Legal Aid Win for Prisoners
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Mrs Brown’s cons Weekend fun Thames River Police “With her welcoming smile “After every visit the “Many thieves responsible the National Newspaper for Prisoners & Detainees and generous nature she inmate would release the for unloading and moving a voice for prisoners since could be put in charge of the air from their partner and cargo” Substance Misuse Services” put her back into the box” May 2017 / Issue No. 215 / www.insidetime.org / A ‘not for profi t’ publication / ISSN 1743-7342 Mailbag // page 9 Comment // page 24 Comment // page 26 An average of 60,000 copies distributed monthly Independently verifi ed by the Audit Bureau of Circulations ‘Prison not for an obligation on prisons to punish prisoners. In a White Paper published last year, minis- ters claimed it was necessary “to go back to Legal aid win punishment’ the beginning and make sure that it is crystal clear what the prison system exists to deliver, Ministers have excluded any both to everyone who works in and with it mention of punishment from and to society beyond”. the fi rst legal defi nition of However, the resulting statutory purpose of for prisoners the purpose of prisons prisons set out in the Prisons and Courts Bill, currently before Parliament, makes no men- Inside Time report tion of punishment. Instead, it says: “Prisons Cuts to legal aid for people in prison must aim to protect the public, reform and Liz Truss, the Justice Secretary, is putting into rehabilitate off enders, prepare prisoners for ruled unlawful by Court of Appeal law for the fi rst time a prisons mission state- a life outside prison, and maintain an envi- ment to “make sure that it is crystal clear what ronment that is safe and secure.” the prison system exists to deliver”. But the “Common law came to the res- “Evidence about prison staffi ng levels, the legislation does not include any mention of Continued on page 27 cue of a marginalised and often current state of prisons, and the workload of forgotten sector of our society.” the Parole Board suggests that the system is Deborah Russo, Prisoners’ Advice under considerable pressure.” Heart stealers healing hearts Service Lord Justice Beatson delivering judgement Gertie and Tilda help ease the stresses and key problems for the Court of Inside Time report Appeal to consider and, in three strains for prisoners and their families of the fi ve, judges found the Government cuts to legal aid levels and more prisoners cuts to be inherently unfair. for prisoners, instigated by than ever before have called Chris Grayling in 2013 when the Howard League and PAS “This decision will make the he was Justice Secretary, were to seek help. Calls to the two public safer. It vindicates our ruled unlawful because they charities’ advice lines have concerns that cuts imposed by are inherently unfair, the Court increased by almost 50 per the former Lord Chancellor, of Appeal ruled last month. cent since the cuts were Chris Grayling, in 2013 present- The judgement came as a imposed. ed a grave risk that prisoners result of a challenge brought would become stuck in a bro- by the Prisoners’ Advice The legal challenge by the ken system,” said Frances Service (PAS) and the Howard Howard League and PAS Crook, Chief Executive of the League for Penal Reform. began in 2013. At that time, Howard League for Penal prisoners were completely Reform, adding, “This sends a The ruling is an important shut out from any possibility clear message that important step forward in making sure of getting legal aid for a wide decisions about prisoners can- that people in prison move range of problems. In the time not be made effi ciently or fairly through the system more safe- between then and the cases in the face of these cuts. We look ly and more effi ciently. Since coming before the Court of forward to hearing from the cuts to legal aid for prisoners Appeal in January and Lord Chancellor with her plans came into force in December February this year, the gov- to give eff ect to the judgment.” 