PAGES!68 Out with the old and in “Maybe I’m not this guy, “The more I can do in with the new. Inside maybe I can be someone else Scotland the better, I love it the National Newspaper for Prisoners & Detainees Time goes to Number 10! instead of who I’m pretend- up there.” LJ Flanders ing to be.” Michael Maisey a voice for prisoners since Comment // pages 32-33 Comment // page 25 Scottish Focus // page 26 August 2019 / Issue No. 242 / www.insidetime.org / A ‘not for profit’ publication/ ISSN 1743-7342 SCOTTISH PRISONS INSPECTOR 20 // PPO INTERVIEW 30 // NPR SURVEY INSIDE An average of 60,000 copies distributed monthly Independently verified by the Audit Bureau of Circulations NO MORE KIDS AT FELTHAM YOI Children’s Unit issued with ● Violent incidents Urgent Notification Protocol up by 45% since Jan 2019; ● 40% of children 54 said they had felt unsafe; Cut, style, sliding to success! ● Self-harm Once a prisoner, Mark Maciver (above) a.k.a. SliderCuts is now a celebrity barber, Insta- ‘tripled’ since last gram star and author. He has been cutting hair for 15 years, building up SliderCuts in inspection. Hackney into one of London’s best known barber shops. His famous clientele include boxer Anthony Joshua, NBA star LeBron James and musicians Stormzy and Tinie Tempah. Inside Time report concerning,” Argar said: “As by around 150% since Janu- an immediate response, and ary. Use of force by staff had STOP PRESS! NEW PRISONS MINISTER LUCY FRAZER 14 in addition to work already risen to very high levels: 74% Following the recent inspec- under way, we have taken the of children reported they had tion of the Children’s Unit at decision to stop placing young been physically restrained at Feltham A, HM Chief Inspec- people there temporarily to Feltham A and there had been tor of Prisons, Peter Clarke, provide space for staff to over 700 incidents in the last MICHAEL PURDON SOLICITOR said there has been an, “Ex- make improvements.” six months. Fewer than one in traordinary collapse in safety five children felt cared for by and care.” He said inspectors Feltham A had previously staff, less than half felt most SOMETIMES YOU JUST NEED AN found very high levels of vio- been subject to a full inspec- staff treated them with re- lence, between boys and tion in January 2019. The re- spect, and only 45% reported against staff, high use of staff port on that inspection, there was a member of staff EXPERT force, poor care, long periods published in early June 2019, they could turn to for help. of lock-up in cells and escalat- warned of deterioration in ing self-harm. He has now safety and care after a period PAROLE - RECALL invoked the Urgent Notifica- of drift. Mr Clarke also took tion Protocol, whereby the the unusual step, based on Justice Secretary has four intelligence from a number of PRE-TARIFF REVIEWS weeks to respond publicly sources about Feltham A, of with an action plan to im- announcing that the Inspec- prove the conditions. torate would return to the CAT A REVIEWS-TARIFF REVIEWS children’s unit in early July to Peter Clarke: “There inspect both Feltham A and clearly needs to be a new Feltham B, the linked prison approach.” for 18-21 year-olds. The Urgent NATIONWIDE SERVICE Notification only relates to A third of children said they Founding members, serving for 3 years as Feltham A, the Children’s were out of their cells for Unit. fewer than two hours during Chair and Deputy Chair of the Association the week; at the weekend this of Prison Lawyers Edward Argar: “Deeply As part of the notification, figure rose to nearly disappointing and Clarke told outgoing Justice three-quarters. “There clearly concerning.” Secretary David Gauke that needs to be a new approach,” CALL US: 0191 232 1006 the number of violent inci- said Clarke, “which looks Justice Minister Edward Argar dents had risen by 45% since fundamentally to change be- VISIT: purdonlaw.co.uk EMAIL: [email protected] MP then announced that no January 2019, though the haviour and goes beyond more children will be sent to number of children held had merely trying to contain vio- LONDON: 7 New Square, Lincolns Inn, Feltham for the time being. fallen. The number of assaults lence through ever more re- London, WC2C 3QS (BY APPOINTMENT ONLY) Describing the notification as against staff, some of which strictive security and “deeply disappointing and were very serious, had risen separation.” NEWCASTLE: Wards Buildings, 31-39 High Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE1 1EW NEWS FLASH! Capital punishment on post-Brexit agenda? 