“Why not call yourselves ‘Freebirds’? You were Jailbirds but soon you’ll all be free”

the National Newspaper for Prisoners & Detainees a voice for prisoners since 1990 July 2016 / Issue No. 205 / www.insidetime.org / A ‘not for profit’ publication / ISSN 1743-7342 An average of 60,000 copies distributed monthly Independently verified by the Audit Bureau of Circulations

IPP families march on Parliament 4,000 IPP prisoners remain in ‘overcrowded slum’ prisons as the Parole Board is too afraid to order release says former Justice Secretary Ken Clarke

Russell Brand addressing the contestants of the ‘Pitch Perfect’ programme John Roberts reports

Comment // page 19

“Wow, it felt like he’d hit me with a sledgehammer. Tears welled up in my eyes. I felt like scum. I was totally devastated and completely shocked” John Chapman and Restorative Justice

Comment // page 23

Post-Incarceration Syndrome: How the system makes sure life means life The Secret Criminologist

Comment // page 27

“The UK’s decision to leave the European Union should not derail the government’s commitment to a prison reform agenda” do know is that both the Prime Minister and the Justice Secretary have made a strong commitment to reform prisons, our least visible most neglected public service, and plans are being drawn up right now for new policy and legislation. One thing is clear, that if there is to be even less money available then the only way to afford reform is to make sure that prison is used only as a last resort and for the shortest possible time given the crime.”

June 23rd 2016 - Brexit Day Outgoing Director of the Prison Reform Trust Juliet Lyon said that it was too early to tell just how the leave vote and David Cameron’s resignation as Prime Minister last month will affect prison reform. She told Inside Time: “What we

Frances Crook, Chief Executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, was less optimistic. She told us: “If one thing is clear for the world of prisons, it is that Michael Gove’s reform agenda must now be in doubt, as it is unlikely that he will remain Justice Secretary in a new administration. Even if he did stay at the Ministry of Justice, it seems likely that the government will be in a state of political paralysis well into next year and much energy will be diverted into negotiations with the European Union.”

Sometimes you just need an expert.............

Michael Purdon Solicitor PAROLE AND RECALL DISTRICT JUDGE ADJUDICATIONS POLICE INTERVIEWS CRIME AND CROWN COURTS COLD CASE AND HISTORIC ALLEGATIONS CRIMINAL APPEALS AND SOPO REVIEWS IPP CHALLENGES Paul Sullivan Just days after over 200 friends and families of IPP prisoners marched on Parliament to lobby for the release of their loved ones, former Justice Secretary Ken Clarke said it was ‘absurd’ that 80% of prisoners serving IPP sentences were way beyond their original tariffs and called for the Parole Board to have more power to free them.

The friends and families of IPP prisoners gathered outside the Houses of Parliament to demonstrate against what they say is a hugely unfair and inhumane sentence, and to lobby their MPs. They came from all parts of the country; England, Wales and even Scotland with a sense of real anger about how their partners, brothers, sons and fathers were being treated and ranged from mums with young children to elderly people,

some needing assistance. The sentence was the brainchild of former Labour Justice Minister David Blunkett, who has since apologised for introducing the sentence in 2003, which often gave a prisoner a short tariff but made it incumbent upon them to prove they were no longer a risk before being released. Continued on page 16

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the national newspaper for prisoners published by Inside Time Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of The New Bridge Foundation, founded in 1956 to create links between the offender and the community. A not for profit publication. Inside Time is wholly responsible for its editorial content. Comments or complaints should be directed to the publisher and not to New Bridge.

Board of Directors Trevor Grove Former Editor Sunday Telegraph, Journalist, Writer and serving Magistrate. Dr Peter Bennett Trustee, New Bridge Foundation and former Governor of HMP Grendon Geoff Hughes Former Governor of HMP Belmarsh John D Roberts Former Company Chairman and Managing Director employing former prisoners Louise Shorter Former producer, BBC Rough Justice Alistair H E Smith BSc FCA Chartered Accountant, Trustee and Treasurer, New Bridge Foundation

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Smoking ban a shambles

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Insidetime July 2016

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Internal Restorative Justice

Vape Kid - HMP Dartmoor

Name Supplied - HMP Rye Hill Internal Restorative Justice has been trialled at Rye Hill for the last few months, as a way of sorting out disputes, confronting bullying behaviour and reducing violence.

searching I sought a solution through the internal restorative justice.

There is no doubt that prison is a tough environment for us all. Whatever crimes we have committed, we would definitely not have chosen to be in prison. In this environment, petty squabbles can become major disagreements and, rather than sort it out, the feelings can become a running sore that can eat away at you. In my case, I simply could not understand why the other prisoner had wronged me, but his initial actions had been used by others for over a year in the nonsensical game of primary school playground tittle-tattle that is so much a part of prison life. After much soul

cm

“The ‘harmer’ was genuinely shocked when he realised the extent of my upset and said he had no idea just how much hurt his actions had caused” For it to work, the two people involved - one who has been ‘harmed’ and the person who has done the ‘harm’ - need to agree to a face-to-face get together. I admit I was really apprehensive prior to the meeting, but was greatly reassured by the two facilitators - one a prison officer from my wing, trained in restorative justice, and the other was a member of the psychology department that runs the programme. The ‘harmer’ spoke first and, having been told before the

meeting exactly what the issue was, he immediately apologised for what he had done. I then had a chance to explain how I had been affected. The ‘harmer’ was genuinely shocked when he realised the extent of my upset and said he had no idea just how much hurt his actions had caused. We talked the issue through and at the end we shook hands, and I am very hopeful that the situation is now resolved. Having been a little bit dubious about whether this scheme would work, I can now say how much better it has made me feel. If you have had a row with someone or believe that a prisoner, or a member of staff, has treated you unfairly, then you should give it a try.

My victim shook my hand and I broke down in tears page 23

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With lockdowns and slow distribution of medical notifications many prisoners missed their smoking cessations for nicotine replacement, adding to the frustrations of the prisoners forced to stop smoking. Some prisoners are still waiting for their first session two weeks after the ban has come into force. As a user of vaporisers before coming to prison, I find that the e-cigs available on the canteen are a poor substitute. The cost of using the equivalent in e-cigarettes and nicotine replacement products is at least three times as much compared with smoking. I am not totally against the ban, but with this poor implementation the organisers of this ban should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves for their piss-poor planning.

Available in 98% of UK prisons.

Sentence Calculation

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With these cell-checks and the increased need for medical attention, compliant prisoners had to suffer longer periods of bang-up and lost association. A lot of uncompliant prisoners have been transferred which means that prisoners awaiting progressive and more legitimate transfers have been pushed to the back of the queue.

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As tobacco became scarcer the amount of prisoners collapsing from smoking stronger Spice joints (because there is no tobacco to mix it with) increased dramatically. Increased cell-checks to try to find the distributors resulted. This problem should have been anticipated and done a lot sooner. It is a wonder that no one died, yet!

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We have represented clients on some of the most complex and high profile crime and appeals cases in recent years including: R v Barry George (Jill Dando case),

I am completely frustrated with the way in which the smoking ban at Dartmoor has been introduced. The information leaflets/booklets distributed to prisoners had the wrong days/ dates in them. Tobacco products were removed from the canteen earlier than the date we were given. A deliberate attempt to reduce the amount left in the system? The notification of what to do with excess tobacco products was not distributed until after the ban.

atter

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Mailbites ‘Thank you for your support’ Recently my wife became very ill and had to be taken to hospital, where she stayed for over 4 weeks. She had pneumonia and another infection and it was the hardest time me and the family have had to go through since I came into prison. I am very close to my wife, 3 children and the rest of our family. So we would all like to take this opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to all the staff here at Altcourse who supported us through these difficult times and have gone above and beyond their normal duties to support me and my family. Also a big thank you to Emily, our lawyer, MUMU, and everyone else who was kind enough to help our family through these hard times. A grateful prisoner and his family.

Healthcare services in prison

Why only six prisons?

Name supplied - HMP Wandsworth

Name Withheld - HMP Ashfield

Whilst we are in prison we are supposed to be able to access the same medical treatment provided by the NHS and have the same waiting times as people on the outside. But, what do you do if the prison you are being held in does not have the services you need?

Listening to the news in May I was drawn to the lead story about prison reform being in the Queen’s Speech. The basics of the story was a bill to give prison governors ‘unprecedented’ new powers. It is billed as the biggest shakeup of the Prison Service since Victorian times.

For example, I have long-term back problems caused by an accident, and I need to see a physiotherapist but I cannot access one because that service is not available in this prison. But suppose I was able and willing to pay for a private healthcare service like a physio? Would the prison take me for an appointment, or allow them to come into the prison? Can I have private health cover with, say, BUPA, whilst in prison? Is this possible? Editorial note In theory you could pay for your own physiotherapist but you would have to also cover the cost of prison staff involved in your treatment. If you need to see a physio then prison healthcare should arrange an appointment for you. If this does not happen then you should use the formal complaints procedure.

National Prisoners Council

Wayne Sowerby HMP North Sea Camp

It went on to say that 6 prisons will get control over budgets and daily regimes. David Cameron even goes on to say that the changes would ‘extend life changes for all’. I have been in prison for seven years and the prison system has steadily declined over that time, so any reform is more than welcome. However, if these reforms are so good for all, why is it only being offered in 6 prisons out of 137? All prisons already have different regimes and even though governors have guidelines that they have to follow they still change what they want to suit the running of their prison. As for managing their own budgets, prison budgets are now so tight they struggle to even cover the basics. So, if governors are to be allowed to manage their own budgets does this mean that they can expect an increase in budgets to achieve the desired results? I think not. Any reform within a failing prison system is more than welcome, but if it is half-hearted then sadly it will be doomed before it begins. So come on Cameron, put your hand in your pocket and give governors the extra money needed for reform, and give ALL prisons a chance, not just 6 of them.

Name supplied HMP Altcourse

Thank you for publishing my announcement regarding the forming of the National Prisoners Council in your April issue. I have received a surprising and overwhelming response from both prisoners and organisations from across the UK, and it would appear that the forming of the National Prisoners Council is to be well received. I would like to thank all those who responded and assure everybody that I will be replying to each and every individual letter personally. Big thanks to Inside Time for giving all prisoners a voice.

Mailbag 3

‘Mailbag’, Inside Time, Botley Mills, Botley, Southampton SO30 2GB.

Insidetime July 2016

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Barking mad?

No support

Dean ward - HMP Leeds

Jason Butler - HMP Norwich

I was reading the Star Letter in the May Issue (‘Why can’t I have a dog’) and found it very interesting. Then I was recently watching a programme on television about Australian prisons where inmates look after and train guide dogs for the blind. The prisoners have the dogs for between 18 months and 2 years until they are no longer puppies but fully trained guide-dogs. This is all done with the full cooperation of the relevant bodies and charities. So, why could we not have a scheme like this in UK prisons? There could be a designated prison for it, with lifers and long-termers doing the training. If it can be done in Australian prisons then why not here? It would give prisoners a definite sense of responsibility and achievement and let them give something back to the community. It’s just an idea, so I hope you don’t think I’m barking mad. Editorial note Inside Time is investigating how and where animals are used in prisons. Watch out for an article on the subject in a forthcoming issue.

Janine Doolan - KWP Solicitors Prison Law Supervisor and Crime Consultant

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Former president of the Prison Governors Association Eoin McLennan-Murray page 22

I write about the letter in May’s issue by Mr Keith Mileham (Autism in custody). I am autistic and find it extremely hard to socialise with other people. I receive more support from fellow inmates than I do from any of the staff here. The trouble is that staff have no training in how to deal with autistic prisoners so they assume that all prisoners with autism are extremely clever and have issues with OCD. A lazy diagnosis which is not true. The mental health team in this prison

Mailbag

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Page 8

“I am now expected to serve life in prison for breaking a sink” Jeff Marsh

Newsround

Page 12

16-28

Comment

Page 25

“The only rights you have are the ones I decide to give you”

Information

Page 31 Legal

Page 39

10-15

“He is also claiming for hurt feelings because prison staff called him ‘Marble Man’”

29-37

The benefits of quitting & the best way to overcome the challenges while serving a sentence 38-43 “I wake up every morning scared of what the day may hold” James Ward

Jailbreak

44-56

Page 46

“This is a good sign for Frankfurt and it has filled me with a lot of confidence”

offer no support at all. I’m supposed to have weekly visits with them but I’ve been here 9 weeks and only seen them 5 times. Even when I do see them it’s like they are not really interested. They ask if I’m ok and then just disappear instead of trying to engage and find out what is really going on. Suicide is the number one killer of people with autism, due to depression, so basically from lack of support. I hope this gets through to those in charge - we need at least one doctor or member of staff who has been trained in dealing with the autistic on each wing. Is this too much to ask?

‘Feeling seriously violated after strip-search’ OJ - HMP Huntercombe I was asked by staff, during a strip-search for an outside hospital appointment, to hand him my underwear. I was a bit taken aback at this request, even in Category B prisons this is not done. We are usually asked to drop underwear to the knees, but no member of staff has ever asked me to hand over my underwear to them and then turn around. I feel seriously violated. Please can someone tell me the strip-search procedure as it should officially be conducted under PSI or PSO. Editorial note The procedures for strip searches, now called ‘Full Searches’ are set out within PSI 2011-067. Its annexes set out the full procedures for rub

down and full searches. Full searches are now very rare and risk assessed in female prisons and in child and young persons’ establishments they have been all but banned because of their previous excessive use. For male prisoners these searches are common, for example before cell searches, after visits and before and after prison transfers. The frequency may depend upon the category of prison. The annexes to PSI 2011-67 sets out the precise procedure for a male Full Search which is also reproduced in our Inside Information guidebook 2015/16 Section 9 page 24, which is available in all prison libraries.

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Insidetime July 2016

NOMS and DHL equals ‘exploiters of the disadvantaged’ Name supplied - HMP Wakefield Last year I became concerned at the difference in prices between the Duracell D batteries on sale by DHL on the canteen list and identical batteries on sale in the Argos catalogue. Of course, because DHL were selling the batteries I was not allowed to buy them from Argos. Under the Freedom of Information Act, I asked the Ministry at what price had DHL purchased the batteries. After repeated refusals to provide this data, the Information Commissioner eventually ordered them to disclose this information. © prisonimage.org

Impossible regime? Simon Tillotson - HMP Leeds We are supposed to be unlocked at 7.30am in order to collect medication and for movements to the work area by 8am. Due to a lack of staff we are often not unlocked until 7.45 or 7.50. Last week we were not unlocked until 7.55! Once unlocked I went straight to join the long queue for morning medication. Whilst waiting for my meds, the last call for workshops was sounded. This left me with an impossible choice - leave my meds, which is not really an option, or collect my meds and risk missing movements to work, which would result in a ‘refusal to work’ and being placed on Basic regime. I chose to collect my meds as my health is more important to me. So, inevitably, I was placed on Basic regime for ‘refusal to work’. Where’s the fairness or justice in that? How

ridiculous it is to implement a regime that is almost impossible to comply with. Also, I had an IEP review and my time on Basic was extended for a further 14 days. This is because when I was initially placed on Basic the staff did not come to my cell and take the television. How can that be my fault? I have a cell-mate who is on Standard regime, so he is being punished yet has done nothing wrong. Editorial note The problems with regime ‘Meds’ and work should be progressed through the internal formal complaints procedure. Any prisoner on Standard regime is entitled to keep the TV. If the TV has been removed from the cell of a Standard regime prisoner because he or she is forced to share a cell with a Basic regime prisoner this also should be addressed through the internal formal complaints procedure. Prisoners placed on Basic regime who have TVs removed should ensure they are not still being charged for them.

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“It does explain why the MoJ refuses to allow prisoners to purchase from Argos, or other suppliers, items sold by DHL on the canteen list” The facts are that batteries on sale by DHL for £3.49 were purchased by DHL for £1.67, making a profit margin of £1.82 - a mark-up of 110%! As is the case on all items sold by DHL all the profit goes to the MoJ and is, supposedly, used to cover the cost of providing the canteen service. Unsurprisingly, the MoJ makes a gross profit from providing this service. It may not be the case that all items turn such an obscene profit, but it does explain why the MoJ refuses to allow prisoners to purchase from Argos, or other suppliers, items sold by DHL on the canteen list. Fireproof duvets, bed-linen and towels are placed on the canteen lists because of the profits that can be made. A profiteer is described as one who takes advantage of another; an exploiter of the disadvantaged.

NOMS

Writes

Although the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) no longer sells the Duracell D Battery, at the time of your request, the cost charged to NOMS by the provider, DHL, of a two-pack of these batteries, including VAT, was £1.67. Batteries were sold to prisoners at a cost of £3.49 including VAT, making the margin £1.82. The provider, DHL, does not derive any profit from the sales of products. The margin made from the difference between the selling price and cost price remains with NOMS and covers the cost of providing the prison canteen service. You may recall that we have already responded to the issue about health and safety in our letter of 10 June 2015. The practice of splitting batteries no longer takes place. NOMS were aware of this practice previously. You can also find more information by reading the full text of the FOIA, at www.legislation.aov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/43

Mailbites Another blackmarket product! Recently, prisoners got onto the roof at HMP Swansea in protest at the prison becoming ‘smoke free’. Though, let’s be serious, no prison is going to be smoke-free, ever. The big money to be earned in smoke-free prisons is not from drugs, but from illegal tobacco. Tobacco now sells at between £100 and £200 for a 2-ounce pouch. Seriously, the government haven’t really thought this through, have they? All they are doing is creating another black-market product that will make those who smuggle things into prison very rich. My © Fotolia.com question is - why didn’t they just designate some prisons of every category as smokefree? Why do the government have to impose further restrictions on an already heavily-restricted population? Smokers United - HMP Exeter

‘What year is it?’ What year is it on the mainland? Because here at HMP Isle of Wight it seems to be around 1816 instead of 2016! There has been no hot water at all for 3 wings and the Seg for over 2 weeks now. Whilst I am aware that HMP Parkhurst was built in the Victorian era, I see no reason as to why we should be stuck in a time warp. We now have to go to the gym in order to have a shower - there are 5 shower stalls in the gym. Those of you with a mathematical bent could work out that 5 showers between 200 men is not ideal. The staff are facilitating one shower-run per wing, per day, so, potentially, we can go without a shower for 3 or 4 days. LM B - HMP Isle of Wight

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Richard and Danny O’Brien - HMP/YOI Stoke Heath I am a traveller, serving 5 years here at Stoke Heath with my brother, Danny. Both of us applied for jobs but were told by the officer in charge of employment that we couldn’t do most jobs because we cannot read or write properly. I then asked if we could go on the gardens party or reskilling and we were told no, because there are other travellers working on those jobs and ‘travellers fight a lot’! I have no violence on my record and have never had a fight in my life. To be discriminated against in this way is shocking. I asked the member of staff if he would tell black prisoners that they could not have a job somewhere because there was already black guys working there and they might stab each other. He had no answer. When we arrived here we were told that this is a ‘working jail’ and that everyone has to work, but now they will not give us a job because of stereotyping. It is a disgrace. We have put in an official complaint about this matter but no one has replied or even spoken to us about it. We are now unemployed and locked up 22 hours a day, 200 miles from our home town and unable to even get visits. Things are bad here for travellers.

Sentenced to 20 years at the age of 85 Name and address supplied I sympathise with the family who wrote the open letter to the Prime Minister (April issue). My husband has been sentenced to 20 years for historic crimes he has not committed, which were supposed to have happened some 50+ years ago. Although we thought we had a good solicitor and barrister it was obvious that he was condemned before anything was said. He was sentenced in his 85th year with failing health. When I saw his solicitor after the sentencing I was told that the court and jury had all the evidence. I beg to differ as it took me weeks to go through the social services records, police records and statements made by my husband and the accusers, as well as those people who supported him. Also the trial lasted just over two weeks. At the court before the trial the judge told the solicitors to edit the information given as it was too long and they edited a lot of information, some of which we thought relevant - therefore some of the questions we thought would be asked were not. The lies that have been told by the accusers even go so far as to say that he was discredited from the Navy, if that was so then his papers would have the corner cut off, which he has not, he still has his naval papers intact and also a good record of conduct. We have been married for 41 years and together for 45 years and in all that time he was a pillar of the community. We have looked after our grandchildren when our daughter was working as only grandparents do. We even took in students for 5 years and some of them came back each year. The ages

of the students were from 10 - 15 both boys and girls. We always had an open house for our children’s friends. I think that this whole system stinks regarding historic sex crimes as people are getting on the bandwagon to claim compensation by lying in court. How can anybody accuse a person 50 years on when they are in their twilight years, let alone the judge who was so nasty as to suggest that I went back to my comfortable life. How does she know what my life was like? Our whole family has suffered throughout the lead up to the trial and now with the imprisonment of my husband. Our daughter, who is now disabled, has had fits and is very unstable and the grandchildren miss their grandfather very much. He is not allowed to even speak or send a letter to our granddaughter who is only 17. What harm would it do? Just because of Savile I believe that all men from the 50s/60s plus are now in danger especially if there has been a feud of any kind, this could easily cause conjecture. Would it not save the government £136.000 per year for these aged people to be looked after on home arrest or be tagged?

There are now over 12,400 people in prison convicted of sexual offences, 15% of the total population, and many in advancing years. The cost of special accommodation, healthcare and general caring is not known by the MoJ but the cost of prison places alone is well in excess of £372 million.

Contributing to Mailbag If you would like to contribute to Mailbag, please send your letters to ‘Mailbag’, Inside Time, Botley Mills, Botley, Southampton, Hampshire SO30 2GB. Please note letters for publication may be edited. NB The shorter and more concise letters are more likely to be published. ‘Mailbag’, Inside Time, Botley Mills, Botley, Southampton, Hampshire SO30 2GB.

To avoid any possible misunderstanding, if you have a query and for whatever reason do not wish your letter to be published in Inside Time or appear on the website, or yourself to be identified, please make this clear. We advise that wherever possible, when sending original documents such as legal papers, you send photocopies as we are unable to accept liability if they are lost. We may need to forward your letter and/or documents to Prison Service HQ or another appropriate body for comment or advice, therefore only send information you are willing to have forwarded on your behalf.

Coming out AE Stewart - HMP Greenock I am a transgender woman and have been transitioning for a few months and realise the difficulties LGBT prisoners face every day. To transition or to ‘come out’ in society is hard enough, but to do it in prison is even harder. Being ‘brave’ doesn’t count for anything in the reality of prison life. Sadly, LGBT prisoners, in particular Trans prisoners are among the most vulnerable to mental health problems including high rates of suicide. I question whether our prisons are equipped to support LGBT prisoners?

“Being ‘brave’ doesn’t count for anything in the reality of prison life” So often, in my experience, LGBT prisoners do not have a platform to voice their concerns. I am suggesting a once a month LGBT drop-in session in some prisons, led primarily by prisoners; share your experiences and mentor others in a relaxed environment. It won’t cost much but it might save lives. Winning awards and putting together policies which fail are great for ticking boxes in the Equality & Diversity box, however, these things do not support LGBT prisoners. Transgangsta Bites Back page 25

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‘Surely smokers are addicts?’ Kevin Midgley - HMP Wealstun I have just been reading the Newsround item titled ‘Smoking trouble at Swansea’ in the May issue, and this got me thinking about the official line of the prison authorities about prisoners being ‘able to buy’ patches or e-cigarettes. As far as I am aware, smoking is considered an addiction and the fact that the prison service offer prisoners nicotine patches (nicotine being classed as an ‘addictive substance’) for smoking cessation confirms that they know this to be an addiction problem. If this indeed is the case then why are prisoners being made to purchase items such as patches and e-cigarettes instead of these being provided for us?

“It is not prisoners making the choice to stop smoking, it is being forced upon us and, as such, surely those who forced it on us should pay for the replacements” If I was in prison and addicted to heroin I would not be expected to purchase methadone from the canteen supplier, or to pay for diazepam if addicted to alcohol, so why should smokers be treated differently? It is not prisoners making the choice to stop smoking, it is being forced upon us and, as such, surely those who forced it on us should pay for the replacements. Before the smoking ban, if I chose, of my own free will, to give up smoking in prison I would have been offered nicotine replacements free of charge because it is a health issue. So why should it be different just because the system has forced this on us?

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Insidetime July 2016

If you are injured in prison you can win thousands of pounds. Prison injuries could be caused in the gym, scalding in the kitchen, falling from a bunk, slip on wet floor, stabbed by inmates, trip on broken tile, injury in workshop, injury on excercise, assaulted by staff or other inmates.

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‘Mailbag’, Inside Time, Botley Mills, Botley, Southampton SO30 2GB.

Insidetime July 2016

There but for the grace of God…? Charles Knight - address withheld I am concerned about the health and well-being of Mr John Kelly, who is a fellow prisoner and a good friend of mine. I have known John for just over 2 years, having met him at HMP Buckley Hall. When I arrived at HMP Risley, I saw that John was looking okay and that he had a young carer. I had noticed over previous months that his health and well-being had deteriorated rapidly. Unfortunately it takes a lot of time and effort to look after John’s personal and physical needs and this took its toll on his carer, who had to give up his duties. This caused John a great deal of stress and instability. Although there are a few people who will take on the job of carer out of sheer devotion and dedication, John’s carer was one of these, unfortunately there are also those who do it for personal gain. The Prison Service say that carers should be paid by the NHS as their work is saving them vast sums of money and they would have to supply physical carers for disabled prisoners otherwise. But the NHS are saying that it is up to the Prison Service to pay their own employees to care for disabled prisoners.

Stop treating us like children Robbie Bleach - HMP Whitemoor Mr Gove, I think the ideas you are putting in place for the prison population can really work, I’ve always said that education is the way forward. I, myself, am dyslexic and my reading and spelling was bad, so much so that I would pretend I had a painful injury to my hand when filling out forms so that I could get someone else to fill them out for me. I have now taken and passed many courses and am a qualified Level 4 Drug, Alcohol and Solvent Abuse Councillor, also a personal fitness trainer. I hold 6 diplomas and am helping other prisoners to learn IT.

“I can buy adult magazines, but when it comes to films and games, for some strange and unknown reason, the prison system treats us like children” But I would like to know why, as I am an adult in an adult prison, I am not able to purchase any films or computer games with an 18 rating? I can buy adult magazines, but when it comes to films and games, for some strange and unknown reason, the

prison system treats us like children. For example, the film The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (starring Clint Eastwood) carries an 18 film certificate, so therefore I cannot buy it! The absolute irony of it is that you allow us to rent televisions, where 18+ certificate films and programmes are available to us all on a daily basis! One of your ideas, Mr Gove, is to start calling ‘cells’ rooms, a great idea and very cheap to implement, but would you not consider allowing at least Enhanced prisoners an option to purchase certificate 18 films (obviously excluding pornography). The vast majority of the prison population do know the difference between fantasy and reality. As Enhanced prisoners we are allowed a DVD player (at our own expense, before the Mail and its readers start salivating and foaming) or a PS2 for when we are locked up for long periods. An incentive to make us think about what we will lose if we misbehave. Prison is hard and sometimes the only respite that prisoners get to feel ‘normal’ for a couple of hours is when watching a good film.

Cold water and pure boredom at Highdown Jeff Dix - HMP Highdown For a good 2 months now there has been no education or workshops here. How is this supposed to aid our rehabilitation or be justified to the taxpayer? We are all sat on our arses doing nothing except watching endless TV and getting bored due to ‘staff shortages’. We still get paid for the courses we should be on, but again, surely the taxpayers won’t be happy with that? And for weeks now there has been no hot water on some of the wings. We may as well just stand under a bucket of cold water for showers. We also have to wash our cutlery, crockery and hands under ice-cold water. They do the same on the servery, which cannot be good for health and hygiene as cold water is no good for killing bacteria. It’s a wonder we all haven’t got food poisoning! No matter how many times we complain to staff about this, nothing gets done. I would be ashamed to house animals here with nothing to exercise their minds and a really unhealthy environment.

Meanwhile, the only people suffering because of this is the patient. John cannot go to work as he has no carer to push him over to the workshop, this is a deplorable situation. People in the prison system who look after disabled prisoners should be respected for the job they do and valued and be paid. I am out of prison now and some people might ask - Mr Knight, what has this got to do with you? Well, I am 70 years-old and there, but for the grace of God, go I. It could well be me in that situation.

Déjà vu Robert Shaw HMP Channings Wood Channings Wood currently has over 17 staff members off sick. How do we know this? The governor wrote a notice telling us so. Now we have split association at weekends until further notice. If the truth were told, HMP is in an unparalleled crisis. It is finding it nigh on impossible to recruit new officers, and the drop-out rate on training them is immense. Also, a high percentage leave the service within the first 2 years of joining. The cost to the taxpayer is huge. Nearby prisons, desperate for staff too, have to get their staff from all over the region to keep their establishments skeleton-staffed. The big question, of course, is why? In my opinion it comes down to the age-old primary reasons - salary, benefits, working practise and working environment. The Prison Service is literally at breaking point and unless it is restructured it will further deteriorate. Prisoners being banged up in their cells for long periods of time will almost certainly reach a climax in one of Her Majesty’s prisons one of these days unless the situation is resolved. What will the cost be then? Does anybody remember the Strangeways riots? ...hmm, déjà vu.

‘The Irish are foreigners too’ James Brennan - HMP Leyhill Inside Time has covered the Irish situation over the years and we are grateful and hope you continue to do so. For months, if not years now, I have been listening to MPs and others going on about how Britain must decrease the number of foreign prisoners in her prisons. They complain that not enough of these foreign prisoners are being deported or repatriated. But, as an Irish national, it is hard to listen to this when I and dozens, maybe hundreds, of my countrymen have been trying to get deported for years. In my case, 8 years! An agreement that took place between the Irish and English governments in 2007 seems to be the barrier. The UK and Eire agreed not to deport Irish prisoners. The excuse given was that ‘the border is too soft so any Irish person deported from the UK could come back’. That argument only holds water if the deportee is forced to leave. Many Irish prisoners would never want to come back and we are happy to agree not to do so. There is a clause in the 2007 agreement that allows for ‘dangerous Irish nationals’ to be deported. So for those of us being held past-tariff for public protection reasons that clause CAN and SHOULD be used to deport us. If we are too ‘dangerous’ to release after having served our sentences then, by definition, we must be ‘dangerous Irish nationals’. Does that not stand to reason? The UKBA and other organisations refuse to even speak to us about deportation. The term ‘discrimination’ comes to mind. When all other foreign national prisoners can be sent home, is it not discrimination to not even consider Irish nationals for the same treatment? I welcome advice or correspondence on this issue from any prisoners or agencies who want to contact me.

