defence regarding the appli- meaningful and beneficial to them. self. The case was difficult and both legally is right. cation and interpretation of the law of ‘joint and factually complex. The correctly identified enterprise’? Did the client intend the deceased 4 Recognise, reinforce and protect progress - experts were instructed and together with one Respect / Prisoners need to feel that they are to die, or even be injured at all? this includes rewarding and reinforcing suc- of the best jury defence barristers I have ever being treated with respect, dignity and cour- cess and progress made in the community come across, she was rightly acquitted. It was tesy, and that their rights are respected and In addition, the lawyer will often need to turn prior to recall as well as any progress made in a fascinating case, and demonstrated just how protected. detective, turning initially to the crime scene custody whilst on recall. Taking a strengths- to see what it can say about what may or may important experience is to identify how to ne- based approach may help to counteract the not have happened. Have the police made mis- gate the prosecution case with a view to a suc- punitive experience of recall and instead, en- takes? Have the police made flawed assump- cessfully defending a very serious charge. gage prisoners in a rehabilitative process. Why go it alone? tions about what happened? Knowing what to “Locked in here all day; you don’t turn criminals look for and knowing what to do to assist a David Wells is a Senior Partner, Wells Burcombe 5 Ensure chances to succeed - seek alternative into citizens by treating them this way” methods and opportunities for recalled pris- - with kind permission from Billy Bragg oners to address the areas of concern, wher- LEGAL AID We can attend prisons in Northern England ever possible (as interventions, for example, but also offer a nationwide service. PRIVATE REPRESENTATION can be hard to access), as well as, providing NATIONWIDE SERVICE recalled prisoners with the opportunity to • Parole / Recall wellsburSOLICITORScombe practice and implement new skills once it has • Independent Adjudications • Cat A Reviews Herts, Beds, Bucks, Essex London & Thames Valley, Appointment only been learnt/intervention completed and en- • Appeals / CCRC Kent, Surrey couraging recalled prisoners to show motiva- • Judicial Review • Oral Hearings tion to learn new skills. Close working links 5 Holywell Hill, St Albans, 4 Britannia Court, The Green 13 Halstead Road, between staff in prison and in probation is Hertfordshire AL1 1EU. West Drayton, Middlesex Wanstead, needed to facilitate this, and creative thinking Tel: 01727 840900 UB7 7PN. Tel: 01895 449288 London E11 2AY. is required. T. 01274 561666 6 Recognise the loss and emotional distress www.chiverssolicitors.co.uk 2 Wellington Street, Bingley BD16 2NB www.wellsburcombe.co.uk experienced by being recalled - this cannot Insidetime May 2019 www.insidetime.org Legal 41
Advertorial a reduction of around 75%. This is especially so named person admitting that in fact he was a police where the informant has exposed himself to consid- informant. erable personal risk; but see R v McGarry [2012] 2 Cr. Informant Evidence App. R (S) where the proper discount for an agree- In R v Thorne (1978) 16 Cr. App. R 6 the Court of ment under s73 of SOCPA was in the region of 20%. Appeal found that even though evidence given by an accomplice is not supported or corroborated by Grasses, supergrasses and CHISs Covert Human Intelligence Sources other evidence, a jury may convict, provided that the Article 8 of the European Convention on Human trial Judge gives them an adequate warning as to the of potential inducement or reward, can provide pow- Rights guarantees an individual’s right to privacy. dangers of doing so. In practice, most Judges in erful cross-examination material, or even a platform The State can only infringe this guaranteed right - supergrass cases are likely to give some kind of for an argument to exclude the supergrass evidence. e.g. by listening to your conversations, following you warning to the jury, especially if it can be plainly Jonathan Lennon In that case the Crown failed to ensure certain etc, if it is for a reason proscribed in Article 8(2), e.g. shown that the witness will receive, or has received, and Aziz Rahman recorded prison telephone calls were kept, and then “for the prevention of disorder or crime” and then a benefit by giving evidence; Chan- Wai-Keung v R had little choice but to offer no evidence against our only if the interference is ‘proportionate’ and “in [1995] 2 Cr. App. R 194, PC. It is this use of strong jury client as the Judge had ruled large parts of the super- accordance with the law”. This last part (lawfulness) warnings that kept the supergrass trials systems Most informants are just that - informers. They do grasses’ evidence inadmissible. has landed the UK in trouble in Strasbourg, espe- alive; see also R v Gibson [2006] EWCA Crim 1. not then go on to give evidence. The prosecution cially in the 1980s and 1990s. The result was the would never reveal the identity of their informant, In another notorious murder case at the Old Bailey Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA). Supergrass cases can be the most difficult for both even if it were somehow relevant to the defence case. (axe murder case of R v Rees) involving one of the Under RIPA the different types of surveillance are prosecutors and defenders alike. Defenders espe- However, if the informer were to come out of the authors, the telephone records demonstrated that labelled as either ‘directed’, ‘intrusive’ or ‘covert cially must work hard to test the veracity of the shadows and testify in Court then their credibility the informant, during his debriefing interviews, human intelligence source’ (CHIS). There is a Covert debriefing process and the history of the informant. as a witness of truth would certainly be an issue - would on occasion telephone the lead investigation Surveillance Code of Practice which sets out the rules The work has to start at the very outset; if experience assuming the evidence was disputed by the accused. officer (DCI Cook). This led to an almost irresistible and procedures for authorisation of each type of has taught us anything it is that the efforts made at This is when tactical defending counts. Material inference on the facts of that case that what he said covert surveillance. the early stages which often produce results further relating to the credibility of the informer can be on tape was influenced by what the police wanted to down the line; the Bertie Smalls of this world are here to stay. demanded, e.g. de-briefing notes, first accounts, hear; he was also someone who had a personality A CHIS is defined as a person who establishes or meetings with officers etc. If there were any sugges- disorder. His evidence was excluded, which was a maintains a personal relationship with a person for tion that the informer would expect reward for tes- principle factor in the case being subsequently Jonathan Lennon is a Barrister specialising in serious the covert purpose of using the relationship with a and complex criminal defence cases at Carmelite tifying, then that would have to be disclosed to the dropped by the prosecution. Mr Rees subsequently person, or covertly disclosing information obtained defence; R v Smith (unrep.) 29th July 2004, para. 17. sued the Metropolitan Police Service for malicious Chambers, London. He has extensive experience in all by the use of such a relationship, or as a consequence aspects of financial and serious crime and the This might not be enough to exclude the informant’s prosecution (Court of Appeal 5/7/18). of such a relationship. This clearly includes under- evidence from the trial, but it would help establish Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. He is ranked by the cover officers, but may also include the use of civilian Legal 500 and Chambers & Ptnrs specialist POCA and the informant’s unreliability in the eyes of the jury. These sorts of attacks on supergrass evidence only informants. work if the prosecution are reminded at the earliest Financial Crime sections as a ‘leading barrister’; “he is capable of grasping issues at short notice despite The dangers of ‘grasses’ possible stage that they have a duty to retain this The use of a civilian CHIS comes with all sorts of Informants figure fairly low on the criminal hierar- sort of material; i.e. details about the life of the super- voluminous and complex obstacles.” “His easy-going problems; not least the real danger of entrapment by manner makes him popular with clients and juries. chy and attract a range of un-flattering labels such grass from the moment of his arrest to date, poten- an offender who knows he has to do something to as ‘snitch’, ‘turncoat’, ‘squealer’ etc - but the one that tially medical records and phone records etc. As a This is backed up with real determination.” (2019). land a bigger fish to get himself off the hook for other has stuck is ‘grass’. Arguably the ‘supergrass’ is the supergrass trial will almost certainly be all about matters. most unreliable of all the categories of informant the credibility of the supergrass himself, the defence Aziz Rahman is a Solicitor- Advocate and Partner at witnesses. He or she is giving significant evidence, must be proactive in seeking as much information the leading Criminal Defence firm Rahman Ravelli In one case the authors were involved in, reading the possibly about multiple criminal allegations, against about the man as possible. For instance, has he Solicitors, specialising in Human Rights, Financial client’s specific instructions were that a named indi- more than one defendant. But the testimony may be informed before? How was he rated then; i.e. reliable Crime and Large Scale Conspiracies/Serious crime. vidual planted some incriminating evidence at an direct evidence of guilt. or unreliable? What is his prison disciplinary Rahman Ravelli are members of the Specialist Fraud address where he was arrested. This was reflected record? What do his prison Security Information Panel and have recently been ranked by Legal 500 as Tackling supergrass evidence is never easy, as fact Reports show? What prison visits has he had etc. in the Defence Case Statement and the prosecution an ‘excellent’ firm with Aziz Rahman being described and fiction are often interwoven in a series of Debriefing notes, first accounts, meetings with were forced to produce a witness statement from the as ‘first class and very experienced’. so-called ‘debriefing interviews’ or ‘cleansing’ inter- officers etc are all disclosable, but often need to be views taken by the police, on tape, of the informant asked for. where the informant is expected to reveal the total- ity of his criminal history right back to childhood. The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 This purging process is simply a kind of insurance Sections 71–74 of SOCPA 2005 came into force on A leading firm policy enabling the Crown to say to the jury; ‘this 1/4/06. These provisions, for the first time enabled man is a criminal, but he is honest now about all of ‘specified prosecutors’ to offer immunity from pros- offering the his wrong-doing, and that means you can believe ecution to certain offenders in return for assistance him when he tells you about the present case’. In this (s71) and enables prosecutors to agree to limit the strongest legal debrief material, defendants can discover the shock- use of statements given by informants – i.e. immu- ing truth that the man they regarded as a long-time nity (s72). The Act also enables significant reduc- friend had a past which they never had any inkling tions in sentences to be agreed in advance when representation of, for example a history of past informing. informants enter into written agreements to assist the prosecution – this will usually mean giving evi- to those being Wherever the truth lies, the informer knows he has dence (s73). In the past, informers admitting their committed himself once the debrief process is under- own role in a case would normally be sentenced after investigated way. It becomes imperative to ensure that those he giving evidence against their accomplices. Under the will put in the dock are convicted – he becomes a new arrangements in the Act, the informant can be or prosecuted man with a motive, not least because in such cases sentenced in advance but the prosecution can bring the sentencing of the supergrass himself, following the informer back to Court for a ‘review’ of his sen- in serious and his guilty plea, does not happen until after the tence if he “knowingly fails…to give assistance” defendants in the dock have had their trial. A suc- (s74), e.g. he gets his reduction then changes his complex crime cases. cessful prosecution is bound to lead to a very signif- evidence at trial. icant discount in the sentence. Thus, in any super- grass trial, the credibility of the informant will be R v P; R v Blackburn [2008] 2 Cr. App. R (S) 5 was two the principle issue for both sides and the witness can joined appeals. One of these cases related to infor- be expected to face very critical cross-examination. mation given by a prisoner serving a 17 year sentence for drugs offences who gave assistance in a notorious The defence need ammunition for the attack. To that unconnected murder allegation (R v Rees). The end the defence should be demanding, at the earliest supergrasses’ sentence for the drugs related matter • Specialists in defending cases • Expertise in arguing admissibility of possible stage, disclosure of formal records of the had already been reduced by the Court of Appeal to involving large-scale police operations. evidence, abuse of process, disclosure authorities’ dealings with the supergrass. If the 15 years after he initially provided information. This and public interest immunity. supergrass is himself in prison then it may be pos- was under the old rules. SOCPA then came into force • Experienced defenders in Regulation sible to include in this category of disclosure his and the informant entered into a formal written of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) • Our reputation ensures the very best prison records, as that material can assist the agreement with the prosecution that enabled him to cases involving informants, undercover experts represent our clients. defence, e.g. in showing visits from police officers have his sentence ‘reviewed’ by the Crown Court. As police, surveillance and interception of etc, see R v McCartney, Hamlett & Ors, (unrep.) [2003] a result of his witness statements in the murder case, communications. • We have helped shape the law. EWCA Crim 1372. his sentence was massively reduced – to 5 years.
