Junior New Prisons and Probation “It’s everyone’s responsibility “The sense of community chief Jo Farrar: “The thing to contribute to the society at the Parkrun is fantastic.” the National Newspaper for Prisoners & Detainees I have to focus on most of that they live in.” Downview prison governor all is safety.” Junior Smart runs the run a voice for prisoners since Comment // page 22 Comment // page 28 Comment // page 24 February 2020 / Issue No. 248 / www.insidetime.org / A ‘not for profit’ publication/ ISSN 1743-7342 Your Valentine’s messages 46 // Keeping Safe supplement // 2020 Koestler entry form inside An average of 60,000 copies distributed monthly Independently verified by the Audit Bureau of Circulations CHANGING THE GAME X-ray body scanners to be installed in sixteen prisons produce instant images from inside the human Equipment being funded by body and can reveal internally concealed con- Government’s £2.75 billion com- traband, including drugs, mobile phones and mitment to transform the prison weapons. The cutting-edge technology will be L-R: Kath Pengilley, Amy-Louise Gaines, Phoenix Griffin, Dalton Harrison and Lily Luty 19 estate, including: installed first at local jails with high volumes of remand prisoners. The £28 million that will l £100 million to bolster prison se- pay for X-ray scanners across the estate is ‘We love our hostel!’ curity, clamping down on the being funded from the Government’s £100 weapons, drugs and mobile million package to boost security. The invest- Approved premises so good that former phones; ment will fund new measures to tackle drugs residents put on play to raise funds for day trips and violence in prisons, including X-ray bag- l £2.5 billion to provide 10,000 gage scanners and metal-detection equipment, additional prison places and create phone-blocking technology and a new digital NEWS FLASH! WRONGFULLY IMPRISONED MAN AWARDED £100,000 12 modern, efficient jails that rehabil- forensics facility. itate and reduce reoffending; HMP Leeds Governor Steve Robson, which l £156 million to tackle the most already has an X-ray scanner, said: “The scan- pressing maintenance issues to cre- ner has been a real game changer. In the year ate safe and decent conditions. it has been in operation, it has found over 300 items of contraband, with prisoners finding drugs harder to come by at Leeds.” Inside Time report Prisons and Probation Minister Lucy Frazer QC Tough new security measures will be intro- MP said: “New technology is a vital part of our duced at 16 of the most challenging jails – a efforts to stop those determined to wreak major part of the Government’s crackdown on havoc in our jails. These scanners will help to crime behind bars. The prisons receiving scan- stem the flow of contraband into jails and ners are HMPs Exeter, Durham, Preston, Liv- allow officers to focus on rehabilitation. We’re erpool, Birmingham, Hewell, Lincoln, Bedford, investing £2.75 billion to transform our pris- Norwich, Chelmsford, Winchester, Elmley, ons, creating 10,000 additional modern places, Pentonville, Wandsworth, Bristol and and stepping up security to cut crime and bet- Cardiff. ter protect the public.” Innovative new X-ray body scanners, devel- oped specifically for the Prison Service, will Continued on page 14 ‘A national scandal’ Charity calls for action on deaths in prison Inside Time report “This report exposes indefen- long-standing failures” in the sible levels of neglect and de- prison system said the char- Deaths in UK prisons have spair in prison.” Inquest said ity, adding there are “histori- reached “shocking and unac- that Prime Minister Boris cally high levels of deaths in ceptable” levels according to Johnson should make “a sub- custody”. Referring to figures the charity Inquest. Their re- stantial reduction in the from the Ministry of Justice, it port released last month prison population” and invest says 308 people died behind showed that up to six people instead in health and commu- bars in the 12 months to Sep- die behind bars every week. nity-based alternatives to jail. tember 2019. Branding the findings “a na- tional scandal” Inquest’s Di- Analysis of official statistics See Keeping Safe rector Deborah Coles said: shows “dangerous, supplement inside 2 Mailbag ‘Mailbag’, Inside Time, Botley Mills, Botley, Southampton SO30 2GB. Insidetime February 2020 insidetime Inside pain Take Mailbites a voice for prisoners since 1990 JP - HMP Northumberland responsibility It’s only just begun the national newspaper for prisoners published Ian Scott - HMP Grendon