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Mailbites Justice for prisoners’ families? With all the recent publicity surrounding the terrible events at Hillsborough, where the police deliberately lied in order to cover up their part in the deaths of 97 Liverpool fans, I have to ask when are the government and Ministry of Justice going to be held accountable for the many deaths in prison custody over the years? When do prisoners’ families get answers and justice for the total lack of care, support and protection due to the total incompetence of those responsible for running the prison system? Mr Newey - HMP Oakwood

‘You only get an OO with Typhoo’ Since they have introduced the no smoking policy here, a growing number of people have begun smoking Typhoo teabags. Apparently, if you mix the leaves from the bags, and it is only Typhoo that works, with nicotine patches then you can get a half-decent smoke. Also, there is the very real possibility that security may now push for a ban on Typhoo teabags, the most popular brand in the canteen. This ill-thought out smoking ban in prisons is doing nothing but making the tobacco smugglers rich and dicing with smoker’s health. Smokey - HMP Exeter

False names and anonymous I just want to say that I agree with some of your readers who say that those who write into the paper and do not give their names, or give obvious false names, should be ashamed of themselves. Benjamin Oldi-Yongitar HMP Holme House

SOTP - ‘Give it a go’ For a lot of people asked to do the SOTP (Sex Offenders Treatment Programme) it is a very daunting prospect. To be asked to go into a room with another eight strangers and two facilitators to talk and be asked about your offence is enough to put anyone off. The course may not work for everyone but you have nothing to lose and a lot to gain if it works for you. I am really pleased I have done the course. Just give it a go. What have you got to lose? Nothing. Name Supplied HMP/YOI Moorland

8 Mailbag IPP should be absolute priority Simon Crawford - HMP Bure I read with interest the interview with Michael Gove in the April issue of Inside Time, in particular with regard to IPP prisoners having a ‘clear path to exit’. I notice that he has spoken to the new Chair for the Parole Board asking that he make it a priority to process IPP prisoners. Let us hope that his efforts are better than those of his predecessor, who was also going to make things easier for IPPs.

‘Mailbag’, Inside Time, Botley Mills, Botley, Southampton SO30 2GB.

Offender or Prisoner Bruce Kent - Member of the executive committee of Prisoners Maintaining Innocence Nick Hone (Inside Time June ‘16) is quite right. To describe those in prison as ‘offenders’ is a negative term with bad consequences. Nick makes this very clear. But ‘offender’ is also factually untrue, at least for some in prison. We, all volunteers, who work with Prisoners Maintaining Innocence (PMI), know very well

that there are some in prison who never were ‘offenders’ but are in prison because of a wrongful conviction. The hurdles put in front of them by the CCRC and the Court of Appeal are often too high for them to be able to get a conviction overturned but that does not mean they are actually ‘offenders’. PMI is not able to take up individual cases though we are glad to have details. But we are doing what we can to get the current unfair system changed.

Living in fear

“Is it not time our new progressive Justice Secretary got hold of this insidious piece of legislation and sorted it out once and for all?”

Nadine Wallace HMP Bronzefield

The Parole Board at present is not fit for purpose, but to be fair this is not the fault of its dedicated staff who over the last 12 months have been placed under unbelievable pressure due to cuts in their resources. IPP prisoners now not only find themselves long over tariff but set reviews are no longer taking place. I have now served 10½ years on a tariff that expired in October 2007. My parole target was set for October last year, but despite positive reports and recommendations I am still waiting for a hearing, like many others. Is it not time our new progressive Justice Secretary got hold of this insidious piece of legislation and sorted it out once and for all? It is an affront to British values and justice costing millions of pounds for the taxpayer keeping people in prison who no longer need to be there. The sentences now bear absolutely no relevance to the crimes they committed. Also, having spent so much time in prison we still have to serve 10 years on license if we are released. So, Mr Gove, if you are truly committed to giving prisoners a new chance at life then the injustices of the IPP legislation should be your absolute priority.

Insidetime July 2016

‘Life in prison for breaking a sink!’ Jeff Marsh - HMP Hewell I am an IPP prisoner, having done 7 years out of a 2-year tariff. I was released for 14 months before being arrested for criminal damage to the bathroom sink of a friend. It was alcohol- fuelled anger. I was sentenced for this the very next day and received 12 months conditional discharge. The judge said that it wasn’t serious enough to send me back to prison. I was re-arrested the next morning and informed that the Probation Service wanted me recalled back to prison. When I was 5 months into my recall I received an oral hearing. I was recommended release by both my Offender Manager and Offender Supervisor, but was shocked when the Parole Board refused both my release and open conditions, on the grounds that I did not learn anything from the offending behaviour courses I had completed. I am now expected to serve life in prison for breaking a sink. Surely this is disproportionate and plain wrong?

I received my sentence for a second GBH offence when I was 18, in 2000, I was given a 3 year tariff and I now find myself recalled for minor infractions yet again. The courts say I am unable to have contact with my child as I am at risk of recall for the rest of my life, therefore I am unable to offer stability to a child. How can I have a family of my own? This is a fundamental human right. I have never reoffended, I have been violence free for 16 years, yet Probation keeps me at high-risk. The Parole Board have stated that my risk is overestimated and have placed me as moderate. How can I progress? I have been living in fear for the last 16 years, fear of never being released, fear of being recalled. I literally shake with anxiety and nerves without medication. All caused by Blackfords new ad this abusive sentence.

Is this legal? Name supplied - HMP Swaleside At Swaleside, DHL are splitting multipacks and selling them as single items at the pack price. For example A4 refill writing pads come in packs of two but they are split and sold for £1.25. Shouldn’t the price be £1.25 for two? Another example is packs of three sponges - split and sold for 60p each. I have spoken to the DHL manager who claims to be looking into the matter but to date has not responded. The governor at Swaleside has also advised of plans to cut the wages of DHL employees based on their educational levels - is this fair?

NOMS

Writes

Prisoner wages are being reassessed with a view to providing full employment at HMP Swaleside. This means that the pot of money for prisoner wages needs to be spread across the whole population. To make this allocation fair, it has been decided to introduce Tiered Working, allocating pay to a band of work, education, programmes and behaviour. If a prisoner wishes to progress onto a higher pay band, then he will be required to attain the necessary educational and vocational qualifications and IEP status. As the Coates review states, we want to give the opportunity for prisoners to develop themselves and progress on their reducing reoffending journey. The new pay review and tiered working rewards self-improvement and progress, mirroring real life. With regard to the products sold from DHL, the unit cost is correct. The items are ‘shipped’ to the ‘warehouse’ in multi packs. This may be in units of two, three or even twelve. The cost per unit is correct and set by NOMS. The products are not ‘retail’ multipacks; Prisoners are not 24.1.14:Layout 1 24/1/14 12:59 Page 1 paying double or triple the value.

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Insidetime July 2016

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‘Mailbag’, Inside Time, Botley Mills, Botley, Southampton SO30 2GB.

Disabled hammered again Name supplied - HMP Durham As a first time prisoner I am now aware that my state pension is stopped when I enter jail. I have also had my DLA stopped, this paid for my mobility problems and care allowance even if I do not get the care I need. I was also in receipt of severe disability allowance, which is no longer available to new claimants, so what will happen to this allowance when I am released? Will my benefits be reinstated or will I have to apply for PIP? Even if I’m granted PIP will I lose my severe disability allowance?

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‘Put prison phones out to tender’ Shane Woodford - HMP Hull As I stand talking to my loved ones on the wing phone I can’t help thinking of BT’s latest announcement that their profits now exceed £3 billion, as I watch my credit tick away. I wonder exactly how much profit BT make from prisoners? Can anyone supply this information? The cynic in me also wonders if NOMS benefit financially from encouraging me ‘to maintain family ties’? In prison I spend between £8 and £15 per week keeping in touch with my family via a

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BT prison phone. On the out I would probably spend that amount in a month and be using my phone a lot more. Isn’t it about time that NOMS got us prisoners a better deal or even put the prisoners’ phones out to tender so that other companies could compete for the contract? This introduction of competition for BT might have the result of getting us cheaper phone calls. Hello, is there anyone there? Editorial note There is a contract between BT and NOMS and an agreement on call costs (a review of which was published in the May issue of Inside Time). Due to commercial sensitivity NOMS are unable to provide detailed information on costings and profits.

SPECIALISTS IN PRISON LAW, PAROLE DELAYS, EQUALITY CLAIMS, PERSONAL INJURY, CLINICAL NEGLIGENCE, MENTAL HEALTH, IMMIGRATION AND DEFENCE.

Our clients regularly receive compensation for the delayed parole hearings, ranging from £300 to £4,500. We offer a free, no-commitment assessment of the merits of your case. We recognise that life in prison can be dangerous and injuries frequent. Our solicitors assist with claims based on assaults by other prisoners or officers who resort to unlawful use of force. These matters include injuries at work or avoidable accidents resulting in substantial amounts of damages. Another area of concern is the growing number of complaints about direct and indirect discrimination based predominantly on age, disability, gender and religion. Our specialists assist prisoners who have received delayed or inadequate medical treatment, as well as those who have been refused medication or experienced abrupt, unjustified withdrawal of opiate substitutes used for overcoming addiction. We also assist prisoners who feel that their mental health has been ignored or neglected. This includes, but it is not limited to, assessment of the custodial environment and alternative treatment arrangements. Serving prisoners may receive further charges based on the allegations pre-dating their current conviction or triggered by incidents in prison. If so, we may be able to help with criminal defence and/or representation in the confiscation proceedings. We offer legal aid, subject to assessment in the areas of prison law, criminal defence, immigration, mental health, action against the police and public law. In the alternative, we accept instructions from privately paying clients as well as “no win-no fee” agreements.

Contact us in writing at: Kesar & Co Solicitors, 2nd Floor, 20-25 Market Square, Bromley, BR1 1NA Or by telephone on: 020 8181 3100

When my appeal against conviction is heard and if I am acquitted can I claim backdated money as this would show my innocence and the fact that I should not have been in prison in the first place? If the Appeal Court rule that my indictment was unlawful, as the evidence clearly points towards, then the trial and conviction were invalid, which should mean that my benefits return to how they were before all this began?

Writes Debbie Sadler - Advice Manager, Unlock As you’re aware, pension payments are suspended once you are convicted and won’t recommence until you are released. Government guidance states that if you’re on remand and don’t receive a conviction, then you would be entitled to a lump sum reimbursement when you are released. As a successful appeal would result in you not receiving a conviction, then you should be entitled to a reimbursement of the pension you would have received if you hadn’t been in prison. Personal Independence Payments (PIP) help with extra costs caused by long term ill health or a disability. It is based upon the level of help you need because of how your condition affects you. Even if you were to win your appeal, you wouldn’t be entitled to any reimbursement. The argument being that the support the PIP paid for in the community was either provided to you by staff in the prison or would not have been necessary due to your being in prison. As you know, severe disability allowance is a non-contributory benefit which has now been replaced by Employment Support Allowance. You would only be entitled to a reimbursement of these types of benefit if they were contribution based.

‘Man-hating ideology’ Simeon Hope - HMP Barlinnie The piece by ‘Karen’ in May’s issue (From prisoner to case manager) represents a disturbing trend. We are seeing the status of the female prisoner changing from the wicked virago into hapless martyr, with rarely a word about their victims. Blame is transferred to ‘men controlling them’ which - as in much feminist discourse - degrades women to incompetents. A prisoner’s low risk to society; the contribution of early, negative experiences; environmental influences; separation from family; the need to learn useful skills: none of these factors gender-specific so why portray women as uniquely affected by them? Is prison life for women really ‘much more complex’ than for men? Perhaps ‘Karen’ needs to meet a few male serving, or former, prisoners, who will show her their complex lives. It is time to counter sexist, man-hating ideology with clearly reasoned debates about the over-use of imprisonment for all kinds of people, instead of special pleading for one gender on spurious grounds.

Corrections and Clarifications The policy of Inside Time is to correct significant errors as soon as possible. Corrections will appear in the mailbag section of each issue and on the relevant web page. If you notice an error please feel free to write to us at the usual address providing the date and page number from the newspaper, alternatively have a friend or family member call or email us.

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Library no longer a statutory right? Mr Rowlands - HMP Garth I am a life sentenced prisoner who has been diagnosed with ADHD. I know there are a lot of discussions about inmates with ADHD using it as an excuse for bad behaviour, however, as I am not a constant nuisance, I am not one of them. Over the 7 years I have served I have learned ways to channel my energy and outbursts, one way being my art work. Another being reading. But since arriving here at Garth my art work and reading have all but come to a halt. We have not been getting any library so 26 of us on the wing got together and filled out 26 COMP1 forms and took them to the S.O. To date these forms have not even been processed. I was informed by a member of staff that - ‘Library is no longer a statutory right’ - is this true? Concerning my art work I have been accepted by The Burnbake Trust for funding for art materials, but 10 weeks later the governors here are all refusing to sign off the grant, one governor stating - ‘I don’t know what you are doing behind your door’ - intimating that there might be some sort of vague security implications to prisoners having art as their hobby. I have had numerous art grants over the years and not once have I abused the system. I have done art for Koestler and to give to the children in my family as gifts. So all my ways of channelling my energy have been removed. I aired my frustration at this and I was removed from my employment, so now I am constantly behind my door with nothing to do. I have exhausted the internal complaints system and would like to know if there is anything else I can try? Editorial note PSI 2015-02 ‘Prison Library Service’ states in a ‘mandatory instruction’: Governors must ensure as a minimum that a prisoner’s statutory entitlement to library provision is met. Access to the library must be weekly, for a minimum duration of thirty minutes. Prison establishments and library service providers must ensure that these arrangements are reflected in the Service Level Agreements.

10 Newsround

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Insidetime July 2016

Rising self-harm rates show growing despair amongst IPP prisoners

New research into damage caused by wrongful conviction

A new report by the Prison Reform Trust shows that IPP prisoners have the highest incidence of self-harm in the prison system. For every 1,000 IPP prisoners there were 550 incidents of self harm (compared with 324 for determinate sentence prisoners). The Prison Reform Trust says; “Four out of every five people serving an IPP are still stuck behind bars despite having served their minimum term. 719 people sentenced to an IPP sentence with an original tariff of less than two years are still in custody beyond their tariff. This group would not have been eligible to receive an IPP if they had been convicted of an offence following reforms to the sentence introduced in 2009. Many would have been likely to have received a relatively short determinate sentence.”

Charity claims 100% success in stopping reoffending A charity to help stop military veterans in prison reoffending is claiming a 100% success rate. Care After Combat was formed two years ago and is headed by comedian Jim Davidson and Falklands hero Simon Weston. Statistics show that 6% of the prison population were former members of the armed forces. The charity has helped 100 former prisoners stay crime free for six months after release and was recently given £1m by the Government. Executive Chairman Jim Davidson said; “We give each veteran inmate a mentor, also a veteran, of a similar age, who may even have been in his regiment. They meet up every week for the 18 months before the inmate’s release and they form a bond. That continues until at least 12 months after release.” The volunteer mentors are paid £50 per day and are trained to NOMS standards. Davidson says; “We try to give them back some self-esteem. We remind them that the public understands that they screwed up, and the public loves the fact that they want to do better for themselves in society. The public want to help, they show this with their donations and the Government wants to help, and it shows this with its money. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

The Prison Reform Trust estimates that the cost so far of incarceration beyond tariff is at least £500 million. Every year the cost is increasing by over £125 million.

The charity Miscarriages of Justice Organisation (MOJO) is backing a new study into the effects of being the victim of a miscarriage of justice in Scotland. Leading criminologists from the University of Oxford will interview victims who are now free. Lead researcher Laura Tilt said; “This will be one of the first studies of its kind in the UK. Research on wrongful convictions has focused on how they occur and are overturned. In the UK legislation has now significantly restricted the possibility of obtaining compensation.” She said the report could inform what post-release support is available, or should be available to repair the harms caused by wrongful conviction. www.miscarriagesofjustice.org

Probation Inspectorate publish report on ‘Desistance and Young People’ A new report ‘Desistance and Young People’ has been released by HM Inspectorate of Probation in which Dame Glenys Stacey, HM Chief Inspector of Probation, says; “One positive and sustained relationship with a youth worker can make all the difference in helping young people leave crime behind.” She said; “Those successful in desisting from crime laid great store on a trusting, open and collaborative relationship with a YOT worker or other professional, seeing it as the biggest factor in their achievement.”

“One positive and sustained relationship with a youth worker can make all the difference in helping young people leave crime behind” Inspectors were concerned to find that, in some cases, case managers felt that children were sometimes slotted into existing projects that they thought unlikely to prove effective. Some case managers reported spending too much time getting young people into unpaid work, with enforcement action if they didn’t complete it. Many young people persisting in crime had found unpaid work ineffective in promoting desistance. On the other hand, those young people who desisted from crime had much more positive experiences of unpaid work. The full report can be downloaded from: www.tinyurl.com/hknclas

More arrests at G4S Medway children’s prison Five more G4S staff from Medway child prison have been arrested as a police investigation into the treatment of children at the Secure Training Centre (STC) continues. That brings the total arrested to 10; the five previously arrested staff are still on police bail. 14 staff have been suspended and G4S claim that its reporting structure at the centre has been changed to increase accountability. During July G4S will hand back all of its child prison contracts back to the MoJ. Peter Neden, G4S’s president for the UK and Ireland, told the Daily Telegraph “From the outset in this investigation, we have given Kent police our full support in pursuing any members of our staff who may have broken the law. The behaviour exposed by some members of our staff at the Medway Secure Training Centre in January was completely unacceptable, and as a consequence we immediately dismissed the individuals directly involved. “Since the allegations came to light, a great deal of time has been focused on understanding how such behaviours came to be condoned in one of our businesses, and Kent police can expect our continued co-operation.”

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Newsbites l A group of sniffer dogs have been undergoing four week training sessions so they can sniff out a whole range of new psychoactive substances in prisons. They are now being deployed to all public and private prisons in England and Wales. The dogs’ sensitive noses can detect thousands of versions of the drugs, which is difficult because subtle changes of composition can alter the smell. l A judge who faces a disciplinary hearing for remarks he made about racism has claimed he has been denied a fair hearing because he cannot be legally represented or call witnesses. Judge Peter Herbert, chair of the Society of Black Lawyers has been informed that the hearing will last only two hours, that he may not be legally represented and cannot call any witnesses. Prisoners reading of his plight may well contemplate their own problems with calling witnesses and getting legal aid when disputing Prison Service decisions or adjudications. l G4S failed to provide enough guards for the 2012 London Olympics, was found to be charging for ‘phantom’ electronic tags on criminals who were either dead or in jail and is in the process of handing back all of its child prison contracts to the MoJ after the Medway child prison scandal. Now security giant G4S will shortly be handed the keys to the Royal Mint, making it the first private sector company to guard the official coin maker in its 1,130-year history. From July, the firm’s security officers, including ex-Gurkhas, will work at Llantrisant in South Wales, patrolling the Royal Mint and its visitor centre.

Prison death spurs calls for healthcare reform Following the death of another man from apparently self-inflicted injuries, prison reform groups are warning about the ‘rising tide of self-harm and suicides’ and say the prison system is in disarray. Andrew Neilson, Campaigns Director of the Howard League says; “Years of rising numbers, chronic overcrowding and deep staff cuts have left us with a system that is failing to keep prisoners, staff and the public safe.” In the wake of this death at HMP The Mount the Ministry of Justice insisted that 20 new staff had been employed at The Mount this year. They said; “Every single day, dedicated prison staff provide support to thousands of offenders at risk of suicide and self-harm.”

The Carlile Inquiry 10 years on The “illegal, systemic, physical abuse of children, sanctioned by the state” was laid bare in a landmark report last month published by the Howard League for Penal Reform on the use of restraint, solitary confinement and strip-searching in child prisons in England and Wales. The report reveals that the majority of children in custody are detained in institutions where restraint is routinely - and unlawfully - used to get them to obey orders. Children have suffered 4,350 injuries in the last five years while being restrained. Although the number of boys and girls in custody has fallen, the rate of restraint has more than doubled. The report, The Carlile Inquiry 10 years on, looks at what progress has been made since the Howard League published the findings of an independent inquiry, chaired by Lord Carlile of Berriew QC, into the use of restraint, solitary confinement and strip-searching in penal institutions for children. Lord Carlile’s team recommended that restraint should never be used as a punishment or to secure compliance. The courts have since held that using physical force on a child to get them to do as they are told is unlawful. The recent report shows that this unlawful practice is widespread in young offender institutions, however, and accounts for 22 to 34 per cent of all times force is used on children. The deliberate infliction of pain on children to secure compliance is banned in all forms of child custody. The report states that more than a third of all approved restraint ‘techniques’ that can be used on children involve force that causes the deliberate infliction of pain. Lord Carlile said: “I am very pleased that, as a result of my report and thanks to tireless campaigning by the Howard League, children in custody are no longer routinely stripsearched. It shows that change for the better can happen. We now need the Ministry of Justice to go further. It is time that the government recognises that the use of force on children, simply to make them do what they are told, is both unacceptable and unlawful. A healthy response to children in trouble with the law, which has their welfare at its heart, would recognise this use of violence by adults as an admission of failure.”

Guide to encourage early guilty pleas could cause chaos Four thousand extra prison places could be needed if guidelines designed to encourage court defendants to make early guilty pleas are adopted, a parliamentary report warned. The guideline proposed by the Sentencing Council would make clear that defendants can benefit from a one-third reduction to their sentence only if they plead guilty on their first appearance in court - rather than at the first reasonable opportunity. And it will reduce from a quarter to onefift h the discount on offer for pleading guilty at a later stage in proceedings. The House of Commons Justice Committee warned that defendants who miss the first deadline for a guilty plea may now opt to go for full jury trial, rather than take the less generous onefift h reduction on offer. This could lead to longer sentences, the council has estimated that 1,000 more prison places may be needed even if more defendants take advantage of the one-third discount. And the report said that the number could rise to 4,000 if more opt for jury trial.

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For personal injury, contact Eamonn Dunne Telephone: 0161 928 8877 Fax: 0161 928 7667

New Bridge 60th anniversary celebration

Princess Alexandra, Patron of New Bridge with Michael Spurr, CEO of NOMS at the New Bridge 60th anniversary celebration at The Clink, HMP Brixton. The Princess had the opportunity of chatting to some of the prisoners working in the The Clink restaurant and kitchen. It was clear to see how much they enjoyed this and that they appreciated the training they were receiving in preparation for life later on. Michael Spurr spoke about the prison reform agenda , the challenges and the positives about prisons today and the role of New Bridge . “Each individual has a journey to go on and the help a New Bridge volunteer can give can help them not only survive prison but not re-offend once released.”

Hardman Trust celebrates 21 years of Award making

Terry Lock

A special event in London recently celebrated 21 years of Award making to prisoners by the Hardman Trust. Terry Lock, who served 18 years in prison, visibly moved the assembled sponsors, volunteers and award winners as he told how it was with the help of a financial award from the Hardman Trust that he was able to buy the computer he needed for a job he was to step straight into as a consultant at Lound, Mulrenan, Jefferies Solicitors the day after release. He spoke of the value of knowing he had significant people who believed in him. Guest speaker James Timpson, the new chair of the Prison

James Timpson

Reform Trust and a dedicated supporter and employer of former prisoners spoke of how they can be the best, most honest, most hardworking, and loyal employees. He told how he considers the three most important things for a former prisoner are: a job, accommodation and people who believe in them. Hardman Awards are for women prisoners and Cat ‘D’ male prisoners serving long sentences who are working exceptionally hard to turn their lives around. The Awards can help people into work and show there are people both inside and outside prison willing to believe in them.

Newsbites l The brains of teenagers with serious antisocial behaviour problems may have developed differently, The Times reported. Researchers looking at MRI scans of the brains of teenagers from YOIs had far more uniformity in cortical thickness, which is used as a measure of brain development. In normally developing brains some regions would be expected to develop at different rates and different times. But the study, by a team from the University of Southampton, did not find this in people with aggressive and antisocial behaviours. This showed that there might be specific causes in childhood, either environmental or genetic, for some antisocial behaviour. l In a ruling, published in March, the Scottish Public Service Ombudsman (SPSO) criticised the Scottish Prison Service for failing to include the latest and most up-to-date information on a prisoner’s Risk Management Team (RMT) paperwork despite staff being aware of it. Guidance says staff at an RMT meeting should thoroughly research all relevant information and take account of it. In its ruling the SPSO recommended that all relevant information about the prisoner’s history should be obtained and ensure his next RMT takes account of the most up-to-date information. l A data breach involving the personal details of hundreds of Northern Ireland Prison Service staff has been described as “a major embarrassment” is not being treated as a major security breach. The information was accidentally sent to an outside contractor and despite staff complaining that it put their personal safety at risk, the NI Prison Service says there was no risk because it contacted the recipient and the data was immediately deleted.

Inside Time in Court – by popular demand! In addition to the UK’s prisons, Visits Centres, Immigration Removal Centres, Detention Centres and Special Hospitals, free copies of Inside Time are now available in around thirty Crown and Magistrates Courts across the country and on Prison Transport via the transport depots.

available to those enduring the often long and uncomfortable journeys to and from courts. Sadly, Inside Time cannot make the journey more comfortable but perhaps having some interesting reading material will help alleviate at least part of the boredom and stress.

Many people held in the cells before and after proceedings will now have useful information and interesting material to read during what can often be long waits.

Courts and Vehicle Depots included on the distribution list to date are in Essex, Middlesex, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Birmingham and Manchester. More locations are being added to the list as others become aware.

Transport Depots also have copies to make

12 Newsround

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Insidetime July 2016 Zimbabwe Prisons in Zimbabwe are so overcrowded and underfunded that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) had to step in to provide water, food and blankets to prisoners. In a move to ease congestion in the country’s jails, which hold around 20,000 prisoners, Zimbabwe authorities have pardoned 2,000 prisoners, mostly women and juveniles, appealing to them to quit their life of crime.

World prison review

Beveren Prison

Belgian prisoners allowed access to the internet in their cell via PrisonCloud A world-first system called PrisonCloud has been introduced in Beveren Prison in Antwerp, allowing prisoners to access the internet, make calls and download films from the privacy of their own cell, the BBCs Today Programme reports.

Wim Adriaenssen, deputy director of the prison, has no regrets about the system despite objections from Belgian society which compared it to a hotel. He explained: “Inmates can go to a website where they can see what jobs

prisoners with iPads. Sir Martin Narey, who is pushing the idea, told the Telegraph last December: “When I joined the prison service in 1982 people were terrified of allowing prisoners to have FM radios. They worried about

This system is a world-first and a radical move. So much so it has caught the eye of criminal justice experts across the world, keen to know whether the benefits will outweigh the risks. A typical cell has a TV monitor, a keyboard, a mouse, a headset and a special piece of hardware that is connected to a server. Every prisoner has a USB stick, a username and password. They can access the internet, but only certain sites. They can also make calls from their cell rather than go onto the landing to use the phone, they can download films (including porn), music and play computer games. They can order extra items from the canteen, ask for library books, officially communicate with prison staff and see their court records.

© Fotolia.com

are offered. If they have a legal problem, they can get help from PrisonCloud and they can see the books they want to read. It’s a connection with the outside world. PrisonCloud has more positive sides than downsides.”

having telephones on wings.”

There are no plans to install PrisonCloud in the UK. Even though David Cameron says he wants a modern and efficient prison system fit for the 21st Century.

UK Justice Minister Michael Gove said his department was looking into whether such changes could improve outcomes in prisons.

Although officials have been considering providing some

“New tech always freaks people out. But giving prisoners iPads would allow them to keep in touch with family members and spend time in their cells more constructively.”

More information about Prison Cloud ebo-enterprises.com

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USA A prisoner in West Virginia is suing prison authorities for removing marbles he had implanted into his tattooed penis. He said he was threatened with segregation from other prisoners unless he had them removed. He is also claiming for hurt feelings because prison staff called him ‘Marble Man’.

Palestine The youngest Palestinian prisoner, a 12 year-old boy called Shadi, has sent his mother a letter from prison in which he says; “I want you to keep your head up high like a palm tree that cannot be moved by the wind or even an earthquake.” Israeli authorities have denied the family any visits to the child. In April, Israeli human rights group B’Tselem said that of around 7,000 Palestinians held in Israeli jails there were 414 minors, including 13 ‘administrative detainees’. Recently a 12 year-old girl was released after two months in custody. Brazil After the latest prison riot, leaving 14 dead, officials are looking for ways to ‘humanize’ Brazil’s brutal prison system, which is plagued by severe overcrowding, gang violence and a lack of institutional control, leading to situations of extreme cruelty for prisoners.

USA The USA has banned imports from two Chinese companies they say use forced prison labour. US human rights advocates and the US government say they believe people are still forced to work in Chinese prisons. This may raise a wry smile on the faces of US prisoners languishing in privatised prisons and forced to work for private companies at minimum ‘wages’. British prisoners might also be surprised as their £8 a week pay for working for private businesses raised £5.4m for the UK government.

Russia A suspect nicknamed ‘snake man’ was recorded by CCTV cameras escaping a Russian prison cell by squeezing his body through a tiny food hatch. The shirtless man loses his underwear while squeezing through the small space and dresses himself in the hallway before fleeing. It was unclear whether he was recaptured by police.

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South Africa It is not only the UK that has prison restaurants open to the public. Pollsmoor maximum security prison in South Africa, where Nelson Mandela was held between 1982 and 1988 has now opened its own facility where the waiters and chefs are prisoners. A local businessman who eats there says; “The service is nice, the food is good and is very cheap.” The prison holds about 8,000 prisoners in what has been described as ‘deeply disturbing, inhumane and appalling’ conditions but the restaurant holds just 30 diners in a Spartan room with plastic seats and piped pop music.

Belgium Senior Belgian lawyers have condemned their prison system as ‘disastrous’ when they joined a protest against, what they say, is their governments failure to fund the justice system properly. Their protest came during an ongoing strike by Belgian prison staff who describe conditions in the prisons as ‘terrible’ and ‘mediaeval’.