In a drugs supergrass case in Leeds that the authors Subsequently, all defendants in the Rees murder Roma House, 59 Pellon 36 Whitefriars 3 Brindley Place, of this article were defending in, the extent of this type case were acquitted (the prosecution had to drop the Lane, Halifax, West Street, London, Birmingham, West of disclosure was found by the trial Judge to include case following disclosure problems). These cases Yorkshire HX1 5BE EC4Y 8BQ Midlands, B1 2JB transcripts of the telephone calls made by the super- show that where the stakes are high - with massive grass from prison. This in turn showed remarks reductions available - so too the risks of injustice Tel: 01422 346666 Tel: 0203 947 1539 Tel: 0121 206 2287 made by the supergrass suggesting police involve- increase exponentially. In R v Hyde [2013] NICA 8, ment in special visiting arrangements and even a a Northern Ireland terrorist related case, the Court www.rahmanravelli.co.uk / [email protected] Nationwide Service proposed temporary prison leave. Evidence like this, of Appeal considered a SOCPA informant deserved 42 Legal // Q&A ‘Legal’, Inside Time, Botley Mills, Botley, Southampton, Hampshire SO30 2GB. Insidetime May 2019
Q I’m serving an IPP. That 47. The Court of Appeal has course of imposing a penal sen- quite a lot of other offences. it is not suggested that there might give you some idea previously said: “Section 47 tence and the judge must set The murder was a robbery that were any he failed to identify. He how long I’ve been inside. provides for the removal to hos- these out”.7 went wrong. Tell me the worst.. was in the best position to weigh I’ve served a lot longer than pital of a person serving a sen- these factors in the balance and the time set by the Judge. The tence of imprisonment on the The question of which regime A As you know, the only sen- he was entitled to regard them prison authorities identified direction of the Secretary of State. best protects the public is tence for a murder is life im- as being of little significance in mental health issues soon Before doing so, the Secretary viewed as a question of fact to prisonment. Judges are guided terms of mitigation. There was after I was sentenced and I’ve of State must be satisfied from be decided on the merits of an in setting the minimum term no evidence that the appel- been transferred to hospital reports from two medical prac- individual case. In your cir- by Schedule 21 Criminal Justice lant’s age or mental health quite a few times during my titioners that the prisoner is cumstances I would seek ad- Act 2003. This provides the difficulties had any bearing on sentence. Is there any way suffering from a mental disor- vice as to the merits of an ap- starting point for setting the his culpability and the judge that my sentence can be der of a nature or degree which plication for leave to appeal minimum term but there is still was entitled to regard his dys- Sentencing changed to allow me to stay makes it appropriate for him to against your sentence. There scope to move the sentence up functional family background, in hospital? I don’t feel that be detained in a hospital for may be merit in seeking to or down to take account of agg- the abuse he suffered in child- Answers are kindly I can get the help I need when medical treatment, effectively quash the IPP. ravating or mitigating factors. hood and his drug dependency provided by: Jason Elliott, I’m in prison. the same test as for an order as factors which had led to his a barrister at Jason Elliott under section 37. A transfer QThe Judge got my sentence Where a knife is brought to the criminality, but which afforded Associates Ltd, a barrister scene and used, the starting A There are a number of con- direction has the same effect wrong. He realised he was no excuse for it. The plea of led entity specialising in point is 25 years. Where a mur- ditions that must be satisfied as a hospital order under sec- wrong and sorted it out later guilty to manslaughter could Prison Law and Criminal 5 der is committed for financial for a hospital order to be made. tion 37 (see section 47(3)).” that day, but I wasn’t brought only have had limited impact Appeals. gain - for instance, in the course There has to be evidence from back into Court. Can I appeal? because it amounted, as the of a robbery - the starting point two medical practitioners that The terms of that transfer may prosecution said, to no more also have been the subject of is 30 years. The fact that you you suffer from a mental disor- A A Crown Court Judge has than an admission of robbery. Answers to readers’ legal restrictions.6 need to be sentenced for other der.1 The mental disorder needs limited powers to vary a sen- The appellant did not admit queries are given on a strictly offences means that the Judge to make it appropriate for you tence.8 That variation should that he had attacked the victim without liability basis. If you The test that the Court uses in can raise the sentence above to be detained in hospital and take place in open Court - with a knife and caused him propose acting upon any of deciding whether a Mental the 30 years. On the other hand, appropriate treatment needs whether or not it is a favoura- injury. Nor did he accept that the opinions that appear, you Health Act Order is appropri- there should also be a down- to be available.2 A Mental ble one.9 Unfortunately, the he was part of a joint enterprise must first take legal advice. ate needs to include the fol- ward adjustment to reflect any Health Act Order has to be … failure to hold such a hearing which envisaged the possibility lowing factors: “…(1) the extent mitigation. If it can be shown “the most suitable method of in order to vary the sentence of inflicting really serious harm Send your Sentencing Query to which the offender needs that you didn’t intend to kill, disposing of the case…”3 doesn’t make the sentence a on the victim. The plea and the (concise and clearly marked treatment for the mental disor- then this can result in a nullity.10 Of course that doesn’t appellant’s expressions of re- ‘Sentencing Query’) to: der from which the offender reduction.11 Because you are serving an IPP morse were taken into account Inside Time, Botley Mills, suffers; (2) the extent to which mean you can’t appeal the the Court will also want to con- sentence. The Judge varied the to an appropriate degree.” Botley, Southampton, the offending is attributable to I don’t want to dispirit you, sider s. 41 which creates the sentence to correct a technical Hampshire SO30 2GB. the mental disorder; (3) the but the Court of Appeal recent- 1s. 37(2)(a) Mental Health Act 1983 / power to place further restric- error, whereas the main issue 2s. 37(2)(a)(i) / 3s. 37(2)(a)(ii)/ 4s. extent to which punishment is ly upheld a minimum term of tions on you. That requires one for the Court of Appeal would 41(2)/ 5R v Rendell [2019] EWCA Crim For a prompt response, required and (4) the protection 35 years in circumstances that 621; [34] / 6s. 49 / 7R v Vowles [2015] of the medical practitioners to be whether or not the sentence readers are asked to send of the public including the re- are similar to yours.12 In that EWCA Crim 45 / 8s. 155 Powers of give oral evidence.4 Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act their queries on white paper gime for deciding release and is excessive. case they said: “It is plain from 2000 / 9R v Cox [2019] EWCA Crim 71 using black ink or typed if the regime after release. There his sentencing remarks that the Your previous transfers to hos- / 10R v Holland [2019] EWCA Crim possible. must always be sound reasons QI’m due to be sentenced for judge had all the personal mit- 481 / 11Sch. 21, para. 11 / 12R v Bai- pital will have been under s. for departing from the usual a murder using a knife and igating factors well in mind and ley-Mascoll [2019] EWCA Crim 406 Specialists in Prison Law
• Cat A Reviews • Pre-tariff Reviews • Adjudications • Recall • Sentence Calculation • Re-categorisation • HDC • Parole
0151 200 4071 63 Hamilton S quare Birkenhead Wirral C H41 5J F solicitors Insidetime May 2019 ‘Legal’, Inside Time, Botley Mills, Botley, Southampton, Hampshire SO30 2GB. Legal // Q&A 43
HT HMP Isle of Wight is considered with risk assess- were a few bits missing, one as a large stereo which is not made to suffer for 2 weeks
ment instead of fact finding, of which was my stereo that permitted in the receiving es- until there was a new ap- Q Can I get my Pre-sentencing the Parole Board can consider I purchased at the previous tablishment’s facility list but pointment made. I suffer report removed from my file nearly any piece of evidence prison on my canteen. I was was permitted at the previous from severe migraines and and NOMIS (National Offender that is presented to them or told that it will not be given establishment. Governors blurred vision, am I entitled Management Information that they ask for. to me because it is more than must consider these items on to compensation? System)? If so, how do I go 30 watts. Are they allowed to a case by case basis. Unless about it, as I have another The important part of this is do this? the item/s is considered a risk A It will be difficult to prove parole review due this year. the ‘weight’ that the Parole to good order, discipline, se- that the prison failed to allow Board will give to the evidence A Each prison has its own curity, safety and/or exceed you to attend healthcare un- A The Pre-sentence report they hear. Is it relevant to risk? rules in terms of what posses- volumetric control limits, the less you have evidence of try- (PSR) is a document that the Is it reliable? Is it credible? sion can be kept by a prisoner prisoner should normally be ing to get there. Your health- Prison Law & court can order under Section These are the kinds of ques- and the maximum capabilities allowed to retain it in posses- care records will show the 156 of the Criminal Justice Act Compensation tions that can be asked in writ- in terms of volumetric units sion. However, the fact that an appointment and subsequent 2003. The court does not have ten representations to the that item permits. It may be item was allowed on this basis treatment, but unless you can to follow recommendations, Hine Solicitors Parole Board and at your Oral the case that the previous es- does not give the prisoner any show that the treatment was which may explain why the Stevens Solicitors Parole Hearing. tablishment you were in per- right to replace it ‘like for like’. substandard, you will need to judge had thrown the report Jordans Solicitors mitted the item, however HMP Any replacement must comply put in another complaint out if they did not think it was Kesar & Co Solicitors Although the rules of evidence Wealstun does not. with the local facility”. against the prison for this sep- helpful. Carringtons Solicitors for the Parole Board are looser arate issue. Michael Jefferies Injury than in criminal cases, this In relation to the PSI, prison- I hope the above answer as- The PSR forms a part of the file Lawyers does not always mean that er’s property is referenced in sists. I am sorry that you were Putting in a COMP1 to the pris- that has followed you through they are less complicated! A PSI 12/2011. not permitted to bring this item on, detailing the chronological Answers to readers’ legal your sentence and although complex and stressful parole into the new establishment. I events and conversations with queries are given on a there are many documents review can be eased when you The relevant section that cov- would recommend that you officers about your healthcare strictly without liability within their prison files that have experienced and expert ers your query is that of 2.39. ask the establishment for guid- appointment, would be a start- basis. If you propose acting prisoners can disagree with; legal representatives advising This is in respect of a transfer ance in terms of property that ing point to any action. If you upon any of the opinions it is highly unlikely and ex- you and raising these issues when the item is too large. It you are allowed to have in your do not get the satisfactory re- that appear, you must first tremely rare that these docu- take legal advice. to the Parole Board on your does not speak about power possession. This will make it sponses you want, you should ments are ever removed. behalf. I hope that some of this that the radio transmits. This clear as to what power is per- then put in a COMP2 directly Send your Prison Law is helpful and that you get a is determined by the particular mitted in radios/stereos. to the Governor. If you are still Query (concise and clearly The real issue it appears you progressive outcome in your establishment. Each establish- not happy, you should send marked ‘Prison Law Query’) have is that the PSR is being upcoming parole review. ment, as mentioned above, has Response by Hine Solicitors. copies of your complaints and to: David Wells, Solicitor provided within your parole different rules in terms of what See advert page 39 evidence and refer the matter c/o Inside Time, Botley dossier. If there is a PSR avail- Response by Kesar & Co power the radio/stereo trans- to the Independent Monitoring Mills, Botley, Southampton, able, it is usually a core docu- Solicitors. See advert page 31 mits. The section states the Anon HMP Ranby Board (IMB) to ask them to Hampshire SO30 2GB. ment that goes into any parole following: investigate the matter. This dossier. The rules of evidence MS HMP Wealstun Q I was refused access to my For a prompt response, usually has to be done soon with the Parole Board are healthcare appointment due readers are asked to send their Q I was moved to another “On occasion, prisoners will after the event. to the doctor running late. queries on white paper using much looser than that in the prison and when collecting arrive on transfer from another Then I was not taken for the Response by Jefferies Injury black ink or typed if possible. criminal courts. As a court that my property, I noticed there establishment with items such one that was re-booked. I was Lawyers. See advert below
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ide i e al a eAdS ite i dd 44 Jailbreak www.insidetime.org Insidetime May 2019 Reading Group NPR is back on the road