2013, violence and self-injury ernment conceded on four “Keep calm and stroke me” 15 in prisons have risen to record areas of concern. This left fi ve Continued on pages 28-29 APPEALS CRIMINAL LAW PRISONER HOTLINE 0161 833 9253 Managing Director — Jeremy Moore Director & Head of Criminal Law —Ben Richardson The country’s leading experts in serious, Leading defendant solicitors in: PRISON LAW complex and high profile appeals. cm Head of Prison Law —Jo Davidson We have represented clients on some of the Murder/Manslaughter/Attempted Murder most complex and high profile crime and appeals Terrorism Fixed Fees (from £150.00) Legally Aided Services NJGD>D OJMN cases in recent years including: Guittard Application Parole Conspiracy Cases: Drugs, murder, grooming, robbery, Re-call R v Barry George (Jill Dando case), firearms, human trafficking & others Pre-tariff Review Adjudication R v Levi Bellfield (Milly Dowler case) Serious Assault & Torture Re-cat Reviews Sentence Calculation CONVICTED OF JOINT ENTERPRISE? Gang Crime: Firearm Offences, Extortion, Torture IPP/Lifer removal from Cat D The supreme court ruling in the case of R v Jogee could mean that you Serious Sexual Offences & Historic Sexual Offences Transfers now have grounds for appeal. Contact us urgently for our expert law- Robbery HDC yers to assess your case. where lients atter Freephone: 0800 1 444 111 Website: www.cmsolicitors.co.uk Video link: Nationwide Manchester Office: 13 St John Street, Manchester, M3 4DQ London Office: 15 Old Bailey, London, EC4M 2 Mailbag ‘Mailbag’, Inside Time, Botley Mills, Botley, Southampton SO30 2GB. Insidetime May 2017 More devilment insidetime Mailbites a voice for prisoners since 1990 Lee Walton - HMP Liverpool The way I feel the national newspaper for prisoners published by In reply to Cain Levi - HMP My name is Dominic Hewitt and I am trapped Inside Time Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Leyhill: ‘A Devil of a The New Bridge Foundation, founded in 1956 to in a system that has no end to my suffering Problem’ (April Issue) - I am create links between the offender and the because of IPP. Six-years over tariff, where community. not a Satanist, but I have, does it end? I feel broken. No justice here for however, read extracts from A not for profi t publication. me, no help, no one cares enough. I am one of Anton LaVey’s ‘Satanic 8,000 lost souls. I pray to my maker to help me Inside Time is wholly responsible for its editorial Bible’ and it is something I content. Comments or complaints should be in my suffering and show me that there is light directed to the publisher and not to New Bridge. would be interested in fi nd- at the end of this journey. Six-years of my life ing out more about - which ‘lost at sea’, no positivity, a distraught feeling Board of Directors may lead to me converting to has taken over my wellbeing. The sentence Satanism. handed down was three-years and sev- Trevor Grove Former Editor Sunday Telegraph, en-months - I have now served ten-years. Journalist, Writer and former Magistrate. “Please fi x our sunbeds!” But whilst I have been at Dr Peter Bennett Trustee, New Bridge D Hewitt - HMP Chelmsford Foundation and former Governor of HMP Grendon HMP Liverpool, my faith is Geoff Hughes Former Governor of HMP Belmarsh noted as being none. I have John D Roberts Former Company Chairman and It’s a hard life… enquired about what reli- Level playing field? Managing Director employing former prisoners gious services are held here, I am British born and bred, serving a 13-year Louise Shorter Former producer, BBC Rough Justice Phil Green - HMP Hull what religious books are sentence on which I will be released at the Alistair H E Smith BSc FCA Chartered Accountant, Trustee and Treasurer, New Bridge Foundation I wholeheartedly agree with the comments from other read- available and who can I halfway point, to serve the remainder on ers regarding the state of the nation’s prisons. It was only last speak to concerning these license under Probation. I was informed that The Editorial Team Monday that one of the tubes on B-wing’s sunbed blew, and faiths? I want to speak to the time on license is part of my sentence. My it took until Friday before it was replaced. Liberty! This clear- various people from diff er- question is, why do foreign nationals (who ly shows that staffi ng levels are at breaking point. ent belief systems. may have committed the exact same crime as me) get returned to their countries, with no It is canteen day today, and upon opening my olives, I was In reply to my queries, I was license conditions, at the halfway point of their horrifi ed to discover that they had mixed black olives with informed of what services sentence? I have witnessed foreign national the green olives. I have been in prison in Italy and Slovenia IPP’s and lifers sent home once they reach are held here and what days where this sort of behaviour would not be tolerated. I know their tariff, while UK-born prisoners are left to they are on, but there was Erwin James John Roberts Rachel we live in a modern society where equality comes fi rst, but rot in the system. I feel that British prisoners no reply to my query about Editor in Chief Publisher and Billington OBE this is political correctness gone mad. are being discriminated against for having speaking to someone from Director Associate Editor been born here.