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Erlestoke Governor disagrees with MoJ over riot A serious disturbance at HMP Erlestoke last month is being investigated by police. Although the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) claimed only three men were involved and the prison was running normally within days the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) claimed that more men were involved and two wings at the Category C prison were ‘destroyed’ and 130 prisoners were transferred to other prisons. The POA said that the problems were about a lack of regime caused by staff shortages.

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Man dies after being given paracetamol for malaria An inquest has heard how a prisoner at HMP Doncaster died of malaria when prison doctors thought he had flu. A jury in an inquest into the man’s death found that all four doctors and one nurse responsible for his care at the prison had ‘acted or omitted to act’, amounting to negligence and resulting in his death. The man had arrived from Sierra

Leone and told police medical staff he had been bitten by a mosquito, showing them the bite mark. A forensic medical expert was called who despite his vomiting and diahorrea prescribed paracetamol before the man was sent to court and then on to HMP Doncaster. He became more and more ill and was eventually admitted to hospital where he died.

Relatives of prisoners told the BBC that the men were kept locked in their cells for three days, without hot food, hot water and no prison officers on some wings. The wife of an Erlestoke prisoner speaking to a local newspaper claimed that her husband told her that the problems were caused by the pilot ban on smoking at the prison. She said that many prisoners would rather move prison, even to a higher category as long as they can still smoke. She told the Wiltshire Times that the prison had been on lockdown because of a shortage of staff and on the day the riot started prisoners had only had a sandwich and a glass of water. A spokesman for the POA said; “It is impossible that damage that needed 130 men to be moved could have been caused by three prisoners. This was a riot whatever they say about it.” He said that specialist teams from across the south west were called to deal with the incident. Staff had been worried about the mood in the prison the week before after prisoners had climbed on to an administration block but denied there was intelligence to suggest the riot was sparked by the smoking ban.

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Scottish prison’s garden wins award A garden created by prisoners from HMP Glenochil and HMP Cornton Vale called ‘Within These Walls’ was the winner of the People’s Choice award at the Garden Scotland show. More than 40 men and women from both prisons designed the garden to take visitors on a journey through the life of a prisoner - from the initial dark and lonely days through to the brighter moments of creating new friendships and embarking on new endeavours. Tom Fox from the Scottish Prison Service told Inside Time; “This was a great opportunity to showcase the skills of the men and women from the prisons across Scotland, and to help people understand what life is like within the prison walls. One of the key features of the garden was a wrought iron tree of hope, which we wanted to represent the hope of all those living within the prisons. We’re delighted to have won this award - it’s a real testament to the hard work put in by all those involved.”

‘Ja p Se ilb a g e o re e i u r ak n t ’ s he ec ti on

Erlestoke Governor, Steve Hodson, told how there had been a number of incidents leading up to the riot and admitted that the smoking ban had raised tensions but denied that it was the main reason for unrest. He blamed a shortage of staff caused by vacancies, sickness and staff holidays which meant that prisoners were locked in their cells and only unlocked for meals. Dismissing claims by the MoJ that only three men were involved he said that once a few men had smashed their way out of their cells other men became involved and those still locked in cells began smashing up their cells. Despite MoJ claims that the prison was back to normal within days Mr Hodson said it could be months before repairs can be completed. He did have some good news for the prisoners who remain at Erlestoke - because so many prisoners had to be moved out there was now sufficient staff for a return to normal regime.

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HMP Kennet to close Michael Gove has announced his intention to close HMP Kennet by July 2017 and not renew the lease on the property from Mersey Care NHS Trust. He said; “The staff at HMP Kennet have been undertaking excellent work with the prisoners from Merseyside and surrounding areas. The prison however does not provide an ideal environment for the rehabilitation of the men it holds. Its design and layout make it difficult to operate, it has the highest levels of crowding in the estate and is one of the most expensive category C prisons in the country. Closing facilities like that at HMP Kennet will enable us to invest the money in a modern prison estate, with facilities for training and rehabilitation that help prisoners turn their lives around.” Kennet is the old Ashworth Hospital site and has been a category ‘C/D’ semi-open resettlement prison since 2006. In the latest MoJ figures Kennet is the most overcrowded prison with 338 prisoners squeezed into accommodation for just 175 - that’s 193% overcrowding.

Newsbites l A smuggling ring has been busted at HMP Preston involving a prison health worker and three prisoners. Smuggled items included drugs, alcohol, clothing, mobile phones and food. The prison worker got four and a half years for ‘wilfully neglecting to perform his duty as a holder of public office’ and the prisoners got additional time added to their sentences. Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West, Brett Gerrity, said the prisoners involved ‘thought they were above the law by orchestrating what was in effect a personal delivery service’. He said the items were ‘clearly intended for onward supply’ to fellow prisoners. l Thirty two prisoners at HMP Lancaster Farms raised over £1,000 for a youth charity by running a half marathon. The money was raised for the Brathay Trust a charity that helps change the lives of 7,000 youngsters a year. Lancaster Farms PE Officer Darren Leeming was running a marathon to raise funds for the charity and, after hearing about it, the prisoners decided to support him by running their own marathon. He said; “When the lads heard that I was running a marathon they wanted to support me. We came up with the idea of a fundraising running challenge and set up an early bird running club, before work, to help them prepare.” l HMP Oakwood, once called ‘Jokewood’, is hitting the record books. The G4S prison with around 1,600 prisoners held 514 adjudications in 2015 giving out 5,404 extra days in prison as punishments. HMP Birmingham, another G4S prison held 289 adjudications, handing out 4,138 extra days. HMP Featherstone, a public prison the same size as Oakwood held just 228 adjudications and added 3,608 days to prisoners’ sentences. l A prisoner in his 60’s has been arrested on suspicion of murder after another prisoner was found dead at HMP Long Lartin. It is thought he was beaten to death in a prison workshop. An ambulance was called but the prisoner was pronounced dead despite advanced life support from the paramedics. In March a prisoner was jailed for life for the murder of another prisoner and in 2013 two prisoners were jailed for the murder of another prisoner at Long Lartin. The Prison Officers’ Association says that this is the 11th suspicious death at Long Lartin in 20 months. l G4S has been advertising for a new Director for HMP Altcourse. The position comes with a salary of £100,000 per year plus bonuses, company car, excellent pension and private healthcare. The person must be able to provide ‘a progressive environment dedicated to reducing re-offending and enabling individuals to fulfil their potential back in their local community’. If you are interested you must, they say, share G4S ethics & values and be able to inspire and win hearts and minds. Applicants will be vetted by G4S and the Youth Justice Board (YJB). For more information about how G4S prisons run check out the latest Inspection Reports on Birmingham and Parc.

Is there a good news story at your prison? Write in and let us know. Please mark your envelope ‘Good news’.

Total UK prison population approximately

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Free copies of the Veterans’ Survival Guide available Last month we highlighted The Veterans’ Survival Guide by Jimmy Johnson, a help, advice and guidance book for armed forces veterans and their families. If you are a veteran, a member of a veteran’s family or just interested in this issue and want to help, copies of the book can be obtained free of charge from: Combat Stress, CEO Sue Freeth, Tyrwhitt House, Oaklawn Rd, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 0BX. Tel 01732 587000 SSAFA, CEO AVM (Ret’d) David Murray, 4St Dinstan’s Hill London EC3R 8AD, Tel: 0207 403 8783

An image from the game, which is being used to help veterans in prison develop new ways of handling the transition to civilian life. Photograph: FF Gaiden: Control (2016)

For more information visit: www.veteransinprison.co.uk

PlayStation game helps veterans in prison deal with trauma A digital art project at HMPs Altcourse and Liverpool allows ex-servicemen to use a virtual world to explore their past experiences, the Guardian reported. Working with prisoners, Fact - the Liverpoolbased media, film and digital art centre - have produced a film called FF Gaiden. It uses the world created by game Grand Theft Auto V to play out a series of personal testimonies, including family perspectives. The games (with violent content removed) form a virtual world canvas on which this group of prisoners explored their own traumatic experiences. Their input is now a

piece of art in its own right, which was screened at Fact. One prisoner at HMP Altcourse said: “I did not know that this project would click so well with me. The ideas behind it were so true to how I felt.” The effectiveness of this Veterans in Practice programme has amazed prison staff. Prisoners were better behaved, expressed feelings of self worth and were more prepared to participate in other activities to improve their rehabilitation. As a result, the Armed Forces Covenant Fund has been awarded to Fact funding to work with prisoner veterans in HMPs Altcourse and Liverpool (and with their families) for a further six months.

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Stafford prison Healthcare visitor group improves at HMP Leicester gets prestigious Following criticism from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) that prisoners at HMP Leicester with mental health issues were not receiving the care and treatment they needed the Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, which provides the healthcare services for the prisoners, has increased the number of staff, including the appointment of two permanent psychiatrists, who hold twice-weekly clinics. The treatment for prisoners with diabetes was also criticised. After a return visit CQC Inspectors said; “During this focused inspection we found the trust had undertaken a series of initiatives to address this concern, including holding a weekly allocation meeting of all mental health referrals that had been received following a mental health triage assessment. We observed that care planning for patients with complex health needs and lifelong conditions had improved. We saw that patients diagnosed with diabetes routinely had a care plan and this guided staff on how to meet a patient’s needs.”

award

HMP Stafford Prison Visitors Volunteer Group has been awarded The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award given to voluntary groups across the UK and ‘recognises outstanding work done in the local community, setting a national benchmark for excellence in volunteering’. Bridget Cameron, vice chair of the Board of Directors, HALOW (Birmingham), which runs the centre, said; “HALOW was thrilled to hear that the volunteers working within the Visitors’ Centre had been awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service 2016. They are a talented group of people, many of whom have worked in the centre for many years and well deserve this prestigious award.” The group is one of 193 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award created in 2002 to celebrate the Queen’s Golden jubilee.

Newsbites l Two sophisticated drones have allegedly been ‘shot down’ using super bright ‘Dragon Light’ torches. In two separate incidents, one at Pentonville, London, and one in Birmingham, prison staff used the very powerful torches to dazzle the on-board video cameras which operators use to guide the aircraft. The drone in Birmingham went out of control and crashed to the ground. Both drones were recovered and are being investigated. The latest incidents demonstrate the novel methods being used to disrupt this method of smuggling drugs, phones and weapons into prisons. l Last year the Youth Justice Board (YJB) and HMYOI Parc joined forces to develop a pilot approach for the controlled testing of Skype at the prison. Skype was trialled as an additional resource for family contact, meetings with youth offending team staff and other resettlement activities. That pilot launched in May 2015 and has just come to an end. The YJB says that the pilot confirmed that a video facility such as Skype can be an invaluable resource for maintaining contact with families who may struggle to visit in person and for providing additional support to young people during difficult periods, at short notice. l A vehicle maintenance workshop has been opened at HMP Highpoint. The workshop was created after surveys of the prisoners revealed that vehicle maintenance was a training programme they would like to see provided. Highpoint has links with a number of local employers and already offers bricklaying, carpentry and plumbing courses.

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IPP: two wrongs don’t make a right Parliament was, as one demonstrator put it, nearly as bad as the chaos in the justice system with the marchers being let in just eight at a time along with visiting schoolchildren. Eventually most managed to find their way to the lobby where they had to wait either to be called to speak to their MP or for their MP to enter the lobby to join them.

Families marching for IPP’s freedom Continued from front page In 2012 Ken Clarke abolished the sentence but made no move to free the thousands of mainly men, over tariff. Recently he told the BBC: “It is quite absurd that there are people who might be there for the rest of their lives, in theory, who are serving a sentence which Parliament agreed to get rid of because it hadn't worked as anybody intended. The trouble is this ridiculous burden on the Parole Board of saying they can only release people if it's proved to them that they're not really a danger to the public. No prisoner can prove that - you never know

when people are going to lose their control, what's going to happen to them when they're released.”

Ken Clarke MP ‘slum prisons’ Describing prisons as ‘overcrowded slums’ Ken Clarke said; “So long as you don't tackle mental health problems, you don't tackle drug abuse properly, you don't give people some basic education

when they haven't got any, and you don't prepare them for a job, you're actually toughening up some of these people and they're likely to be more of a risk when they come out.” At the demonstration, corralled outside Parliament on a narrow pavement, the protesters swapped stories of the injustices they said were being meted out on their loved ones. Walking past, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was asked by a number of people for his views on the sentence but he was in too much of a hurry to answer. The chaos of entering

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I waited with Shelley and Sally who both have loved ones serving an IPP sentence as they waited for their constituency MP Oliver Letwin. After speaking to him for 15 minutes they were hopeful. “He seemed really interested and helpful,” said Shelley. “He said he read the sentencing report I brought for him to see and thought it looked unfair and would look further in to it.”

Shelley and Sally with Oliver Letwin MP Jo Stevens, Shadow Justice Minister and Shadow Solicitor General, hosted a meeting, following the lobby, and told us how she heard examples of prisoners sentenced to two years still being in prison ten years later. “There are severe problems accessing the courses necessary to be able to prove to the Parole Board that prisoners have been rehabilitated and are ready for release,” she said.

beyond their original sentence unless they pose a significant public risk. I have been pressing the Government to act and will continue, alongside the families of IPP prisoners, to push for urgent action to address this issue.” Justice Secretary Michael Gove has now ordered a review of the position of thousands of prisoners serving an IPP. Over 4,000 people sentenced with an IPP remain in prison, with nearly 400 having served more than five times the minimum term they were given. Frances Crook, CEO of the Howard League met with protesters and told Inside Time; “I know some people have been calling for a review but I don’t think there should be a review; I want something done, we’ve had enough reviews. I know the Parole Board is going to concentrate on getting people out and that’s what needs to happen - we need to move those people out as soon as possible. We don’t need a review we need to do something now. I would like the Life Licence lifted from all IPPs. If they need a period of supervision after release it

“We know they done wrong but that doesn’t make what they are doing to them now right.” “I am worried about my partner’s mental state, he needs to have some idea when he will get out, it’s like mental torture.” “My son got an IPP sentence, the other person involved in his crime got two years and was out long ago.” “My man was told he had to do certain courses then they moved him to a prison that didn’t do them.” “They have an OASys report and it says there, in black and white, what they should be doing to help with the IPP sentence but the reports are not implemented. My man has been waiting two years and not one element of his OASys report has been implemented to date.”

IPP: The facts IPPs were introduced by Labour Justice Minister David Blunkett and implemented from 2005. The idea was to ensure that people convicted of dangerous violent and sexual offences stayed in prison for as long as they presented a risk to society. Under the system, a person who was convicted of a specified violent or sexual offence would be given an IPP if the offence was not so serious as to merit a life sentence. Once they had served their “tariff” they would have to satisfy the Parole Board that they no longer posed a risk before they could be released. The main concerns about IPPs now are that: l People convicted of less serious offences were given very

short tariffs but have been kept in prison for a long time after these have expired. l The prison and parole systems cannot cope with the need

Shadow Justice Secretary Jo Stevens “urgent action needed” “Lack of resources and funding means the rate at which the Parole Board is processing IPP cases is far too slow. There is a huge backlog of cases that at the current rate of resolution will take up to 10 years to work through. At a time when our prisons are grossly overcrowded and understaffed and drug use, violence, self harm and suicides are at their highest ever levels, we should not be keeping people in prison

to give all the short tariff prisoners appropriate access to rehabilitative and resettlement programmes so that they can demonstrate they are no longer a risk to society. l The administrative delays have resulted in huge uncertainty and perceived injustice for prisoners and litigation. l The rapid increase in the numbers of those on IPPs has

contributed to prison overcrowding, which in turn has exacerbated the problems with providing rehabilitation. The last Government introduced amendments to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill to abolish IPPs. Under the new provisions, life sentences would be imposed on conviction for a second serious offence and there were new provisions for extended sentences. The new regime came into force on 3 December 2012. A government report on IPPs ‘Sentences of Imprisonment for Public Protection’ was published in 2015 and can be downloaded at: http://tinyurl.com/z2yvddl

“My partner served 2 years over tariff. He got no help when he was released and got recalled with a 2 year determinate sentence. When that sentence ends in August he will have to serve his IPP sentence again.” IPP families not forgetting should be the same as anyone else gets on a sentence but it should not be a life licence, that’s completely unfair. Already there are people who have been recalled to prison, about 300 last year, for ‘administrative misdemeanours’. If somebody commits another crime, then they commit a further crime, you deal with that crime. You can’t return somebody to prison for something you fear they might do, it’s grossly unfair and that should change - so it’s not just the people who are in prison, it’s a much more complicated problem including the licence period afterwards.”

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Commenting on the case of 31 year old James Ward who remains in prison after being given a 10-month tariff IPP in 2006, Ken Clarke said; "He shouldn't be there almost 10 years after he's finished the sentence … You have a few thousand people still in our prisons with no idea when they're going to get out and a Parole Board that daren't let them out for fear of public attack if one of them does something serious and they've said they were satisfied that they were safe.” ‘Trapped’ but just one of so many page 39

“It was a silly petty crime. He would have been better off if he had murdered or raped someone.” “My man was the third in the country to get IPP and 13 years on he is still in prison.” “Even when they eventually get to ‘D’ Cat they still have 18 months or more to do.” “People don’t realise, even when they get out, it’s a life sentence.” “IPP was abolished in December 2012 - what are they going to do about the forgotten IPPs?”

Justice Secretary Michael Gove accepts IPP sentences ‘lawful’ but further measures being sought to assist progression In a reply to a letter from Robert Neill MP, Chairman of the Justice Committee who asked for information on the situation regarding IPP prisoners, Justice Secretary Michael Gove said: “The Court of Appeal confirmed that IPP sentences are lawful sentences. These prisoners continue to be detained because the risk they are assessed to pose is too great to be safely managed in the community. We continue, however, to take measures to progress prisoners towards rehabilitation and release as detailed in my letter of 20th April. In addition, I have asked Nick Hardwick, Chairman of the Parole Board, to identify further measures to support IPP prisoners’ progression. “In response to your questions about the Progression Regime at HMP Warren Hill, I can confirm that, as at 13th May, a total of 159

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indeterminate sentence prisoners had been enrolled on the Regime since it opened in December 2014; there are currently 160 prisoners participating in the Regime, 28 of whom are legacy cases, that is, who were at HMP Warren Hill when the Progress Regime opened. You may also be interested to know that the Regime has to date produced 24 releases, which is extremely positive. Officials are giving consideration to a second Progression Regime which is likely to be located in the North of England, and analysis is underway to identify which cohorts of indeterminate sentence prisoners would benefit from this opportunity.” HMP Warren Hill holds Indeterminate sentenced Cat C Male Prisoners, who cannot move to open conditions working to a Progression Regime.

There is no rehabilitation for sex offenders Joe - London I have recently been released from a long sentence for sex offences against children. I did lots of work on myself in jail, understood myself much better and was looking forward to a fresh start and a second chance to lead a useful and productive life. I believed all the rhetoric about rehabilitation. But after 6 months I have to say none of it applies to sex offenders.

present! They claim that information is only shared on a ‘need to know’ basis. Well in the case of the church, they wanted to tell a team of a dozen or so ‘minders’ who could monitor me on a rota system. We all know that some people can’t resist sharing a juicy bit of gossip with ‘just one other person’ who then tells one other person … before long, someone who lives in my street will find out and I will be hounded out of my home.

The majority of ‘rehabilitation-positive’ schemes exclude sex offenders. Community groups, charities and churches do run a lot of helpful groups/programmes which accept former prisoners - but sex offenders are banned because they also work with the offenders’ families. Mental health groups can’t take us in case we are a risk to their other ‘vulnerable’ clients. Many employers are positive about employing former prisoners - except sex offenders, because the public would object and they would lose trade.

If I become friends with someone who I later discover has contact with any children or grandchildren, I have to tell them my past. So it’s too risky to try to get to know anyone. I’m even ‘discouraged’ by the police from visiting social networking sites - despite it not being a licence condition. So I’m stuck within my 4 walls with no job, no voluntary work, no education, no friends, no social contacts, no church and no support network, living in constant fear of neighbours discovering my past. Not a lot different to prison then!

If I want to attend any social activity group, join a sports team, attend a church, register at a library, enrol on a course … Probation will have to disclose about my offence, which puts me at risk from vigilantes. If I get a job or do any voluntary work, ditto. They refused to let me take a job I was actually offered, on the grounds that ‘there might be under-18s working there’ - well, surely that applies to every job? Probation even told my GP surgery reception staff to monitor me in the waiting room in case there were children

Apart from the risk to my safety, what does this do to my mental well-being and self-esteem? I’ve done years of painful work to start believing I have some self-worth and that ‘there is more to me than my crime’ - but Probation and society obviously don’t believe this. Evidently they don’t believe sex offenders can ever really be rehabilitated, so all their expensive interventions are pointless. The truth is, society just can’t ever accommodate us back whilst still keeping children safe.

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Probation are so risk-averse and anxious to cover their own backs that they see risk where there is none: the more open and up-front I am with them about my activities, the more scope it gives them for seeing ‘risk’ - so I’ve learnt to tell them as little as possible. The system encourages us to be evasive and uncooperative, which must be a risk factor in itself! And before other readers write in to accuse me of having a ‘poor me’ pity party, let me say I don’t think all these measures are unreasonable. It is vital to protect children from abuse and I am pleased society is finally getting its act together and taking child protection issues seriously. These restrictions are the consequences of our crime and we have to accept them. No, my reason for writing is to say it’s time for the authorities to come clean and say ‘No, we don’t believe in rehabilitation for sex offenders’. It’s time for society to admit openly that they will never accept us back. Then at least we will not waste time in prison doing painful work to be rehabilitated, and we will not set ourselves up for further disillusionment and disappointment. Maybe it’s time for a modern-day equivalent of the ‘leper colony’ or the Old Testament’s ‘cities of refuge’ where society’s outcasts could at least live a normal life with one another, despite being excluded from society as a whole. Because there is certainly no chance of a ‘life beyond prison’ for sex offenders otherwise.

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18 Comment // Diary

Month by Month By Rachel Billington

Deloitte UK where he worked for ten years, five of them as a partner. His mistake, he freely admits, was leaving Deloitte’s to help set up a Nigerian Bank, which ended with a prison sentence for fraud. Almost certainly the paths of Ed Tullett and Michael Corrigan would never have crossed without their meeting in HMP Brixton. While Tullett knows just about everything there is to know about the running of prisons, Corrigan brings his management training and, of course, his own personal understanding of what a prisoner needs to set him/her on the right track.

Former governor Ed Tullett, Rachel Billington and Michael Corrigan

Former prisoner and governor PROSPER It’s not often I find myself talking to a prison governor and a prisoner in the same room outside prison, that is. In fact Ed Tullett retired a year ago as prison governor of HMP Brixton and Michael Corrigan left Brixton in 2012 after serving a sentence for fraud. So I should say they are an ex-prison governor and an ex-prisoner. We met to talk about how they came together and about PROSPER, a company set up by Michael Corrigan to help employment among prisoners, and now joined by Tullett as an advisor. I have an immediate sense that they enjoy each other’s company and respect each other’s talents. They both own allotments which may not seem the most important aspect of their life but clearly is a positive bond. They met in Brixton at a time when Tullett had been given the go-ahead to turn a local prison into a training prison and organise ROTL (Release on temporary licence) for men who had come to Brixton from Latchmere House after its closure. Tullett aimed to send out 100 men each day. He explained, ‘From 2012 the MoJ built us workshops. We had Bounce Back, Clink and other training. Two of our wings were turned over to category D, totally unsuitable environment but near the biggest labour market in Europe. They could work out and use the prison like a B & B.’

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Meanwhile Corrigan, who was already category D and serving his time in HMP Belmarsh arrived on the understanding that he would have quicker access from Brixton to an open prison such as Ford, ‘by the golf course’ as he describes it. What he found in his new place of residence horrified him. He told me, ‘I used to imagine I was a bit part actor in a Colditz movie. But Belmarsh is a very well-run prison, hugely resourced … I could do anything from degree level stuff to working in a gym. When I moved to Brixton it was the biggest culture shock. But I could see the opportunity was there and then I met Ed.’ Tullett recognised Corrigan had some good ideas and invited him to give a presentation. Corrigan called his talk ‘M. I.’ and to Tullett’s inquiry ‘What the Hell is that?’ answered ‘Management Information.’ Tullett comments now that ‘Without Michael we couldn’t have done what we did.’ From my past meetings with Tullett this openness to the prisoner’s voice doesn’t surprise me. He has always been a practical kind of governor who took ideas from where he found them without prejudice. Tullett’s career inside prisons included a couple of years in Brixton between 1999 and 2001, where he witnessed punch-ups between staff and prisoners, a total lack of

workshops, an atmosphere he describes as ‘complete chaos’ and ‘a lesson in how not to run a prison.’ Following time in Pentonville, Belmarsh, Cookham Wood/East Sutton Park and Elmley, Tullett found himself back at Brixton as Governor in 2010. He told me ‘I’m not a visionary.’ His creed was simple, ‘I wanted to make it work a bit better. Help to reorganise it. Get people on side.’ His time at Brixton was not easy. The problem of drugs coming into the prison, possibly from outside workers, meant there was always a danger that prison service headquarter would close the newly started ROTL programme. Tullett argued that the benefit of work to the men - and to society - outweighed the possible rise in drugs in the prison. ‘You’ve just got to be implacable,’ he says, ‘and hold your nerve.’ Michael Corrigan’s CV begins on an unexpected note when he worked for four and a half years as a butler to the Lord Mayor of London. He then changed direction. He retrained, eventually becoming a Company Secretary in the insurance sector, worked for Colette Bow setting up field monitoring for the city regulator, becoming an expert on pensions mis-selling, a big preoccupation of the time. From there he was head-hunted by the accountancy group,

PROSPER was founded in 2014 by Corrigan when he teamed up with another ex-prisoner Steve Newell. They have financial support from ARC InterCapital Ltd’s Andrew Dixon. PROSPER works in three areas: ‘Employability finding a job, developing skills and self-presentation; Preemployability - the initial steps leading to be able to get employment; Entrepreneurship - setting up businesses. Corrigan was always clear that he wanted to run a business himself (or social enterprise) which he believes is the best way forward, not least because he has seen the sort of waste and lack of accountability which happens in so much of the charitable sector. Practically speaking, Corrigan mentions some of their work over the last year which includes a contract from Serco to look at and review their prison workshops which despite good facilities he describes as ‘dire, certainly in terms of any employment outcomes.’ In this area of employment Corrigan believes that the large number of companies paid to help get jobs for prisoners ‘don’t do it very well’. He says, ‘To me it seems

pretty simple, they’re a whole load of people who want to work and a whole load of jobs looking for workers. Yet nobody is doing the joining-up in between.’ He says it’s all a question of talking to big business and says that PROSPER currently has contracts with Mitie, Whitbread (who own Premier Inns and Costa Coffee), Hilton and Google.’ In Durham and Leeds at recent meetings PROSPER arranged job interviews for twenty men. Corrigan and Tullett want to organise Academies inside prison, such as Bounce Back where painters and decorators can train knowing already that jobs are available on the outside. Both men emphasize the importance of targeted training so that roofers must be trained in areas where roofers are needed and chefs where chefs are needed. Where those wishing to be self-employed are concerned, PROSPER is supported by the UK’s Start-up Loans, have seen nearly fifty businesses emerge under their guidance. Not lacking in confidence, Corrigan says PROSPER’S mission is to set up a thousand businesses by 2020. Tullett comments, ‘The big gap which I can really see, is that you’ve got lots of customers who want workers. It ought to be easier than it is to feed some of the eighty thousand in prison, probably twenty thousand in London, into work. Prisoners have skills, most have worked before coming in and I think the government is missing a trick here.’ Or as Corrigan puts it, ‘We’re very good at giving advice.’ With the success of their work in Brixton on record, it looks as if they might be a good bet for the future and their allotments may have to get used to a few weeds this summer.

Prison Reading Groups As a professional author, I’m naturally interested in encouraging reading groups and I’m particularly impressed by the groups running in prisons. I understand how difficult it is to get men and women out of the cells and into a library. Too often keen readers find themselves locked behind their cell door when the book they’ve read is being discussed - frustrating for everyone. But the Prison Reading Groups (PRG), led by the indomitable Sarah Turvey of the University of Roehampton and her friends, don’t do discouragement. That view was reinforced when I spoke at a day conference they held at Roehampton. The large hall was filled with an absolute mixture of volunteers: students, academics, businessmen, ex-prisoners, plus prison professionals including many of the brightest librarians and the added bonus of a special constable. The people might have different backgrounds but they all described a great time talking books and/or poetry with their groups. In the large hall they swapped stories and tips - from lists of popular books to the horrified reaction of a group member at the suggesting of ending each session with a poem ‘Is that a hymn!’ Clearly he hadn’t been reading Inside Time. On a more positive note, other group leaders reported the popularity of poetry giving as examples, ‘The Shropshire Lad’ by A.E. Houseman, ‘Wind’ by Ted Hughes and ‘Dover Beach’ by Matthew Arnold. PRG was founded in 1999 and now has over forty groups in thirty five prisons; it reports regularly in Inside Time. PRG also supports Family Groups in prisons. Reading Group Round-up page 48

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Ideas ranging from a community centre within Harlesden, a mobile burger van to feed the homeless, a vehicle maintenance workshop for ex-offenders and an international football scouting academy to help children from orphanages develop football skills within Ghana were amongst the very interesting pitches. They had all been coached to a high standard and presented their plans with amazing confidence; however judges did question why they were referring to themselves as ex-offenders. “But that’s what we’re told we are” retorted James. “When you’re in here you’re told you’re an offender”. This ‘label’ wasn’t popular with any of the judges and in typical Brand style, Russell provided an instant ‘off the cuff’ alternative. “Why not call yourselves ‘Freebirds’? You were Jailbirds but soon you’ll all be free”. Laughter all round - but I thought seriously, what a nice idea. Simone Haynes, ‘Principles in Finance’ with judges; Akala, Russell Brand and Chaka Bars

Dragons in Pentonville John Roberts

“I can’t believe I just won! Going into this I didn’t believe I could actually create a proper business, register my website address and get funding to help start before I’d even finished my sentence. And all of this started from us just being given a book” These are the words of Trey, winner at HMP Pentonville. Along with seven other prisoners he completed the ‘Pitch Perfect’ programme, a seven day intensive course about planning a successful business whilst in prison. The eight competitors then pitched their ideas to a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style panel of judges and Trey came out on top. Simone Haynes, founder of the charity ‘Principles In Finance’ who designed and delivered the programme in Pentonville told Inside Time “The idea is to help prisoners identify a viable business model and create a brand, then, if it is considered viable we connect them with a network of people outside to support their venture. We have also run these courses in Wormwood Scrubs and Feltham YOI.” Having been asked to join the judging panel of this Dragon’s Den style event at Pentonville, I asked Simone to explain the structure of the programme and tell me exactly how it worked. “The first stage is in a classroom and based on our ‘Money Behind Bars’ book. This is embedded within the prisons Small Firms Enterprise Development Initiative (SFEDI) level 1,

Understanding Enterprise and is a nationally recognised qualification. Once they have undergone this learning process and demonstrate that they understand how to map different business models to suit their lifestyles, understand the meaning of different social enterprises, how to pitch their business idea and the ‘do’s’ and ‘don’ts’ of managing a business, this culminates in a ‘Dragon’s Den’ styled event on the seventh day when prominent members of the community are then invited into the prison to be part of a panel that judge their individual pitches. The winner receives a prize fund of £500 and the support of a business mentor.” When I arrived to take my place as a judge on the panel at Pentonville on June 15th I found that I was in very interesting company. My co-judges were Russell Brand (comedian), Akala (Hip-hop Shakespeare Founder & Rapper), Chaka Bars (Fitness Guru Spartanfam), Justin Finlayson (Entrepreneur), Erik Mesel (Funding Manager at John Lyons Charity) and Gary John Lewis (Philanthropist). I knew any event with Russell Brand was bound to be entertaining and there was no disappointment! As with all my fellow judges, Brand was engaging, supportive and non-judgmental. Each contender pitching shared their personal journey whilst presenting their business idea to an audience of fifty other prisoners and several members of staff. Our role as judges was to consider the feasibility of the business idea and give feedback on the pitch. They were very impressive. Moreover, taking into consideration what came out as part of the back stories there was an insight into what had led to their spell in prison. This was a powerful illustration of the resilience and determination each had to turn their lives around. The programme had clearly had an impact on their confidence and they believed in themselves once again. All that was needed was a chance to make it happen.