We’ll also have a special pro- Round-up gramme about Negotiated Stopping, focusing on a pio- neering scheme that’s being Promoting reading and reading One of National Prison Ra- run in Leeds by the amazing groups in prisons dio’s regular shows has been charity ‘Leedsgate’. And we’ll nominated for two awards in be talking to a couple of Scot- the 2019 British Podcast tish travellers about the is- The report this month believe; the other is what you see with your own Awards, and the new series sues that impact them. comes from HMP eyes…this is the ability to hold two contradic- starts on NPR this month. ‘On Brixton where the tory ideas in your mind at the same time - and The Road’ is NPR’s weekly Each week we also hear from group discussed Yeo- somehow not go crazy. This ‘doublethink’ is how show for Gypsy, Roma and in school and domestic vio- Damian Le Bas from ‘Travel- nmi Park’s In Order to you can shout slogans denouncing capitalism Traveller (GRT) people behind lence. In the new series, we’ll lers Times’, who keeps us up in the morning, then browse the market in the bars. It’s recorded every week be bringing you key informa- to date on the news that mat- Live, a memoir of her afternoon to buy smuggled South Korean early life in North on the traveller site where pre- tion you need to know about ters to you if you’re from a cosmetics.’ senter Terry lives, in the south Brexit. Presenter Nancy will GRT background. Korea and her escape of England. be travelling to Brussels to - first to China, then The greatest threats she faces are hunger and talk to Jonathan Lee from the You can hear On The Road South Korea and sexual violence. Descriptions of food are fre- So far, presenters Terry and European Roma Rights Cen- every Thursday at midday eventually to the US. quent - a longing look at a full bowl of rice, her Nancy have talked about tre, who will explain what and 6pm only on National first taste of ice cream - and the group agreed everything from Appleby Fair Brexit means for Roma people Prison Radio. It’s repeated on Responses were very different: ‘I read it in one they are vividly remembered. Her accounts of to how to get by in prison, the who have travelled to the UK Sundays at 1pm. night, a great book’, ‘there was something sex and violence were more problematic. She issues that GRT children face from Europe. missing’, ‘good as political history but not grip- witnesses the rape of her mother and she her- ping as a personal story’. The result was a de- self is bought for sex not long after she escapes bate that fizzed, with everyone eager to express into China aged thirteen. their view but also keen to listen and explore Books Unlocked: The Dark Room other people’s take. The best kind of meeting. For some of the group, the horror of this was powerfully conveyed … ‘I found it harrowing’, This month’s Books In part two we meet the young daughter of a Unlocked title takes Nazi officer whose parents are sent to prison- The book begins with Park’s account of her life but for others there was a curious sense of us to Germany, in Ra- er-of-war camps. under Kim Jong Il’s brutal regime. She also distance about it. One of the group offered an chel Seiffert’s provides a brief history of North Korea from intriguing explanation: ‘That flat banality is award-winning novel And in the final part, set in 1997, we meet a the Japanese invasion of the early twentieth typical of accounts by trauma victims like Hol- ‘The Dark Room’. It’s man who is shocked when his grandmother century to Soviet domination, the Korean war ocaust survivors’. This led on to speculation a book in three parts, casually reveals that his grandfather was a and the economic collapse of the country after about the book cover. The photograph shows where we meet three member of the Waffen-SS; and so he sets about the fall of communism in the 1990s. ‘I really an attractive and poised young woman but her people who are living trying to find out about his grandfather’s liked that I learned something; about North expression is very hard to read. ‘Maybe it at different points of crimes and traces him to a small town in Be- Korea and about real experiences’, ‘I’m a tech- shows what she’s had to bury to tell the story’. the twentieth cen- larus where he struggles to find the true story nologist not an arts person, of all the books tury, in a country behind the family history. we’ve read this was the most interesting for The book also took us to other topics, from which saw war and me’. ghost-writing and the Vietnam War to institu- tionalisation and passivity: the ex-prisoner Holocaust, invasion This is a book about coming to terms with vi- Descriptions of food are who went home and treated the family shop- and peace, and generations struggling to come olence, and how to live with troubled family ping list like a canteen sheet, or the released to terms with the events their parents lived history. It’s full of emotional stories, beauti- frequent - a longing look at prisoner who walked out of prison to his part- through. The book is incredibly personal, fully told. It was shortlisted for the Booker a full bowl of rice, her first ner’s car and stood waiting for the door to zooming in on normal people and the way they Prize and won the LA Times Prize for First open. view the world around them. Fiction. taste of ice cream - and the In the first part Helmut, a boy growing up in Books Unlocked is sponsored by the National group agreed they are vividly With many thanks to Penguin Random House for their generous support - including copies Berlin in the 1920s, unintentionally witnesses Literacy Trust and the Booker Prize Founda- remembered. of the book. and photographs a violent round-up of Romani tion. It’s broadcast every night of the week at people, but he remains ignorant of the impor- 11pm, with an omnibus edition of that week’s tance of what he’s seen and continues to dream book readings on Sunday afternoons from Park discusses in detail the cult of the ‘Dear of joining the German army. 3pm. Leader’ and his mystical powers: ‘His biogra- The Brixton group is run by Prison Reading phy said he could control the weather with his Groups (PRG). If your prison doesn’t already thoughts, and that he wrote fifteen hundred have a reading group, encourage your librarian Our commitment and service to you, does not books during his three years at Kim Il Sung to have a look at our website www.prison-read- University’. ing-groups.org.uk. PRG is part of Give a Book stop when you leave the dock. eeds solicitors www.giveabook.org.uk are dedicated to providing legal expertise along Her description of the ritual self-abasement with unparalleled client care. his service also required even of young children recalls both includes issues you may experience in custody. Stalinist show trials and Mao’s re-education programmes. And there is disarming frank- Our Prison aw eam are able to offer ad ice and assistance under the egal Aid cheme for the following issues ness in her memory of it: eter i e ecall arole de e de t Ad dicatio Se te ce Calc latio ‘After we had finished our public confessions, re- ari evie Cat A evie CSC evie it was time to criticise others. I would always jump up and volunteer. I was really good at it. Our ex erienced olicitors also offer com etiti e fixed fees for general Prison aw matters including Usually I would pick one classmate who would Fathers Day // 16th June e-cate ori atio Se te ce la i then have to stand up and listen intently while I listed his or her transgressions.’ Send your message (20 words max) to Contact our team now b calling 1 2 or write to us calling our ree ost address Inside Time and we will publish them in a S-C -S C - eed Solicitor - Sil r o levard - M K S - 2A Park references George Orwell and there are special Father ‘figures’ Day section in the echoes throughout of Nineteen Eighty-Four June issue. All messages received will and Animal Farm - especially the idea of appear in the paper and on the website. ‘doublethink’: Entries must be sent to Inside Time ‘Father’s ‘North Koreans have two parallel stories run- Day’ Botley Mills, Botley, Hampshire ning in their heads at all times, like trains on SO30 2GB. Closing date 25th May and parallel tracks. One is what you are taught to don’t forget to include your full details too! Insidetime May 2019 www.insidetime.org Jailbreak 45 On this day… May 20th 1969 Behind the gate midday on 15th May, the 3rd The life and infamous times of Britain’s prisons: Brigade commander, Colonel Conmy, decided we would this month HMYOI Wetherby move to cut off PAVN rein- forcement from Laos and to are capable of such extreme violence - against assist Honeycutt by attacking themselves or others - that the only way to keep them safe in mainstream juvenile prisons is to Hill 937 from the south. Noel Smith contain them, locking them in cells, segrega- Two fresh battalions, the tion units or secure hospitals. 2/501st Infantry and ARVN HMYOI Wetherby is a male juvenile prison, 2/3rd Infantry, were airlifted located in Wetherby, West Yorkshire. The pris- All accommodation in the prison is single-cell into landing zones northeast on is operated by HMPPS. As of February 2016 occupancy. Wetherby’s education programme and southeast of the base of (the last date information was available) there (off ered on a half-time basis) is provided by the mountain on 19th May. was a population of 272 juveniles. Novus. Courses are provided in a variety of Both battalions immediately subjects. There is a chaplaincy team and week- moved onto the mountain to Wetherby was a former Naval Base before ly services by C of E and other Free Churches, Deadly fi elds of fi re positions from which they being handed over to the Prison Service for use an RC service as well as Muslim prayers. There would attack the following as a Borstal in 1958. Since that year there have is a small healthcare centre run by nursing morning. The 3rd Brigade been many changes at the establishment. It staff who provide 24-hour medical cover. A launched its four-battalion became an open youth custody centre, then doctor attends the prison in the mornings. Battle Royale! attack at 10am on 20th May. changed to a closed youth custody centre and The attack was preceded by then into its current role as a dedicated male The unrest continued for Bloody assault on ‘Hamburger Hill’ two hours of close air support juvenile prison housing inmates aged between two months and culminated and ninety minutes of artil- 15 and 17. War reporter damage to the PAVN forces lery preparatory fires which in a prison officer being which had been using the val- rocked the ground beneath Wetherby houses off enders from the areas of stabbed. ley as an infiltration route our feet. The battalions at- Humberside, North, South and West Yorkshire This reporter has just spent into South Vietnam. Assigned tacked simultaneously, and and parts of Lancashire and Greater Manchester. the last ten days embedded to Apache Snow were three by 12pm elements of the Its functional capacity is 276 detainees, how- In February 2016, it was revealed that all of the with the U.S. Army at what airborne infantry battalions 3/187th reached the crest, be- ever the MoJ list the operational capacity as detainees were on lockdown due to rising lev- will be known as the ‘Battle of the 101st Airborne Division, ginning a reduction of bun- being 336 detainees. els of violence against staff and other detain- of Hamburger Hill’. This bat- commanded by Major General kers that continued through ees. The unrest continued for two months and tle of the Vietnam War will Melvin Zais. The 3rd Brigade most of the afternoon. The prison consists of 7 units: culminated in a prison offi cer being stabbed. probably go down as one of commanded by Colonel Jo- • Anson Unit - 9-cell Segregation (A1) and a The prison was placed on lockdown aft er fi ve the bloodiest that has been seph Conmy was the 3rd Bat- The effectiveness of U.S. 9-cell Progression Landing (A3); members of staff were assaulted in one week. fought by the United States talion, 187th Infantry. Lt. Col. forces was limited by narrow • Benbow - 48-bed unit with accommodation Army and the Army of the Re- Weldon Honeycutt; 2nd Bat- trails that funneled attacking for fi rst-night procedures and restricted status; An HM Inspectorate of Prisons report found public of Vietnam (ARVN) talion, 501st Infantry. Two companies into squad or pla- • Collingwood - 60-bed standard accommoda- that in a 6-month period, a total of 212 acts of forces against the People’s battalions of the ARVN 1st toon points of attack, where tion for enhanced young people; violence were recorded, an increase of 20 since Army of Vietnam (PAVN) Infantry Division had been they encountered PAVN pla- • Drake - 60-bed standard accommodation; the last inspection. They found a ‘signifi cant forces from 10th to 20th May temporarily assigned to the toons and companies with • Exmouth - 60-bed standard accommodation; increase’ in the severity of violence between 1969 during Operation 3rd Brigade in support. prepared fields of fire. During • Frobisher - 60-bed standard accommodation; detainees and the watchdog said reducing the Apache Snow. Although the the course of the battle, the • Keppel Unit * - 48-bed complex needs unit. number of assaults should be a priority. heavily fortified Hill 937 was Colonel Conmy characterised foliage was eventually of little strategic value, U.S. the operation as a reconnais- stripped away and the bun- *The Keppel Unit is a high dependency unit Michael Spurr, formerly head of NOMS, said command ordered its capture sance in force. His plan called kers exposed, but they were dealing with some of the most traumatised and changes had introduced a ‘more flexible by a frontal assault. for the five battalions to so numerous and well-con- damaged children in the UK. From the outside regime’. The most recent inspection found “combat assault” into the val- structed that many could not the unit, built on a former Naval Base and most communal areas and cells were clean and The battle took place on Dong ley. We were dropped off by be destroyed by indirect fire. named aft er an 18th century seafaring hero, well maintained, and health services were Ap Bia in the rugged, jun- helicopter on 10th May 1969, Napalm, recoilless rifle fire Augustus Keppel, could be mistaken for a hol- good. Inspectors found ‘much that is positive’ gle-shrouded mountains of and ordered to search our as- and dogged squad and pla- iday camp. But the reality is very different. about the establishment. South Vietnam, 1.2 miles from signed sectors for PAVN toon-level actions eventually Keppel is home to 48 boys aged 15 to 17 who *Source; The Guardian the Laotian border. Rising troops and supplies. The over- accounted for the reduction of from the floor of the western all plan of attack called for most fortifications, though at GIGGS A Sau Valley, Ap Bia Moun- the Marines and the 3/5th a pace and price thoroughly 2019 CATALOGUE (#125) OUT NOW! NEW ‘DAVE - PSYCHODRAMA’ £11.50 OUT NOW! tain is a solitary massif, un- Cavalry to reconnaissance in unanticipated by American - connected to the ridges of the force toward the Laotian bor- forces. Some PAVN units were £11.50, BAD BIG surrounding Annamite range. der, while the ARVN units cut able to withdraw into Laos, OUT NOW! It dominates the northern val- the highway through the base and Hill 937 was secured by ley, towering over us some of the valley. 5pm. 3,074 ft above sea level. Snak- ing down from its highest Initially, the operation went U.S. losses during the ten-day Send a £2 payment to GEMA RECORDS, PO BOX 54, READING, BERKS, RG1 3SD to receive your catalogue peak were a series of ridges. routinely for the 101st. We ex- battle totaled 72 killed and
with a £2 voucher to use against your first order! Alternatively, ask a friend or relative to order online (top FREDO The entire mountain was a perienced only light contact 372 wounded. To take the po- right corner) where they can also sign up to our email mailing list and be kept up to date with offers! rugged wilderness blanketed on the first few days, which sition, the 101st Airborne Di- in double and triple canopy Indicated that the PAVN 29th vision eventually committed Boasting the exact same specification as the Xbox 360 ‘E’ console, we can introduce the cheaper and better value for -
THIRD AVENUE AVENUE THIRD £10.50 money Xbox 360 ‘S’ console, available to order now! We have experienced an overwhelming demand of Xbox 360 ‘E’ jungle, dense thickets of bam- Regiment, nicknamed the £10.50 THIRD AVENUE five infantry battalions and - used bundles so have introduced this model as there are so many more of them available. Both of these used consoles boo, and waist-high elephant “Pride of Ho Chi Minh” and a ten batteries of artillery. In have had their Wi Fi component completely removed resulting in them not being able to access the internet. grass which was almost im- veteran of the 1968 Battle of addition, the U.S. Air Force
possible to walk through. Hue, was somewhere in the flew 272 missions and ex- FREDO Local Degar tribesmen called valley. Past experience in pended more than 500 tons of Ap Bia ‘the mountain of the many of the larger encounters ordnance. In all my years as crouching beast’. with PAVN indicated they a war reporter, I have never + 2* FREE GAMES! + 2* FREE GAMES! would resist violently for a seen such an intense bloody Operation Apache Snow was short time and then withdraw battle in such an inhospitable 4GB £169.95 the second part of a three- before the Americans brought place on the planet for a hill NOW! OUT BIG BAD £11.50, from 4GB £159.95 from 250GB £184.95 phased campaign intended to overwhelming firepower to that was deemed unimpor- - £159.95 £169.95
destroy PAVN Base Areas in bear against them. Having tant but cost so many lives. 250GB £174.95 500GB £199.95
*[from a specific list] *[from a specific list] PSYCHODRAMA’ £11.50 OUT NOW! OUT £11.50 PSYCHODRAMA’ - ‘DAVE NEW the remote A Sau Valley. This made no significant contacts God help our boys if this war NOW! OUT (#125) CATALOGUE 2019 campaign was intended to do in its area of operations, at goes on any longer. GIGGS 46 Jailbreak www.insidetime.org Insidetime May 2019
Roll up/downs Warrior 1 Seated twist Morning Yoga 5 times, very very slowly. 5 breaths each side. 5 breaths each side.