12 2 Mailbag ‘Mailbag’, Inside Time, Botley Mills, Botley, Southampton SO30 2GB. Insidetime August 2019 Red pill, or blue pill? insidetime Get a grip Mailbites a voice for prisoners since 1990 Ian Scott - HMP Rye Hill Barney Crawler - HMP Featherstone Swaleside plastics the national newspaper for prisoners published by In response to the Inside Time report (July issue) on offender In response to a letter from Louis Burdett - HMP Swaleside Inside Time Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of treatment programmes. Consider; allegedly you are ill and Grant Stanley, titled ‘Fiddler The New Bridge Foundation, founded in 1956 to require treatment. The ‘treatment’ offered has NO scientific In this prison the governors are directly going create links between the offender and the community. on the roof’ (June issue), he evidence that it is effective. It MAY work. However, there is against the Tory pledge to cut single-use tells us that a career crimi- evidence that it can make you worse. Would you take it? plastics. There are around 1200 prisoners here Inside Time is wholly responsible for its editorial nal with 50 convictions for and every Friday, Saturday and Sunday they content. Comments or complaints should be robbery, burglary, drug-re- There is a vast number of prisoners who, as a part of rehabili- give us 1 plastic-bag for meals and tea-packs. directed to the publisher and not to New Bridge. lated offences and, now, tation, are forced into ‘therapy/treatment’ as a condition So, times that by 3 and you get 3,600 plastic sexual offences (given the Board of Directors (objective) of their sentence-plan. The completion of offend- bags given out here per day. I believe prisons fact that he is in Whatton) ing behaviour programmes is crucial to a parole sentence should be setting an example and using Trevor Grove Former Editor Sunday Telegraph, found himself on the roof prisoner’s ability to progress, so as to be able to demonstrate paper-bags. I would love to hear what the Journalist, Writer and former Magistrate. causing thousands of to the Parole Board that he/she is suitable for release. It is not Environment Secretary has to say about this, Dr Peter Bennett Trustee, New Bridge pounds worth of damage - uncommon for completion of such courses to be regarded as because prison authorities are going against Foundation and former Governor of HMP Grendon all because ‘no one is listen- Geoff Hughes Former Governor of HMP Belmarsh a requirement for release. his pledge. Plastics affect every living thing on ing to his cries for help’. John D Roberts Former Company Chairman and this beautiful planet. We only have one planet, Managing Director employing former prisoners Rehabbing criminals is very big business. There is money to so it is up to all of us to look after it. This individual is clearly not Louise Shorter CEO Inside Justice and former be made. Serious money. Resulting in massive public ex- producer BBC Rough Justice worthy to be on the streets penditure on programmes and risk-assessment methods that Alistair H E Smith BSc FCA Chartered Accountant, and I believe that taxpayer’s Prison language are not effective, but which make some people a great deal of Trustee and Treasurer, New Bridge Foundation money is being put to good Bruce Child - HMP The Verne money. So, why worry about effectiveness when there’s use by keeping him in money to be made? There is one phrase that, for me, sums up the The insideteam prison. The public do not prison system - Incentives and Earned want the dangers posed by Treatment programmes are poorly evaluated. Professionals Privileges (IEP). When I first came into prison I this man with so many crim- have a vested interest in them: doing very well financially saw many notices, for example - ‘Feeding of inal offences. Did he ever with today’s miscegenation between law and psychology. pigeons will result in an IEP’, so I was made stop and think about the Notwithstanding the offending behaviour industry’s spurious aware that the breaking of any rule in prison cries of help from his vic- claims of treatment effect, the public are fooled into the pos- could be ‘rewarded’ by the issuing of an IEP. tims? This was no ‘embar- So, of course, I had to discover exactly what Erwin James John Roberts Rachel sibilities, desperate for answers to impossible ‘psycho’-questions. rassing lack of security’, it the letters of this punishment, IEP, stood for. It Editor in Chief Publisher Billington OBE was someone showing his Prisoners are unwillingly coerced into treatment and there is turns out that it stands for ‘Incentives and and Director Associate Editor true colours, no doubt it was strong evidence to show that it makes you worse. All to sat- Earned Privileges’! Such is the madness of because he got told ‘No’ isfy the Parole Board’s desire for risk-reduction.