“I’m not going to dump on Parole Board colleagues” Cash back Sacked parole chief tells the National Newspaper for Prisoners & Detainees Inside Time he expects in prison gig! a voice for prisoners since big changes to come Comment // page 20 from high profi le case May 2018 / Issue No. 227 / www.insidetime.org / A ‘not for profi t’ publication / ISSN 1743-7342 Nick Hardwick Inside Scotland! 28-29 An average of 60,000 copies distributed monthly Independently verifi ed by the Audit Bureau of Circulations Comment // page 18 Failure to disclose evidence ‘routine and deliberate’ l “If you don’t want the l Police “have been l “Offi cers put defence to see it, then it trained to put items undermining goes on the MG6D” - on there [MG6D] that material on the a list of sensitive unused they do not want MG6D list to material which the defence disclosed to the de- hide it.” doesn’t have access to. fence.” Chief Inspector Prosecutor 31 Inside Time report material that might undermine their case avail- able to the defence. From prison cell to city high fl yer The scandal over important information which The fi le draws on the reports of 14 focus groups “A black guy wearing a suit, who isn’t talking about drug dealing might undermine prosecutions being deliber- with the police, and others with prosecutors or the road but business and education - that’s powerful.” Egerton ately hidden from defendants hit the news and judges, as well as a survey of prosecutors. again last month as new information pointed The comments in the dossier include one pros- to institutionalised failings around disclosure. ecutor saying: “In even quite serious cases, offi cers have admitted to deliberately withhold- According to The Times the failure by police ing sensitive material from us and they fre- and prosecutors to disclose vital evidence in quently approach us only a week before trial. MICHAEL PURDON SOLICITOR criminal cases to the defence is routine and Offi cers are reluctant to investigate a defence deliberate. They say a dossier reveals a com- or take statements that might assist the defence monly held view that the defence is not entitled or undermine our case.” SOMETIMES YOU JUST NEED AN to see all the evidence and discloses tactics used to avoid its disclosure, with police in at least one force trained in avoiding making Continued on page 10 EXPERT NEWS FLASH! Police U-turn on historic sex-crime allegations 12 PAROLE - RECALL PRE-TARIFF REVIEWS CAT A REVIEWS - TARIFF REVIEW NATIONWIDE SERVICE Founding members, serving for 3 years as Chair and Deputy Chair of the Association of Prison Lawyers purdonlaw.co.uk [email protected] Is this success I see before me? 16 CALL US: 0191 232 1006 VISIT: EMAIL: LONDON: 7 New Square, Lincolns Inn, London, WC2C 3QS Full house better than Big House (BY APPOINTMENT ONLY) Michael Balogun shares with Rachel Billington his NEWCASTLE: Wards Buildings, 31-39 High Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne, transformation from prisoner to acclaimed actor Tyne and Wear, NE1 1EW 2 Mailbag ‘Mailbag’, Inside Time, Botley Mills, Botley, Southampton SO30 2GB. Insidetime May 2018 insidetime Star Letter of the Month Just a thought Mailbites a voice for prisoners since 1990 Congratulations to this months winner who receives Dominic Martello - our £25 prize HMP Isle of Wight LGBT support the national newspaper for prisoners published by Rob McGovern - HMP Risley Inside Time Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of The New Bridge Foundation, founded in 1956 to How many of us have taken a I would like to reach out to LGBT groups in create links between the offender and the Education is the key motor to a mechanic only to prisons across the country and ask for their community. raise our eyebrows at his Craig Friend - HMP Highdown help in establishing a wider support network. A not for profi t publication. rationale? You and I both Our group here at Risley is still in its early days believe that he is more likely and I know there are prisons with longer Inside Time is wholly responsible for its editorial Education is a huge part of rehabilitation, according to the to be extorting the life out of established LGBT communities. By working content. Comments or complaints should be Prison Service, and I agree. Not only does it give you basic directed to the publisher and not to New Bridge. us, with the aim of searching together across prisons, we can share ideas, skills, confi dence and belief, it inspires people to educate for a problem which is not improve or establish new support groups Board of Directors themselves further. In my case, horticulture. yet present. where