The Prison Phoenix Trust
Yoga can help you feel better, reducing pain and stiffness and improving your sleep. Because you focus on the breath and not so much on your usual thoughts, there’s a good chance you’ll feel calmer and happier. Many people who practice yoga and meditation say they feel more in touch with their true selves. Practising first thing in the morning is good because it can help you have the best possible day. Things may still occur that you’d rather not have happen, Warrior 2 but you may find you’re in a better place to respond with 5 breaths each side. your own wisdom and creativity. Try this routine every day for a week, breathing slowly and evenly. Let us know how you get on.
Child 10 breaths. Down dog 5 breaths. Sitting Sit upright, either on a pillow or on a chair or the edge of your bed. Focus on the smoothness and feel of your natural breath, and count each breath. Count ten breaths, on the out-breath, and then start again. Don’t worry if you lose count. Just start again at one. Do this for five minutes, gently bringing your attention back to your breath if it wanders off, which is normal. Over time you may wish to build up to 25 Tree minutes. 5 breaths each side. If you want a free book and CD to help you set up a regular yoga Cat/cow and meditation practice write to Flow with the breath The Prison Phoenix Trust, PO Box 10 times. 328, Oxford OX2 7HF. Insidetime May 2019 www.insidetime.org Jailbreak 47
Rap Star of the Month Congratulations to this months winner who receives our £25 prize
Views of the News Tizzle - HMP Northumberland
Don’t we all realise that we all have one life All I see on the news is terror and knives Talking about knives kids are getting killed all over the UK We need to reach out to them and tell them this aint the right way The only way that it’s going to lead is straight to prison Big steel fences, bullies and locked doors, trust me it ain’t a good vision Life (work it out) Do some revision or homework because from my experience this isn’t the place you want to be
Jason Johnson - HMP Littlehey Just like that girl who got sent to prison the other day, she would rather free. © Deposit Photos
Growing up we all have struggles She got jailed for knifing a woman who allegedly called her partner an “ugly dike” In the lives we lead Lets all have a moment of silence for ‘Love Islands’ Muggy Mike Depression We all turn to some addiction Tribute to the kids of St Patrick’s Day disco MAZ - HMP Risley Mine was coke and weed And all the Muslims at Christchurch what a sad way to go Now my ex is at home That guy had no remorse, no respect for anyone’s life, date with the devil should be his fate What is depression? With my daughter to feed Well for me it’s erm… While I’m stuck in a cell Those innocent people could have been someone’s Dad, son, Brother, uncle, Granddad or someone’s best mate Being at the bottom of a great deep pit. Due to money and greed Being in a world that’s full of sh*t We should all concentrate more on making the world a better place Being pursued by a darkness that just won’t quit I was born a bad breed Wow! How you punch that Villa player in the face? Dying inside and secretly loving it So I’m labelled a criminal At least this time they won’t blame race A life of crime has got me Because Hey at least am feeling somthin Ay Who else was ars*d about that shuttle falling from space? locked up like an animal These thoughts they never go away The way I was before There is more important stuff going on in the world! It just gets to the point where I say I’m gunna fu*king win I guess it’s understandable African kids cant even get clean water some day. Now I’m working it out Changing my whole lifestyle And Mexicans cant even better their lives because they cant even cross their own border So I go on the attack and I start to fight back R Kelly!! What a beast, make him take to the stand Yeah am gunna win am never giving in Life, What is everyone’s view on the documentary ‘Neverland’ But what’s this? Am startin to feel complacent en It’s not as easy as it could be Thinking about taking my life again It’s always filled with controversy The world is more interested in social media, celebrities and Megan Markle’s ‘baby bump’. Why the fu*ks this happenin? Can’t take the pressure no more Theresa May, Brexit, Sports and that Bumbaclart Donald Trump My internal war For one day can we hear something positive and hear some beauty and truth So that’s how I go from walking tall Why does this always happen to me? Maybe turn a TV on and listen to ‘ITV’s This Morning’ hosts Eamon & Ruth. To a trip, stumble then a fall Back to the bottom of the pit My lord please wont you show me mercy I am going to end this and say support the world even the police Well that’s it, its over am done, I quit. The police harassment is so unnecessary And put my hands together and pray for world peace. Don’t want the trouble no more Actually you know what depression fu*k you, Must work it out for sure Here’s what wher gunna do. It’s making my life a misery We should You want to take my life that’s fine Keith Thompson - HMP Northumberland But we go when am ready when I say it’s time. I see there’s so much trouble Until then am gunna stand steady in the world today We should be in the club having a cocktail and a dance When are people gonna realise or boarding a plane to go clothes shopping in France Yeah we’re going round for round bitch I’ll fight you pound That crime don’t pay for pound We should go Nando’s where I’ll front the bill or in the Hilton Hotel having a Netflix and chill Don’t do what I’ve done Am done picking myself up off tha ground Try doing what I say We should be in Dubai relaxing enjoying the summer then back home for cuddles while You want to take me down Change your lifestyle me and you recover Lets go. No more fu*king around. Don’t learn the hard way We should go to Birmingham O2 and see the rapper Mist Haven’t you heard ama Soldier or run butt naked through Harvey Nicks and tick it off the bucket list So the time is now And although I may be getting older Don’t leave it too late We should take a trip to Egypt and ride some camels on the bright yellow sand The fire’s out now nothin You can still turn sh*t around or we could hang out with Mickey and Minnie Mouse at Disneyland Left but smolder an ma hearts getting colder And make your life great We should go to London and see a West End show, Wicked or Lion King Am still carryin the weight of the world on ma shoulder, My daughter’s life without her father or go across to Mayfair Hotel for a Wrey Nephew and Ting This ain’t over I’ve already told ya. Might be filled with hate But for me the fear is We should go to Paris and secure our love with a padlock on a bridge So if you feel or relate what am goin through, That I’ve sealed her fate or we could drink the finest LUC Belaire chilled from the fridge Heres what ta do We should go to the Bahamas and swim with some dolphins Come take ma hand, an together we’ll stand (Chorus) or come back and go see the Spice Girls reunion at Butlins You I will defend to the very end Am fighting this! An when it’s all over an done We should go to Farmageddon at Father Teds farm Eh eh a misery It ain’t taking another one! or go to Bolton and see a fight maybe Amir Khan Eh eh a misery Can’t take the pressure no more We should go to Blackpool and hire a caravan u We will award a prize of £25 to the entry selected as our My internal war or jump on a train to Essex and both get a spray tan ‘Rap Star of the Month’. Send entries to: Inside Time, Rap, Botley It’s making my life a misery We should go sightseeing maybe the Beatles statue in Liverpool Mills, Botley, Southampton, Hampshire, SO30 2GB. Try to keep or we could go to Benidorm and go skinny dipping in the pool rhymes under 300 words. When submitting your work please Eh eh a misery include the following permission: ‘This is my own work and I Eh eh a misery We should park up somewhere and gaze at the moon agree to Inside Time publishing it in all associate sites and Don’t want the trouble no more or maybe a cheeky drive to Newcastle and check out the Toon other publications as appropriate.’ By submitting your rhymes Must work it out for sure If we were together I would say we could until I find that special girl all I can say is ... to Inside Time you are agreeing to our terms, to read them in full Cos it’s making my life a misery. We Should. see the Inside Poetry pages in this issue. 48 Jailbreak // Inside Poetry www.insidetime.org Insidetime May 2019
Star Poem of the Month Rehabilitation Congratulations to this months winner who Nigel Bacon - HMP Thorn Cross receives our £25 prize To cure the man Come in and join me Is to cure the mind If I’m honest I’m not convinced Jakob Lane - HMP Whitemoor How will I find, my peace of mind
Come in and join me To cure the man I hope that you can stay Is to make him forget Please excuse the mess of my cell If I’m honest I’m not convinced I’m all behind today The lies, the drink, the tears How will I find, my peace of mind Joggers hanging by the window To cure the man Trainers on my bed Is to make him happy Was out clubbing last night If I’m honest I’m not convinced But only in my head Darkness descends, those memories return Think positive I’m told Got people in day and night How will I find, my peace of mind Not any time to nap © Deposit Photos With all this coming and going To cure the man Might get a bloody cat-flap Is to unite his family If I’m honest I’m not convinced ‘Honey Trap’ My pals in here are all well and good I can’t forget, so how can they? Lee Brewster - HMP Berwyn But one thing I have found Those sad dark days when they cried If we all went out drinking one night How will I find, my peace of mind ‘Honey trap’ girls play the best game, no other can come test Don’t rely on them buying a round It’s not personal love, just business, and you’ll pay for what you get To cure the man Cheapskate using pennies trying to get darlings will live to regret As I lay on my bed, I dream about freedom Is to make him belong Honey trap, ‘wham bam thank you man’ If I’m honest I am convinced Days of fun and hope Where the hell do ya think taking a hot 17 year-old in that shitty van To be welcomed and embraced Yes 17, don’t you dare make out you don’t know her age Not hearing “bubba” in the shower saying That’s how I will find, my peace of mind If a man tried paying your daughter for sex you’d fly into a rage “Hey Jake, you’ve dropped the soap!” £30.00 - you actually thought that could get you the sweetest honey? Ya know what’s more funny, you about to lose all ya money! I’ll do my time as best I can My Little Box Honey trapped, any second next manz gonna burst through the door And eventually leave my cell Tina Bell - HMP Send Screaming “What ya doing to my little sister?” before knocking ya to the floor Then walk into my family’s arms You’ll wake up, pants still around ya ankles, no wallet … no money at all And then be free of my hell I had a little box Telling some policeman a lie about how you managed to just fall I filled it with nice things Your mistake was in believing a vulnerable girl is easy meat My mum will hug and kiss me I filled it with memories We call her “trick or f*ckin treat”, or, ‘no sex for you tonight’ She picks me up when I’m down I filled it with bad things Just a lesson in morality (offering pennies to hot girls for sex aint right) The old dear staring up at me I seen some cheap stotes hang about crack-houses wiv just a fiver God, she looks like Mrs Brown This box turned out to be Expecting a BJ, what, this is the local taxi driver? My very own mind Some girls still fresh, only just started smoking So thank you for visiting My mind would not switch off These men couldn’t pull a girl like that if she was clean But can I just say I just could not unwind So why ya gotta be so cheap and be so damn mean? F*ck this, I pulled a few to one side If I haven’t sent out an invitation I said, have some pride, time to get back ya pride Just stay the f**k away Over my good memories The bad ones took control Clean up a bit, now look whose hot! Time to take these punters for all they’ve got And in my final days here They were clouding all my judgment My mind was free to roam How dare they come wiv them pennies expecting sex I’ll smile to myself while I pack Don’t forget, when ya ready send me a text And then shout it from the rooftops I opened up my little box Honey trap, money making tonight I’m never coming back! And flicked through all the piles This feels right, hot girls protected by bad man ruling the damn night All the garbage in there Free to do as they please Was piles and piles and piles Free to flirt, to take home, or just tease So next time men are ‘paying’ girls for sex Beating Heart I had to have a clear-out It could be you who gets honey trapped next! My box was overflowing Daniel Marsland - HMP Stocken How had I stored up all these things Sonnet for parted friends Life is not yet spent Things without me even knowing White and Brown I wonder what it’s like to feel real compassion Owain Davies - HMP Parc Buffdaddy - HMP Oakwood Does it feel good, is it a real trusting passion There was a file of resentment Mike Nicholls - HMP Dartmoor It’s a clunking fist that hits I have loved but never been loved A file of pain and hurt I used to hit the white Punching numbers on a clock face I gave my all but I was always shoved A file of pure depression But I never hit my wife The miles that separate them count for nought: Punch-drunk and p*ssed Hidden was the file ‘to let go’ Swer on my life, swer on my life The years between their births count even less. Woken to a world of wild times and sensual hits I know I chose a life of crime I used to play with brown Not lust, but fellowship provides the means Mixed ribs and argumentative jibs But I tell you it’s no longer mine My mind was really messy Ya I let my kids down That - mixed with understanding, tolerance That jabber and flutter I’d like a house or a flat I was about to lose control Now I act the clown I filed all the garbage Landing like butterflies with utter With a pet fish and a cat Whenever they’re around And care obsessive - forms the bond that links Delicacy of touch; a chocolate melt Into my file of ‘to let go’ Upon them I put a crown The two friends who, perforce, are now apart. The rub of leather or felt I’d work in a supermarket stacking shelves Ya I used to drink One mind within two bodies holds them fast I made a brand new file Wash my foot in the sink Windswept over fields of heather, heaven sent And helping in a grotto working as Santa’s elves And will not let bad fortune rule the day; Which had things that I deserved Moovd out my moms at last A reminder that life is not yet spent And I’d like a family I can call my own Red silk rags fluttering on razor wire This file did not involve Now reggae I can blast For when in time they stand again as one, And also have a house I can call home People who did me hurt Thay was glad to see the back of me To feel a common ground beneath their feet Wherever ther was crack ther was me And then breathe in the self-same air, So from now till then it’s a long hard battle It’s all about being happy now But nower days I don’t look so mean They will not feel they ever were apart. As in jail it’s all about ‘tittle’ and ‘tattle’ I know now what I need Ya kickt the habbet, I’m clean But I tell you now I will win So in my brand new folder Rubbing cream in my ska There never was a force that could divide With my beating heart and a smiley grin There’s only happiness and inner peace Dreeming of being a reggae star The bond by which true, loyal friends are tied Insidetime May 2019 www.insidetime.org Jailbreak // Inside Poetry 49 Current Affairs Worst Moments Aidan Bradley - HMP Isle of Wight Sean B W Parker - HMP Dartmoor
