Robert Buckland QC “We know what works, we “It’s a chance to feel human, Parole changes: what know what the evidence says, to see the sky properly, to we know what to do. And smell the turf, it feels amaz- you need to know the National Newspaper for Prisoners & Detainees we’re getting on with it.” ing. It really picks me up.” The introduction of the New Prisons Minister Parkrun, a life changer Reconsideration Mechanism a voice for prisoners since Newsround // page 12 Comment // page 27 Information // page 31 July 2019 / Issue No. 241 / www.insidetime.org / A ‘not for profit’ publication/ ISSN 1743-7342 PPO PHONE CHANGES 39 / IS REHABILITATION WELCOMED? 21 / THE SECRETS OF DHL 29 An average of 60,000 copies distributed monthly Independently verified by the Audit Bureau of Circulations PRISONERS ‘TO GET THE VOTE’! 4 ● But only in © Alan Fogarasy - Wolverhampton Express & Star Wales; Prison wolves on Johnny knocks ● And only for a UK reservation ‘em out warm! those serving People driving into Wolverhampton, on the A449 Stafford Road, may have been a bit Champ boxer visits prison four years or less; confused to see six large paintings of wolves on the central reservation. The pictures were “Johnny walked into the ● And if only the the idea of a company called Eurovia who event and there was no ‘I’m were doing improvements to the road and they Senedd agrees. commissioned the pictures from prisoners at a celebrity’ bravado, he was © Deposit Photos nearby Oakwood. The paintings were created straight in with the crowd of by five prisoners through the learning and skills Inside Time report provided any deterrent from group leader Andrew RT department. When the pictures are removed prisoners having a chat, a committing crime, they wrote. Davies said the public would they will be auctioned to raise funds for Victim brew and a biscuit.” not support such a move. Support and mental health charity Mind. The Welsh Assembly's equal- The academics said prisoners ity committee is holding an should be given a postal vote “In my opinion giving those inquiry into voting rights for for assembly and local elections behind bars the opportunity prisoners. Dr Robert Jones in Wales, and this would be “a to vote would go down like a and Dr Greg Davies from Car- powerful demonstration of cup of cold sick with the ma- diff University's Wales Gov- [Wales’] commitment to the jority of the Welsh public,” ernance Centre told the promotion of human rights and said Mr Davies. committee that the loss of a democratic engagement”. vote was due to a sentencing But Plaid Cymru justice “lottery”. They said restoring spokesperson Leanne Wood voting rights would improve said giving prisoners voting Wales’ international standing. rights was “in the interests of upholding human rights and In their report, the academics the principles of democracy”. argued the loss of the vote was subject to a lottery, in Mark Day from the Prison Re- that the same offence may or Andrew RT Davies: “In form Trust was asked by La- may not result in jail time de- my opinion giving those bour AM John Griffiths how pending on a judge’s ruling. behind bars the opportu- “public opinion might be rec- They said out of 47 Council of nity to vote would go onciled” with giving prisoners Europe members, only the down like a cup of cold the vote “on the presumption UK, Armenia, Bulgaria, Esto- sick with the majority of that there might be a degree nia and Russia denied prison- the Welsh public.” of difference of opinion ers the vote. amongst the general public”. “It is our view that this would Giving the vote to those who enhance the international Mr Day said politicians had reside in Wales - rather than reputation of Wales and, at “an important role” in up- those in prison in Wales - the same time, help to miti- holding “fundamental rights”. would improve their reinte- gate the damage caused by gration and resettlement on the UK government's refusal “I think I'd also look at the release, according to the re- to comply with its legal obli- example of other countries, searchers. Removing the vote gation to implement adverse such as the Republic of Ire- had resulted in prisoners judgments of the ECHR [Euro- land, who did get rid of their being “forgotten and margin- pean Convention on Human own ban on prisoners voting alised by policy makers, pol- Rights],” they added. with very little public fuss, so iticians and the public at I think it can be done,” he said. large,” and there was no evi- Both UKIP's Gareth Bennett dence the loss of voting rights and former Conservative For more details see page 15 Write to: ENGLAND AND WALES IMPRISON • 13 St.John Street MANCHESTER M3 4DQ NEWS FLASH! MOST PEOPLE IN WESTERN EUROPE! 