needed. I remember reading a mailbag in the Oct/Nov issue from someone with a Trevor Grove Former Editor Sunday Telegraph, When I entered education at HMP IoW, I was very troubled, a A programme facilitator told similar request. If that person or anyone else is Journalist, Writer and former Magistrate. mess both physically and mentally. I struggled, but the tutors me that their professional interested, could you write to me then we can Dr Peter Bennett Trustee, New Bridge stuck with me and helped me through. They helped me fi nd belief application, which they get the ball rolling. Foundation and former Governor of HMP Grendon Geoff Hughes Former Governor of HMP Belmarsh myself as a person again. I managed to complete every edu- had relied on for some years, John D Roberts Former Company Chairman and cational course available to me before becoming a classroom is now up for challenge, due Epi-pen twaddle Managing Director employing former prisoners assistant. This was a challenge for me, one which I relished to the fact that some courses Name withheld - HMP Wymott Louise Shorter Former producer, BBC Rough Justice every single day. were ineff ective. Alistair H E Smith BSc FCA Chartered Accountant, In the April issue of Inside Time, I really have to Trustee and Treasurer, New Bridge Foundation So, back to our criminal comment on the reply from HMPPS, because it is absolute twaddle. The only place you are “Not only did they help me, even the bosses mechanic; is it a matter of not allowed an epi-pen in possession is at the The Editorial Team within the department supported me too. They him wanting to extort or was G4S-run Altcourse as it is one of their strange it him being overly ignorant? are all well and truly above and beyond anything policies. At Wymott, Hull, Northumberland, Garth, Preston, etc, you are allowed epi-pens I have experienced in my time in prison.” Whatever the rationale may in possession. be, the simple question for Around September last year I started to lose my battle men- me is when does the MoJ tally again, worse than when I fi rst arrived. I can’t thank start to fi nd experts with Bluetooth revisited them enough for how great their support was, because if it Name withheld - HMP Armley Erwin James John Roberts Rachel diverse cultural awareness? Editor in Chief Publisher and Billington OBE wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be here today. My family and Let me be a little more explic- I write regarding the letter concerning Director Associate Editor friends were great too but weren’t able to see me every day it, when does the MoJ diver- Bluetooth in the April issue. I read with great and could only do so much. But the education department sify its personnel and its interest the reply from HMPPS, but I am Commercial took me by surprise. It was not what I expected at all. beliefs so that they can bet- somewhat confused as ALL suppliers I have Manager ter understand and develop checked, and had family and friends check, David Roberts If I can give advice to anyone within these walls it would be - the individuals in their care, seem to sell Bluetooth-enabled stereos only. Head of Don’t suff er in silence, people are there for you, even if you or is it their view that prison- Could you, by any chance, publish a list of Administration don’t expect it. ers should be extorted? stereos available that do not contain Bluetooth Justine Best facilities? This would prove what we are saying. Noel Smith Paul Sullivan Layout & Design Editorial note Commissioning Reporter Colin Matthews Editor We plan to investigate this in a future issue. Website Design and Advertising Gary Bultitude Mailbag links Correspondence Rob McPhillips - HMP Stafford I have noticed that you link items in the paper General: Inside Time Botley Mills, Botley, to articles further on in the issue, but I do not Southampton, Hampshire SO30 2GB. Accounts & Admin: Inside Time, PO Box 251, recall ever seeing a mailbag linked to a later Hedge End, Hampshire SO30 4XJ. article. I mention this because there was a Telephone: 01489 795945 mailbag in the March issue on page 2, from S Email: [email protected] Kelly titled ‘Change of mind on smoking ban’, Web: www.insidetime.org and there was an article about the same Facebook: InsideTime subject on page 37, titled ‘Smoking ban all Twitter: @InsideTimeUK legal challenges rejected’. I think linking mailbags to articles could aid clarity for readers. Subscribe Inside Time is distributed free of charge throughout the UK prison estate. It is available to other readers via a postal subscription service. 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