Here they are; driftwood on the tide Do not remember worst moments Displaced and displacing, in the foaming swept aside Though it may have happened There they go, sea salt on the earth Though it may have not Droplets in an ocean, solitary home from berth It was not him, he was not there
See the child sleeping on the sand Or it was and he did, but he is not now Looking strangely peaceful, as his father grips his hand Do not remember worst moments Tears lost in rain, the gulls take up the cry When alcohol may have flowed with no tomorrow Mourning overhead and camouflaged against the sky When powder coursed brilliantly through veins It does not now and that was not real Open arms are ports in a storm, asylum redefined © Deposit Photos Crimson ink to keep us safe and warm behind the dotted line Or it was real but another version On and on, it ends as it begins That didn’t care about he or you Hang them out to dry; straw men to warm their kith and kin Not Ignorant Get Goals Achieved! A living moment before a dying stretch Emmanuel De Silva II - HMP Coldingley Amnesia in the air, forget what we’ve been told What is there to remember in that Pulling at the loose threads while the tapestry unfolds Wordplay or simply playing with words Atlas shrugs and so do we - the continents unwind Do not remember worst moments The ‘N-word’ derived from necro, relating to Negro, meaning dead Pushing out as they push in against the borders of our minds Fires raged and torched everything around Referring to a corpse, is that you? I know for sure it’s not me! The system applies the brakes when the person does not “There’s nothing on TV, just repeats of history” Who the hell do you really be? Don’t ever use a colour to define me And redesigns time, coming up from the ground “Don’t tell me anymore, I’ve heard this one before” Know yourself, and be; to be or not to be? That is the question Do not remember him for his worst moment “I give to charity, what more d’you want from me?” Shakespeare had some right mind ideas in his plays; what revelations He was wronged, confused and hurting “There’s nothing on TV, just repeats of history” If you listen carefully ye can hear him speak A short walk across the yard to where you remember him Repeats of history James ‘say it loud I’m black and I’m proud’ Brown and Angela But he forgot to remember you Repeats of history ‘How we going to free the people’ Repeats… Davis they tried to flip the script to empower the terminology black Memory serves only those who survive It really is a false classification; how can you be called a colour Best moments plucked from the gallery without a nation? He is not dead, he’s working for you The Revolving Doors The Europeans have Europe; Asians have Asia, so how about me? Scraping legacy for your memory I have Negroland or Blackland, where is that, or is it that game plan? Arron Lowe Etheridge - HMP Bure Destructions of history, language and robbery of land All the resources raped and pillaged, claimed by the man See the lonely prisoner walking down the halls Know thyself became a meaningful mantra of the lost generations His despairing footsteps echo from the prison walls Jail Dream Stolen from Africa; shamed and renamed, chained and beaten His drooping shoulders carrying the weight of all his crime Dave Hall - HMP Wymott Physical degradation, still a people without a nation The enormous cost of freedom lost, a debt paid with time Defined as animals in the American Constitution Why do you love me when you know what I’ve done? He used to lurk in shadows and await his victim’s path One eighth human being, what the f**k does that really mean? Not seeing you, can you trust what I’ve learnt and become? He would then surprise his mark Nigger, Negro and coloured, now today the ‘N-word’ will do You write to me with love and support And steal their cash and more Politically correct bullsh*t, don’t you realize that I’m related to you? You see the future; and that we won’t get hurt To return to prison through revolving doors One race, the human race, white is not a race, black is not either You’ve made mistakes; but is it on the same scale? In fact the mixing of the two is not mixed race Will our relationship stand the test of time, or will it fail? He never learnt his lesson The human is the only race, oh yes this is true So now in prison he stays In schools today they teach us monkey is your cousin not me Over the months I’ve understood you in a different way With nothing left to live for, apart from the error of A dog is our best friend and I am still your blood relative From months back, yesterday, tomorrow and even today His ways and many numbered days Your cousin … believe it or not The loyalty you show me has no regret When you visit and hold me, will you get upset? Will he ever show remorse and decide crime don’t pay? Will you hold me and tell me … “It will be alright” Will he ever realize the error of his ways? If you can’t handle it … Will you dream of me during the night? Or will he rehabilitate and start to agree What you write me, I hope it comes from your heart That if he keeps up with his crimes he never can be free? Kathleen Jolly - HMP Drake Hall Because if you’re loyal and love me, I’ll be yours from the start
One day he may learn the error of his ways and maybe even more Officers come here - I’m taking you on a trip Maybe he will free himself from the revolving doors! To show you support, to get a grip Progress in Prison One thing that’s for certain is if he doesn’t he may die If it wasn’t for us prisoners, you wouldn’t have a job His life will end in prison, if he doesn’t try! So don’t act the ‘big I am’ and a total nob Sabine McNeill - HMP Bronzefield u We will award a prize of £25 to the entry selected as our Some are alright, they’re actually quite cool From ‘on remand’ to ‘sentenced’ ‘Star Poem of the Month’. To qualify for a prize, poems should But others don’t know they look a massive tool Now I can have 2 hour visits! not have won a prize in any other competition or been published Just cuz we’re here and so called ‘criminal’ Now my visitors get double the time previously. Send entries to: Inside Time, Poetry, Botley Mills, Botley, Doesn’t mean our healthcare should be minimal For the same travelling money Southampton, Hampshire, SO30 2GB. And we can pretend to be outside So put your doctors and nurses up to let Without reminders of “time’s up” It is very important that you ensure the following details are on I’d have more trust being examined by a vet Who has the time and the money to visit prisoners all paperwork sent to Inside Time: YOUR NAME, PRISON You don’t listen to us, so why listen to you? On remand in Ashford six times a week? NUMBER & PRISON. Failure to do so will prevent us respond- You’re supposed to be clever, you f**kin screw Who would prefer to visit less often, but for longer? ing to you and your submission being withheld from publica- Who has the answers? tion. We will be using the new ‘Money Transfer Service’ for If you can’t give us your respect and support Nobody knows, for nobody asks prize money so include your DOB on your entries. You may as well abandon ship and abort And should we express our opinions By submitting your poems to Inside Time you are agreeing that We too get fed up of your naggin b*tch They are not taken onboard they can be published in any of our ‘not for profit links’, these Just the sound of your voice makes us twitch For nobody cares for anybody include the newspaper, website and any forthcoming books. You And if they do, they are sacked are also giving permission for Inside Time to use their discretion in You signed up for the job; it was laid out quite clear An officer allowed a prisoner to use his phone allowing other organisations to reproduce this work if considered If you can’t handle it, then why come near? To speak to her Mum appropriate, unless you have clearly stated that you do not want When you were little you dreamt of being fed Sorry Gov. Verboten! ‘sackable offence!’ this to happen. Any work reproduced in other publications will be But when you were training there was no kokum in ya head Only use the phone on the wall on a ‘not for profit’ basis. Please note poems for publication may The law, rules and guidelines have become boxes to tick be edited. When submitting your work please include the You knew what was coming Human and inhuman behaviour following permission: ‘This is my own work and I agree to By signing up for the role 50 sizes of boxes defined by 50 layers of power in institutions Inside Time publishing it in all associate sites and other And if you can’t handle it That pay money for jobs, to hire and fire publications as appropriate.’ Then f**k off and claim the dole! Not to dare to care 50 Jailbreak // Prize Winning Competitions www.insidetime.org Insidetime May 2019 Read all about it! Caption Competition Last Months £25 Winner A £25 prize is on offer for the best caption 1. St George slayed which animal to save the Fonesavvy providers of ‘landline type Sarandip Singh Batt - HMP Stafford to this month’s picture. princess? numbers’ for mobile phones. 2. The 850 year-old Notre Dame Cathedral Proud sponsors of Inside Time’s recently caught fire in which city? PRIZE quiz ‘Read all about it!’ 3. What channel shows ‘24 Hours in Police If you don’t want callers to be disadvantaged Custody’? or put off by the high cost of calling your 4. Brexit has been delayed again, to which mobile - just get a landline number for it. spooky yearly celebration? Calls to mobiles don’t have to be expensive! 5. What animal recently won the Grand Full details are available on our main National and the US Golf Masters tournament? advert in Inside Time and at 6. Who is presenting this year’s ‘Britain’s got www.fonesavvy.co.uk Alright Liz, does my Talent’? Last Months Winners bum look big in this?! 7. How many Bank Holidays are there in May? J S Wright - HMP Manchester (£25) 8. Who are the two teams in this year’s Barry Parkinson - HMP Thorn Cross (£5) Shear delight for the Queen What’s so funny? Champions League final? Kenneth Ramsay - HMP Edinburgh (£5) What did you think was going on or being Theresa May and Angela Merkel shared a 9. What is the name of the criminal defence See box to the right for details of how to enter said when the Queen was given a sheep laugh looking at an iPad owned by the barrister who rules on real life cases on ITV? Answers to last months News Quiz: . shearing demonstration at Myerscough German Chancellor at the start of the EU 10. March, April and May are defined as which 1. April Fool’s day, 2. Wales, 3. 30 years, 4. James College during her recent visit to Lancaster? summit. BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg Jordan, 5. Rana Habeeb, 6. 6th April, 7. Knife crime/ later tweeted that the two were comparing season? Youth crime/Race, 8. Jeremy Kyle, 9. Keith Flint, Closing date for all competitions is 23/05/19 photos of them wearing similar jackets. 10. Chantelle
Inside Knowledge // All the answers are within this issue of Inside Time - all you have to do is find them! How to enter: Send your entry on a separate sheet The first three names to be drawn with all-correct answers (or nearest) will 10. Who makes a point of visiting learners while they’re in segregation? of paper. Make sure your receive a £25 cash prize. There will also be two £5 runner up prizes. 11. Who revealed that he began life in a Barnardo’s home? 12. Who spent 20 years inside and ‘told his story as it was’? NAME, NUMBER & 1. Who is now known as ‘carrot man’? 13. Who maintains that therapy has been the most testing, struggling, frustrating, PRISON is on all sheets. 2. Who saw a grown man crumble before her eyes and weep? exhausting, at times tragic experience of his life? Failure to do so will 3. Where in January was a prisoner stabbed 14 times over a debt of £50? 14. When in service, Concorde flew over whose home in south-east London? 4. The G4S contract to run which prison has been cancelled? invalidate your entry. 15. Which PSI covers prisoners’ property? 5. Who, at the age of 21, received an inheritance of £42,000 and within 6 months We will be using the new had spent every penny? ‘Money Transfer Service’ 6. What is the closing date for applications to the Longford Trust for the 2019- for prize money so include Answers to Last Month’s Inside Knowledge Prize Quiz 2020 academic year? your DOB on your entries. 7. Who claims ‘rock ‘n’ roll is dead. My kids like grime, drill, that’s where the edge 1. Karn Laffoley, 2. Akala, 3. 737, 4. Troy Hevingham, 5. HMP Sudbury, 6. Sharon Grenham- Thompson, 7. Off The Cuff, 8. EMAP services, 9. Peter Dawson, 10. Carl Portman, 11. Steve Post to: ‘jailbreak’. Inside is now’? Churchill, 12. April 1st, 13. David Wells, 14. Noel Smith, 15. Reece Johnson 8. Who has offered an open invitation for the cast of The Muppets to take over Time, Botley Mills, Botley, the running of HMP Berwyn? The three £25 Prize winners are: The £5 runner up prizes go to: Southampton, Hampshire 9. Who barricaded himself into his cell at Wormwood Scrubs and the next Melissa Pesticcio - HMP Downview Christian Tymon - HMP Manchester SO30 2GB. Rickie Carter - HMP Rye Hill morning was found dead? Damien Bell - HMP Doncaster Ashley Morris - HMP Swaleside Answers to last months quizzes CRISS CROSS QUICK CROSSWORD Have you got a problem with alcohol?