Vern McVerne Face - HMP The Verne by Inside Time Limited, a wholly owned I’m sure that like most inmates we all have someone we love subsidiary of The New Bridge Foundation, and care about out in the community. For me it’s my childhood A letter in last month’s issue Who would have thought the Conservatives founded in 1956 to create links between the sweetheart TD and our two daughters. Like most of us, not a caught my eye. Titled ‘Prison would have such a large majority, Trump offender and the community PUBLISHED day goes by when they are not in my mind from dawn to dusk. is a killer’ by L Gleeson of would give the order to kill a high ranked WEEKLY ONLINE AND MONTHLY IN PRINT My sentence means that when I get out the girls will be 18 and HMP Armley. He tells us how Iranian, Harry and Megan are thinking of 23, but at the moment they are only babies. Every day I wish I the government are the real could take back my actions that put me in here in the first place. moving to Canada, climate change has Board of Directors criminals and informs us that become the biggest risk to life on earth, and since tobacco was banned 2020 has only just begun? What will the rest of Trevor Grove - Chairman Former Editor Sunday All the time my amazing wife pushed me in the right direc- every prison is flooded with 2020 bring? I believe 2020 will be one of those Telegraph, Journalist, Writer and former Magistrate. tions and encouraged me to always be myself and go further. Spice and people ‘go under’ significant years that stands out. There could Dr Peter Bennett Trustee, New Bridge Forgive me, bubby, you have always brought the light that because they have to smoke Foundation and former Governor of HMP Grendon keeps me going and when I am at my lowest you bring me up. it undiluted by tobacco. be a big shock to the justice system, the royal John D Roberts Company Director employing I miss you so much, that amazing smile, and I hope that I can family will have an even rockier year than last former prisoners somehow fix what I have done. I’ll be waiting for you. All my I say - Get a grip, man! Every year, and some people will make a lot of money Louise Shorter CEO Inside Justice and former love, always and forever. public building has banned out of Brexit while others lose everything. producer BBC Rough Justice Alistair H E Smith BSc FCA Chartered Accountant, smoking, NHS buildings, 2020 is sure to be an interesting year! Trustee and Treasurer, New Bridge Foundation Life-changing DART council buildings, court Phil Wheatley Former Director General of Prison buildings, etc, but you don’t Service. Ken Brown - HMP Holme House see the people working in Courses: are they any good? them turning to Spice for Barney Crawler - HMP Featherstone I would like to say a big thank-you to the Drugs Alcohol Re- The insideteam convenience. Yes, these peo- I recently posed a relevant question to the covery Team (DART) for all the work they do. I’m based on ple can buy tobacco but by Ministry of Justice in relation to the Resolve HB1 where the DART office is, and I get to see them all the your own admission, you course. The question I posed, in layman’s time and witness just how much work they do to help us. have been in and out of terms, was - Is there any proven/validated prison since you were 17 and evidence that Resolve is effective for violent The government needs to open its eyes because there ARE claim to have learned noth- people changing lives. You don’t have to be on drugs to see ing in prison, only how to offenders? The answer I received, in short, is ‘NO, but we are looking into what method to John Roberts them, sometimes you can be just having a shit day. There is commit more crime. Stop Publisher no putting an app in and having to wait weeks, they are blaming your failure on oth- use to test it’. So, my next question would be and Director along to see you the same or the very next day and every one ers. No one puts a gun to - Is it professionally ethical to recommend of them make time for you. your head and tells you to (coerce) prisoners to undertake such interven- smoke Spice, it is self-in- tions to ‘reduce their risk’ when there is no So, if you have a drug or alcohol problem, or any kind of sub- flicted, and if you do ‘go high quality (validated) evidence that it will do stance misuse, work with DART. Go to the groups and get under’ that’s tough luck. so? The answer to that is also ‘NO’. support because they are here to help you. I’ve been drug- Some people leave prison free for 2 years all down to DART teamwork.