Akala articulately explained that unfortunately projects accessing funding are unlikely to be successful with their bids if they do not use the recognized funding terminology. “To gain financial support you have to label inmates and put them in said box you are trying to remove as a barrier, which is a direct contradiction to the work you are trying to achieve.”

Akala, Chaka Bars, Justin Finlayson, Russell Brand, Trey (receiving his winners cheque), Gary John Lewis, John Roberts and Erik Mesel The winning idea, by a unanimous decision was called Rapid Stitch - a mobile alterations/ sewing business. Trey, who went to the London College of Fashion and has several qualifications in tailoring, designed a mobile business with a van fully equipped with sewing machines, tapestry etc., enabling a bespoke sameday repair and alteration service. The judges felt this business would benefit most from the £500 prize fund due to its simplicity and because it filled what was considered to be a real gap in the market. Some of the other community projects will also be likely to qualify for funding and grants and help with applications will be given.

does and without doubt very good at it. “This is our fourth time doing this and it just keeps getting better and better! Teaching prisoners how to become entrepreneurs really is the best job in the world. I use my nine years of banking experience with Barclays and my personal journey to inspire others to make that much needed change. With no experience of speaking in public there were understandably a few nerves as the pitching time approached, but it was so uplifting and rewarding when they all did so well.” “This was one of the best things that has happened since I’ve been here,” says Leo currently on remand - the course brought us all together by helping us to develop our business ideas together as a team. The event with the judges was fantastic! I stood in front of fifty odd people and pitched my business idea, which in itself is a massive thing for me. Simone is living proof that this is real. She came here with an open heart, a book she wrote for us on being an entrepreneur to teach a bunch of prisoners and blew our minds with caring and knowledge. All I can say is thanks for putting me on this”. The event came to a close with Russell Brand who, without notes, remarkably addressed each man that pitched individually, remembering their name, recalling their business idea and giving them each positive feedback as to what he liked about their ideas, the way they pitched and why they will be a success. “I’m truly impressed,” remarked Julie Porter, the Education Manager. “This was a great event and I hope we can do many more”. It is exciting to see these types of events taking place in prisons as they are far from easy to organise, especially in these difficult times in prisons. It is only made possible with the cooperation of dedicated and forward thinking Governors and staff who recognise the benefits and are willing to put in the required effort. Inside Time is proud to support and help promote life changing initiatives like this and congratulate Simone on her achievements. Names of prisoners have been changed in this report for data protection purposes. For more information on the programme please contact: [email protected]

Simone is clearly passionate about what she

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www.insidetime.org living dead, doing the Largactyl shuffle around my cell. Many years later, whilst serving my life sentence, I was mentally assessed for HMP Grendon, and found to have a ‘severe personality disorder’. Another label. I completed 5 years of intense therapy and psychodrama before I was judged ‘safe’ to be released back into the world via 2 years in Blantyre House.

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Labelled a psychopath Inside Time’s commissioning editor shares his mental health journey

When I was a lot younger there was some suspicion on the part of the authorities that I might be suffering from some form of mental illness. At the age of 15, I was convicted at the Old Bailey for armed robbery and jailed for 3 years under section 53 the Children & Young Persons Act 1935. The relevant part of the Act which applied to me was that I was a juvenile who had been ‘convicted of crimes that would warrant a sentence of 14 years imprisonment, or more, in an adult.’ This was a ‘no remission’ sentence, I had to gain parole through good behaviour or serve every day of the sentence. I served every day of the sentence.

where the average time served by ‘trainees’ was 9 months. Borstals were little more than gladiator schools for up-andcoming young criminals by the late 1970s, bloody battlegrounds where tough reputations were made and consolidated. I did not settle in well, and some of my violent actions led to me being shanghaied from the wing by several large members of staff, forcibly injected with a tranquilliser and rushed on a prison van to the hospital wing in Rochester Borstal for what the governor informed me was ‘mental observation’. I woke up in a padded-cell, wearing a canvas straitjacket. Not something I would recommend for anyone, let alone someone like me who suffers from claustrophobia. It was a nightmare period for me as I was kept tranquillised on Largactyl.

The sentence was so rarely handed out that the only place they could find for me to serve it was in the borstal system,

On Christmas Eve 1977, at the age of 17, I attempted to break out of the Borstal and ended up seriously assaulting a

Noel Smith

“ This is what labels do. They stick. If people think you’re MAD, then everything you do, everything you think, will have MAD stamped across it ” Nathan Filer, author of The Shock of the Fall: Costa Book of the Year 2013 night-patrol officer. The escape was a failure and I ended up in an underground cell in solitary confinement for 9 months. In that cold, dim cell I finally did go a little bit mad. I broke the metal tag from my prison-issue jeans, sharpened it by rubbing it on the concrete floor, and attempted to end my life by ripping out the veins in my left arm. I was about an hour away from being sectioned under the Mental Health Act, but the need to punish rather than care stayed the hand of the official in charge of my mental health. I spent months drugged up, a slow, drooling wreck, one of the

Then a couple of years ago I was approached by a television production company who were putting together a 3-part documentary on psychopaths, for Channel 5. I must admit, I was intrigued when they offered to put me through all the official tests and examinations to see if I was actually a psychopath. Of course, I was sure that they would find out no such thing, as I say, I have been examined by several psychiatrists during my 3 decades of incarceration and I spent 5 years in intense group therapy overseen by psychiatrists and psychologists, and not once was I given any intimation that I might be a psychopath. I was told that I have the traits of a sociopath, but on the psychopath question all was quiet. For the documentary - called ‘Meet the Psychopaths’ - I had a brain scan. It came as a great surprise to me when the results of this scan showed that I have severe damage to my frontal lobes, an indication of psychopathy. I had been hit in the head with an iron-bar at the age of 12, and this left me with undiagnosed brain damage. The production company took me to Birmingham, where I sat through several computer-generated tests. I had several electrodes attached to my head and was shown pictures of faces in various states of emotion and I had to identify the emotions. I did not do well, and, apparently, this was another indication that I may be a

psychopath. There were various other tests, including an interview with eminent psychiatrist Tony Maden, who asked a few questions about my teenage behaviour. At the end of this interview, which was all filmed, Dr Maden told me - ‘I would say that you are definitely a psychopath, and had I been talking to you 20 or 30 years ago I would be concerned that your psychopathy would be very dangerous. But you are a man in your 50s and I would say that the dangerous years are behind you and that you are putting your efforts into more positive things, so I have no worries about you.’ I was pleased to hear Dr Maden’s assessment and so I thanked him. Unfortunately, the production company decided that it would make for ‘sexier’ television if they cleverly edited this conversation. The screened version on Channel 5 had Dr Maden telling me - ‘I would say that you are definitely a psychopath.’ And then me smiling and saying ‘Thank you very much.’ As if I was pleased to be labelled a psychopath on national television! I did wonder how, or if, this very public diagnosis would affect my life. Surely those who knew me would take this with a pinch of salt? It was, after all, just another label. Then, a week after Meet the Psychopaths aired on Channel 5, I was surprised to see the programme featuring as part of Channel 4’s ‘Gogglebox’ (a show in which ordinary families are filmed watching television and their reactions). I was quite shocked to hear people who did not know me expressing fear and a slight revulsion for me when Dr Maden made his pronouncement on my mental state. I quickly got over this (as psychopaths do!) and got on with my life. There then followed several

weeks of me receiving shouts of ‘Psycho!’ and ‘Nutter!’ (I still get them on occasions) from, it seems, every whitevan driver in Hampshire. I could do nothing but shrug my shoulders, I guess it is the price of dealing with the media these days. People who know me think I should rail against the label of ‘psychopath’, but to me it is just another wrong tag that has been hung around my neck by others. It means absolutely nothing to me (which probably proves I’m a psychopath to some people). The message I suppose I am trying to convey here is that labels can be bothersome and can cause damage to those who have been labelled, but, when it comes down to the bottom line, they are only someone’s opinion.

‘Mad’ Frankie Fraser I remember talking to infamous London mobster Frankie Fraser some years ago in Wandsworth prison, and asking him if he was really ‘mad’. Frank gave me that look, the one he reserved for potential victims who were about to feel the bite of his pliers, and slowly shook his head. ‘Don’t fucking matter whether I am or not,’ he said, ‘they say I am and that’s the end of it.’ Frank had been labelled as a ‘psycho’ early on in his criminal career and had been carrying it around for so long that it had become part of his name - Mad Frankie Fraser. He no longer cared what people thought of it. And I have reached the same point.

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The family rock Do tough sentences Families may help in reducing reoffending, but are we unwittingly enabling their return to prison? Alison Henderson Over the past few weeks, my blog has featured posts from prisoner’s families and ex-offenders who have spoken about reoffending and ways to reduce it. According to many organisations, families are the key to reducing reoffending but there are strong arguments against this. Many offenders who are addicted to drugs come from supportive loving families, many of whom have kicked their loved-one’s backside to the curb simply because they can do no more - and rightfully so. Some families do in fact reduce reoffending by using a tactic called enabling. Junkies love enablers, monies given to them by their nearest and dearest enables them to get high without committing crime. Mum, dad, grandma, grandpa, partner, husband and wife, would rather give their addict loved-one a tenner here and there in order to keep them out of jail. So yes, that’s one way of reducing reoffending - it’s not the right way by a long shot, but the addict is desperate and the families give in because how can they refuse their loved one a tenner for food or twenty quid for electric and nappies? The verbal gymnastics addicts do for a bag of gear is endless and eventually it takes its toll. Eventually the inevitable happens and the phone calls start. Your partner, son, daughter, is banged up and they need money for toiletries and stamps etc - or do they? Families are encouraged to visit their loved ones in prison to bond and maintain family ties. I get that especially where children are concerned, but what if this is your loved one’s second or third sentence? We are the ones who are supposed to help reduce reoffending so where are we going wrong? We send them money, we visit religiously, and we email and write to them, we phone their solicitors and probation officers passing messages back and forth because the money we’ve sent them for phone credit has been spent on ‘other things’. Seriously, where does this end? How can I prevent my partner from going to prison time and time again? The truth of the matter is this; I can’t. I can’t because he is the only person who can kick his drug addiction and he is the only person who can change his ways. The more I stand by him when he serves a sentence, the more he goes back inside. I visit, I send him money, I make sure I take money with me so I can buy him snacks, I take his daughter to see him and I leave feeling like I’ve just been to a funeral. How does the rehabilitation thing work when

I am visiting my partner on his third prison sentence? He’s comfortable knowing that when he goes to prison, I’ll visit and do my prison widow thing all over again because that’s what families do. I’m not reducing reoffending, I’m actually encouraging it. Let us not forget; the system needs bottoms on beds otherwise thousands would not be able to afford their mortgages. So to say that families are the key to reducing reoffending is a complete and utter cop out. It’s a mind game played extremely well.

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Mum, dad, grandma, grandpa, partner, husband and wife would rather give their addict loved-one a tenner here and there in order to keep them out of jail Like many other families I am not paid to reduce reoffending. I was under the impression that probation officers and other professionals working in the system are paid for such roles? Why do we never hear; probation officers are the key to reducing reoffending? Why has the burden fallen on to families? What support does the system offer families when their loved one is released from prison and is still in active addiction? I’m not saying anything out of sorts because there have been numerous articles in newspapers recently about prisons being awash with drugs. So who supports families of offenders that are being released back into their family homes with an addiction? I don’t know how many prisoners are inside for drug related offences but I should imagine that overcrowding wouldn’t be an issue if the war on drugs had been won. The statistics must be high otherwise why would prisons be awash with drugs? As for families being the main individuals to reduce reoffending? That has to be the biggest insult yet. Prisoner’s families get little support from the onset so where does the miracle come from when their loved ones return home? You tell me!

deter crime?

Penelope Gibbs

Nearly half the British population supports the death penalty and two thirds agree with the argument that “the best way to reduce re-offending is to increase the deterrent effect of sentencing - by sending more offenders to prison, making prison life harder, making sentences longer, and making community punishments more demanding”. But as Tom Gash points out in his excellent new book, Criminal: The truth about why people do bad things, there is little evidence that tough sentences do deter crime. There is a deep-seated popular belief (found in our reframing research) that committing crime is a rational act - that criminals logically weigh up the chances of being caught and the severity of their punishment, against the gains to be made from committing a crime. Because most people think that crime is an individual, rational choice, they also deduce that if punishment is made more severe, potential criminals will make a different choice. This belief has led to a raft of “tough on crime” policies in USA, Canada and in the UK. In 1993 Michael Howard, when Home Secretary, declared that prison works: “it ensures that we are

protected from murderers, muggers and rapists - and it makes many who are tempted to commit crime think twice”. Since that time our prison population has doubled, fuelled for the most part not by sentencing more people to imprisonment, but by tougher sentences. Average prison sentences have increased steadily (up four months vs twenty years ago) and continue to do so. But as Tom Gash points out, there is plenty of evidence to show that tougher sentences have little impact on crime. Finland in 1960s decided to reduce their prison population. They removed nearly all fine defaulters from prison, then reduced the numbers of those imprisoned for theft, drink-driving and other non-violent crimes. Suspended sentences became the norm for first-time offenders who had been given prison sentences of less than two years. Crime did in fact go up significantly from 1960 to the late 1980s, but it went up no more in Finland than in other Scandinavian countries, with low prison populations. Crime also went up steeply in USA where the prison population soared. In America new tough laws were brought in, the toughest of which was the Californian three strikes rule which was introduced in 1994. It said that anyone

convicted of two serious offences would be imprisoned for life on committing their third offence. This third offence did not need to be serious to count, so people ending up serving life sentences after lying on a driving theory test or shoplifting. If deterrent sentencing works, this draconian three strikes law should have prevented anyone affected committing that third crime. But it didn’t. An economic study concluded that people on two strikes were only 12.5% less likely to be arrested after the new law than before it. Another study suggested that the threat of punishment might have encouraged two strikers to commit more serious third crimes as “rather be hanged for a sheep than a lamb”. If you understand that crime is most often a spontaneous, reckless act, rather than a rational, considered choice, it makes sense that severity of punishment does not deter. But the belief in the criminal as “rational actor” and the deterrent effect of prison is very strong. Let’s hope we can shift those beliefs.

Penelope Gibbs is the Director of Transform Justice Criminal: The truth about why people do bad things by Tom Gash is published by Allen Lane. Price £14.99 ISBN-10: 1846145937

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22 Comment // Interview

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Prison Service ‘still in a very bad way’ Only two of the six ‘Reform Prisons’ given Governor autonomy, reveals Eoin McLennan-Murray Erwin James After thirty seven years and two months working for the Prison Service, Eoin McLennanMurray retired and moved to a house he built in Spain. After his retirement however he joined the board of the Howard League for Penal Reform and returns periodically for board meetings and other prison reform events. I’ve met McLennan-Murray a number of times over the years and always found him to be thoughtful, progressive and human in his attitude towards prisoners and prisons. When he was the Governor in charge of Blantyre House prison in Kent a delegation of government and prison officials from Norway visited him and he gave a presentation explaining how Blantyre House had achieved the lowest reoffending figures for released prisoners in England and Wales - a remarkable 8 percent, when the national average was around 50 percent within the first 12 months of release. The prison had this impact on reoffending he said, because its ethos was all about trusting prisoners to be honest and responsible. “Trust is the key,” he told them. The fact that the majority of the prisoners in Blantyre House were at the end of long prison sentences for serious crimes made its success all the more remarkable. The Norwegians went away and created Bastoy Prison Island, the first ecological prison in the

world. Like Blantyre House, Bastoy holds men serving long prison sentences for serious crimes and today boasts the lowest reoffending rates in Europe. Sadly, Blantyre House is now closed, but its ethos lives on in Bastoy Prison Island and other similarly regimed prisons around Norway. On a recent trip to the UK from Spain, McLennan-Murray agreed to meet me for lunch and a chat. He retired at the end of last year, finishing off his career as the Governor of Coldingley Category C prison in Surrey. I wondered whether after so long steeped in the prison system if it wasn’t really time for him to forget prisons? “It should be shouldn’t it”, he laughs, “but I invested almost four decades of my life in something really important, and in that time you can see what’s good and what isn’t good. So when something is happening in the prison system, with all the experience I have I think I can identify things that are sensible and things which aren’t. So I like to let people know that, either in media interviews, or as a trustee of the Howard League. I like to deal with the substantive stuff, and I always try, when I can, to raise some of the important issues, like the size of the prison population, our current approach to drugs in society - how they drive so much inquisitive crime and hence so many more of the serious problems in our prisons.” As well as his own experience he says he refers

often for facts and figures about prison issues and prisoners to the Bromley Briefings, the prison fact file compiled by the Prison Reform Trust. “It’s an excellent publication and so well researched,” he says. “I refer to it so much. About half of the people in prison are in for a drug related offence. So it’s a real driver.

“Of course now there is a huge problem with the IPP prisoners, some four thousand or so in the system. They’ve abolished that sentence, but they won’t make it retrospective and let people out who are serving a sentence that effectively no longer exists. People languishing in prison who were given relatively short tariffs, of a year or two, still in prison ten or twelve years later - well that’s just not right.”

Eoin McLennan-Murray

People languishing in prison who were given relatively short tariffs, of a year or two, still in prison ten or twelve years later well that’s just not right The other thing I talk about a lot is sentence length. How we have increased sentencing, so now judges are handing down longer sentences than ever before. And then at the other end of the scale the ineffectiveness of short sentences.”

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I was the evening duty governor the day that Leon Brittan announced that they were reviewing all the lifer tarrifs. Following that announcement, there were men on my wing who were getting years and years added on to the minimum terms that had been set by their trial judges. This happened out of the blue, and I just thought it was so unjust. I’m a fair man - but I thought okay, if you’re going to make the tariffs longer don’t make it retrospective when men had been working towards a particular timescale and then the posts were moved sometimes by more than a decade.

How was it as a prison governor when you saw prisoners with increasingly longer sentences coming into your prison and somehow you have to offer a regime that provides some rehabilitation? “Well, I remember being duty governor at Gartree. I had about forty lifers on my wing.

What does he think of the government’s plans to reform the prison system, as shared with Inside Time in our April issue by Justice Secretary Michael Gove? “More autonomy and power for governors - absolutely, that’s how it should be. It’s like going back to what we had before, where we had some say over our budget, you could design your own regime, you could recruit your own staff. “When I first governed Blantyre House I had far more autonomy. The landscape we were operating on was not so restricted. Even though Michael Howard (former Home Secretary) tightened up on ROTL it wasn’t as draconian as Chris Grayling’s actions. And now Michael Gove is relaxing Grayling’s restrictions to those governors that have autonomy. “I spoke to the Governor at Coldingley recently who told me she was about to release her first Category D prisoners. But the Service is in a bad way. So many prisons are struggling and I don’t think they know what to do. I think by giving governors autonomy they’re hoping that that is going to perhaps stabilise certain prisons. “And I think locally you can do something at a local level. I don’t think it will particularly affect rehabilitation. It will just restore, hopefully, a little bit of decency and create more purposeful regimes. The dichotomy of these prison reforms however - well giving governors autonomy; fabulous, it’s the right thing to do. They still haven’t quite worked out what the boundaries are. It will be up to those governors to find what their boundaries are. But the problem is that though autonomy is a good thing, it’s not going to transform the service. The bigger issues that are really holding the Service back now are the violence and the drugs. And of course most of the violence is as a result of the drugs. And one last thing about this - what a lot of people don’t realise is that only two of the Governors in charge of the six reform prisons have actual autonomy - the other four are answerable to the person at the MoJ who controls the budget.”

Comment 23

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My victim shook my hand and I broke down in tears

Is HMP Parc juvenile unit another Medway? Inside Time report At the same time as the BBC Panorama programme was being secretly filmed at G4S Medway children’s prison, the Prisons Inspectorate was inspecting the juvenile unit at G4S managed HMP Parc in south Wales. This unit can house up to 64 children, from age 15, but at the time of the inspection held just 38. What the inspection found was shocking and, in many ways, mirrored the findings of the Panorama programme. • 41% of children said they had been victimised by staff; • 45% of children said they were not treated with respect by staff; • The ‘use of force’ had tripled since the last inspection in 2014 with over 200 incidents recorded in the previous six months on less than 40 children; • 43% of boys said they had been restrained; • Adjudications were running at 77 per month, 79% of boys had had an adjudication; • 25% of boys said they had been assaulted by other boys; • Only 20% of children said staff would take their victimisation seriously; • 52% of boys said complaints were not dealt with fairly; • Some children told the Inspectors that they had been restrained and hurt in areas not covered by CCTV such as in cells. In his report Peter Clarke, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons says; “In light of the recent allegations that have been made about the treatment of children elsewhere in the young people’s secure estate,

it is imperative that our recommendations about refresher training in child protection, and knowledge about the whistle-blowing policy, are acted upon as a matter of urgency. Similarly, the reasons why children have reported an increase in victimisation by staff must be investigated and understood.” Despite the findings of his Inspectors, Clarke says; “In summary, while overall we were still able confidently to judge that outcomes under the ‘safety’ element of the healthy prison test were ‘reasonably good’, there is a real need for the leadership team at Parc to understand what sits behind the negative aspects of these findings.” The report found: • Safety outcomes were reasonably good; • Respect outcomes were reasonably good; • Purposeful activity was reasonably good; • Resettlement outcomes were reasonably good. Frances Crook, CEO of the Howard League told Inside Time; “The report on Parc’s children’s unit chimes with recent scandals seen in Secure Training Centres (STCs) run by G4S. The Howard League is also aware of serious allegations of racist abuse of children at Parc, which are being investigated.” In response to the report G4S say; “Inspectors reported that there was ‘much to commend’ at the 64-capacity juvenile

The impact of a Restorative Justice encounter can have a profound effect on both the victim and the perpetrator - here one man explains how it changed his life for the better John Chapman

unit for young people aged 15-17 with significantly more time out of cell than at other centres around the country and ‘many instances’ of good work by staff and partners. While inspectors reported that 89 per cent of young people said they felt safe and safeguarding and child protection arrangements remained effective, concerns were raised about the number of young people who said they felt victimised.”

On 30th May 2015 I was sentenced to three years imprisonment. So off to HMP Bristol for me. I also had two other offences outstanding. While I was in Bristol prison I had a visit from ‘probation’. I duly attended as instructed where I found that it wasn’t ‘probation’- but a facilitator from Bristol Crown Court Restorative Justice which is part of the Probation Service. I sat down at a table facing a lady who then informs me that she is here to ask me if I would consider a face to face meeting with the owner of a burger van that I had burgled. She explained the meeting would be held at the prison, in a safe environment with her and another facilitator along with the victim, Alan.

Janet Wallsgrove, Director of Parc said; “ The centre is now more settled and we have stepped up our survey activity and enhanced the representation of young people at our safeguarding meetings to better understand their perceptions and interactions with our staff group.”

There would also be two officers present to ensure there would be no aggression or fighting. Immediately I said yes. She told me she had already spoken with Alan and he was willing and eager to speak to me to get answers and to help him to move forward. I was also told that a report would be sent to the Crown Court and the judge would take it into account when sentencing me. To me it was a win win situation, or so I thought.

Michael Spurr, Chief Executive of the National Offender Management Service, said; “As the report notes, there is some very positive work being undertaken with young people in Parc with a high level of purposeful activity and good education and resettlement provision. The number of young people in custody has continued to fall but the challenges presented by those who remain, particularly in terms of violence, are considerable. The Director and her team are committed to providing a safe and positive environment for young people in their care and will use the findings from this report to address areas of concern to achieve improvement.”

It took about a month to make the final arrangements, but as the day of the meeting came closer I started feeling anxious, but still determined to face up to what I had done wrong and hopefully say sorry. I’d only committed these offences because I was under the influence of mephedrone (also known as meow meow or M-CAT.)

The Inspector Calls 37

So finally the day arrived. I remember I went to education as I was doing the Inside Recovery course. Then my OMU officer came to collect me. As I walked towards the multi-faith room where the meeting was to be held I could feel tears well up and I hadn’t even met Alan. I pulled myself together and walked into the multi-faith room not knowing what to expect. In my mind I’d got a picture of big guy looking to get revenge on me. But what I found was a real shock. I sat down opposite Alan with a facilitator on each side of us. Prison officers sat against the wall to one side. Alan was a slim guy around 55 years old. Not scary in any way. He told me I was nothing like he expected and

I said the same to him. He asked me why I broke into his burger van. I explained I had been on drugs at the time. I also explained some background on me and why I had been using M-CAT. Two years before I’d had a house fire which seriously burned my three and a half year old son leaving him with 55 per cent burns. We got a new home with the help of the Lord Mayor of Bristol, George Ferguson. As the months went by I took my son to all the physio appointments, but I was feeling terrible guilt for failing to keep my darling son from danger. I blamed myself. I think I was also suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder as I had saved my son from the fire. It hurts too much to write about the specific details. Alan and I agreed a plan to make good the harm I had caused him. He didn’t want me to work for free for him which I had offered. Instead he asked me to get clean from drugs and to sort my life out and become an honest man. He told me that when I get out, if I’m clean from drugs, to visit him at his burger van for a coffee and a bite to eat. I was stunned.

Wow, it felt like he’d hit me with a sledgehammer. Tears welled up in my eyes. I felt like scum. I was totally devastated and completely shocked And then he dropped the bombshell on me. He explained that he only ran his business for therapeutic reasons. I didn’t understand until he said that he was suffering with Parkinson’s disease. Wow, it felt like he’d hit me with a sledgehammer. Tears welled up in my eyes. I felt like scum. I was totally devastated and completely shocked. So I promised Alan that I would do exactly as he asked and would look forward to going to visit him upon my release. And it’s because of this that I am unwilling to commit any kind of crime or take drugs again. Once I got to six months off release I started the 12 steps drugfree course to give me the tools I need to stay clean when I get out. Alan and I talked for a while longer during that visit and when it came to the end of the session he shook my hand again and gave me a man hug. I was touched. And then before he walked out he shook my hand one last time. As he walked away I broke down in tears. I’d never felt so bad about myself in my life. This was all the motivation I needed to sort my life out. I wish I’d done restorative justice twenty five years ago. There would be far fewer victims in the world if I had done so.

John Chapman is a resident of HMP Erlestoke

24 Comment

Bigots in prison Jonathan King As the mighty Muhammad Ali dies, and we witness further hatred at football games and in clubs in Florida, I feel inspired to write about racism and bigotry in prison. During my three and a half years locked up in Her Majesty’s Luxury Estate, a time I greatly enjoyed, I saw, heard and met many different types of people. That was one of the reasons I enjoyed myself so much. Out here, in the normal world, I tended to mix only with those with whom I was directly involved, mainly media people in journalism, promotion, music. I joked that, when I entered the British jail system, I found myself in a far superior moral universe. Believe me, serial killers are, in many respects, more decent and moral than some of the Editors of national newspapers I have encountered and terrorists could teach kindness and decency to several famous television presenters, producers or key journalists. But one of the great things about the music world, my main home, was that there is no room for bigotry. Most of the best music makers are black; the finest song writers tended to be

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Jewish; terrific performers and producers are often gay and, as Adele has recently shown, there are even some pretty good women in music. So I anticipated being confronted by some inmates and officers who were racist or anti-gay or bigoted in some way. Prison is a microcosm of the wider world. I was astonished, for example, to discover that the most popular newspaper in prison was the same as in outside Britain - the now (I’m pleased to say) defunct News of the World. Pretty rapidly, incidentally, I discovered how to sell to them and the other papers false, but entertaining, stories about myself, in return for Mars bars and hard cash. In my case I was prepared for the homophobes. There would have been no point in trying to disguise my bisexuality. It had been exaggerated all over the media after my trial. But I’ve never been one to hide my character anyway; not for any moral reason or fear, simply because I can’t be bothered. With JK you get what you see or meet. People either like me or they don’t; that’s up to them. If people want to judge me by what they read in the tabloids, good luck

to them. Who cares what people, who have never met you, decide? I always found some fans absurd. If they liked my music - fine. But judging a human being you have never met in person is as ludicrous to me as, these days, people having online “friends” they have never met. Like what I say and what I produce by listening or reading. But only like or dislike me if you’ve met me.

Those with the most frightening image had designed it to protect themselves and frequently, I discovered, that was because nobody had ever listened to them Which is one reason I always admired the image of Muhammad Ali from afar. Although I’ve never met him, every time I saw him on TV or read about him, I liked his image. A tolerant, bright, funny, hugely attractive personality. Whether I would have liked him as a person, I cannot say. I hugely admire the work of my hero Charles Dickens. Would I have liked the man?