Across: 1 Politeness. 6 Closet. “Only YOU can decide” 7 Cross. 9 Coyote. 10 Pro. 11 Anon. 14 Grab. 15 Die. If drinking has cost you more than money and 16 Issues. 17 Raise. 18 Actual. 20 Engagement. you believe you may have a problem?
Down: 1 Pal. 2 Lesion. We are here to help… 3 Tattoo. 4 Nuclei. 5 Stoppers. 6 Colander. 8 Snowball. Alcoholics Anonymous 9 Cohesion. 12 Cinema. 13 Escape. 14 Gentle. 19 Art. National Helpline: 0800 917 7650
GEFBADCHI www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk 5 1 7 5 7 9 Alcoholics Anonymous has over 4,400 Groups CATCHPHRASE WORD MORPH 8 7 2 6 3 4 2 throughout Great Britain, designed to help those 1. Bags Under the Eyes joker 6 3 with a drinking problem. Through mutual 2. Firing Line piker 7 5 3. Snake in the Grass support, sufferers assist each other in coping polar 2 8 5 4 7 4. One Step Ahead poser 4 9 1 with their problem. There are no fees for mem- 5. Within Reason power
6. More to it than Meets 1 4 7 (c) Daily Sudoku Ltd 2019. All rights reserved. bership of Alcoholics Anonymous and anonymity the Eye Daily Sudoku: Tue 5-Mar-2019 hard ANAGRAM SQUARE SUDOKU is carefully preserved. TECTONIC 1 S MOKE 9 2 6 3 5 1 8 7 4 5 3 1 7 8 4 9 2 6 Calls will be kept strictly confidential 2 M ELTS 8 4 7 2 9 6 1 5 3 3 E VA DE 4 7 2 5 3 8 6 1 9 For more information: 4 L IGHT 1 6 5 9 4 7 2 3 8 5 T RIED 3 8 9 1 6 2 7 4 5 PO Box 1, 10 Toft Green, YORK YO1 7NJ 2 9 3 8 1 5 4 6 7 7 5 4 6 2 9 3 8 1 Tel: 01904 644 026
6 1 8 4 7 3 5 9 2 (c) Daily Sudoku Ltd 2019. All rights reserved. Daily Sudoku: Tue 5-Mar-2019 hard
http://www.dailysudoku.com/ The Personal Injury Specialists
You may be entitled to claim compensation PRISONERS CONTINUALLY FAILED BY HEALTHCARE TO TREAT EYE CONDITIONS
Attwood Solicitors secure thousands for prisoners who have been failed by the healthcare system when they have suffered problems with their vision and have not been seen promptly. Injuries suffered due to negligence Does any of the below apply to you and you have not been given the care and investigation you should have?
• Blurred vision • Sudden loss of vision • Specs or floaters in your eye • A flash of light in one or both of your eyes • Gradual deterioration in your vision • Previous retinal detachment in one eye • A family history of retinal detachment Medical Negligence (Delayed / Wrong Treatment) • Extreme nearsightedness (myopia) • Previous eye surgery, such as cataract removal • Previous severe eye injury
Send your enquiry to us and we will see if we can investigate a Claim on your behalf.
Contact us today, you may be entitled to compensation! Dental Negligence
0800 145 5105 This month's challenge Request a Claim Form Riddle Send your: Name, Prison Number and Claim Type to FREEPOST RSSU-GCXH-SJLG If you throw me out the window, You'll leave a Attwood Solicitors, 5-7 Hartshill Road, grieving wife. But leave me in the middle of Stoke on Trent, ST4 1QH the door, and you might just save a life. www.attwoodsolicitors.co.uk Last Months Solution: If you look at the numbers upside down, they read [email protected] 86, __, 88, 89, 90, 91. The number that ts this pattern is, of course, 87. 52 Jailbreak // Just for Fun www.insidetime.org Insidetime May 2019
Honeycomb Do you know? Anagram Square
Write the six-letter answers to these clues around their clue Rearrange the letters in each What are the wiggly things I see in my eyes when I look at row to form a word. Write your numbers in the grid, reading clockwise or anti-clockwise, the sky? answers into the blank grid. starting from the hexagon above the clue number. You’ll need to When looking up at a blue sky, many people see tiny dots in The first letter from each word, decide which direction they travel. reading down, will spell the their field of vision that follow squiggly lines. These move in sync mystery keyword. with our pulse, briefly accelerating with every heartbeat, and they usually disappear after about a second. The dots are actually white blood cells moving along the fine blood vessels 1 XPISN (capillaries) in front of the retina at the back of the eye. This Dubstep could protect experience is called the ‘blue field entoptic phenomenon’ 2 OPNAI against mosquito bites because it’s especially noticeable when looking into bright blue Dubstep tracks by DJ Skrillex light, such as a cloudless sky. Whereas red blood cells absorb 3 ENACO blue light, white blood cells do not, so they let the light through could offer effective protec- CRHAE to the retina. Light-sensitive cells in the retina read this as a tion against mosquitoes 4 signal of increased brightness, causing us to see the white blood according to a new scientific ITDRE cells as spots. BBC Focus study. An international team 5 of scientists assessed the Going nowhere effects of electronic music on Knowing which way is which mosquitoes. The team chose 1 depends on compass-like Skrillex hit ‘Scary Monsters processes in the frontal and And Nice Sprites’ for the 2 temporal lobes of the brain. A track’s mix of very high and recent study found that very low frequencies. 3 relevant structures in these According to the results, 4 areas were larger in people published in the journal Acta 1. Found 8. Acid-sensitive paper 14. Thin with a better sense of Tropica on 25 March, adult 2. Scuffle 9. Father of the 15. Lined up 5 direction (based on lab tests), mosquitoes “entertained” by 3. Texan city Titans 16. Power unit suggesting a neurological 4. Cherished 10. Lags behind 17. Chant the music “copulated far less basis for why some of us are often” than those that weren’t. Thanks to Greg Dickinson HMP 5. Dissolved 11. Grotto 18. In one piece Fart face more aware of direction than Bristol. If you fancy compiling Females exposed to the track 6. Spring flower 12. Narrow gorge 19. Turn down If you hold in flatulence there others. Other research has an Anagram Square for us please also attacked hosts less just send it in 5 x 5 squares, com- 7. Plant genus 13. Nautical 20. Link up again is a decent chance that it will found that women, on frequently than those in a plete with answers shown on a get out anyway, just through average, require more cues in grid. If we use it we will send you your mouth instead. the environment to know dubstep-free environment, £5 as a thank you! Remember Tectonic According to the University of which way they are facing. and “the occurrence of blood to include your name, number, Newcastle’s Professor Clare There are also links with feeding activity was lower prison. We will be using the new when music was being ‘Money Transfer Service’ for prize Each square must contain a digit. A one-square block contains Collins - a dietetics and personality - extraverts, money so include your DOB on only a 1, a two-square block contains 1 and 2, a three-square nutrition expert - holding in open-minded people and the played”. “The observation that your entries. block contains 1, 2 and 3, and so on. The same digit cannot your guff can cause something more conscientious all tend such music can delay host appear in neighbouring squares - not even diagonally. called ‘abdominal distention’. to have a better sense of attack, reduce blood feeding, Fun facts... That process causes some of direction. Another consistent and disrupt mating provides the fart to be absorbed and finding is that people have new avenues for the develop- • Sand wasps fly backwards then exhaled through your good insight into their ment of music-based personal out of their nest to make sure breath. There are other issues directional abilities, so protective and control at hand as well. According to whether you believe you’re a they’ll remember what the measures against Aedes- way home looks like. Professor Collins: “Holding on walking compass or feel like borne diseases,” the report you’re forever in a spin, it’s too long means the build-up concludes. • Facts cannot be copyrighted of intestinal gas will eventually probably true. BBC Focus - even if they’re wrong. escape via an uncontrollable fart.” You could also be at risk England’s final cigarette will be smoked by 2050 • If you were to stand on a mountain on the moon and of a condition called diverticu- The last cigarette to be smoked in England will be in Derby by litis, whereby your stomach fire a gun at the horizon, you 2050, researchers have predicted. Their report claims that if the lining becomes inflamed by could theoretically shoot small pouches formed in it. current decline in smoking continues, then today’s 7.4m yourself in the back. smokers will reduce to zero in 30 years. They say Bristol will The take-home message from • When Pete Conrad, a 5 foot this is simple. If you have to become the first city to quit by having no smokers after 2024, 6 astronaut, landed on the fart, just get on with it. Lad Bible followed by York and Wokingham. Metro moon, he said “Whoopie! Man, that may have been a Moon landing small one for Neil, but that’s a If you could drive a car long one for me.” upwards at 60mph, how long would it take to get to the • Koala fingerprints are so Moon? Astronomer Fred Hoyle similar to human fingerprints was the first to point out that that the two have been con- if you could drive a car upwards fused at crime scenes. at 60mph, it would only take • Sloths can hold their breath about an hour to get into for longer than dolphins. space. To get to the Moon would take a little longer • In 1969, scientists discov- Celebrity quotes though, since it’s 250,000 ered an unidentified plant miles away - around 10 times growing in lava on the “Sometimes I think the surest “Nowadays I know the true Icelandic volcano of Surtsey. the circumference of the Happy Birthday Queen Victoria sign that intelligent life exists reason I read is to feel less Eventually they realised it Earth. So it would take as long It would be Queen Victoria’s 200th birthday on 24th May. Born elsewhere in the universe is alone, to make a connection was a tomato plant, grown as driving around the world in 1819, she became Queen on 20th June 1837 and died 22nd that none of it has tried to with a consciousness other from a seed in the poo of 10 times - just under six January 1901. She is buried in Frogmore Mausoleum at Windsor contact us.” Bill Waterson than my own.” Zadie Smith another researcher. months. Your only real Castle. Her full name was Alexandrine Victoria but she chose to problem (apart from the lack be called just Victoria. She produced 9 children with her “If the English language made “You can find magic wherever • Blogger Maneesh Sethi of air for your lungs and for any sense, lackadaisical you look. Sit back and relax, husband Albert. If you want to read more about her life and hired someone to slap him in burning the petrol) would be times, ask your library to get a copy of Victoria RI, by Elizabeth would have something to do all you need is a book.” Dr. the face every time he used with a shortage of flowers.” Seuss finding a garage to refuel Longford (ISBN: 9780297841425) available to buy from Amazon; Facebook at work. His pro- Doug Larson - and that has a loo! BBC Focus a very readable account of her life. ductivity went from 38% to 98%. Insidetime May 2019 www.insidetime.org Jailbreak // Just for Fun 53
