February 2015 2 Mailbag and Prison) to ‘Mailbag’, Inside Time, Botley Mills, Botley, Southampton, Hampshire SO30 2GB
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26 Butler Trust Awards: 33 Open prisons - a Finding treasure failing holiday camp? “During the inspection one “if prisons create inmates prisoner asked to return to ill-prepared for release the the prison from hospital to consequences will be vast” die among people he knew 24 E-cigarettes: health and who cared not just for Supplement revolution or fresh but about him” Inside Entertainment the National Newspaper for Prisoners & Detainees pack of trouble? “...the potential to save a voice for prisoners 1990 - 2015 thousands, perhaps even A ‘not for profi t’ publication / ISSN 1743-7342 / Issue No. 188 / February 2015 / www.insidetime.org millions of lives must rank An average of 60,000 copies distributed monthly - Independently verifi ed by the Audit Bureau of Circulations alongside the discovery of 39 Your Valentine’s plus over 450,000 monthly online readership - Independently verifi ed using SMARTER STATS antibiotics” messages If Not Now, When? Asks the Report on: The Case for a Royal Commission on the Penal System Eric McGraw needed framework for a set of sound and realistic criminal ur penal and penal policies. policy is adrift, frag- The great national advantage mented and a Royal Commission can offer full of con- is that it would free politicians ‘Otradictions. It cannot deliver and other policy makers from results that are in the public the addictive but always short interest. We also know that term advantage of partisan our politicians are incapable policy making. of touching penal issues without going into party Sir Louis Blom-Cooper QC rants and rituals of fi nger and an author of the Report pointing,’ said Sean McCo- told Inside Time: ‘Conscious nville, Professor of Law and of the cost and delay of such Public Policy at Queen Mary inquiries in the recent past Law School, University of [the Bloody Sunday Report London and one of the was 12 years in the making authors of the Report. and cost about £200m and the Chilcot Inquiry into the Nothing in the last decade Iraq War, announced in has curbed overcrowding. 2009, has still to report] the Numbers teeter on the very proposal is specifi cally time- edge of operating capacity. limited and budgeted reason- Overcrowding nullifi es reha- ably at the outset, with it bilitation programmes and reporting to Parliament well crushes the spirit of staff and before the General Election in prisoners alike. Reconviction May 2020. rates have scarcely moved and the same army of ‘The Case for offenders trudge expensively a Royal Com- through courts, probation mission on offi ces and penal institutions. the Penal System’ The case for an authoritative published by overview is more pressing Waterside than ever. A Royal Commis- Press. Copies Sir Louis Blom-Cooper QC (left), former High Court Judge and a Lord Justice of Appeal Sir Henry Brooke, publisher of this report are available sion could, for a generation Bryan Gibson and Sean McConville, Professor of Law and Public Policy, Queen Mary School of Law, University of London. or more, provide a much from watersidepress.co.uk. Appeals Crime Prison Law The country’s leading experts in Unhappy with your solicitor? Transfer New Head of Prison Law - Jo Davidson ‹ cm ‹ serious, complex and high your case now. NJGD>D OJMN profile appeals. Legally Aided Services Fixed Fees (from £150.00) We have represented clients on some of the most We are leading defendant solicitors in:- Parole Guittard Application complex and high profile crime and appeals cases in recent years including: - Murder/Manslaughter EMAP Re-call Pre-tariff Review R v Barry George (Jill Dando case), Large scale multi-handed conspiracies including serious fraud, Re-cat Reviews R v Levi Bellfield (Milly Dowler case) murder, drugs, grooming, robbery, people trafficking, Adjudication Specialising in cases before the Court of Appeal Serious sexual offences including historic sexual offences Representation against return to and the CCRC. Sentence Calculation closed conditions Robbery POCA Serious assaults, torture HDC Years of experience in Proceeds of Crime Applications Registered with Gang crime including firearms offences, extortion, kidnap Transfers › › Dedicated prisoner hotline: 0161 833 9253 Manchester Office: 13 St John Street, Manchester, M3 4DQ Website: www.cmsolicitors.co.uk where lients atter Freephone: 0800 1 444 111 London Office: 15 Old Bailey, London, EC4M 7EF Video link: Nationwide service If you would like to contribute to Mailbag, please send your letters (including your name, number Insidetime February 2015 2 Mailbag and prison) to ‘Mailbag’, Inside Time, Botley Mills, Botley, Southampton, Hampshire SO30 2GB. www.insidetime.org Photocopying: Star Letter of the Month time extortionate prices inside Congratulations and a £25 cash prize for this month’s Star Letter. a voice for prisoners 1990 - 2015 ..................................................... the national newspaper for prisoners published by G STEVE KNIGHTS - HMP STOCKEN Inside Time Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of priate to do so.’ It seems that ‘special The New Bridge Foundation, founded in 1956 to ‘Fair trials have fallen measures’ are steps taken by the court to The governors here at HMP Stocken have create links between the offender and the community. reduce the fear and anxiety that might be taken to stopping all Rule 39 legal privilege Inside Time is wholly responsible for its editorial content. out of fashion’ experienced by witnesses who are in some photocopying being done within the sight of Comments or complaints should be directed to the ..................................................... way less than fully capable. These ‘special Managing Editor and not to New Bridge. the inmate on the wing photocopier and now measures’ include the removal of wigs and say the following - ‘All Rule 39 photocopying B GRANNON - HMP GARTH gowns; the screening of a witness from a © should be sent to your legal advisors for them sight of the accused; or the removal of a not Board of Directors to copy’. As a result, as a litigant in person, I In the November issue David Wells of ‘Wells profit Burcombe Solicitors’ asked whether ‘fair witness from the courtroom altogether. publication4 have to fi nd a solicitor and pay the minimum of around £50 plus postage in order to get my trials’ are still possible...? In the article he comments on the gradual loss of fairness in Under the Youth and Criminal Evidence Act Trevor Grove - Former Editor Sunday Telegraph, legal copying done. With the present case I the trial process during his twenty years 1999 (ss 16 & 17) some persons do not need Journalist, Writer and serving Magistrate. am fi ghting this is going to cost me around to make an application for protection. These John Carter - Former international healthcare £100-150 per month, which is never going to experience in criminal trials. He ends by persons are regarded as automatically company Vice-President. happen when I am on a ‘wage’ of £4 per week. saying: It is not possible to list everything - Former Governor, Belmarsh prison. eligible and they include children; persons Geoff Hughes Surely it is unhelpful to say the least to block that has undermined the golden thread of Eric McGraw - Former Director, New Bridge suffering mental disorder, persons suffering or slow down my ability to hold a prison to British justice, ‘innocent until proven guilty’. (1986-2002) and founder of Inside Time in 1990. signifi cant impairment of intelligence and account. I would like to know what NOMS Most defenders nowadays would feel that John D Roberts - Former Company Chairman and they must instead try and prove that they social functioning, persons with a physical Managing Director employing ex-offenders. have to say about this? Louise Shorter - Former producer, BBC Rough are innocent.’ disability or suffering from a physical Justice programme. disordered, and last but certainly not least, Alistair aH. E. Smith© B.Sc F.C.A.a - Chartered© Michael Wood In the Sunday Times on the 17th of August, the glaring anomaly: ‘a person who is the not not Accountant,profit Trustee and Treasurer,profit New Bridge HMP Stocken’s Governor Writes David Davies MP and former Shadow complainant in respect of a sexual offence Foundation.4 publication4 service Chancellor wrote: ‘The Attorney General and is witness in proceedings relating to should consider the way the police and CPS that offence.’ The complainant in a trial Where a prisoner is represented, the solicitors handle historical sex offences. The current dealing with a sexual offence is automati- or legal advisers will be required to copy approach started out well-intentioned but cally eligible for ‘special measures’ protec- The Editorial Team © papers on behalf of the prisoner. Where this a has become slapdash and has already tion, the same level of protection given to not above is not an option, or where a prisoner profit damaged a number of people’s reputations.’ children and disabled persons. organisation4 would prefer to use other facilities, the He adds this dire warning ‘If we are not following options are open: careful, one day soon it will lead to a The drama of the trial opens with the 1. A prisoner gives their papers to an offi cer, a wrongful conviction.’ accused in the dock under guard and his cash disbursement form must be submitted accuser hidden from his intimidating at the same time, all photocopying will be at Historic sex offences are the low-hanging presence under the protection of the court, the prisoners own expense. The offi cer will fruit for those whose livelihoods depend the same court that is now going to hold a arrange for them to be copied, this photo- upon increasing the conviction rates. Over ‘fair trial’. The adversaries are presented as Eric McGraw Rachel Billington OBE copying will be completed within the prisons the passage of time documents are ‘victim versus assailant’.