I doubt it. Very early on, in Belmarsh, known then as Hellmarsh (is it still?), I encountered several very large, intimidating, often black inmates. Almost universally we got on terrifically. Those with the most frightening image had designed it to protect themselves and frequently, I discovered, that was because nobody had ever listened to them. Not family, not friends, certainly not society. I’m intrigued by human beings. I like people. I find it really interesting where they came from, how they grew up, what interests them, why they are as they are. So I listened a lot. I know those of you who know me and think I never stop talking, think I never listen, but I do. Genuinely. Not pretending, but out of real interest. That was one reason why, I’m proud to say, during my time inside three different jails, I helped a dozen wrongly convicted men get their appeals granted. I was intrigued by the incompetence of lawyers, the corruption of cops, and the laziness of judges. I talked, read deps, analysed and suggested. I stopped a lot of bullying of other prisoners by inmates simply by asking the bullies to stop. Which they did. Why? Because they liked and respected me and knew I liked and respected them. You don’t stop doing something if you don’t like or respect

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the person asking you. Or if they don’t feel the same about you. I was never an official Listener but always an unofficial one. So I made many friends in prison. I found something to like in almost everyone, including those I was strongly advised not to speak to. Everyone was welcome in my cell, to sit and talk. I enjoyed their company. Which is why my three and a half years in Her Majesty’s Estate were some of the happiest in my life. And I found very little racism or bigotry. And, if I did, I stopped it. Be they screws or staff or inmates or chaplains, I told them to cease. And they did. When I left Belmarsh for Maidstone, several officers said to me “you made this a happier place JK”. I replied perhaps not happier but certainly camper. I had, by then, got several very solid bouncer types mincing about saying “what’s a girl to do?” You’d be surprised by how effective teaching a thug to call you “darling” can be. A little campness brings much joy to an all-male prison. Jonathan King is a proud former prisoner

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position within the POA to publicise the increased level of danger to both prison officers and prisoners because of government reforms, it would be a noble cause if he could continue to be a role model to his union’s members and fully support, openly, both transgendered staff and transgendered prisoners.

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Transgangsta Bites Back Calling all transmen and transwomen behind bars (unless you are in an open prison!) Sarah Baker

to ‘hide’ us on vulnerable prisoner wings.

My contact at the Ministry of Injustice tells me that there are approximately one hundred trans prisoners in English prisons. I would argue that, statistically, compared to England’s population outside in the free world, the one hundred estimation seems flawed, to me, at least. In three prisons alone, I personally know of thirty, too afraid to live ‘in role’, for fear of attack from other prisoners. For those of us who do live ‘in role’, there appears to be a number of issues that continue to rear their ugly heads, these being:

l Governors refusing to address

l Prison Governors persistent-

is routinely offered to transgendered people outside of the prison system.

ly refusing to acknowledge their responsibilities according to PSI 7/2011, and both the Human Rights/Equality Acts. l Despite many prison

Governors making the right ‘politically correct’ noises, many continue to turn a blind eye regarding transphobia in their jails, from prisoners and staff.

l Prison Governors refusing

to allow transwomen to have trans suitable make-up posted or handed in on visits.

l Governors backing their segregation staff who deny transwomen access to their own female clothing and make-up. l Trans prisoners being forced and coerced into leaving normal location wings, as staff try

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the serious issue of overt transphobic comments and threats from pseudo-religious prisoners.

l Being side-lined, marginalised

and denied jobs in positions of trust, especially just after transition.

l Prison officers not reporting

acts of violence upon transgendered prisoners and ignoring verbal abuse from other prisoners, as well as that which occurs in visits halls from prisoners and their visitors.

l A lack of NHS treatment that

l The difficulty in obtaining

copies of gender identity clinic reports in prison mental health in-reach department.

l Difficulty in getting access to

showers in prisons that are now operating restrictive regimes.

Of course, not all transgendered prisoners have the same issues. Many prison Governors are more open-minded and supportive of their prisoners, whatever their issues may be. Likewise, with wing managers and landing staff. However, there is a dominant and vocal minority of staff whose minds are so closed to diversity issues that they need to be pensioned

off, forced to resign, or be dragged, kicking and screaming, into the 21st century! When Nick Hardwick, former HM Chief Inspector of Prisons highlighted ‘the absence of decency and humanity in some of our jails’, and described the conditions in many prisons as being ‘as bad as you could possibly imagine, and probably more so’, he could not have been more succinct. With many prisoners having to live under regimes that promote feelings of despair, anxiety and loneliness, many of us are overwhelmed by the whole futility of our imprisonment. Equally, when Prisons Minister Andrew Selous said to the House of Commons that ‘decency is at the heart of the prison system’, I struggled to recognise what prison system he was referring to. With the number of prison suicides hitting record highs last year and incidents of self-harm becoming more frequent, I would have little choice but to conclude that, as a whole, the prison population is being failed by the law, health services and, ultimately, by the present government. Steve Gillan, General Secretary of the Prison Officers’ Association, is correct in saying that our prisons are badly understaffed. As he has, in the past, highlighted and used his

Call me cynical if you wish, but that opportunists such as Maria Miller MP, Lord Cashman, Baroness Barker, Lord Faulks, Baroness Hayter and Peter Dawson, Deputy Director of the Prison Reform Trust, should come out in support of trans issues, was shocking. Why had it taken them so long to become so vocal? Why did they decide to come out of the woodwork and jump on the Tara Hudson bandwagon? Is it because she was young, photogenic and serving a short sentence (though traumatising for any trans prisoner)? Some might say that they were only paying lip service to a cause that would increase their public profile. Would they have been so vocal if Tara had been in her mid-50s, serving a life sentence, denied trans-suitable make-up to maintain her feminine appearance, and lacked 100,000 petition signatures? Whilst these people may indeed be ardent and sincere supporters of reforming the conditions that my trans brothers and sisters live under, I cannot but wonder if this burst of ‘enlightenment’ will be anything more than temporary. It is a shame that more emphasis could not have been focused on trans issues before two of my trans sisters had already committed suicide this year! Within the past eleven months, I have been punched in the face in view of a prison officer and, while on suicide watch, told by another to ‘get on and kill yourself!’ I hope that our current equalities minister will not follow in the footsteps of Sadiq Khan MP (before his election as Mayor of London) who, when I asked for his help after segregation staff at HMP Elmley refused to let me wear female clothing, sent me a letter supporting the decision of the prison to ignore the Human Rights Act, the Equalities Act, and my ‘protected characteristics’ which these Acts were created to guarantee. As for Peter Dawson, whilst I believe that he is an honourable man, his Inside Time article of December 2015 on PSI 7/2011, The Care and Management of

Transsexual Prisoners, omitted to mention the biggest issue that my trans sisters and I have regarding PSI 7/2011 that legally, it is not worth the paper it is written on.

I have been told by Governors of jails across the country, ‘The only rights you have are the ones I decide to give you’ It is a disappointment to me that it is regarded as a document of worth. Whether deliberately or not, this PSI is put together in such ambiguous terms that prison Governors are able to interpret it in any way that suits them. This became obvious, after I and other prison trans activists challenged the interpretation of a particular Governor. As for the ‘mandatory’ italicised instructions within the document, many of my trans sisters and I have been told by Governors of jails across the country, ‘The only rights you have are the ones I decide to give you.’ With our entitlement to legal aid for judicial review severely curtailed, many of us have no choice but to go back to our cells and endure ‘the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune’. Following the success of my first book, Life Imprisonment: An Unofficial Guide by Alan Baker, ISBN 978-1-904380-93-1, published by Waterside Press, my second book, Transsexuality Behind Bars: A Prisoner’s Guide by Sarah Baker, should be off to the publisher within the next few months. Meanwhile, anyone with trans issues is welcome to write to me at HMP Lewes and share their experiences of being

trans behind bars. I can only include your own personal experiences in the book if you also give me signed, written permission. My publisher and bank manager may not like it, but I will personally guarantee to buy a copy of the book and post it free of charge to any contributors. (I, too, have to pay for copies of my own books!) Never before has this book been needed so much. At a time when an increasing number of transgendered prisoners are coming through prison gates, for trans prisoners themselves, their families, friends and prison staff, my book could prove to be invaluable. With an emphasis on transwomen transitioning behind bars, the book comprehensively covers topics such as Gender Identity Clinic Appointments, Changing Name by Deed Poll, Clothing Tips, Make-up for Beginners, and Voice Pitch Shifting, among others. My motive for writing this book was anger at my own treatment since transitioning. I would never wish my own trauma of being beaten up, spat at, slashed twice with razor blades, raped, stabbed and scarred for life with scalding water mixed with sugar, not even on my worst enemy. To have a prison Governor snarl and call me a ‘Transgangsta’ for my terrier-like persistence in improving the lot of my prison trans family, I felt almost honoured!

With love, Sara

h XXX

Has prison changed the way you or others see you? Who were you before and who are you now? Do you have a story to tell? We are looking for people who identify as transgender, bisexual, lesbian, gay, or anything in-between, to get involved in an exciting new film project about prison and identity. If you are interested please get in touch with an answer to this question: ‘Can you describe a time in your life when you felt like a different person?’ Email Jaz at [email protected], or write to Jaz Pitt: National Film and Television School, Beaconsfield Studios, Station Rd, Beaconsfield HP9 1LG.

No address for your bail or HDC application? Talk to your Wing Officer

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Get in touch with a prison staff member to find out more.

A typical BASS property

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combat situations, and natural disasters). Sound familiar? It might well do.

The Secret Criminologist Injecting a large measure of humanity into the criminological perspective

The Problem of PostIncarceration Syndrome Since the 1980s, the Diagnostics and Statistical Manual (the holy book of psychiatrists everywhere) has recognised the existence of post-traumatic stress disorder. Defined as an anxiety disorder ‘characterized by persistent re-experiencing, avoidance, hyper arousal and emotional numbing’, it has been identified across a range of ‘survivor’ groups (e.g. those who have sur v ived rape,

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Criminological studies have shown that women and men sent to prison often have high levels of existing PTSD, associated to trauma experienced prior to imprisonment. People coming to prison are actually more likely to experience PTSD than those who are never incarcerated. For example, a study of 1,000 incarcerated men across 11 European countries, including England, found that 1 in 6 of those serving at least 5 years had developed PTSD during their lifetime. Other studies show that women in prison have the highest levels of all when it comes to experiences of complex trauma (for example, diagnoses of PTSD among i n c a r c e r a te d w o m e n i n Australia was shown as being ten times higher than among non-imprisoned women). However, recent studies have started to identify something which anyone with prison experience could have told them a long time ago; that sometimes, the trauma experienced during a prison sentence is equal to - or even greater than - that

e x p er ienced on t he out. Overcrowding and the poor living conditions that result from this; the threat or experience of being physically assaulted (which are ever-inc re a si ng, t h a n k s to t he introduction of once-legal highs into the prison system); being torn away from one’s partner, parents, or children; isolation and loneliness (or perhaps worse - the ever-constant presence of others).

“Post-Incarceration Syndrome is particularly a problem for long-term lifers” And a small number of criminologists are now beginning to finally focus not only on the impact of these experiences on the person during imprisonment, but the enduring negative impact of this on individuals long after they are released - they called this Post Incarceration Syndrome (or PICS, for short). PICS, they argue, is a particular problem for individuals who have served long life sentences. Marieke Liem and Maarten Kunst interviewed recently released ‘lifers’ in the US, who had served an average of 19 years inside. And they found

that the years - sometimes even decades - of institutional life had left its mark on them. Post-release, recurrent dist ressi ng d rea ms (most ly nightmares about going back to prison), sleep disturbances (caused by years of flashing torches and noise from other prisoners), and ‘emotional numbing’ (based on an enduring need to be strong/hide weakness) were frequently described by the men and women they interviewed as symptoms caused by their incarceration. And while these men often met the diagnostic criteria for complex PTSD, it was rare for this to have been cl i n ica l ly re cog n i se d or treated. Liem and Kunst’s interviewees talked about the ways in which ‘institutionalised personality traits’ showed that long-term imprisonment had changed them, and shaped the person they were post-release - some described “being on edge” 24/7, feeling detached and unable to trust anyone (loved ones included, who found this particularly hard to understand), and feeling completely overwhelmed by the choices one had to make post-release (from how to fill your day to how to cope with the 40 different types of

bread now on offer at the supermarket). A guy I once interviewed - let’s call him Sparky (he was an electrician before coming inside) - had spent almost 30 years in prison, and described his ROTL experiences as “terrifying”. He struggled with new technology (“What the fuck is a ‘smartphone’ anyway?!”, he asked me during our first meeting), lived in constant fear of being “outed as a murderer” in the hostel he stayed at, or in his fledging new career in a call centre (only his boss knew about where he went ‘home’ to every night). The stress of “living a lie” was immense. And Sparky felt that he had no-one to turn to for this, frightened that if he admitted his ever-rising panic about his post-release existence to his Offender Supervisor, they would read that as ‘risk’ and immediately ship him out of open conditions. American addictions counsellor Terrence Gorski suggests that reducing PICS can only be achieved by dismantling our existing ‘well-intentioned but misguided’ criminal justice apparatus. Instead, he argues, we must implement public policies aimed at the follow ing: creating more

community-based alternatives to prison (including the i n c r e a s e d u s e o f ‘d r u g courts’); converting 80% of ‘correctional facilities’ into educational, vocational, and rehabilitative programmes; eliminating long mandatory minimum sentences; and constructing ‘universal pre-release programmes’.

“Reducing PICS can only be achieved by dismantling our existing ‘well-intentioned but misguided’ criminal justice apparatus” T h i s f it s w it h L iem a nd Kunst’s conclusion (and I would agree) that it is the continued systemic failure to adequately recognise and treat PICS and prison-induced PTSD - not the individual themselves - that is the problem here. And that if criminal justice systems are able to truly support ‘successful re-entry into society’, they must be honest about the damage of ‘the prison’ as an institution, and act upon this. And Gorski’s ideas seem to me like a pretty good place to start.

The Secret Criminologist

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From over the wall Terry Waite writes his monthly column for Inside Time

Terry Waite CBE

Big Brother Anyone who has ever been locked up will appreciate what a precious gift freedom is. When people tell me, as they sometimes do, that life inside is too easy for prisoners, it is almost certain that they have never been inside a prison and certainly never banged up in a cell over a weekend. As a nation, we pride ourselves on maintaining freedom and I suppose that compared with many other nations we are not doing too badly. Personally, I don’t like the fact that there are cameras everywhere in our larger cities recording our every movement but on the other hand I recognise that in this day and age it is necessary to accept certain restrictions for our safety. Providing that there are proper safeguards in place to protect the privacy of individuals then personally I am willing to accept the situation. Freedom of speech I am not so contented when it is becoming increasingly difficult to speak freely. When I was a boy, my auntie always referred to me as ‘Duckie’. That was a common expression in Staffordshire, just as ‘Luv’ was in the North of England. Not so long ago, staff in an old peoples’ home were brought to book for calling the residents ‘Duck’! This seems to me totally ridiculous and I think there are many people who think that so called political correctness has got way out of hand. Right to live in peace However, these petty matters, annoying as they may be, are as nothing when you experience a situation where severe and unjust restrictions are imposed on people. Before I go further let me make it quite clear that in a moment, when I tell you of what I recently experienced, I am not in any way prejudiced against any ethnic or religious group. I am sorry to have to emphasise that but when anyone recounts what I shall recount in a moment he or she will be labelled as being anti-Semitic.

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Just a few days ago I returned from a visit to the occupied territories of Palestine. I have been visiting this part of the world for well over thirty years and have seen, during that time, the increasing repressions imposed upon the Palestinians. When the State of Israel was created, following World War Two, there was understandable sympathy for the Jewish people who had suffered horribly at the hands of their Nazi persecutors. Nothing can describe the unspeakable ways in which they were treated. I still remember seeing pictures of the Jewish survivors of the concentration camps on their release. They were little more than walking skeletons and it is hard to believe how their captors could have treated them in such an unspeakable manner. It was on that wave of sympathy that a National Home for the Jewish People was established in Palestine and thus the State of Israel was carved out of the territory. Many Palestinian people were forced out of their homes and today there are refugee camps in Palestine occupied by second and third generations of those who were evacuated from their homes. There is not space to enter into a detailed history of that region in this short article but suffice to say that today, the territory surrounding Israel is under illegal occupation and the Palestinian people are subject to terrible restrictions on their freedom. To travel, or to dig a well, Palestinians have to obtain a permit from the Israeli authorities. ‘Of course you can dig a well,’ they say. ‘Just apply for a permit.’ So, a poor farmer I know, whose father and grandfather had farmed the same land that he was now farming, applied for a permit. He waited and waited and no permit was granted. Finally, in desperation, he dug the well. What happened? Lo and behold along came the occupying Army and promptly filled it in because he has no permit. Last week I sat in the house with the family of a young Palestinian lad who had recently been released from prison. Some children had been throwing stones at the occupying army. He happened to be walking to school and was immediately seized and

beaten in front of his mother. He was then hauled off to jail where he spent fourteen months because he refused to sign a paper admitting his guilt. ‘How could I sign?’ he asked me, ‘when I did not throw stones.’ His father, who worked in Israel, had his permit to enter Israel withdrawn and was thus thrown out of work. Had he not had another son who was working and who could bring in some income, the family would have been left destitute. Such stories are commonplace. Far more serious are the illegal Jewish settlements which spread right across the territory and which are a deliberate attempt by the Government of Israel to grab more land. There are so many stories, far more serious than the ones I have related, which illustrate just what lack of freedom means to these people. After my tour of the Occupied Territories I went to Tel Aviv in Israel just a short time after four Israelis had been stabbed to death by two Palestinian cousins. I had coffee with one of the relatives of one of the men who were murdered. Because of the policy followed by the Government of Israel people on both sides of the divide suffer, and it is tragic. It is shameful that when anyone tries to point to the injustices of the situation in the Territories one is accused of being anti-Semitic. All I can say to that is rubbish! Both sides of the divide have a right to live in peace and with justice. Both are sadly lacking in this region and where they are absent, great suffering is experienced. So, back to this country. You may have fallen foul of the law and are paying the price for that. The law can be an ass at times but where it is flaunted, and where justice is absent, then all hell breaks loose. And I, for one, don’t want to spend the remainder of my life in hell.

Terry Waite was a successful hostage negotiator before he himself was held captive in Beirut for 1763 days between 1987 and 1991; the first four years were spent in solitary confinement.

Healthcare

Fortunately it was not and I was able to book an appointment for 4 days later. Had it been an emergency one of the doctors would have contacted me on the day, to assess over the phone the urgency and if necessary I would have been seen that day. Given the rates of tobacco use, use of illicit substances and the fact that at least 50% of prisoners were on some form of medication on arrival it is worrying that 75% suggest access to health care is not good. Combined with the growing elderly population in prison it seems that health is an area of prison life that needs the same funding as the population at large if not more! Oh but then the public and media will moan about prisoners getting better health care than the general population who again will lament the cushy life in prison!

Tales of Wisdom Our man on the inside tells it like it is Sid Arter

Healthcare access On New Year’s Day our son woke with tooth ache and within two hours I had an appointment to see an NHS dentist - who prescribed antibiotics and a treatment plan and by that evening the pain had subsided. I wonder how many prisoners have a 7 day dental service that sees emergencies on the day they seek an appointment? Indeed within 5 days our son had had root canal treatment and within 2 weeks the treatment of that tooth was complete and we paid nothing. Equally I called our General Practitioner last week - “Is it an emergency” I was asked.

Cushy, indeed for ‘Charlie’, the homeless street drinker that I met last week at a day centre, who had enjoyed prison! He even bought a discount kitchen knife to get three months custody for possession of a bladed item, over Christmas! One of so few who enjoyed the comforts of a bed in a room with a stranger; preferable to a shop doorway and who found an in cell toilet preferable to a bush. He was delighted with a light in his sleeping area and a TV - what a bonus! He was very pleased with the steel toe-capped work boots that were given to him; which he proudly showed me - “Better than the leaking trainers I went in with and I got socks!”. He did however, have one complaint - he had hoped that in three months he would have got his toenails cut, a new set of dentures and someone to look at least at his hernia - but he told me. “A great library, great chapel, but lousy health care - I never saw the dentist and the doctor lost interest when I told him about my use of street medication, long term mental health issues and alcohol use! Mind you they did give me patches to help stop smoking which I was able to sell and buy a few treats!” In theory prisoners are entitled to the same health care provision as the rest of the population but ‘Charlie’ suggested it was very much otherwise; indeed following my advice he went to the drop-in centre in the city centre for the homeless and was seen that day. He is now looking forward to a few days in hospital having his hernia repaired - he may be disappointed it might be a day case - but he thinks it will be done within three months! “It’s a good job I’m out of prison- it would be a couple of years before I got to see the doctor - let alone get this hernia done!”

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Russia. At a time when travel was usually uncomfortable and often dangerous, he ventured nearly 80,000 miles on horseback and spent some £30,000 of his own money - the equivalent value of several million pounds today - in his determination to improve prison conditions. He entered prisons in disguise, in defiance of governments who feared the power of his pen, and his work had influence as far afield as Germany, America and Russia.

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A day in the life… The Howard League for Penal Reform is calling on people in prison to record just one day of their prison experience. Have your say and give the outside world a true picture of UK prison life in the 21st century Charlie Whelton The world’s oldest penal reform charity, the Howard League for Penal Reform, celebrates its 150th birthday this year - and it would like to hear from you. Prison reform is at its highest point on the political agenda for many years after the government announced plans to change the way that jails are run.

Politicians have been urged to act as official figures show that there have been a rising number of deaths, assaults and incidents of self-injury in prisons. Now the Howard League is launching a survey of prisoners to ensure that the everyday experiences of people in prison are taken into account. The charity is asking prisoners up and down the country to

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Criminal Appeals against Sentence or Conviction Parole Hearings Proceeds of Crime/Confiscation Hearings Police Interviews under PACE throughout NI and in Prisons All Criminal Defence Cases Judicial Review & Human Rights Cases Family Law Injury Claims within the Prison Welfare Issues Prison Visits Arranged within 24hrs

WE’RE HERE TO HELP Please call us on 028 9023 7053 or 028 9032 4565 or write to us at 129 Springfield Road Belfast BT 12 7AE IT’S THAT SIMPLE!! [email protected] www.mcivorfarrell.co.uk

keep a diary for one day Friday 2 September 2016.

Taking part is easy. Howard League members will receive a pack in the post with everything you need, including a pre-paid self-addressed envelope and a diary sheet. If you are not currently a member but would like to receive a pack, please send a letter, including your name, prison and prison number, to: Prison Diaries, The Howard League for Penal Reform, 1 Ardleigh

Could you help the Howard League by keeping a record of what you do on Friday 2 September? What you put in your diary entry is up to you, but it would be particularly helpful to include details such as what you were wearing, when you had a shower, what you ate, what exercise you had, and which activities you took part in.

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Collecting diary entries from across the country will help to give people a fuller understanding of what life is really like in prison. Any entries that

Specialist Appeals & Prison Law Solicitors Our experienced and established teams can help with: | Appeal convictions and sentences | Appeal IPP/EPP sentences | Appeal extended determinate sentences | Criminal Cases Review Commission applications | Variation/Appeal of Sexual Offences Prevention Orders | Prison law Funding | Legal aid available for those with limited funds | Private paying fixed fees available, with telephone consultations available on request

Road, London, N1 4HS. Letters must be received by the end of July to give the charity enough time to send a pack to you. Howard League membership is free for prisoners and their families. The charity campaigns for less crime, safer communities and fewer people in prison. Charlie Whelton is a member of the Campaigns Team at the Howard League for Penal Reform

Obituary - ‘Miss Elwell’

Howard died of “gaol fever”, a form of typhus, in Kherson in Ukraine in 1790.

That day has been chosen because it would have been the 290th birthday of John Howard, the 18th-century penal reformer after whom the charity is named. Howard inspected not only prisons in England and Wales, but also Ireland and Scotland, and then almost every other country in Europe, including

are published will be done so anonymously.

which she hoped would simply cheer people up. She also campaigned for reforms to the prison service and for justice for individuals she felt had been wronged. She gave her life to lost causes and the underdog and through motivation and persistence achieved an incredible amount.

Miss Bernadette Elwell, who has died aged 69 of cancer, founded a prisoner support group called MARST which provided small grants to enhance the lives of prisoners or those just released. Part of MARST’s work was to send out a monthly newsletter and individual letters to hundreds of men in prison throughout the UK. These were a curious mixture of comments on current affairs, discussion of the prisoner’s personal lives and jokes and amusing trivia

SCC

Her central philosophy was that if people were shown dignity and respect they could grow as individuals and that no one was beyond redemption. To some prisoners she was their only friend and champion. Miss Elwell was fiercely independent in thought and deed and never shied away from controversial opinions. She was a woman of extraordinary courage, energy and generosity and she will be greatly missed by all those she tried to help.

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30 Information // Through the gate

The Careers Lady The first step through the door to your future Job hunting: Where to look. What to do. How to do it. We all think we know how to find a job. Sometimes having the confidence to take it one step further can be a little more challenging. When you leave prison you will have visited your local Job Centre Plus and made contact with an Advisor who will help you through the process of registering, and as well as advice on how to look for jobs, they will ask you what skills you have to offer and what type of work you are looking for. By signing up to claim Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) you are committed to turn up for regular 2 weekly visits to the Job Centre. During these visits

you will have to show that you have been actively looking and applying for jobs. On your first visit you will have been shown how to use the computers in the Job Centre in order to look at current available jobs. You may not need an appointment to use these computers but they will only be available during office opening times. However there are other ways to look for jobs, which you can do as well. If you look for employment other than the jobs that the Job Centre have then you will need to be prepared to show evidence of this in order to be able to claim JSA.

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Your Job Centre adviser will ask for company names or employers details in order to follow up your applications. Keep a log of all these contact details to show at your appointment. Talk to family and friends Many people find jobs just through talking to family and friends. Once you know your release date (or even before that) your family and friends can be useful sources of information for local jobs, which you may be suitable for. Update your CV Make use of any time you have before release to update your CV. Following your release you can always use the IT facilities in the library or even the Job Centre in order to make this look more professional rather than a handwritten one.

Give time to think ‘outside the box’ and make your CV relevant to each individual job you are applying for. You could have a CV done professionally but be aware they can charge large sums of money and may not be much better than the one you did yourself. Research employers If possible ask your visitors to bring in local newspapers where you could look for companies who are expanding and may be looking for potential new staff. Send out your CV to them even if they are not currently recruiting. If your CV is good they may consider interviewing you with a view to future employment. Use Job Search sites If you can use the Internet look at other job search sites. Local employers often use these to advertise specific jobs. Consider seasonal work As a temporary measure why not consider seasonal work. Often companies need extra staff at Christmas time or to cover their staff holidays. Nurseries and Garden centres are always looking for people willing to work in greenhouses potting up plants or fruit and vegetable picking. Other ideas

could be delivering door-todoor information leaflets or delivering free newspapers. Even though this may not be too challenging you can use these small jobs to include in your CV to show employers that you have a good work ethic. Leg Work Having registered with the Job Centre start to do your own job searching. Print off several copies of your CV and leave copies with local companies, look for job advertisements in shop windows and even your local shop may have adverts for part time work. Using your initiative shows your willingness to work. Advertise your services Put cards in local shops or newsagents advertising yourself as a gardener or DIY man. You may have learnt skills in prison that you can offer. These shops may charge you 50p a week for your card to be in the shop window or a contribution to a charity box. Word of mouth Continue asking family and friends if they could help. They may know a neighbour who might need someone to mow their lawn or weed their garden or a local builder who

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What next?

Helping others as a career Name supplied - HMP Bure

The CCRC can look again If you think your conviction or sentence is wrong apply to the CCRC

• • •

It won’t cost anything Your sentence can’t be increased if you apply You don't need a lawyer to apply, but a good one can help You can get some more information and a copy of the CCRC's Easy Read application form by writing to us at 5 St Philip’s Place, Birmingham, B3 2PW. or calling 0121 233 1473

Prisoners in Scotland should contact; The Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission, 5th Floor, Portland House, 17 Renfi eld Street, Glasgow, G2 5AH. Phone: 0141 270 7030 Email: [email protected]

Q I have met a lot of people in prison, each with their own stories to tell and their own issues and struggles. Looking back at this I have decided that I would like a career involving the rehabilitation of offenders. Is this type of career prohibited for a person with a criminal record like myself? If it is permissible, can anyone tell me what jobs are available for ex-prisoners? A Prison can often identify skills and qualities in a person that would probably not have been identified outside. Clearly you have discovered something in yourself that you can offer others.

wants help stacking bricks. In fact you might be surprised to find that one small job can lead to another more permanent position if you can show good timekeeping, enthusiasm, commitment and that you are trustworthy. These personal qualities are what employers look for. Remember you can always learn new skills to add to these personal qualities. Knowing how to look for work is the first step to finding a job. Once you have been successful in finding and getting that first job you will start to develop your confidence. If the job is not entirely what you are looking for then continue to look for something you would like to do. Finally l Take your time and get your CV as acceptable as it could be. l Keep your appointments with Job Centre Plus. They can stop your financial support if you miss appointments or do not show you are actively looking and applying for jobs. l Don’t give up. If at first you don’t succeed - just keep trying.

Good Luck!

However bear in mind that your criminal conviction may prevent you from working with vulnerable groups or young people. However it might also be an asset. You will need to discuss this with the Adviser at a Job Centre who will be able to ask you the relevant questions to advise you on this. Mentoring Programmes mostly involve one to one mentoring relationships for about 12 months within an approximate commitment of 1-2 hours per month (programmes like this vary across the country so research is important). However bear in mind that this is almost always volunteering work. It would however give you the opportunity to find out if this is the type of work you want a career in. You must be least 21 years of age and have a level of maturity and life experience to support a range of vulnerable people. Your criminal conviction does not necessarily prevent you from being a Mentor but security checks will be made. Honesty regarding your conviction is the best policy. Volunteering work Research local youth groups or church organisations who are committed to working with young people to prevent them becoming involved in criminal activities. Qualifications An Information, Guidance and Advice qualification is something for you to consider. Your local college will be the best place to see what relevant courses are available. It might be something your local Job Centre can help you with advice on this.

Do you need advice on employment issues? Write in and let us know. Please mark your envelope ‘Careers Lady’.