May facts The path to success Did I say that? Top facts... • The month May was Breakfast cereal named for Maia, the Greek 5 8 6 2 3 goddess of fertility. 1. Corn Flakes were originally 8 1 8 3 2 created to reduce masturba- May was once considered • tion. In 1894, Michigan-based a bad luck month to get physician Dr. John Harvey married. There is a poem 1 5 3 4 9 Kellogg invented the classic that says “Marry in May cereal while developing a and you’ll rue the day”. 5 5 3 9 4 “Somebody that provided “You could be the juiciest “His assertion that he has dietary plan for his patients at for his people. Somebody peach in the bar and some not had a fair hearing is the Black Creek Sanitarium. • No month of the year 9 9 6 8 3 that always treated you f**ker won’t like peaches. laughable and I’m afraid is Kellogg believed spicy foods either begins or ends on with respect when he saw But you can’t value yourself the behaviour of a narcissist increased sexual desire, and the same day as May. Start at the bottom left square you. Somebody that on other people’s opinions who cannot get beyond his prescribed his patients a diet and move up, down, left or right demanded respect when he so you have to let it go.” own selfish interests.” of bland foods to curb it. • Nine UK prime ministers until you reach the finish. Add the walked in a room. I just Stacey Dooley says “I have Judge Michael Snow dinging were born in May, which is numbers as you go. Can you want everybody to look accepted that you’re never WikiLeaks founder Julian 2. Tony the Tiger competed more than any other month. make exactly 68? around and be grateful and going to be everyone’s cup Assange guilty of failing to against three other mascots happy that we’re all here of tea.” surrender to bail. for the spot as the Kellogg’s GEF BAD CHI together alive and well Frosted Flakes mascot. Though because life can end at any Elmo the Elephant and Newt Using the letters G,E,F,B,A,D,C,H & I fill in the moment. Cheers my the Gnu never graced the front blank squares. Each letter A-I must appear brother. Rest easy, my G.” of a cereal box, Katy the only once in each line column and 3x3 grid. Drake paid his respects to Kangaroo appeared on Frosted Nipsey Hussle in April while Flakes boxes for a short time at the first show of his seven in the 1950s. Tony the Tiger night residency at quickly outsold Katy, “‘Rock ‘n’ roll is dead. My London’s O2 Arena. becoming the official mascot. kids like grime, drill, that’s where the edge is now, it’s “It was never in doubt.” 3. Rice Krispies mascots Snap, Neil Speed is a sexier, more violent, more British tennis player Tara Crackle and Pop briefly had a former prisoner glamorous.” Moore, who staged an fourth brother named Pow in who came up Bobby Gillespie from Primal incredible fight back to beat early 1950. The spaceman with the concept Scream believes rock ‘n’ roll her French opponent after character was meant to is ‘’dead’’ and can understand being 0-6, 0-5 and 30-40 of GEF BAD CHI Nipsey Hussle: 15 August 1985 represent the power of whole whilst in prison. why young people prefer down, proving the power of grain rice, but his career was - 31 March 2019 grime music. courage when all seems lost. GEF BAD CHI by short-lived. Kellogg’s retired Neil Speed is the character after two published by Inside Chess commercials. Xlibris. £12.35 8 by Carl Portman 4. The first manufactured Catchphrase 7 breakfast cereal had to be soaked overnight before One of my favourite players from the dim and 6 serving. In 1863, dietary The object is to try to figure out the well-known saying, person, distant past is Efim Bogolyubow. The name alone reformer Dr. James Caleb place, or thing that each square is meant to represent. used to attract my interest as a kid - it means 5 Jackson invented ‘granula’, ‘beloved of God’ in Russian. He lived from 1889- nuggets of rich graham flour. 1952. Certain openings are named after him, 4 The cereal was made from such as the ‘Bogo Indian Defence’ and he pio- dough baked into long sheets neered some crazy lines in the French Defence 3 and broken up into small happiness for example. He was interned in Germany during pieces. Dr. Kellogg also invented WWI and in fact he died in what was West 2 a similar cereal of the same Germany in 1952. He won many International 1 name, but changed it to ‘granola’ tournaments and represented Germany at the after Jackson threatened him 4th Chess Olympiad in Prague 1931. He is re- with legal action. sponsible for one of my favourite chess quotes. A B C D E F G H He said “When I am White, I win because I am the two masters mentioned above. Reti- Never old learn 5. Cereal is a type of grass White. When I am Black, I win because I am Bogolyubow 1924 and White to play. They may old learn cultivated for its grain, which Bogolyubow.” Fair enough. The same man also not have had chess computers back then but is actually a type of fruit. said “To have a knight planted in your game at they still had a good eye for an excellent move. Grains are a type of caryopsis, King six (e3/e6) is worse than a rusty nail in your What are you playing here as White to plunge or a dry fruit that doesn’t knee.” Pretty strong stuff. I also liked Richard Reti Bogo into despair? open at maturity. School your because of some of the wonderful chess com- mom on that next time she Dear Editor positions he created. Reti was an Austro- A back copy of Chess Monthly donated by the disapproves of your Lucky Hungarian living from 1889-1929. Strange how London Chess Centre is the prize for the first Charms lifestyle. • I was delighted when the case I get it right 9 times out both men were born just one month apart in correct entry drawn. people from the Inland of 10. Penelope - Aldershot the same year, though Reti died much younger 6. Astronauts ate Kellogg’s Revenue wrote to me recently, of Scarlet Fever and his ashes are buried in Vienna. Write to me with your answer, care of The English Corn Flakes aboard Apollo 11, telling me that my tax return • Homeopaths, save money In 1925 Reti set a world record for blindfold chess Chess Federation at The Watch Oak, Chain Lane, the first moon landing. was ‘outstanding’, particularly on petrol by filling up with with 29 games played simultaneously. He won Battle, East Sussex TN33 OYD. Please note that The cereal was mixed up with since I can’t even remember water. Your car will remember 21, drew 6, and lost 2. Yes, that is correct he was you should always write to me at the ECF not via fruit and formed into cubes sending it in. Oliver - Crewe the petrol from your previous blindfolded and played all the games simulta- InsideTime. Also, please include your prison since eating it with milk was fill. Audrey - Orkney neously in his head, shouting out the moves. number and if you can, the date and what month’s impossible without gravity. • You can distinguish an Wow. They used to say that it was this kind of puzzle you are entering. alligator from a crocodile by • Makers of Dulux Once. I pursuit that used to send chess players insane. 7. Many cereals are magnetic paying attention to whether think the actual word you are The top players don’t do this so much these days The answer to April’s puzzle was 1.Bh3-e6+! because of the iron they contain. the animal sees you later or in looking for is ‘Twice’. Nathan but back then they did this sort of thing to make Rf8-f7 (note that 1…Kg7-h8 is poor because of a while. Sebastian - Neyland - Melksham sure they could pay for their next meal. A quick 2.Bh3xd7 Qd8xd7 3.Rc1xc7! winning) 2.Rc1xc7! 8. Shredded Wheat was first note - I am unable to send anyone a list of all Rc8xc7 3.Bf4xc7 and if now 3…Qd8xc7 then 4. invented to feed followers of • When you think about it, • When doing Sodoku, just fill previous winners (as requested) for data protec- Qa3-e7 is crushing. Winner to be announced. Ralstonism, a strict, racist wiping your arse is quite a in any old numbers as nobody tion and security reasons. social movement that included skill. You can’t actually see ever checks your answers. The randomly drawn winner of March’s puzzle a belief in controlling the what you’re doing but in my Richard - Tregaron Here is a position from a game played between was Duncan from HMP Buckley Hall. minds of others. E N A C O C R H A E I T D R E Answer: Hidden Word: SPORT
S P I N X P I A N O 54 Jailbreak // Just for Fun www.insidetime.org O C E A N Insidetime May 2019 R E A C H T I R E D Number Search In this month... Number Search – Mark Wells HMP Preston 1 3 4 2 1 7 6 7 9 1 1 8 1 0 3 5 3 7 0 1 8 4 9 1 1 2 5 4 6 8 1 9 7 4 5 0 2 1 5 1 8 9 2 7 1 1 9 8 4 1 1 4 5 4 9 3 7 1 2 8 5 3 0 2 2 1 5 1 4 1 6 May 1954 Bannister breaks four-minute mile 1 9 2 7 7 5 1 3 5 1 Roger Bannister, a 25-year-old British medical 7 1 5 6 2 3 3 3 2 4 student, has become the first man to run a mile in less than four minutes. His time was 3mins 0 0 8 8 2 7 1 2 1 0
59.4 seconds, achieved at the Iffley Road track 0121, 349, 1976, 1894, 181, 203, 42333265, 0121, 349, 1976, 1894, 181, 203, 42333265, 118118, 6514245, in Oxford and watched by about 3,000. He was 118118, 6514245, 654245, 01229, 201315, 654245, 01229, 201315, 2711984 aided by two pacemakers, Chris Brasher and 2711984 Chris Chataway. Brasher took the lead as the Thanks to Mark Wells HMP Preston for compiling first pacemaker, Bannister slotted in behind, with this Number Search. If you fancy compiling one Chataway in third place. When Brasher began please send in max 10 x 10 grid complete with to feel the strain, Bannister signalled for Chataway answers shown on a grid. If we use it we will send to take over. Just over 200 yards from the finish, you £5 as a thank you! Remember to include your name, number and prison. We will be using the new Bannister took the lead with a final burst of ‘Money Transfer Service’ for prize money so include energy. He sprinted to the line in record time your DOB on your entries. and fell exhausted into the arms of a friend, the Rev Nicholas Stacey. Pandemonium broke out when spectators heard news that Bannister had Sudoku // Very Hard officially beaten the four-minute mile.
In Context Australian John Landy bettered the 4 1 6 5 2 Iffley Road record the following month with a time of 3 minutes 57.9 seconds, but Bannister 6 4 will always be remembered as the man who ran 8 5 7 the “miracle mile”. The current fastest mile record is held by Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj, 7 5 4 who ran a time of 3 minutes 43.13 seconds in Rome, Italy, on 7 July 1999. At the end of 1954, 3 2 Bannister retired from running to pursue his medical studies full-time and later became a 9 5 1 consultant neurologist. He continued to run to 3 5 2 keep fit until he broke his ankle in a car accident in 1975, the same year that he was knighted. 4 7
1 5 7 9 8 (c) Daily Sudoku Ltd 2019. All rights reserved. Daily Sudoku: Tue 2-Apr-2019 very hard
© MW Released life sentenced prisoner Word Morph
Can you morph one word into another by just ASN LAW changing one letter at a time? It isn’t quite as See our easy9 as7 you think!4 1 6 5 2 8 3 SOLICITORS page in the Anthony Stokoe Joel Binns 1 6 2 4 jungle8 3 7 9 5 ‘Jailbreak’ section 8 May 1945 Rasheed Nujeerallee 8 5 3 2 9 7 4 1 6 Rejoicing at end of war in Europe Independent Prison Law The Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, officially Expert since 1994 6 1 8 7 3 2 5 4 9 announced the end of the war with Germany. THE PRISON Huge crowds, many dressed in red, white and ‘People Before Profit’ 4 3 7 9 5 6 1 2 8 blue, gathered outside Buckingham Palace in Continuing the Fight and Challange PHOENIX TRUST London and were cheered as the King, Queen Despite Legal Aid Cuts 2 9 5 8 4 1 6 3 7 and two Princesses came out onto the balcony. Head doing you in? juggle Even after dark, floods of people continued to Straight advice/representation 7 4 6 3 1 8 9 5 2 converge on some of London’s great monu- for Male and Female Prisoners Stressed out? ments, floodlit specially for the occasion. There Just5 8for laughs9 6 2 4 3 7 1 Adjudications Lifer/IPP Specialist Can’t sleep? were fireworks, too, and effigies of Hitler
3 2 1 5 7 9 8 6 4 (c) Daily Sudoku Ltd 2019. All rights reserved. burned on bonfires around the capital. Later Recall Parole Judicial Reviews Simple yoga and •Daily I broke Sudoku: two Tue of 2-Apr-2019 my dads Queen records...very hard Mr Churchill was greeted by cheering crowds Mental Health Law Expert Now I want to break three. as he made his way to Whitehall and appeared Human Rights - European & International meditation practice, on the flag-bedecked balcony of the Ministry working with silence and the • The average lifespan of a hamster is around of Health. “God bless you all,” he said over the Cat A Reviews breath, might just transform three years (around 1,100 days). So countlesshttp://www.dailysudoku.com/ loudspeaker, which was greeted with further Pre-tariff Sift/Hearings hamsters have lived out their entire lives cheering and waving from the crowd and a your life in more ways than knowing nothing but endless Brexit negotiations. round of “For he’s a jolly good fellow”. Suite 8, Vine House, you think ... Interested? • What do you call a man with no body and no 143 London Road, nose? Nobody knows. In Context A victory parade was held in London Write to The Prison Phoenix Trust on 10 August 1945 when once again huge Kingston KT2 6NH P.O. Box 328, Oxford, OX2 7HF. • The first flat-earther to send a photo from crowds of cheering, flag-waving crowds took to the edge gets a free trip around the world! the streets. Following the two atomic bombs We’d love to hear from you anytime and have dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the 020 8549 4282 several free books and CDs, which could • Give a man a plane ticket and he’ll fly for a deaths of tens of thousands of people, Japan NATIONWIDE SERVICE help you build and maintain a daily practice. day... Push a man from the plane and he’ll fly surrendered on 14 August 1945. for the rest of his life. Insidetime May 2019 www.insidetime.org Jailbreak // Just for Fun 55