13 • 15 Old Bailey LONDON EC4M 7EF 2 Mailbag ‘Mailbag’, Inside Time, Botley Mills, Botley, Southampton SO30 2GB. Insidetime July 2019 insidetime Get the right people Warnings Mailbites a voice for prisoners since 1990 Charles Ferndale - HMP Long Lartin from Tampon madness the national newspaper for prisoners published by Inside Time Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of I would like to make a modest suggestion; it is that no one Probation L Burdett - HMP Swaleside should be made a Secretary of State in any field unless that The New Bridge Foundation, founded in 1956 to Name withheld - As most of you know, Swaleside is a category B create links between the offender and the community. person is formally well-educated in the relevant field and can MALE establishment. I emphasise the MALE bit demonstrate a high level of experience, knowledge and skill HMP Birmingham because now they are actually selling sanitary Inside Time is wholly responsible for its editorial in the field governed by the ministry to which he/she is being towels on the canteen list! Let’s look at this content. Comments or complaints should be appointed. I suspect that were these criteria followed then I have been recalled to directed to the publisher and not to New Bridge. logically, biologically everyone in the male most of the ministries would have to be vacated. prison for breaking my li- prison cannot ovulate. Even if they have Board of Directors cense conditions by getting 3 warnings. But, who checks undergone gender reassignment surgery they “My criterion is so rational that I wonder why it Trevor Grove Former Editor Sunday Telegraph, the warnings given out in are still incapable of ovulating. I just cannot Journalist, Writer and former Magistrate. seems so novel.” order to make sure that they get my head around this, when is this political Dr Peter Bennett Trustee, New Bridge are fair and just? correctness going to end? Foundation and former Governor of HMP Grendon Would we allow a newsagent to conduct open-heart surgery? Geoff Hughes Former Governor of HMP Belmarsh Would we allow a politician to do so? Is the expertise re- For example, one of my Smoking ban positives John D Roberts Former Company Chairman and quired to make the right decisions about whether or not to warnings was for misusing Managing Director employing former prisoners A prison librarian leave the EU any less specialised than that required to do medication. I’m on several Louise Shorter CEO Inside Justice and former I work as a librarian in a large prison in the producer BBC Rough Justice successful open-heart surgery? Would a rational person leave different forms of medica- Alistair H E Smith BSc FCA Chartered Accountant, such decisions to any of the contestants now masquerading tion for an illness. I asked North of England. I’ve read some of the Trustee and Treasurer, New Bridge Foundation as experts on the probable long- and short-term conse- Probation the name of the correspondence about the smoking ban and quences of leaving the EU? Would a rational person think drug that I was allegedly I’ve certainly noticed the improved condition The insideteam that a training in law would equip a person to make such a misusing? I was told that of library books now that their covers aren’t decision wisely? A training in law confers primarily a skill in Probation had received a shredded to use as roaches. But one of the how to evade legal consequences. It helps people to avoid re- confidential phone-call to best results from the ban was when I bumped sponsibility. It might be useful for spin-doctors, but not for say I was misusing my medi- into a former library orderly who had said responsible people. cation. They did not know - frequently - how he couldn’t wait to smoke a the name of the drug I was real cigarette on his release. Imagine my Had the standard of qualification for Ministers that I recom- supposedly misusing, nor surprise when I noticed him vaping, I asked Erwin James John Roberts Rachel mend been adopted years ago, then not only would most the amount, nor when. him what had happened to the ciggies, he Editor in Chief Publisher Billington OBE Ministers not have been appointed, but disastrous appoin- replied he’d bought a packet as soon as he and Director Associate Editor tees like Chris Grayling, would never have been made. Prime How is this fair? Since when could but found he no longer liked smoking Ministers who appoint people who are unlikely to be compe- were secret phone-calls from cigarettes, he said they tasted horrible. He tent, or known to be incompetent, should resign.