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Information // Through the gate 31

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The longer you take to ask for the money the less likely you are to get it. I have fallen for 'the cheque's in the post' excuse myself more than once. The longer a customer takes to pay up, and the more farfetched become the excuses for the delay, the less likely you are to ever get your cash.

Cash is King Hugh Lenon Are you at the end, or approaching the end, of your custodial sentence? Are you looking forward to finding employment - or perhaps you prefer the idea of being self-employed? If so, your self-employment plan hopefully shows you busy and making a tidy profit - all good news. And world domination? Well, that's obviously just a question of time. So, why is it that, from time to time, perfectly viable and profitable, small businesses - possibly rather like that which you have in mind - run into financial difficulties? Often the answer to this question is cash - or, to be more precise, a lack of cash. Before I dispense too much advice, I will first happily confess to already having made a lifetime's worth of business mistakes of my own. Yes, I could fill an entire Inside Time explaining what went wrong. A well-known former resident of HMP Reading once said: 'Experience is the name we give to our mistakes'. However, if there is one message, above all others, that I would like to share with anyone setting out on the road to self-employment it is quite simply to keep a close eye on cash. I recall an amusing 1980s financial training video starring comedian John Cleese as a smart-suited, self-confident but, in truth, wholly inept corporate executive, and Ronnie Barker (yes, as in 'Porridge'), the canny owner of a small corner shop selling fruit and veg. Carruthers (Cleese) has no idea about cash flow

because 'HQ deals with that sort of thing' whereas Scroggs (Barker) is on top of his numbers and knows how much cash he has to the nearest farthing - let alone cabbages and carrots. He simply never runs out. The video’s message is simple: ‘cash is king’. To be clear, it's not just small businesses that can run out of cash. What do the mighty HMV stores, BHS, Northern Rock bank and, dare I say it, the Greek Government, all have in common? Yes, indeed - they all ran a little low on cash, the life-blood of any organisation. Without cash in your business, be it large or small, you can't pay your suppliers, your staff, nor yourself. So, why can cash sometimes get tight? Boring though it undoubtedly sounds, here are a couple of practical cash flow tips from me to all budding entrepreneurs. Firstly, don't confuse income with cash. What does this mean? Well, if I cut someone's grass having agreed in advance that I will charge the customer £10 then, once the grass is cut, I will, no question, have earned £10. However, if my customer simply doesn't pay me - or takes weeks to do so - then, until he does, I have nothing: income £10 but cash zero. What use is that? An IOU is, well, just a piece of paper. Before you do work of any sort for anyone be crystal clear what you are doing for them, what you are charging, and when you expect payment. Don’t be shy about asking for the cash. Upfront payment is best - it shows that your customer is taking you and your service seriously. If you are required to send out an invoice before a customer will pay you then send it out immediately - not next week or next month.

If you find yourself with plenty of happy customers, and you are charging those customers as much as you reasonably can, and you are making it clear to those customers when they need to pay you, then your new business sounds like a really good one! Nevertheless, businesses - even good ones - frequently fail to do simple cash flow planning. So, my second cash flow tip is to spend some time planning just like Scroggs. Planning is easy but - being rather dull - is often ignored. Do the cash ‘ins’ equal or exceed the cash ‘outs’? If the answer is 'no' what can you do about it? Well, firstly, decide which outs/payments are most important. Make those payments but leave the rest until later. Secondly, chase your customers and perhaps offer them a small discount for early settlement. Resist the temptation to borrow money to bridge a ‘cash gap’ if you can - debt is often (too) expensive and, without wanting to state the obvious, usually needs repaying! So avoid loans if you possibly can. I was introduced recently to the Hardman Trust which publishes The Hardman Directory (formerly known as the Prisoner Funding Directory). It is an excellent source of practical information. Whether you are looking for funding for further education or training, or support for other plans you may have pre or post release, then please take a look at the Directory. It lists numerous organisations which might be able to help you. Bounce Back, for example, which teaches plastering and decorating skills and helps you find work post release; and The Hardman Trust itself which funds pre and post release plans for long sentence men and women who want to get their lives back on track. Every year it makes dozens of £600 awards to help fund specific goals - possibly even your new business. So take a look at the Hardman Directory - it is free and on-line.

Hugh Lenon is chairman of a fund management company and has over 25 years’ investment experience.

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Stopping smoking:

making it easier for yourself Advice on the benefits of quitting and the best way to overcome the challenges while serving a prison sentence Louise Ross Maybe you’ve tried before, when you were on the outside. Now you’re here, this could be the time you stop smoking for good. It’s never 100% easy, when you’ve smoked for years, but these words might help you tackle this big challenge, and winning will make you proud of yourself. Some people, when they stop smoking, say it’s the biggest thing they’ve ever achieved. It’s true, all smokers who get on top of it and go smokefree deserve a medal. So how can you make it easier for yourself? First of all, think of it as winning not losing. You’re getting back better health, more money to spend on canteen, and freedom from constant urges to smoke. When you’re not having to put tobacco on your buy-list, you have more money left for phone credit, snacks and other treats. Whenever you wish you had a cigarette in your hand, think about the extra phone call you can make with the money you would have spent. You’ll be able to get nicotine replacement patches from the nurse, and these help a lot with calming down the urge to smoke. You’ll be able to buy e-cigarettes too although some people, when they are facing a time when they can’t smoke, decide to stop the nicotine altogether. It’s your choice. The craving for a cigarette strikes more often when you first stop smoking, and it’s really important then to find ways of dealing with that. The good news is, it’ll pass within a few minutes, and in a couple of weeks, the time between cravings gets longer. When I stopped smoking, I was shocked when one day, I realised I hadn’t thought about smoking for most of the day!

Talk to someone who’s going through it at the same time. They might feel wobbly when you’re doing fine, or the other way around. It’ll help to get someone else through the tough times, because you both understand what you’re going through. The more physical activity you can do, the easier you’ll find it when you stop smoking. If you can get time in the gym, that’s great, or a physical job that makes you get out of breath. Getting sweaty and breathless is a brilliant way of coping with withdrawal, but that’s not possible all hours. All this might seem hard and horrible, but thousands of people have been through it and survived. Most people wish they’d never started smoking. You could be someone who can say proudly, “I managed to stop”.

Louise Ross is from Leicester City Council Stop Smoking Service

DO YOU HAVE A DRINKING PROBEM? DO YOU WANT HELP? RING ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS 020 7403 85 20 Polish-speaking Alcoholics Anonymous Helpline Saturday - Sunday 17:00 - 21:00 www.aa-pik-wielkabrytania.org.pl email: [email protected]

MASZ PROBLEM Z PICIEM? POTRZEBUJESZ POMOCY? 020 7403 85 20 Anonimowi Alkoholicy - Punkt Informcyjno Kontaktowy Sobota i Niedziela 17:00 - 21:00 www.aa-pik-wielkabrytania.org.pl email: [email protected]

32 Information

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Prisons Ombudsman says use of force should be a last resort C&R team has arrived at the cell;

Inside Time report In releasing his latest ‘Learning Lessons Report’ on the use of force Nigel Newcomen, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman said; “In some ways it is reassuring that there are relatively few complaints to my office about alleged physical abuse of detainees by custodial staff. In 2014-15, of 2,303 complaints eligible for investigation, only 50 involved such allegations. “They are, however, among the most serious and important complaints that I receive as they go to the heart of the humanity and legitimacy of the prison system. Ensuring independent investigations into allegations of physical abuse is, therefore, essential to maintaining safety and giving assurance of the proper treatment of those in custody. My investigations also ensure that staff are held to account for misbehaviour and I have had to recommend disciplinary action on a number of occasions. Equally, in other cases, my investigations have provided assurance that use of force by staff was appropriate and their behaviour exemplary in difficult circumstances.” Prison Service policy on the use of force is set out in Prison Service Order (PSO) 1600 which says that “the use of force is justified and therefore lawful, only if: it is reasonable in the circumstances, it is necessary, no more force than necessary is used and it is proportionate to the seriousness of the circumstances.” PSO 1600 makes clear that the type of harm the member of staff is trying to prevent should be considered. This may cover risk to life or limb, risk to property or risk to the good order of the establishment. The PSO also states that staff should always try to prevent a conflict where possible and that control and restraint (C&R) “must only be used as a last resort after all other means of de-escalating the incident, not involving the use of force, have been repeatedly tried and failed.” The report found l In a number of cases, there had been no attempts to de-escalate the situation once the

l In some cases the team were told at a briefing that they should only give the prisoner “one more chance” to comply and then use force, which pre-disposed the team to use force; l There were some occasions where the Supervising

Officer deferred to the lead (“Number One”) officer rather than taking a supervisory role throughout the incident;

l Sometimes officers find it difficult when pris-

oners blatantly disregard their orders and may use one-on-one force rather than alternative disciplinary methods;

l Some prisoners don’t get a proper healthcare

examination immediately after an incident involving force, because they are too worked up; and l In some cases there have been suspicious similarities of language in Use of Force statements provided by different officers.

The lessons the report says should be learned l The arrival of the C&R team in a planned removal should be treated as a new situation; Briefings prior to a planned removal should cover the likely risks rather than being prescriptive about when force should be used;

l

The roles of the Supervising Officer and the Number One Officer in the C&R team are different;

l

A one-on-one use of force is very risky and should be used only if there is immediate risk to life or limb;

l

l A brief view by a nurse through the hatch of

a cell door will not meet the requirement for a prisoner to be examined by a healthcare practitioner following a use of force; and Staff must write their Annex A Use of Force statements independently.

l

PSO 1600 can be downloaded at: www.tinyurl.com/h9uh95c. The report can be download at: www.tinyurl.com/hror5jc. You can write to The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman at: Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, PO Box 70769, London, SE1P 4XY (you do not need a stamp on the envelope).

Our Prison Law Department can assist prisoners under Legal Aid for a number of issues including:

• Recall (IPP/Lifer and Determinate) • Parole (IPP/Lifer and Determinate) • Independent Adjudications

We assist prisoners throughout England and Wales offering competitive fixed fees on all other General Prison Law matters including Re-Categorisation and Sentence Planning. For further information or assistance please contact

Matthew Smith or Nicola Maynard

Reeds Solicitors Freepost RTSX–ETXE–SUKX 1 Cambridge Terrace Oxford OX1 1RR

01865 260 230 www.reeds.co.uk

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Making a complaint PRISON REFORM TRUST

Ryan Harman Advice and Info Service Manager

The complaints system within prisons is the main recourse you have for raising and resolving treatment which you think has been unfair or at odds with the prison rules and instructions. Despite this, we are sometimes surprised by how little some people know about how the complaints system should work. We thought the following reminder of some of the key points in PSI 02/2012 Prisoner Complaints would be useful. Both ordinary complaint forms (COMP 1) and appeal forms (COMP 1A) must be made freely available to prisoners on the wing, close to the box in which the completed forms are submitted. Although this seems like a basic requirement, we have had a number of reports recently that forms have not been readily available and that it can be difficult to get hold of them. The complaints system should be inclusive. Establishments must have arrangements in place that will allow a prisoner to make a formal complaint orally to a member of staff if needed. Those with limited use of English may be allowed to submit a complaint in their own language, though the prison may require longer to respond to these cases. The prison does have the authority to impose restrictions on the number of complaints you make, such as limiting you to one per day, if you are considered to be abusing the complaint process. For this reason we advise people to use the complaints process appropriately, try to prioritise

important complaints and refrain from making multiple complaints about the same issue whilst within the normal time limits for the prison to respond. However, PSI 02/2012 is clear that ‘a prisoner’s right to make a complaint must in no instance be completely withdrawn’. You should receive a response to a complaint within 5 working days. If this is genuinely not possible the prison can provide an interim response to explain the reason for the delay and let you know when you should get a full reply. You should be kept informed about the progress of your complaint and receive the full response in a reasonable time. More information about time limits can be found in Annex B of PSI 02/2012. We sometimes get sight of written responses which are difficult to read, fail to address issues raised or give limited explanations. This is contrary to the PSI which states that responses should address the issues raised, and should be polite and legible. A clear explanation should be provided for any complaint which is not upheld. If you are unhappy with the response to your complaint you can appeal using a COMP 1A form, which you should do within 7 calendar days of receiving the response. You should receive a response to the appeal within 5 working days and it should be answered by someone at a higher level in the management structure than the person who provided the original response. If a complaint is about a particularly sensitive matter, you may wish to submit a confidential access complaint

using a COMP 2 form. These forms and envelopes to seal them in should be readily available with the other forms. You can address it to the Governing Governor, the Deputy Director of Custody (DDC) or the Chair of the IMB. We advise using this only when appropriate as otherwise it can be returned to you to pursue through the normal channels and therefore delay a proper response. Read the notes on the COMP 2 form carefully to help you decide if your complaint is suitable. If you feel a complaint is still not resolved after appeal, you can ask the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) to look into it. The PPO will only investigate complaints once you have completed the internal complaints process, and it should be less than three months since you had a response to the final stage of your complaint. Prisoners sometimes report that their complaints are being lost or hindered at the prison and therefore preventing them from seeking help from the PPO. You can however complain to the PPO if you have not had a final reply to your complaint within 6 weeks. If you are experiencing difficulties with any of the above, including difficulty in accessing forms and being banned from making complaints, please contact us for information and advice on the subject. You can contact the Prison Reform Trust’s advice team at FREEPOST ND6125 London EC1B 1PN. Our free information line is open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 3.30-5.30. The number is 0808 802 0060 and does not need to be put on your pin.

Birth Charter for women in prison in England & Wales

Mother and Baby Units. We have real concerns about the capacity for Community Rehabilitation Companies and Probation Services to deliver that same level of support. “The Birth Charter is based on the expertise we have developed by working with women in prison and from listening to what they have told us about their experiences. We have supported over 1,500 women through what is a challenging time in any new mother’s life. This work has given us a unique understanding of the needs of this vulnerable group of women and babies. We have also drawn upon the available evidence from policy and research; given examples of existing best practice in women’s prisons; and included quotes from women who were pregnant, gave birth or spent time in prison with their babies.” The Charter says that pregnant women in prison should:

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A female prisoner with her 3 month old baby in a Mother and Baby Unit.

Inside Time report Every year, around 600 pregnant women are held in prisons in England and Wales and about 100 babies are born to women prisoners. Although there are several pieces of national and international legislation in place to protect their health and well-being, many of these women do not get the care and support to which they are entitled. Birth Companions is a charity specialising in the support of pregnant women and new mothers in prison and launched its new Birth Charter on 26 May; providing

comprehensive recommendations for Government and the Prison Service on improving the care for pregnant women and new mothers held in prisons in England and Wales. Naomi Delap, Director of Birth Companions, told inside Time; “Providing the right support for pregnant women and new mums in prison is a complex issue, requiring careful and balanced consideration. While we support the Government’s commitment to exploring community-based alternatives to detention, we mustn’t overlook the valuable support provided in prison-based

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1. have access to the same standard of antenatal care as women in the community; 2. be able to attend antenatal classes and prepare for their baby’s birth; 3. be housed, fed and moved in a way that ensures the well-being of mother and baby; 4. be told whether they have a place on a Mother and Baby Unit as soon as possible after arriving in prison; 5. have appropriate support if electing for termination of pregnancy.

clear guidance; 8. be provided with essential items for labour and the early postnatal period; 9. receive appropriate care during transfer between prison and hospital. Women with babies in prison should: 10. be encouraged and supported in their chosen method of infant feeding; 11. be supported to express, store and transport their breast milk safely, if they are separated from their baby; 12. be given the same opportunities and support to nurture and bond with their babies as women in the community; 13. be entitled to additional family visits. All pregnant women and new mothers should: 14. be able to access counselling when needed; 15. receive appropriate resettlement services after release from prison. Among their recommendations Birth Companions say l Regular antenatal clinics should be

provided in prisons and run by a specialist team of midwives;

l All pregnant women should, where

possible, have access to a scan at a regular clinic inside the prison. The scan should be undertaken by an ultrasonographer, obstetrician or trained midwife or GP;

6. have access to a birth supporter of their choice; 7. be accompanied by officers who have had appropriate training and

l A pregnant woman in prison should

be able to speak to a midwife 24 hours a day about any concerns she may have (e.g. if she has a severe headache, is bleeding or feels her baby is not moving). The midwife can then make an assessment and provide the appropriate care and support.

l If it is not possible to see a midwife

in person, then a woman should have phone access to a midwife 24 hours a day;

l At night, there should be a timely response to pregnant women’s buzzers. Once a woman has been assessed by a midwife, prison staff should facilitate timely access to hospital when advised to do so.

The Charter is a major step forward, looking at the provision of care to pregnant women and new mothers in prison and as well as providing detailed guidance on the care they should receive the Charter also give examples of good practice within the prison system which could be used as models of good practice throughout the system.

Download the Charter: www.tinyurl.com/h3ve5l8 Their postal address for enquiries is: Dalton House, 60 Windsor Avenue, London SW19 2RR Tel: 07930 371 383 www.birthcompanions.org.uk

Subject to Confiscation Proceedings? Need advice concerning the Variation or Enforcement of a Confiscation Order?

We are specialists in Serious Fraud work, enjoying close links with the country’s top financial experts. “Sources respect IK&P for its high profile caseload covering serious fraud...” Chambers & Partners 2013 Leading Firm

Contact James O’Hara or Balvinder Gill on 0207 404 3004 or freephone 0800 012 4498

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Regulated by the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority Criminal Defence Service

l Women should be provided with photos from scans as women in prison are not able to purchase these. They should also be able to apply for permission for a partner or family member to be present at the scan;

During childbirth, women should:

Contact our Prison Law Department on: (0115)941 9141 at any time or write to us at FREEPOST NEA15948,NOTTINGHAM NG1 1BR

Members of the Association of Prison Lawyers

l Where scans or other appointments need to happen in hospital, officers should observe prison guidance which specifies that they should not be present during medical consultations;

47 Theobalds Road London WC1X 8SP www.ikandp.co.uk

(9am - 9pm 7days)

Quick Completions Regal Court 42-44 High St Slough Berks SL1 1EL

34 Information // Education

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www.insidetime.org “Unless you’ve been to prison or worked there, it’s a world that’s completely hidden,” he said. “This just adds to the stigma and mythology around jails and around the people in them. The project aims to counter this by bringing a cell into the city centre and by telling stories that aren’t sensationalist, but are as close to reality as possible. “What I’ve been most surprised at is the amount of people who have actually thanked me for the opportunity to visit and ‘get inside’ prison life.” When the exhibition first opened the cell only had one occupant. Now, reflecting increased overcrowding in the real estate, it has two. On the day PET visited GOTOJAIL in Coventry, the cell was manned by Akiel and Danny , or ‘Tony’ and ‘Neil’, as they were known to their visitors. Both have worked as freelance actors since the end of their sentences.

Cell in the City On a drizzly Friday afternoon in Coventry, shoppers were offered an unusual break from their trips to Argos and Primark - a chance to go to prison! For the past six years, the charity Rideout has planted a replica jail cell in public spaces across the UK. From Cheltenham to Wolverhampton, the GOTOJAIL exhibition has worked to increase public understanding about prison life, and to encourage debate about the purpose of locking people up and the conditions of our jails. The cell is not empty. It is usually occupied by two people in prison-issue clothing, who perch

on the bunk bed. Visitors are encouraged to engage with them, asking questions about their backgrounds, surroundings and prison experiences. The cellmates are actors, who also happen to be former prisoners. Over 4,000 people have visited the exhibition since it started running. Saul Hewish, Rideout’s co-director, says the public response has been “overwhelmingly positive”.

Danny says part of his role is to gently challenge the views of people coming into the space. “You get people coming in saying “oh this is nice; this is easy”, he said. “I leave them talking a little for a while and then I say “excuse me” and go and shut the door. When you shut the door and the flap it completely changes the atmosphere. That’s when you see people begin to panic - often they need to get out straight away.” “A lot of people end up being sympathetic, but it’s only through the stories we tell - talking about what we have to cope with, what obstacles we’ve faced, how we’ve found help or not found help.”

Business Start Up Course Notes PET provides funding for over 300 types of distance-learning courses. Every month we shine a spotlight on one of them.

According to research by the Centre for Entrepreneurs, 79% of prisoners are interested in starting up their own business, compared to just 40% of the general population. For many, a key advantage of self-employment is avoiding the need to need to disclose a criminal record, and the barriers that this can present. ‘Gareth’ had always worked in the retail industry before going to prison. Applying for a Business Start Up course with PET, he wrote: “As I now have a criminal record I feel it will be very difficult to get a job once I am released, so my hope is to start my own business. I feel this course will be really helpful for my future and may improve my chances of success.” ‘Paul’ meanwhile, applied for a Start Up course after gaining eight months’ work experience with Timpson, which is known for its open policy towards former prisoners. A business qualification, he wrote, would take him further towards joining one of the

locksmith’s apprenticeship schemes once he was in open conditions. NEC’s Business Start Up is one PET’s most popular courses for aspiring entrepreneurs, teaching each stage of setting up a business, from how to create a business plan, to how to secure funding, to handling cash flow, to managing staff. John Lister, PET’s Advice Manager, says: “The NEC course is the most general and the most practical we offer. As well as breaking the process of starting a business down into bite-sized modules, it helps to answer the most important question - is this idea feasible? I’ve met a lot of people in prison with really ambitious business plans but who often haven’t thought of the practical, and sometimes mundane, details of how it will actually work.” Former PET learners have taken a range of self-employment routes after leaving jail, from becoming fitness instructors, to opening a

sausage-making company, to starting their own falconry companies. One man PET has funded for a number of courses is planning to open his own novelty coffin-making business after release. Specific courses aimed at starting a digital business, and becoming a self-employed fitness instructor, are also available. Related courses: GCSE, AS Level and A Level Business Studies; Level 3 Certificate in Principles of Customer Service, Level 3 Certificate in First Line Management, CMI Level 5 Certificate in Management and Leadership, Creating a Digital Business Level 2 A full PET curriculum is available from each prison’s education department. If you would like advice or funding to study a distance learning course or tell us about your experiences of prison education write to FREEPOST Prisoners’ Education Trust (PET) or call 0203 752 5680.

If you would like advice or funding to study a distance learning course or tell us about your experiences of prison education write to FREEPOST Prisoners’ Education Trust (PET) or call 0203 752 5680.

For some guests, the experience is very close to home, said Akiel. “A few days ago a man came in who had recently been to prison himself. He started looking around the space very carefully and noticed my cell mate’s tobacco. Although he said he’d been a non-smoker since his release he immediately asked for some ‘burn’, sat down and started rolling. Straight away he was back to prison language and prison life.” In developing his character’s back story - that of a recovering alcoholic who has assaulted a man after witnessing a sexual assault - Akiel said he wanted to create a story that was “nuanced” and “thought provoking.” “People will come with a degree of judgement - saying you’re violent, you’re this, you’re that. My intention is to challenge their judgement giving them layers to the circumstances that lead to prison.” Akiel now works as a storyteller in schools, where he shares tales of his prison journey alongside stories from West Africa. While he was in prison, PET funded him to take a course in counselling, after which he was trained as a Listener for the Samaritans. Akiel said the course helped to change his experience of prison and the way he dealt with his own problems. “It made me aware of the games we play; of manipulation; of the complicated way that prison can affect your mind and emotional state,” he said.

PLA Awards 2016: Nomination deadline approaching! The Prisoner Learning Alliance (PLA) is collecting nominations for its annual award ceremony, recognising staff and prisoners who have made an outstanding contribution to education. The awards are unique in that we only invite nominations from those currently in custody. The awards present a chance to thank those who have gone the extra mile to promote education and support others to realise their learning potential. The four categories are l Outstanding teacher or education staff; l Outstanding officer or instructor; l Outstanding peer mentor, learning champion or student council rep; l Outstanding individual e.g. governor, librarian, volunteer, charity worker, careers advisor. The deadline for nominations is 11 July. How to nominate Please write to Nina Champion at FREEPOST: PRISONERS EDUCATION TRUST. In your letter (maximum 1 A4 side per nomination), please give: Your name, prison and prison number. The name of the person you are nominating. Their job title. The category you are nominating them for. Why you are nominating them. These awards are an opportunity to thank those who support and promote learning in your establishment, whatever their role and wherever they are based in the prison. We look forward to receiving your nominations. The awards ceremony is due to take place on 16 September in Cardiff. PET will visit those who are unable to attend in person. Each winner will receive a prize and everyone nominated will receive a certificate.

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36 Information // The Rule Book

The Interception of Communications in Prisons and Security Measures (part two)

The RULE Book

PSI 2016-004 Issued: 07 April 2016, Effective, indefinitely from: 04 July 2016

with Paul Sullivan

This PSI sets out the arrangements for the recording, monitoring, and retention of authorised prisoner communications by way of the PIN phone system or written communications, and replaces PSI 2012-024 ‘Call Enabling’ and applies to all adult prisons and YOIs in England and Wales.

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The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) provides the framework for named public authorities to use specific covert investigative techniques in order to lawfully interfere with the right of privacy of others where this is necessary and proportionate to do so for a purpose cited in the Act. Section 4 (4) of RIPA makes lawful the interception of communications in a prison provided such interception is undertaken in accordance with the Prison Rules. The Prison Rules were amended after the introduction of the Human Rights Act (1998) to more clearly define the restrictions that were necessary and proportionate to control prisoner

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www.insidetime.org communications with others outside of prison. Opening and reading Para: 2.7 states that all social letters going into or out of a prison may be opened to check for illicit enclosures. Except in high security prisons or on a prisoner by prisoner basis the letters will not be read unless illicit enclosures are found. There must be an auditable record of all communications monitored or read. Prisoners have a right to communicate confidentially with all of the organisations or bodies listed in last month’s Rule Book. Therefore telephone and written communications between prisoners and these organisations must be treated as confidential and not intercepted. Prisons will normally check that letters to legal advisers are to legitimate legal contacts. Outgoing letters to everyone except those listed for privilege communications must be handed in unsealed. Letters to privilege recipients should be handed in sealed. Non-contact addresses • If a member of the public requests to receive no contact from a prisoner, the prisoner must be prevented from making contact. This is a non-contact address. • Prisoners must not be allowed to contact victims unless there is prior agreement to do so and it has been concluded that it is in the interests of the victim to have such contact.

If a letter is sent to a ‘non-contact’ address by any prisoner in the establishment it will be read to ensure that the barred prisoner is not using others to communicate. The Public Protection Manual gives additional guidance with respect to prisoners identified as presenting a risk, or potential risk, to children or subject to harassment measures. The PSI states that the governor can pass the duty of monitoring or reading mail to anyone else although this would usually be done in the Mailroom. Stopped letters If a Manager decides to stop a letter from reaching the intended recipient, there are several options open: • It could be returned to the Prisoner asking that he/she revises the letter (this relates to outgoing correspondence only); • It could be retained in Security and a copy used for the purposes of an investigation; • It could be retained in Security and a copy given to Police (or another Agency); • After investigations have concluded, it could be placed in stored property or destroyed. Copying of letters Para 2.65 states that: Written correspondence must not be copied unless necessary in line with Prison Rule 35A(4) for one of the following reasons:

• To disclose to the Police or another Agency (where disclosure is permitted); • Where a letter is to be copied as part of the Parole Dossier where it is relevant to the risk factors under consideration; • Where it needs to be translated; • Where a letter may be relevant to a Prison and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) death in custody investigation or another investigation; • Where a copy of a letter is necessary for risk management or investigative purposes; • Where advice is required from the Deputy Director of Custody (DDC) or another part of NOMS, and in order not to delay receipt of the letter unduly, a copy is taken and attached to the request for advice; • If the volume of letters being monitored exceeds staffing commitment at the time the letter is received; • Where otherwise authorised by a Manager. Copies of letters must not be retained for protracted periods and certainly not beyond three months of the date of the letter or the date the copy was taken (if different) unless this can be justified and this is authorised by the Authorising Officer for interception. There are often issues relating to prisoners writing to the media. Specific instructions regarding prisoners and contact with the media are contained within PSI 2010-037.

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Information // The Inspector Calls 37

The Inspector Calls Inside Time highlights areas of good and bad practice, from the most recent Reports published by HM Inspectorate of Prisons

HMP Nottingham

HMP Forest Bank

Announced Full Inspection: 1-5 February 2016

Unannounced Full Inspection: 8-9 & 15-19 February 2016

Category B local prison holding young adult and adult males

Safety W W W W Respect W W W W Purposeful Activity W W W W Resettlement W W W W

“Still not safe despite some progress made” In publishing this report the new Chief Inspector, Peter Clarke says there is still too much violence and disorder. The prison was last inspected in 2014 and this was an announced inspection to focus the prison on fixing concerns. As well as the violence and disorder the report highlights high levels of ‘use of force’ and serious allegations against staff were not being taken seriously enough. Many men had high levels of vulnerability and mental health problems and some men with complex issues and problematic behaviour were inappropriately held in the Segregation Unit.

Category B local prison for adult and young adult men managed by Sodexo

Safety W W W W Respect W W W W Purposeful Activity W W W W Resettlement W W W W

“A well led local prison” This report highlights high levels of self-harm and prisoners too frightened to leave their cells. Too many prisoners ‘in crisis’ were held on the segregation wing or subject to other restrictions. The prison’s IEP scheme is, say Inspectors, ‘punitive, insufficiently focused on the individual and ineffective as a motivational tool’. Although initiatives were in place to reduce violence the prison’s own analysis showed that 40% of violent incidents was due to new psychoactive substances (NPS); on a positive note, the use of segregation had reduced and the ‘use of force’ was not excessive. Prisoners had a good amount of time out of cell and there were enough activity places for all prisoners to be employed part-time. In summing up, Peter Clarke, Chief Inspector says; “The experience most prisoners had of Forest Bank was reasonable. However, those who were more marginalised due to poor behaviour, self-harm or mental health issues had a much less positive experience and this required attention. This inspection found that the prison was well led, competent and confident in its approach and it coped well.”

Full report: www .tinyurl.com/hwgs5s5

Full report: www.tinyurl.com/hbg4v9b

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Commenting on the report Peter Clarke said; “There is no doubt that this prison has suffered from a lack of continuity and consistency in its leadership. At the time of this inspection there had been five governors in the space of four years. The current governor has grasped some difficult issues and laid some good if inevitably fragile foundations. However, our understanding is that he too will shortly move to another prison. For the future, every effort should be made to stabilise the leadership of this challenging prison.”