The joke’s on you! WordsearchJailbreak - May 2019 // One Word Film Titles Would you believe it? One Word Film Titles - Gavin Frampton HMP IOW Boy, 8, found after leaving • A fireman was working on the engine outside F B V R O T A D E R P Q Y J Z T P O F J home to ‘travel the world’ the station, when he noticed a little girl nearby K A O D E L I V E R A N C E U L V N S F An eight-year-old boy from in a little red wagon with little ladders hung off N Y L G I A X D E T O R H E B H S E A L the city of Astrakhan in the sides, and a garden hose tightly coiled in the O W C N D V N M C B N S I K F I Q E D A southern Russia has won middle. The girl was wearing a firemans helmet. D H A E E A U A L I E N G S L U T W F H social media fame after The wagon was being pulled by her dog and D T N Z L T I T A D Z P G W N H I O C B setting off on an around-the- her cat. The fireman walked over to take a E C O O J A W I W E O R O M O L O L Y S world trip. The boy’s mother closer look. “That sure is a nice fire truck”, the G O O R W S A L T E R E F R T F U L E W contacted the police after fireman, said with admiration. “Thanks,” the girl G Z J G C V O D I R F D R K V J C A B I finding a note from her son replied. The fireman looked a little closer. The A O V B A Y W A T C H A O N A L G H A L saying he had left to “travel girl had tied the wagon to her dog’s collar and M S J T D C L J A L I E Z P V A J V B P around the world”. A few to the cat’s privates. “Little partner,” the fireman R J A K I R I M N V S O E T A S T Y J L hours later, a search team said, “ I don’t want to tell you how to run your A R W W H E R H I O O P H A R L H F E E ‘Britain’s most pointless footpath’ found him walking down a rig, but if you were to tie that rope around the E A S O P F R T C L I O Y S W P Y H T A Locals in Felixstowe, Suffolk, have slammed a street equipped with encyclo- cat’s collar, I think you could go faster.” The lit- housing company for its bizarre decision to paedias, a toy, money from tle girl replied thoughtfully, “You’re probably M E E D T E R M A O B P Q H G S Y I O T construct what they’ve dubbed ‘Britain’s Most his piggy bank and a banana, right, but then I wouldn’t have a siren.” N G H K B U J L B B T E Q U V O R I E N Pointless Footpath’ - measuring just 40cm the Russian Interior Ministry C V X M P L E C T O P H L F E S D G K B wide. The path - which is just wide enough to reported on its official • A dog was drowning in a pond and a German B Y T R O P L N F R E D F E S S P E E D fit both feet on - has been built on a housing website. The young explorer man ran over and jumped into the pond to try L L T E R M I N A T O R T Y J K E D T I development built by Barratt Homes, and has told his rescuers that he was and save it. When he got out, the dog was G F R T Y D E E S P D F W K S C U R E E been ridiculed by residents for its ‘utterly already tired from his trip and unconscious, but it was safe for now. A ridiculous’ size. It’s even been referred to as wanted to rest. By that point ALIEN, ARMAGGEDDON, ARMAGGEDDON, AVATAR, BAYWATCH, AVATAR, CHICAGO, BAYWATCH, CREED, DELIVERANCE, CHICAGO, FROZEN, bystander, who had watched this happen, HALLOWEEN, JAWS, MATILDA, PREDATOR, SALT, SAW, SPEED, SPY, TERMINATOR, THOR, TITANIC, ‘one of things police make you walk along to he had travelled on three asked the man: “are you a vet?” The man CREED,VOLCANO, ZOOLANDERDELIVERANCE, FROZEN, HALLOWEEN, JAWS, MATILDA, check whether you’re drunk’, with local different buses before replied: “am I vet? I’m bloody soaking!” PREDATOR,Anagram – Greg DickinsonSALT, SAW, HMP Bristol SPEED, SPY, TERMINATOR, THOR, resident Ken Knights saying there is ‘actually no TITANIC, VOLCANO, ZOOLANDER continuing on foot. BBC News X P I S N safe way to leave your home unless you drive’. Thanks to Gavin Frampton HMP IoW for compiling this Wordsearch. • A lonely woman, aged 70, decided that it was O P N A I time to get married. She put an ad in the local If you fancy compiling one for us please send in max 20 x 20 grid Dirty dog paper that read: complete with answers shown on a grid. If we use it we will send you £5 as a thank you! Remember to include your name, number, prison. Dog-walking has been Husband wanted! Must be in my age group We will be using the new ‘Money Transfer Service’ for prize money so banned in Tehran, as part of a include your DOB on your entries. long-standing official (70’s), must not beat me, must not run around campaign to discourage on me, and must still be good in bed! All appli- dog-ownership in the Iranian cants please apply in person. Quick Crossword capital. “We will take On the second day she heard the doorbell. measures against people Much to her dismay, she opened the door to walking dogs in public spaces, see a grey-haired gentleman with no arms or such as parks,” said police Slap happy dumpling muncher legs sitting in a wheelchair. The old woman chief Hossein Rahimi. Driving Vasily Kamotsky, a 28-year-old farmer from said, “You’re not really asking me to consider with a dog in your car is also Krasnoyarsk, has become an online sensation you, are you? Just look at you ... you have no banned. Dogs are regarded as - completely by accident. After going to a legs!” The old man smiled, “Therefore I cannot unclean by the nation’s fitness contest to get an autograph from his run around on you!” She snorted. “You don’t Islamic leaders, and they also, favorite weightlifter, Vasily somehow became have any hands either!” Again the old man added Rahimi, cause “fear and embroiled in a slapping fight and pelmeni smiled, “Nor can I beat you!” She raised an anxiety”. Daily Mail (dumpling) eating competition, and ended up eyebrow and gazed intently. “Are you still “The Farda is back!!” winning both! A 162kg (26st) man nicknamed good in bed?” With that, the old gentleman Drake surprised fans in April “the Dumpling” has been crowned the leaned back, beamed a big broad smile and when he brought J Hus out champion of Russia’s first-ever male slapping said, “I rang the doorbell, didn’t I?” onstage at The O2 just hours competition, at which competitors had to slap after his release from prison. each other into submission. The rules for the • Two men are roommates in a hospital. This followed his arrest in contest were simple: two men stood face to Because they are both weak from sickness, the 2018 where he pleaded guilty face, separated only by a tall box, and took men are unable to speak for weeks. to illegal knife possession turns slapping each other with their bare hands Finally, one man says to the other, “English.” charges. “Last night was mad,” until one passed out or threw in the towel. His roommate replies, “Scottish.” J Hus tweeted. “Beh love to all Unlike boxing, competitors were not allowed Another week goes by and the first man says my fans, friends and family. to try to avoid the blows. “This should be weakly, “Danny.” Been seeing all the support shown to soldiers of armies of potential foes; if The roommate can only reply, “Phil.” while I was away. Trust me I Russian slaps are like this, then what can they Another week passes and the first man mutters Across Down appreciate you all.” Adding a do with their fists?” wrote Dmitry Smirnov, a to his roommate, “Cancer.” shout out to Drake in a tweet pro-Kremlin journalist, on Twitter. His roommate replies back, “Virgo.” 1. Without sympathy (9) 1. Thurman, actress (3) that was also accompanied by 6. Consume food (3) 2. Imperfections (5) a video diary of his day, that Words of the month 8. Mechanic’s workplace (6) 3. Refined or chic (7) starts with his release from 9. Court case (5) 4. Foot part (6) prison and ends with him • TITTIE-BILLIE (Scots) - an equal, a match, 10. Foreign country (6) 5. Zodiac sign (6) being on stage at The O2, J from ‘tittie’ for ‘sister’ and ‘billie’ for ‘brother’. 11. Serviettes (7) 7. Telephone selling (9) Hus ended the tweet” “The 13. Refuse to deal with (7) 8. Biscuit type (9) Farda is back!!” Before he • FACHIDIOT (German) - a person who is an 16. Cause of great excitement (6) 12. Accomplishes (7) brought J Hus out onstage, expert in one subject, and knows absolutely 18. Restrict (5) 14. Complain whiningly (6) Drake teased the crowd by nothing about anything else. 19. Urges on (6) 15. Jaunt (6) changing the stage’s display to 21. Anger (3) 17. Indian monetary unit (5) a message that simply read: • WOHNKLO (German) - a flat so small it’s the 22. Notices and remembers (9) 20. Ferdinand, ex-footballer (3) “Welcome Home.” He then Stinging eyes size of a bathroom. It is a portmanteau of said: “If anyone’s sitting down A Taiwanese woman who suffered what she WOHNEN (to live) and KLO (toilet). right now, I need you to stand believed to be a sudden and severe eye infection The last word... up because we’re going to discovered she was unwittingly hosting four • DAY GATE (archaic Yorkshire slang) - sunset. celebrate one of our brothers bees. The insects had flown into her eye and tonight.” At this point, J Hus were living beneath her eyelid and feeding on • DOUDLIEDOO - a 19th-century Scots word “You’ll never find rainbows for a love song. proceeded to walk onto the the fluid from her tear ducts. Dr Hung had first if you’re looking down.” suspected inflammation of the cornea, but stage and perform his 2017 Charlie Chaplin hit ‘Did You See’, the place upon closer inspection under a microscope • FORWALLOWED - weary from tossing and went wild! NME saw the insects’ wriggling legs. Independent turning all night. 56 Jailbreak // National Prison Radio www.insidetime.org Insidetime May 2019 National Prison Radio is available in prisons across May 2019 England and Wales, and HMP Grampian in Scotland. What’s on National Prison Radio // May 2019 We broadcast 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, into your cell. If your prison has National Prison Radio, you can National Prison Radio is currently available in prisons across England and Wales. We broadcast 24-hours a day, seven days a week,listen into through your cell. your TV by using the tuning buttons on If your prison has National PrisonWhat’s Radio, you can listen on through National your TV by using the tuningPrison buttons on yourRadio? remote control. your remote control.
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07:00 All Love Bug 17:00 Bob Inside Love Bug Free Hot 20 Request Write to the (or local and Music Write to the Flow The famous Porridge Saturday ones you love ones you love UK chart The world’s first national breakfast show made by and for prisoners. shows) Beyond Artist Find your Reggae & profiles beat. rundown. Includes the quiz, 7:40 Shout Out and the Work Out Song. The Red Bull Radio from HMP Includes dancehall. Mixes, interviews, hot artists. Write your Listen out for... week’s Peterborough bars. Future Heat. Friday – the famous Porridge Music Special Request Shows 18:00 08:00 NPR back Bob NPR Talk Helping you make the most of your time. (or local NPR Fresh Friday to back and shows The freshest new music, here on National Prison Radio. Sport, through Beyond NPR NPR NPR Talk We Are Ear Brixton The best made Includes Fresh off the Press and Record of the Week. chat and the day. Specials Takeover Helping you Hustle Calling ents. Your reggae Real talk. Jails around make the Info for Your guide to News and in your If it’s fresh, we’ve got it. prison) start to the and Use your the country most of your Gypsies, staying out of requests weekend. Write dancehall. time, not just take over time behind Travellers prison. from HMP to us at: do your time. NPR. bars. and Roma. Brixton. 09:00 Desi Decibel NPR The National Ear Drop Urban Rock Prison Hustle 19:00 The NPR The finest Radio, The Request Show Rock Fresh Asian dance The best in Show HMP To hear your song, message or poem on the radio, write to us at: beats. music from Two hours of urban music. Show Two hours of new British Turn it up Brixton, National Prison Radio, HMP Brixton, London SW2 5XF around the Hip-hop, loud. Join Join the the freshest 10:00 Deja Vu world, music from grime, R&B, London NPR Get your loved-ones to request tracks for Thursday’s show at: Rock new music. DJ Goldie- the Rock SW2 20:00 Classic direct to bashment Show Specials www.nationalprisonradio.com Show If it’s fresh, rocks. 5XF we’ve got it. tracks. your ears. and afrobeat. Family. See 18:00 family. 11:00 NPR 21:00 Hot 20 Desi NPR NPR Decibel Bob and Takeover The famous Drop Fresh Urban Beyond Porridge UK chart The finest See 18:00 Asian beats. Two hours The best in dance Reggae & Another chance to hear this morning’s show rundown. dancehall. of the urban music from Two hours NPR NPR NPR Talk On The We Are NPR Talk freshest music. around the of brand 12:00 22:00 Inside Deja Vu Hip-hop, world, new Love Bug Specials Takeover See 18:00 Road See 18:00 new music. (or local Music Classic If it’s fresh, R&B and direct to British Write to the shows) See 18:00 See 18:00 See 18:00 See 18:00 we’ve got it. more. your ears. music. ones you From HMP tracks. love. Peterborough 13:00 On The The Request Show Road 23:00 May’s title: The Dark Room Requests and shout-outs from prisons across England and Wales See 18:00 Books Unlocked by Rachel Seiffert Want to hear your favourite song on National Prison Radio? Write to National Prison Radio, HMP Brixton, London SW2 5XF for a free copy. 14:00 To hear your song, message or poem on the radio, write to us at We Are National Prison Radio, HMP Brixton, London SW2 5XF 23:30 Music and advice to help you sleep safe and sound through the night. 15:00 Hot 20 Books Dream Time UK chart Unlocked NPR Fresh rundown. A repeat of The freshest new music. New the week’s 16:00 If it’s fresh, we’ve got it. book NPR Specials: Real talk from across England and Wales. British NPR readings Monday 6 May - Outside In: former prisoners help you prepare for life after prison. music with Friday DJ Goldie- Start your Monday 13 May - We Are Incredible: recorded at Women’s Centres across the country. rocks. weekend. Monday 20 May - Back On The Case: information if you think you’ve been wrongly convicted.
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