HMP/YOI Moorland

HMP/YOI Parc

Category C adult and young adult men also holds adult male foreign national prisoners and a national resource for men convicted of sexual offences.

Category B local prison holding convicted male adult prisoners and young offenders and young people

Unannounced Full Inspection: 1-12 February 2016

Unannounced Full Inspection: 30 November - 1 December 2015

Safety W W W W Respect W W W W Purposeful Activity W W W W Resettlement W W W W

Safety W W W W Respect W W W W Purposeful Activity W W W W Resettlement W W W W

“New psychoactive substances threatening stability of prison”

“A well-run prison, but some safety concerns”

Chief Inspector, Peter Clarke, says; “The prison is in the process of adapting to its new role as a resettlement prison for the area. The recent history of the prison has been one of uncertainty and disruption and at one point the prison had been earmarked for privatisation.”

It is a concern that the Inspectorate’s report describes the prison as holding ’convicted and remand sex offenders’ since all remand prisoners are surely innocent and cannot be described as ‘offenders’.

• the threat posed to the stability of the prison by new psychoactive substances (NPS) is severe and despite some positive initiatives, the situation appears to be deteriorating and needs to be addressed; • forty-eight per cent of prisoners now say it is easy to get drugs at Moorland compared to 28% at the last inspection; • the number of violent incidents, fights and assaults had increased since the last inspection in 2012 and levels were also higher than at similar prisons; • almost one in five prisoners surveyed said they felt unsafe at the time of the inspection. Substantial improvements had been made to the availability and management of work, training and education and the prison had successfully introduced SOTP in response to being re-roled as a national resource for holding men convicted of sexual offences. Full report: www.tinyurl.com/jc878ve

0800 0191 248 or 01302 326666 Shaw & Co 6 Portland Place Doncaster DN1 3DF N AT I O N W I D E S E RV I C E www.shawandco.com

New psychoactive substances (NPS) such as Spice were easy to get and this was having a severe negative effect on overall safety and stability. The use of force was very high but the Chief Inspector says it is proportionate and ‘governance was excellent’. Despite giving the prison full marks for purposeful activity the report says that too many prisoners are locked in their cells during the core day. Full report: www.tinyurl.com/jt6ffc3

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Parc is one of the largest prisons in England and Wales, holding over 1,600 prisoners, and Chief Inspector Peter Clarke says that levels of violence are high and many prisoners feel unsafe. The report says that although the prison has responded to the high levels of violence and self-harm, more needs to be done to address this and the sense amongst prisoners that they were not safe. CCTV was used to monitor some vulnerable prisoners which the Inspectors thought unsafe.

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IPP and Lifer inmates

respect of two factors I want to discuss and which are in my view open to some interpretation. Firstly, what can constitute ‘exceptional circumstances’ and secondly, how fatal is the laying of a charge if it is out of time.

Appeals, Reviews, Parole, Recall, Compensation David Wells

Last week, Wells Burcombe were involved in an appeal before the court of appeal in a case involving an IPP inmate. He was over tariff by 6 years, the appeal was considerably out of time and the client had been repeatedly denied release by an ever increasing risk averse Parole Board. His only realistic hope for release was a successful appeal. Everything was in the balance. It was a very nervous time for all concerned as this case was heard after the court of appeal’s recent review of a number of similar IPP appeals, all of which were dismissed. It turned out to be an impressive result. The client’s IPP sentence was quashed and substituted with a determinate sentence. The good news did not stop there. The length of the determinate sentence imposed meant that the client was released immediately. No more anguish and mental fragility. No more Parole Board reviews and no licence conditions. Back to life with his family and a chance to move on. This is obviously a success story and yes this does not happen with every IPP and lifer appeal. However, this case does highlight a number of very important factors that lawyers and future applicants and appellants should be alert to when contemplating an appeal and when advising on appeal. The Court of Appeal in its recent review of a number of IPP appeals made it very clear that out of time IPP appeals (and by implication out of time appeals generally) would not be received favourably by the court. The court was keen to stress that it was not for the court of appeal to correct the injustice that had occurred by the IPP sentence where the law had been applied correctly at the time of sentence, and that it was a matter for parliament to address. For me, the most interesting aspect of this case is that by allowing this appeal, the court of

appeal have confirmed that the overriding principle when considering appeals is one of merit. However much the court of appeal seeks to discourage out of time appeals from convicted and sentenced defendants, the fact remains that the court of appeal will uphold a sentence or conviction appeal - even if considerably out of time - where the appeal raises arguable grounds. In other words, however reluctant the court of appeal is to interfere with jury verdicts and sentences imposed by judges, the court will do so if an obvious injustice has occurred. That being said, advising in sentencing and conviction cases has never been more difficult. The court of appeal can be very inconsistent in its approach. Trying to predict outcomes at appeal level is very difficult indeed. It helps considerably if experienced lawyers are involved. All too often convicted and sentenced defendants are advised by their original barristers that no appeal grounds exist. It’s all too easy to simply say no. Many of the enquiries Wells Burcombe receive are reviewed by some of the most experienced solicitors and barristers in the country at appeal level. Robert Banks, for example, who is the author of one of the leading sentencing textbooks, together with Wells Burcombe, have reviewed many sentences and have identified grounds for appeal. The message in this article therefore is perhaps twofold; Firstly, identify and instruct experienced lawyers for any appeal. Secondly, don’t be discouraged in asking for a review of your case if you are technically out of time (over the 28-day time limit in which to appeal against conviction or sentence). If an appeal is considered to have merit by experienced lawyers, there is a better chance of success on appeal, even if an appeal is considered and lodged out of time. If you would like Wells Burcombe to review your case, please get in touch.

David Wells is a Partner at Wells Burcombe LLP

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Let’s do the Time Warp... Sarah Connolly Independent Adjudications (IAs) are prevalent at the moment. Some more cynical than I may say due to them being used as a blunt tool to keep order against a tide of staff cuts but that’s another article altogether. The time of service or laying of a charge is of great importance within the

administrative procedure of an Independent Adjudication and is controlled by PSI 47/2011. In particular Para 2.19 states: “Save in exceptional circumstances an adjudication hearing must be opened by an adjudicator no later than a day following the laying of a charge, unless that day is a Sunday or public holiday.” Well that seems pretty clear, but care has to be taken in

When you feel no one’s helping YOU...

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The answer to both of them is one of proportionality in that if we take the out of time issue first. This was discussed in the case of R (Garland) v Secretary of State for Justice [2011] EWCA Civ [2011] WLR (D) 333. To put in a nutshell it asks the hypothetical question, if a charge was just a short period out of time would this be fatal? The answer which seems to be distilled is in certain circumstances, NO! Again fact and degree appear to play a big part, a short period of time may not in certain circumstances render the charge void, certainly it would be foolish to rely only on the fact that the charge was put before an adjudicator a few minutes or even hours late; there appears significant latitude on the part of an Independent Adjudicator to exercise some discretion. That discretion of course is fettered see R v Soneji [2006] 1 AC 340. If the Prisoner can show prejudice to himself as a result of the delay no matter how short, then he would have a strong argument to render any following adjudication invalid. Experience of challenging this kind of issue has raised an argument sometimes advanced by prison officers but more often by IAs that is of exceptional circumstances, it is my experience that this is occasionally advanced by IAs or prison officers as a catch all to excuse the delay. This issue was briefly discussed in Garland but not in any great detail, the interpretation that I would suggest is exceptional is a very high bar indeed and should be of course what is exceptional within the context of management of the prison estate. Therefore, I would argue such events as short lock downs. Brief periods of hospitalisation or even periods in segregation are all everyday occurrences within the estate and I would argue cannot be used as reasonable excuses especially if conjoined with prejudicial delay. It is therefore vital you speak to a Prison Lawyer as soon as you receive a charge so these factors can be considered. Sarah Connolly is a Prison Law Specialist at Hamer Childs Solicitors

Legal 39

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‘Trapped’ but just one of so many The case of James Ward, who has mental health issues and was jailed under the indeterminate sentencing scheme for ten months. Ten years later he is still trapped in the system Pippa Carruthers On 30th May the BBC’s Today Programme on Radio 4 ran a piece about the case of prisoner James Ward. The title of the piece was The prisoner ‘trapped’ 10 years into a 10-month jail sentence. The radio show played excerpts from James’ letters to the programme and also featured the voices of his family, movingly expressing their feelings about his situation. James is 31 and an IPP prisoner who has been in prison on his current sentence for ten years. He got an IPP for setting a fire in his prison cell when he was serving a previous 21 month sentence at HMP Glen Parva. He was twenty. In August 2006 the Judge handed down the IPP, setting a tariff of 9 months and 29 days. Ten years later James is still inside and struggling to come to terms with his sentence and

“I wake up every morning scared of what the day may hold” James Ward how the law allows him to remain there year after year. His time in custody has not been smooth. The mental health problems that caused him to set the fire in late 2005, continue to overwhelm him sometimes, and he has a prison record that reflects this. He has been moved around many prisons.

James does not assault people or threaten them. He is a young looking thirty one year old who quite often feels despair. He has told me that he would happily accept a further ten years in custody today if he was given a release date at the end of it. For James the lack of certainty becomes unbearable. To his credit, despite everything, he is struggling on and trying to focus on having a life outside again. He puts this entirely down to his family who visit him and urge him to keep going. His case highlights the quite shocking effects of the imposition of IPP sentences on those who are quite simply trapped in prison. On the radio programme, Kenneth Clarke, former Justice Secretary who brought IPPs to an end called prisons “overcrowded slums” and expressed the view that it was quite absurd that “there are people who are serving a sentence, which Parliament agreed to get rid of because it hadn’t worked as anybody intended, a few years ago”. He suggested the test for release should change. In relation to James’ case he said “He’s been punished for burning the mattress in his cell, he shouldn’t be there almost ten years after he’s finished the sentence”.

The radio programme has produced discussion around the subject of IPPs with the story being featured in newspapers and on panel shows. It has clearly informed many people for the first time about this situation. We wanted to expose James’ situation to

Meanwhile James is undergoing his fifth Parole Review. The Parole Board has just deferred his case for a psychiatric report and refused our request for an immediate oral hearing direction, despite the fraught parole system that means many prisoners are waiting unreasonable lengths of time for a chance to have their detention reviewed. We hope to challenge the delay.

James' parents Christine and Bill Ward and his sister April described him as ‘lost and confused’ increase the pressure on Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Justice, to address the continued injustice. Although he told the Justice Committee in May that there were no current plans to change the release test or otherwise legislate, he has sought assistance from the current Chairman of the Parole Board with a review of measures to support the progression of IPP prisoners.

We know James’ story is just one of thousands where sentences of Imprisonment for Public Protection, introduced in 2005, have resulted in gross injustice and sentence lengths that simply do not reflect what happened. Pippa Carruthers is a Prison Law Specialist at Howard & Byrne Solicitors

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Extended Determinate Sentences and the impact they have on prisoners Emma Davies and Nicola Blackburn

New Extended Determinate Sentences became a sentencing option for Judges when the new Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 came into force on 3rd December 2012 and they are cropping up more and more. This article looks at these sentences from a prison law and Parole perspective, and what it means to you if you are serving one. What is an Extended Determinate Sentence? With the abolition of IPP sentences, the Extended Determinate Sentence (EDS) is not necessarily a replacement, but is aimed at offering extra protection to the public for dangerous offences. The sentence is made up of two parts; a custodial element and a licence element. T he

custodial element is of course served in prison, and the licence element is served in the community under the care of the Probation Service. The sentencing Judge will determine how long both periods should be. The licence period can be no more than 5 years for a violent offence and 8 years for a sexual offence. The length of both elements combined must not exceed the maximum sentence that can be imposed for the offence in question. What is the qualifying criteria? An adult is liable to receive an EDS if the following is met: They were convicted of the offence in question after 3rd December 2012. The date the offence was committed is not relevant.

l

l The offence in question is a

specified offence (there are a list of a number of violent or sexual offences contained in

Schedule 15 to the Criminal Justice Act 2003 which are considered specified offences). l They are deemed to present

a significant risk to the public of serious harm through re-offending and committing a further specified offence. The sentencing Judge here will have regard to the dangerousness threshold.

l A life sentence is not deemed appropriate.

AND, either: They have a previous conviction for a Schedule 15B offence (Schedule 15B to the Criminal Justice Act 2003 contains a further list of violent and sexual offences, separate to Schedule 15).

l

or The court is minded to impose a sentence of at least 4 years.

l

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A youth is liable to receive an EDS on very similar criteria other than there is no power or requirement to consider whether the youth has a previous conviction for a Schedule 15B offence. How long will I serve in prison? Unlike a straightforward determinate sentence, a prisoner will not be released at the half way point of the custodial term, but will serve at least two-thirds of the custodial element in prison. At the twothirds point a prisoner will be entitled to either automatic release or have their suitability for release considered at a Parole review.

If the Parole Board are satisfied that a prisoner can be safely released at the two-thirds point, they will be released from custody on licence. Once released a prisoner will remain on licence until the end of the licence element of the EDS. If the custodial element of an EDS is less than 10 years and the offence is not listed in Schedule 15B, a prisoner will be subject to automatic release at the two-third point of their sentence. They will then be subject to licence until the end of the licence element. If the custodial term of an EDS is more than 10 years OR the offence is listed in Schedule 15B release at the two-thirds point is not automatic and a prisoner’s suitability for release would be considered by the Parole Board at a Parole review. Whilst the initial test for imposing an EDS in the first place is the same, the release arrangements differ greatly depending on:

a) Whether the custodial sentence is 10 years or more, and b) Whether the offence is a Schedule 15B offence.

extended licence period, and eligible for recall if they do not comply with the conditions of their licence.

Those who will be subject to automatic release at the twothirds point of their sentence have no specific requirement to demonstrate a reduction in their risk in order to secure release, but those who will be subject to a Parole review do.

Unlike determinate sentences it is possible for an EDS prisoner to spend the entire custodial term in prison.

What happens if I am subject to Parole? If you are subject to Parole, your release prior to the expiry of the custodial element will be a matter for the Parole Board. The Parole review process will work in the same way as most other Parole reviews. As your two-thirds point approaches, your Parole review will commence, and the Parole Board will consider whether you are suitable to be released at that point. The test for release is whether: “The Parole Board must not give a direction for release unless it is satisfied that it is no longer necessary for the protection of the public that the prisoner should be confined”. An EDS prisoner demonstrates that his risk has reduced and it is no longer necessary for them to be confined to custody in the same way as many other prisoners subject to Parole do. Things such as good custodial behaviour, a full and workable release and resettlement plan and of course good feedback/ post programme reports from offending behaviour courses all serve to demonstrate risk reduction. If the Parole Board are satisfied that a prisoner can be safely released at the two-thirds point, they will be released from custody on licence. Once released a prisoner will remain on licence until the end of the licence element of the EDS. If the Parole Board do not direct release then a prisoner will be subject to annual Parole reviews until the expiry of their custodial term, after which time they will be automatically released, but will remain on licence until the end of their

Can I have assistance for my Parole review? Yes. Because the Parole Board will have the power to direct release on licence, Legal Aid is available, subject to means, for prisoners in this position. It is advisable that anyone subject to such a review seek assistance from a prison law specialist. What happens after I am released? Regardless of whether an EDS prisoner is released at the twothirds point, at the end of the custodial term or somewhere in between (following an annual review), release will be subject to licence. Licence conditions will remain in force until the end of the licence element of a prisoner’s EDS. This means that once an EDS prisoner is released they are also subject to recall back to custody if it is alleged that they have breached their licence conditions or there is evidence that their risk has increased to such an extent it is no longer manageable in the community. The recall process will work in exactly the same way as for determinate prisoners, and once again, Legal Aid is available for you to have a prison law specialist assist you with your recall and application for re-release on licence. If you are an Ex tended Determinate Sentenced prisoner and will shortly be subject to a Parole review, or need help or advice with any prison law issues please contact the prison la w d e p a r t me n t a t Hine Solicitors; Telephone - 01865 518973 or FREEPOST - RTHU - LEKE - HAZR Hine Solicitors, Seymour House, 285 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 7JF.

Emma Davies is a Partner at Hine Solicitors. Nicola Blackburn is supervisor of the prison law department

Legal 41

www.insidetime.org

Insidetime July 2016

Challenging search warrants The calm before the storm… Jonathan Lennon and Aziz Rahman You have just had your home or your business searched by the police, or some other investigation agency. You have been arrested, questioned and, if you’re lucky, bailed. You may even have been charged. Now suddenly, your life has become complicated and stressful. But most of all, the real problem is worry; worry about the course of potential criminal litigation and what the future holds in store. This though is just the calm before the storm. From our clients in this situation, the strongest sentiment of all is pure anger that the privacy of their home has been unjustly invaded and the simmering resentment of being regarded as a ‘suspect’. Challenging the validity of the search warrant is not an option in every case. But a proper challenge, in the right case, can be a powerful tool in taking the fight to the prosecution and, just possibly, landing that first and maybe fatal punch. The Law The majority of warrants are issued under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) or under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. Applicants must state the object of the search and provide sufficient information to satisfy the Court that it is necessary. There must be reasonable grounds for believing that an offence has been committed and that there is material on the premises likely to be of substantial value to the investigation. There are numerous other procedural rules that must be followed regarding both the application and the conduct of the search. These rules are important, get it wrong and the search and the warrant may be quashed or the property returned because the proper procedure was not adhered to. If that happens that may be the end of any chance of the prosecution using the product of the searches in any subsequent prosecution. In R (Cook) v Serious Organised Crime Agency [2011] 1 WLR 144, SOCA (now the NCA) were investigating a fraud allegation. Warrants were applied for, issued and the searches undertaken. The warrants only provided details of the relevant addresses in schedules to the warrant that were then not left at the searched premises, in contravention of the rules. Though the officers were lawfully at the premises, the seizures were rendered unlawful. SOCA agreed to pay damages and certain legal costs. But that was not the end of it because when the suspect asked for the return of his property he was told that SOCA were re-seizing the items under powers in PACE. Cook started a civil Judicial Review action. The High Court held that the unlawful seizure could not be rendered lawful by subsequent re-seizure. SOCA had to take care in drafting warrants in the future and Cook’s material was to be returned. However, SOCA were later involved in a similar Judicial Review with the same Judge, Leveson LJ, but the opposite result; R (Cummins) v Manchester Crown Court [2010] EWHC (Admin) 2111. In the Cummins case SOCA, in their investigation of a money-laundering allegation, had again improperly seized material and were forced to return it. This time however SOCA obtained a Production Order under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 compelling Cummins to deliver to SOCA the very same material. This was possible because of the particular offence being investigated. The Court found there was no reason why SOCA should be in any worse position than if the warrant had never been sought or why those the subject of an unlawful warrant should somehow be better off. R (R. Tchenguiz & R20 Ltd) v Serious Fraud Office & Others [2012] EWHC 2254 (Admin). This was in fact two joined Judicial Review actions that resulted in search warrants being quashed and

the Court heavily criticizing the SFO. The actions concerned two brothers, Robert and Vincent Tchenguiz, who were wealthy, well known businessmen. The facts of the case deserve some consideration. The brothers had banked with the Icelandic bank - Kaupthing. That bank had provided them with substantial loans for various business ventures since at least 2004. In 2008 the Kaupthing bank collapsed as part of the major world-wide banking crisis. A committee was set up by those concerned with ensuring the return of as much of the debt owed to the bank as possible. The committee instructed a large UK based accountancy and insolvency practice, Grant Thornton (“GT”), to investigate on their behalf. The committee got their report; it suggested that the lending by the bank to the brothers’ interests was highly irregular, e.g. that no proper due diligence had been carried out and that senior management at the bank had manipulated financial data to allow excessive lending to take place. In 2011 the SFO became involved and was provided with a copy of the GT report. A formal investigation commenced which led to the SFO producing its ‘Information’ to a Judge sitting at the Old Bailey to secure search warrants. The brothers’ premises were searched and they were both arrested. The Judicial Review challenges which followed examined in detail the complex commercial arrangements that the brothers engaged in with the bank but essentially the Court’s ultimate, and serious criticisms of the SFO, boiled down to over-enthusiasm (to put it kindly) by the investigators in the presentation of their case to the Old Bailey Judge. Misleading the Old Bailey Judge One striking example of the SFO’s failure to properly present its case to the Old Bailey Judge was its complete reliance on the GT report.

on its own. The restructuring actually involved some complex arrangements between RT, his trust, off-shore companies and others but the SFO’s version evidenced a clear ‘lack of understanding’ by the investigator and at least one serious factual omission about a technical aspect of the arrangements. The Court found that it was a “matter of great regret that the Information adopted the tone it exhibited and did not clearly explain the arrangements.” (para 112). The effect was that the Information contained a ‘serious defect’ as it “did not explain the reality of the position” in respect of the relied upon restructuring (see para 120). Once the suspect has sight of the Information presented to the judge there is then the opportunity to go through it to see if the Judge has had everything and has been painted a fair and accurate picture - or whether the Crown have just picked out their favourite bits. Section 59 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 If the High Court quashes a search warrant, what then? Ordinarily the answer would be the return of the material and possibly damages. That could be a fatal blow to the investigation. Parliament came up with a mechanism to allow an investigative authority to try and keep their investigation on the rails following a quashing of a warrant by the High Court. Once a warrant is quashed then under s59 of this 2001 Act the police can apply to the High Court for permission to retain the material for a short time whilst it re-applies to the Crown Court for, in effect a new Order justifying the old seizure; see generally R (Panesar) v Central Criminal Court [2015] 1 WLR 2577. In those circumstances, the Crown Court has a discretion to authorise the retention of the material seized, despite the unlawfulness of the original search, if, were the material to be returned, it would be immediately appropriate to issue a warrant under

This is something we see often in cases that start off with a civil aspect but develop into fraud allegations. The police are sent material, created by others, to demonstrate the guilt of their potential civil opponents.

The Judge must be personally satisfied that there are proper grounds for suspicion and the application should never be a rubber-stamping exercise. In the Tchenguiz case the SFO had manifestly failed in this duty. Another example of this is that the Information put before the Old Bailey Judge included a central allegation that one of the brothers - ‘RT’, colluded in dishonest borrowing from the bank. The Information relied, in part, upon RT’s restructuring of certain loan obligations which, the SFO contended, showed a reasonable suspicion of dishonest conduct and therefore justified the grant of the search warrants

Conclusion Not all errors by prosecutors will lead to a search warrant being quashed. The test is a high one. That said there is an increasing tendency for the Courts to come down heavily on the prosecution where they can be shown to have presented the Judge with a misleading picture. Some might think that because of s59 of the 2001 Act it is not worth challenging search warrants. We disagree; if an Warrant has been obtained unlawfully it can be quashed; that sends a signal to the police on how to behave - permission to stay the quashing of the warrant might not be sought, or if sought refused and of course the Crown Court, second time round, will be a lot less likely to grant a warrant where it has got it wrong once and the defence are now there to argue against it. All in all s59 should not stop litigants challenging warrants where appropriate. Storm clouds may be gathering but there may be good protection for the pro-active litigant. Jonathan Lennon is a Barrister specialising in serious and complex criminal defence cases at Carmelite Chambers, London. He has extensive experience in all aspects of financial and serious crime and the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. He is ranked by both Legal 500 Chambers & Ptnrs & is recognised in C&P’s specialist POCA and Financial Crime sections; ‘he is phenomenal and is work rate is astonishing’ (2015). Aziz Rahman is a Solicitor Advocate and Partner at the leading Criminal Defence firm Rahman Ravelli Solicitors, specialising in Human Rights, Financial Crime and Large Scale Conspiracies/Serious crime. Rahman Ravelli are members of the Specialist Fraud Panel and have been ranked by Legal 500 as an ‘exceptional’ firm with Aziz Rahman being described as ‘top class’’. The firm is also ranked in Chambers & Partners. Rahman Ravelli are a Top Tier and Band 1 firm.

The strongest legal representation in the fields of serious, complex and business crime. The most informed, expert advice for those being prosecuted.

In this case there was no independent scrutiny of GT’s findings despite the SFO’s complete reliance upon it. So, for example, just before the collapse of Kaupthing large sums were transferred to a Luxembourg account. This was relied upon by GT as a possible attempt to dishonestly remove funds from those entitled to them. The fact was however that there were other plausible innocent explanations for this transaction that the Old Bailey Judge had not been made aware of. This was because the SFO had simply not investigated those possibilities because it relied so heavily on the GT report. This aspect weighed heavily in the High Court’s ultimate damming of the SFO. Duty of Applicants It has long been the case that the courts must control the invasion of privacy that is involved when the State seeks to search the premises of an individual or a company. All the material relating to the grant of a warrant must be provided to the Judge. The case of the Texan cricket billionaire was a case in point when Hughes LJ said in re Standford [2010] 1 WLR 941, 191, that in presenting the case the advocate must; …put his defence hat on and ask himself, what, if he was representing the defendant or a party with a relevant interest, he would say to the judge.

which it would be lawful to seize the property; i.e. they get the application right the second time round! In R (Chatwani) v NCA [2015] EWHC 1283 (Admin) it was held that it would be rare for the High Court to refuse permission for temporary stay of the quashing of a warrant whilst the police made an application to the Crown Court - such stay applications would only be refused if there had been bad faith on the part of the police in securing the warrant.

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42 Legal // Q&A

‘Legal’, Inside Time, Botley Mills, Botley, Southampton, Hampshire SO30 2GB.

MR - HMP Swaleside

Q I write in respect to HMP

Legal Forum Answers are kindly provided by: Hine Solicitors Reeds Solicitors Frisby & Co Solicitors Pickup & Scott Solicitors Olliers Solicitors Cartwright King Solicitors Emmersons Solicitors Answers to readers’ legal queries are given on a strictly without liability basis. If you propose acting upon any of the opinions that appear, you must first take legal advice. Send your Legal Queries (concise and clearly marked ‘legal’) to: David Wells, Solicitor c/o Inside Time, Botley Mills, Botley, Southampton, Hampshire SO30 2GB. For a prompt response, readers are asked to send their queries on white paper using black ink or typed if possible.

Swaleside breaching my Article 6 ECHR rights by failing to issue me with an access to justice laptop, which I require for the preparation of my appeal. My application for an access to justice (A2J) laptop was approved by the prison in April 2015 and I am still waiting for the laptop. I have submitted numerous applications and complaints which have gone unanswered or resolved. Can you please advise on what rules and laws apply in these circumstances and what action I can take?

A The human rights information booklet which was published by the Prison Law Trust in 2014 states that you may be entitled to an access to justice (A2J) laptop if you are bringing a legal claim. There is no absolute rule that you will automatically be entitled to an A2J laptop and they are only given to people who would not be able to prepare for their case without it. The guidance also states that an A2J laptop should not be given to an individual if it would make things more convenient. In the case of R (on the application of Ponting) v Governor of HM Prisons Whitemoor and Another [2002], the Court of Appeal decided that if a prison did not give all

prisoners who were representing themselves a laptop, it would still be possible for that person to have a fair trial under Article 6.

writing to the Prisons & Probation Ombudsman who carry out independent investigations into complaints in custody.

Further to this guidance PSI 75/2011 provides that prisoners must meet the strict eligibility criteria before they are provided with laptop computer facilities and the need for the facilities must be essential to the progress of legal proceedings.

Response provided by Hine Solicitors

Service Specification for Residential services states that where prisoners refuse to seek or are unable to obtain professional advice and wish to initiate and/or conduct legal proceedings personally, he must be given the necessary facilities to do so in accordance with Article 6. Only when eligibility criteria are met, such facilities or measures may include the provision of a laptop computer. As your application for an access to justice laptop has been approved it is likely that you have satisfied the eligibility criteria and the issue now is why there has been significant delays in you receiving the laptop. Given that you have exhausted the internal complaints procedure and have failed to receive a response from the Independent Monitoring Board, I would suggest

MM - HMP Holme House

Q Is there any prison rule

which allows prisoners to obtain the phone call recordings of their pin phone? My mother passed away recently and I put in a request to the Governor to give me the call recordings so I could keep them for my memories. The Governor replied stating that there is no such system to give me the phone recordings. I have been emotionally and psychologically harmed by the relevant authorities at Holme House.

A PSI 49/2011 provides that telephone calls may be monitored and all telephones calls will be recorded. Unfortunately there are no provisions in the PSI that grant a prisoner access to these recordings and in any event, recordings are automatically deleted after 90 days unless they have been tagged for a security concern. I would advise that you put in an application to access the prisons counselling services which you are entitled to under PSI 04/2015

as they may be able to offer help and support with your bereavement. Response provided by Hine Solicitors

BK - HMP Risley

Q I am a Foreign National

and coming up to the halfway point of my sentence and have less than 24 months more to serve. I was looking forward to putting in my application for Cat-D. I was informed that the policy in the prison is that Foreign Nationals will not be getting Cat-D status. The policy guidance 52/2011 clearly states that the categorisation process applies equally to British and Foreign National prisoners. I conclude that this treatment is nothing other than racist. I have also been placed over 150 miles away from my children and they have not been able to visit me. How do I get a transfer from here?

A In answer to your first question, you are right in that Categorisation should not be affected by issues such as race, ethnicity or nationality, PSI 40/2011, paragraph 3.2. The statement that because you are a foreign national, you are not eligible for Category D status is wholly incorrect and you should submit a formal complaint regarding this

Insidetime July 2016 using the COMP1 and COMP1A procedure. You finally ask how you would seek a transfer away from your holding establishment. I would suggest that you use the requests procedure at your prison, there may be a separate form to request such a move. In any event you should receive a response to any move within 7 days of the submission of your request. If you remain unsatisfied with the response, then I would again advise you to follow the complaints procedure. You would then receive a response from Prison Service Headquarters within six weeks of your complaint. Please note that in determining whether a transfer should be granted, external factors will be taken into account such as family, community ties, length of sentence, whether you are required to undertake any offender behaviour courses within your current establishment etc. If you remain unsatisfied with the responses you have been given, I would advise you to write to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman enclosing copies of any complaints you have sent and any responses you have received regarding this issue. Response provided by Pick Up & Scott Solicitors

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‘Legal’, Inside Time, Botley Mills, Botley, Southampton, Hampshire SO30 2GB.

Banks on Sentence

committing the offence.

Robert Banks, a barrister, writes Banks on Sentence. It is the second-largest selling criminal practitioner’s text book and is used by judges for sentencing more than any other. The book is classified by the Ministry of Justice as a core judicial text book. The book has an app which is for Apple iPads and Windows 8/10 tablets and computers. It costs £95 plus VAT. The print copy costs £108. There is also a discount when the print copy and app are purchased together. If you have access to a computer, you can follow Robert on Twitter, @BanksonSentence and you can receive his weekly sentencing Alert.

www.banksr.com Q I visited a mate of mine in prison. He is an

addict like me so I understand the importance of maintaining a habit. I took him in a birthday present of some heroin and I got past the dogs. The CCTV caught me shaking hands with him and then him hiding the wrap. I was arrested and although it was a plea I was sent to the Crown Court. I was charged under the Prison Act [1952]. The Judge said the guidelines don’t apply and sentenced me to 2 years 8 months having started at 4 years. If they had used the guideline I would have been sentenced at Category 4 with a lesser role, giving me a starting point of 18 months. They made a huge song and dance about my previous for supplying heroin and cocaine. Why don’t the guidelines apply and how can 3 grams of heroin be worth 4 years?

A The reason the guidelines don’t apply is in

the section dealing with supply in the Drug Offences Guideline 2012, it says the guideline applies to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 s 4(3) and 5(3), which you weren’t charged with. However, most Judges would consider the guidelines before passing sentence. This

approach has been approved by the Court of Appeal in R v Kavanagh 2008 EWCA Crim 855. Guidance about conveying drugs into prison has recently been given. In R v Ormiston 2016 EWCA Crim 363 para 10, the Court said: “Drugs and drug substitutes are entirely inimical to the rule of the law within a prison and become a currency within prison. They are used to extort or bully and the evil they do is even worse than the evil done within our open society. It is important to underline that the gravity of the offending is in relation to the prison setting and that therefore the use of the drugs guideline is not entirely appropriate notwithstanding that it might be appropriate in certain cases of offending.” You may think that does not apply to you but those are the principles that will be applied. There are really two approaches that are taken by judges. The first is to work with the guideline and then increase the starting point because the offence was committed in prison. The second is to use comparable reported cases and work out a sentence that reflects the crime committed and which should deter others from

If the Judge had used the guideline to assist him, he would have started at Category 4 as you say. The three roles in the guideline - leading, significant and lesser - imply that there are a number of individuals concerned in the offence, which makes it difficult when there is only one person doing the suppling. In your case most judges would ascribe a significant role to you. This approach was confirmed in R v Watson 2013 EWCA Crim 271. The starting point for a Category 4 offence with a significant role is 3½ years. If you increase that to reflect the fact that the supply was to a prisoner and your previous convictions, you can see there can be no grounds for an appeal for an offence with a starting point of 4 years. If you apply comparable cases, a 4-year starting point would not be out of line.

Q I have pleaded to affray. It was at a club

and someone was out of order and it all kicked off. The case has gone over for reports. I am 19 and it is my first offence. I am in two minds about whether my family should come to court. What do you think? I won’t see my solicitor before the hearing.

A This is a question that should be posed to

your solicitor. You should be able to ring him or her. I am afraid I do not know how serious the affray was. Your family is entitled to be present. The answer to whether people should attend is normally answered by considering whether their attendance may assist the defendant or not. Normally it makes no difference at all. If the Judge was listening to your case with a public gallery full of large men, wearing aggressive black clothing and showing their macho haircuts, many scars and tattoos, I am sure that would not help. If your life at the time of the offence had difficulties and your defence

Interpreters Available

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The usual advice is to allow the family to make up their own mind and expect them to be smartly dressed and to show respect to the Court. As it will not make much or any difference, I suggest you spend the time before sentence working with your family to collect reports to show that the offence was out of character. If you have an employer who is prepared to say helpful things about you, that can make a difference. If he or she is prepared to come to court, that would normally be even more help for a firsttime offender. Courts are keen to keep defendants in employment and to prevent people who have not offended before from entering what has been described as the ‘corrosive atmosphere’ in Young Offender Institutions. Note: Inside Time is sorry to say that there is now a long delay for letters being sent to me. This is because a member of staff has been off sick. I’m delighted to hear that she has now recovered. When I receive the recent letters, I shall reply to them as soon as I can.

Asking Robert & Jason questions Please make sure your question concerns sentence and not conviction and send the letter to Inside Time, marked for Robert Banks or Jason Elliott. Unless you say you don’t want your question and answer published, it will be assumed you have no objection to publication. It is usually not possible to determine whether a particular defendant has grounds of appeal without seeing all the paperwork. Analysing all the paperwork is not possible. The column is designed for simple questions and answers. No-one will have their identity revealed. Letters which a) are without an address, b) cannot be read, or c) are sent direct, cannot be answered. Letters sent by readers to Inside Time are sent on to a solicitor, who forwards them to Robert and Jason. If your solicitor wants to see previous questions and answers, they are at www.banksr.com.

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44 Jailbreak // Reading

The Nicholas Cases: Casualties of Justice by Bob Woffinden

1. Glyn Razzell, convicted of the Swindon murder of his estranged wife Linda in 2002, whose body has never been found, if indeed she is even dead, she having been seen alive the day after Razzell supposedly killed her. 2. Jong Yoon Rhee, convicted of the murder of his wife Natalie, who died in a fire at the Snowdonia cottage where they were holidaying in 1997, and from which Jong Yoon escaped through a window. 3. Emma Bates, convicted of the murder by stabbing of her partner Wayne Hill in 2009, in what she claimed was self-defence. 4. Geoff Hyde, convicted of smuggling cocaine in 2006. 5. Andrew Malkinson, convicted of double rape and at-

7. George Robinson, convicted of rape in 2002. 8. Rob Giannetto, convicted of the murder of his wife Julia in 1995. 9. Jonathan King, convicted in 2001 of sexual assault of boys in the 1980s. 10. Karl Watson, convicted of the murder of John Shippey in 1992. Quoting the inscription on the UK Supreme Court: “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”, Woffinden counters that, historically, since no justice system, even the British, could be entirely perfect, “the occasional error was the price paid by some unfortunate, in order that the integrity of the system could be maintained.” He stresses that recent reform should have been of the trial process rather than the appeals process, with the damage already done. Avoiding legalese jargon in favour of clear, plain speaking, Woffinden argues for proper trial transcripts, an end to prosecution and defence counsel being appointed from the same chambers, and encouragement of jurors to access statements and information on the case rather than being charged to refrain from internet research.

He also calls for separate testing, analysis and interpretation of scientific evidence: “too often the defence opinion is based merely on an assessment of the Crown scientist’s report, not on an assessment of the original data.” Furthermore, collection, preservation and storage of evidential material is paramount since technological advances mean “we can never know today what evidential information exhibits may yield tomorrow.” Woffinden advocates “clean slate appeals,” ignoring previous legal history and avoiding apportioning of blame for legal mistakes, and formal ten-minute, rubber-stamping hearings at the Court of Appeal to quash any conviction the CCRC should refer back. Fundamentally, he lambasts the inertia of our justice system, which only serves “to sap the spiritual and material resources of all those who would wish to challenge it” and, after thirty years in the business, he should know.

Martin H has worked in male prisons for ten years as a Buddhist chaplain. In Natural Manhood he uses his experience of working with male prisoners to examine the reasons why, so often, men are rendered socially inept and spiritually starved. He points us to the social, psychological and physiological conditioning men are subject to, leading to cyclical, destructive patterns of behaviour and recidivism.

Inside Justice, part of Inside Time, is funded by charitable donations from the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Inside Time & the Roddick Foundation.

fraternity, where abuse, addiction, violence and suicide are the norm. Addiction is a phenomenon of paramount importance to Martin H, inextricable with prison, but not just the physical prison of bricks and mortar, the prison of the mind in which all men without spiritual nourishment are serving a life sentence. Drugs, alcohol, sex and work are some of the addictions the book discusses. Natural Manhood suggests the 12 step programme as a path of spiritual recovery and growth. Adhering to this tradition, Martin H keeps his identity anonymous as is the collection of personal stories of men in the book, who reveal their heartfelt struggles of addiction, lifted from them by accepting a Higher Power into their lives.

Today’s overcrowded prison system is seen as the consequence of a society that moulds young boys into ‘bigger boys’ and not responsible men. Natural Manhood looks to recover the rites of passage and patriarchal bonds missing between men in the modern age. Martin H acknowledges the lack of patriarchal guidance for young men, leaving them without the emotional balance necessary for normal living. Natural Manhood examines the ways in which men, seeking to escape from their own life, are unable to face life on life’s terms. Many prisoners are men who have reached the point of exhaustion: rock bottom. This is the point in their lives when no amount of ducking and diving can displace the reality of incarceration. In prison there is no looking away from where you are. The criminal lifestyle of the street is gone, only to be replaced by the madness of prison life: a monotonous minute by minute PRT Time Mag_Ad_2016-rev_125x140.pdf drudgery; a microcosm of the criminal

The Nicholas Cases: Casualties of Justice by Bob Woffinden; Bojangles Books, 512 pages, £20.00

Natural Manhood uses poetry and beautifully executed illustrations to enhance the message of togetherness, brotherhood and freedom. The images and simple poems offer those readers with poor literacy skills - as many prisoners have - a way of accessing the universal message of the book, which is that only by a spiritual awakening will men possess the ability to transform their lives, from being rooted in addiction and delusion, to being engaged, creative and ultimately free men. 1

Natural Manhood from Prison Towards Inner 09/06/2016 19:51 Freedom by Martin H. ISBN: 978-0957485617 Price £10.50 (Amazon)

C o ar mm tic en le t/

p ra / c ri Ly

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We can assist with: Parole, Recall, Oral hearings, MTRs and Independent Adjudication. On a privately funded basis we also advise on: Recategorisation, Governor adjudications and HDC

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by Martin H

st or y

The ten cases Woffinden considers, in his engaging, erudite and expansive style, are:

6. Gordon Park, convicted in 2005 of the murder of his wife, reported missing in 1976, her body found on the bottom of Coniston water in 1997.

From Prison Towards Inner Freedom

Sh or t

The Nicholas of the title was Bishop of Constantinople in the first century, himself a victim of injustice and later last-minute rescuer from execution of three wrongly convicted men, making him a suitable patron saint of victims of injustice, in addition to his seasonal duties.

tempted murder in 2003.

Natural Manhood: Review by: Paul Riley - Teacher at HMP Liverpool

Review by: Geir Madland (Inside Justice) This enigmatically titled volume is a collection of ten “authentic crime mysteries” which, according to Bob Woffinden, “demonstrate that judicial standards in Britain today are hardly as secure as the authorities would like us to believe.”

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Special Prize:

for people of 21 years or under

Prizes in each category of:

2016

• 1st Prize £200 • 2nd Prize £100 • 3rd Prize £75

£100

WRITING Competition

The competition is open to all prisoners, prisoners’ families and friends, and to former prisoners.

The closing date for the competition is Monday 15 August 2016 For information on how to enter please contact your education/learning and skills department, library, or contact: Michele Byam, Prison Reform Trust, FREEPOST ND6125, London EC1B 1PN. Email: [email protected]

what he meant but the others had thought of their stories and gave a brief outline, I didn’t have a clue. I’d like to point out though that half way through someone else’s synopsis I had a flash of inspiration and now have a plan for my short story. We have the three week Easter holiday to write it - we never had three weeks at Easter when I went to school!

Diary of a Creative Writer

Lucy Forde

Lesson Four I read an interesting comment by Tracy Chevalier (Girl with a pearl earring) in the Stella magazine at the weekend in reply to the comment: The debate about whether or not you can teach creative writing is a funny one: “Nobody ever says to a pianist, ‘Oh, you don’t need a conservatoire, why don’t you just practice your piano, then you’ll get good.’ Good creative writing courses provide discipline, advice and criticism ... But there is that extra magic fairy dust that good writers have that can’t be taught.” Maybe Tracy Chevalier is being a tad precious but on

Jailbreak // Writing 45

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reflection I think she may actually be right. Creative writing classes - so learned to date - are good for helping with the practicality of getting your story drafted out; see week on character arcs etc, but the writer still has to have the original idea for the plot, the characters they develop and how to bring them all together in a way that will keep the reader captivated. I suppose it’s a bit like following a recipe - if you put ingredients in to the mix in the wrong order it may not turn out to look or taste like the recipe! We started the evening discussing ‘Beginnings’ - the most important thing about any piece of work is to grab the reader’s interest as soon as they start reading the piece

whether it is a short story or the next War and Peace. The reader should be made to want to know what is going to happen to the first character they come across or how a situation is going to pan out. We were discouraged from using dialogue to start a piece - there was some debate on this and it was agreed that if it is integral to the ‘plot’ some dialogue would be ok. What has to be remembered is that there are really no right or wrong answers and each writer has their own opinion. Tonight we discussed ‘writer’s block’ - very appropriate! Part of last week’s homework was to consider our 2000 word short story; I was the only one who took something in for inspiration and it wasn’t quite

To help with writer’s block we were given ten minutes to do somet hing ca lled Free Writing, we were told to write ‘I’m stuck’ or describe the classroom if we got stuck! I was flummoxed to start with but then wrote for the rest of the time about family relationships - triggered in part about the piece I did about my father’s death. It was actually quite cathartic but not sure how it really helps with writer’s block, perhaps it’s like clearing a blocked drain when you get that sudden rush of water leaving the sink! After the break we played some writing games; we were each given a word/subject and had to write for ten minutes on the subject! J got ‘traffic jams’; J2 was given ‘culinary delights’; T had ‘in laws’; C the delights of ‘the most boring job and I got ‘conformity’ when I looked as blank as I felt Craig offered me another - ‘clueless’, oh how appropriate. As it turned out I went with Conformity.

Conformity I don’t find it easy to conform, with some things I do, of course; keeping to speed limits, following training material when training new Samaritans; how I behave towards callers at work - all goes without saying. However, I don’t think I conform to the stereotypical granny. I have taken my grandchildren to concerts, ranging from Bob the Builder and, the following weekend, Bon Jovi. We’ve gone to football and cricket matches, run into the sea with all our clothes on - shoes included. I’ve done the granny things - knitted baby clothes, read stories, babysat (lots) but they talk about the helicopter ride, meeting their motorsport hero when I took them to watch Touring Cars. I may not conform but hopefully my grandchildren will have some colourful memories of our time together. For our next game we had to choose three dice and throw them - each side had a picture on it and we had to write a

piece incorporating our three pictures; I threw an abacus, a keyhole and a skyscraper writer’s block didn’t come into it, my brain shut down and seeped out of my ears. We talked about future sessions and it was decided to ditch poet r y (phew) and non-fiction, this because most people were concentrating on fiction at the moment. When asked what we would like to discuss in those lessons I requested a session on how to write a synopsis so that when I submit the next Booker prize I can send in a well written and appropriate synopsis - the others were pleased with that, so at least one idea went down well! We were then given our holiday assignment. When we return after Easter we have to submit a 2000 word short story - at least I have an idea now. Off to the drawing board or laptop whilst avoiding c he c k i ng s o c i a l m e d i a , emails, football team - basically anything that keeps me away from homework, told you - back to being a stroppy teenager!

This month we invite you to submit your two hundred words on CONFORMITY. Send them in marking your envelope Creative Writing. Course notes and copy of 2000 word homework are available on request. Below are some of the many entries we have so far received in response to the ‘Diary of a Creative Writer’. Do please keep sending them in; every story published will receive £5.

Your love

One Shot

Dream Cell

Daniel Randall-Coles - HMP Winchester

Mark Humphries - HMP Wayland

Adam Beniston - HMP Nottingham

A shot rang out, and the target fell on impact. Gina smiled to herself; she wanted to prove a point. An argument that has caused rows at home was settled and Simon had to pay.

If you’ve seen the ‘Rocky’ films, you’ve seen my dream cell. It’s a large ramshackle building dominated by the central boxing ring. As you cross the warped wooden flooring, stained by blood and sweat, the boards creaking beneath your feet and weave through the gauntlet of swinging bags, their rich perfume of cracked leather wafting back and forth, the boxing ring looms larger, causing tingles of fright and excitement to shiver down your spine.

As I sit in the visitor’s hall, I’m thinking of how you’ve been feeling since the proceedings of my hearing. The anticipation of seeing you for the first time since my sentencing is starting to get to me as other families walk through the door. I just stare at the floor until I hear your voice. I turn and see your beautiful face looking down at me. I’m overwhelmed with emotions as I stand and hurl my arms around you. You pull me closer as we hold each other as close as possible without merging our bodies into one another. My mind wanders for a moment as I think of what I’m putting you through, even though I only wanted better for you in the first place. This is the last place I wanted you to end up being in. As curiosity gets the better of me, I wonder why you’re even willing to still be with me and wait for me. I’m still unsure what I’ve done exactly to deserve this love you’re giving me, all I do know is I’m more than grateful for it and this second chance of being. When I’m out I’ll no longer waste life worrying of possibilities that could be, but instead take responsibility without the negativity.

Her job done, all Gina wanted to do was get out of there. She needed to get home; she promised the babysitter that she wouldn’t be late - again. The prize was hers, and all this because Simon couldn’t keep his mouth shut. In the pub tonight he brought it up again; and in front of his mates. Gina, annoyed, drove Simon out to the old fairground; she led him to the far side of the field. He told her where to stand. Gina picked up and loaded the rifle. She quietened the noises in her head. The lights and the screams of the people were shut out of her mind. At one with the weapon she let out a breath. Gina squeezed the trigger gently. The row of ducks fell. One shot on target and the goldfish in the transparent bag was hers. It was her daughter’s really - another promise she had to keep was done.

‘Bolts and bars’ are done each day by exotic ring girls, my personal officer is Manny Pacguiao. As you tentatively climb over the reassuringly sturdy ropes that encompass the arena within, and your feet sink into the comforting sprung floor of the ring, Pacguiao will be waiting to put you through your paces on the pads; the first and only personal officer to ever be of any use to anyone! After a work-out in my cell, there are shower facilities, but, like all spit and sawdust boxing clubs, they barely work - therefore I’ll just stick a set of prison showers in my dream cell to save time (something all dream cells should do). If you’re not too exhausted, you can leave the boxing area behind, with its broken window panes, ancient posters, advertising fights from the glory days, peeling from the walls, and sounds of grunting and the dull thud of gloves striking bags and enter the gym instead. There are only free-weights in my gym, as you can tell right away from the clanking of steel that meets you as you step onto the heavy duty rubber matting. In the background you can hear an angry track playing - it’s by ‘Chase and Status’ - but there are no fancy gizmos and not a TV in sight; this gym’s on basic! Finally, but visitors aren’t allowed to see, my own bedroom is beyond the gym. It’s very Spartan, to discourage idleness, but there’s a massage parlour off to the left with a team of sport’s masseurs and physiotherapists on hand 24/7 - and not a healthcare app in sight! Of course, my dream cell would mean having to share for it to be effective, and I do prefer single cell status... I also prefer life to be as Spartan as possible... You know what, if I could really have my dream cell, I reckon I’ll just stick to the tiny, bare, cold and uncomfortable one I have already!

46 Jailbreak // Fitness

The iron willed Ironman Did you expect to win? No, I didn’t really have high expectations for this race as all my training is geared towards the full Ironman races, 3.8k swim, 180k bike ride and then a full marathon. So I was up against men who specialise in this distance and I only just missed out on a podium place. This is a good sign for Frankfurt and it has filled me with a lot of confidence. So, what else have you been up to since we last spoke?

John McAvoy competing in the Staffordshire Ironman competition Noel Smith

So, how did it go?

In February this year I spoke to the remarkable John McAvoy about his sporting achievements - ‘From prison van to Ironman’ - a former Category A prisoner who has turned his life around through sheer endurance. John has continued his pursuit of the World Ironman title and just last week he took part in the Staffordshire Ironman competition. I spoke to John again to see how he did.

Great! The race was more a preparation race for Ironman Frankfurt, the European Championships on July the 3rd. The Staffordshire race is 70.3 miles and consisted of a 2k swim, 90k bike ride, and then a 21k run. I wanted to test my equipment out, like my new Wyndymilla Time Trail bike (pictured). The bike is fantastic! The difference between this custom-made machine and my old bike, is like the difference between an off-the-peg suit and a Saville Row tailored suit, you can really feel the quality.

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Shoulder Unscruncher When we are stressed, the tension often goes to the shoulders and neck, making them tight and painful. This pain can end up making us feel worse! Try this routine if you feel tension building up. It’s also good if your shoulders feel tight from gym work.

1

I’ve just come back from a 3 week training camp in the French Alps. I was training with a group of professional Ironman athletes, which was incredible.

The Prison Phoenix Trust

Shoulder Circles Make circles with your shoulders, breathing in as you move them up and forwards, and out as they go down and back. Do this ten times forwards, then reverse the movement to do ten times backwards.

Any hang-ups from your old life? No. Even though I am still a serving lifer the Probation Service has seen my hard work and progress and support my quest to become a professional sportsman. It just shows that even travel restrictions on your license can be overcome with patience and by showing that you want something positive out of life. You are an inspiration to people still in prison but who have the determination and hope to make something of their lives. Good luck.

2

3

Neck Stretch Put your hands behind your head and look down. Tuck your chin into your chest. Don’t actively pull, but let the weight of your arms gently pull your head down. Hold for five deep breaths.

4

Cow Face

5

Forward Fold

Head Tilts Tilt your head to the left side, keeping the right shoulder down. Stay here for five slow breaths, feeling the stretch along the side of your neck. Come up slowly and repeat on the other side.

Put your left hand up behind your back. Get your elbow as close to the middle of your back as you can. Then reach up and over with your right hand and try to touch the hands together. If they don’t reach, use a sock. Encourage both elbows back and keep the neck in line with the lower spine. Hold for five slow breaths and repeat with the hands the other way around.

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APPROACHABLE UNDERSTANDABLE ACCESSIBLE

Stand with your feet apart, hands clasped behind your back. Fold forward from the hips, letting the head drop down and pulling the hands as far away from your bum as you can. Hang here for five deep breaths. If you want a free book and CD to help you set up a regular yoga and meditation practice write to The Prison Phoenix Trust, PO Box 328, Oxford OX2 7HF.

Cell Workout

Get the body you want Inside & Out “Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even.” “Champions aren't made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them: a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.” Outside of the ring he devoted his time to justice, the sick and underprivileged. During his lifetime he received many awards for his achievements inside and outside of the ring. Undoubtedly he had a natural talent but Ali considered himself an ordinary man who had to work hard to develop a talent he was given.

Muhammad Ali, 1942-2016 Muhammad Ali died last month age 74. His boxing career began in 1954, turning professional at the age of 18. His career went on to span 21 years and he won 56 of his 61 fights. He became world champion three times, an achievement that has never been beaten. Widely considered to be the greatest world heavyweight boxing champion ever. So what made him the outstanding sportsman that he was? Reading some of his quotes gives an insight to his character and his determination to succeed. “I hated every minute of training, but I said, Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.”

Despite the onset of Parkinson’s Disease in 1984, he continued to work to ‘ inspire people to be the best that they could be at whatever they chose to do, to encourage them to be respectful of one another.’ Wise words. Rest in peace. L. J. Cell Workout info ISB: 978-0993248009 Price: £19.99 234 pages - 8 x 10inches 204 exercises with colour photographs 10 week programme www.cell-workout.com

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Shadow Boxing Training When many people think of boxing they think of two people punching each other in a ring. Like most sports, performed by an expert, it is an artform. The term shadow boxing comes from a training method that boxers (or anybody) use where they pretend to box their shadow on a wall,

although more commonly they use a mirror. It is a popular exercise for fighters and fitness personnel to hone their technique, condition their muscles, warm up/cool down, or even for mental preparation. Performed correctly with the right goals in mind, shadow boxing can improve your

boxing technique, muscular strength, speed & power, cardio & muscular endurance, rhythm, footwork, offence and defence and overall fighting ability and a full body workout. Shadow boxing is simple, cost effective, no equipment required, can be performed anywhere and is a risk free form of boxing, so give it a go, working to your own ability.

Set a goal Improving in shadow boxing would be the first goal but to break it down a bit here are a few things to think about:

area. A pro would spend anything up to 1 hour a day shadow boxing. Performing straight through, with no rest. Keep your body moving throughout. If you’re getting tired then slow it down.

Technique: working on a particular movement? a certain punch? A defensive move? Go slow, take your time and check your form in the mirror. Repetition is important, to perfect your technique.

Think During your training, stay alert. Remind yourself what your goals are. Work on the area you are looking to improve in, maybe speed or strategy? Focus on it, one thing at a time.

Co-ordination: instead of trying to force a movement, try to find a way for your body to allow a movement to feel natural. Being able to perform a move perfectly doesn’t necessarily mean you can perform it naturally.

Feedback One reason for training in the gym, is that someone else can check your form, but use the mirror and see if you can find areas for improvement. If something feels difficult or not right, you’re probably doing it wrong.

Rhythm: sometimes a singular movement feels good while performing, but lacks the flow when combined with other moves. Try 3-4 punches, 3-4 slips or bob & weave, 3-4 steps at a slow-down pace to help you find a more natural rhythm. Strategy: shadow boxing as a great way to work on a key strategic movements. in the ring and with the right mindset is a great way of developing new strategies to beat opponents and then develop new habits to fulfil your training goal. Regular practice 15-30 minutes a day shadow boxing is regular enough to see an improvement in your chosen

To give you an idea what its like to train as a boxer, below is a taster workout.

Shadow Boxing Workout Warm Up l 5 minute skipping on the spot l 5 minute mobilisation exercises Workout 15-30 minutes shadow boxing

l

Cool Down 5 minute jog on the spot l 5 minute static stretches l

Key Orthodox Stance Is one in which the boxer places his left foot farther in front of the right foot, thus having his weaker side closer to the opponent. Southpaw Stance Is a boxing term that designates the stance where the boxer has his right hand and right foot forward, leading with right jabs, and following with a left cross right hook. Southpaw is the normal stance for a left-handed boxer. Jab Extend your lead hand straight out in front of you, turning your palm down to face the floor as you shift your weight forward. Cross Extend your back hand straight out in front of you (not across your body, despite the name of this move) as you pivot on your back foot and shift your weight forward. Lead Hand Hook Imagine punching around a barrel directly in front of you, using your lead hand to take a chin-level swing as you pivot on your front foot. Back Hand Hook Imagine punching around a barrel directly in front of you, using your back hand to take a chin-level swing as you pivot on your back foot. Lead Hand Upper Cut Imagine punching through a vertical tube in front of you, starting low and driving upward your lead hand, finishing with your elbow pointing toward the floor as you pivot with your front foot. Back Hand Upper Cut Imagine punching through a vertical tube in front of you, starting low and driving upward your back hand, finishing with your elbow pointing toward the floor as you pivot with your back foot. Shoulder Slip Imagine dodging a punch that’s coming straight at you. Turn your left shoulder in toward your right side as you pivot on the left foot, then return to boxer’s stance. Turn your right shoulder toward your left side as you pivot on your right foot, then return to boxer’s stance. Continue to alternate. Roll Under Imagine dodging a punch that’s coming straight at you. Shift your weight into your left foot and bend your knees to lower your body toward the ground. Shift your weight into the right foot as you come back up to boxer’s stance and continue to alternate sides. Duck Under Imagine someone punching through the air above your head while you duck for cover. Bend both knees to take a deep squat, keeping your fists up the entire time.

48 Jailbreak

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Reading Group Round-up Promoting reading and reading groups in prisons The report this month comes from Stephen P and the group at Wymott. They recently read Barry Hines’s 1968 novel A Kestrel for a Knave, which became Ken Loach’s classic film Kes a year later. Amazingly almost everyone had read the book. More amazingly still, it was universally enjoyed. Craig started things off: ‘It was a bit like my own life’, he said. Stephen U felt that it was informative about falconry and gave great details of the history of this ancient pursuit. Bill liked the style, describing it as a ‘stream of consciousness.’ He even referenced a phrase that he particularly liked: ‘boiler pipes like branches of a beanstalk’. Now there’s poetry! Paul struggled at first with the South Yorkshire vernacular, but soon got the hang of it. Ian, born and bred in Yorkshire, relished a book set in ‘the best place in England’. Nigel thought the use of dialect was ‘very homely’ and felt he could relate especially to the family scenes. His favourite was at the beginning of the book where the mother asks a reluctant Billy Casper to go to the shop for ‘ciggies’ which results in slapstick chase round the kitchen. Pete D and Pete G concurred on the innovative use of language. Pete D loved the phrase from DH Lawrence: ‘If men were as much men as lizards are like lizards’. Pete G loved the use of words - ‘tanner’, ‘snicket’, ‘snap’ - and the author’s ability to render an urban setting as poetic. Stephen P said the book made him ‘proud to be working class’. Muhammad, as ever, made a revelatory contribution: ‘The story shows two sides of life, darkness and light, freedom and captivity’. The hawk, he thought, represents freedom when he is allowed to fly, but is ironically kept a prisoner. What was not in dispute was Billy Casper’s

passion for nature generally and for the kestrel ‘Kes’ in particular. Colette asked the group if anyone had experienced a similar kind of passion for a subject that helped them cope with the trials of life. After a short silence, the answers came: ‘art’, ‘physics and astronomy’, ‘creative writing’. Ian expressed his love of Rome and Bill regaled the group with stories of Santiago de Compostella in Spain. Other passions included music, poetry and etymology. Pete D was silent about his private passion but the way he devoured the final chocolate biscuit suggested a love of ‘ate-emology’. The story of ‘Kes’ resonates and moves us because it destroys the lie that people on the margins are defined by their circumstances and their surroundings. Billy is a heroic figure whose love of nature transcends and transforms his environment. Despite the tragic end to the story, the message of the book is one of hope in beauty. One final sad note to the proceedings was the news that Barry Hines had died recently. Pete told the group that Hines had been quite a prolific author in his time but was remembered primarily for just this book and its successful transformation into film. One of the consequences of this book choice was the commitment by the library to obtain some other of Hines’s books. If he is looking down from that great eyrie in the sky, I’m sure he would have been delighted by the enjoyment he has given to our book club. Thanks Barry!

The Wymott group is part of the Prison Reading Groups (PRG) network, sponsored by the University of Roehampton and generously supported by charities including Give A Book www.giveabook.org.uk. If your prison doesn’t have a reading group, encourage your librarian to have a look at the PRG website www.prison-reading-groups.org.uk

Perrie Lectures writing competition The Perrie Lectures, named after Bill Perrie, who was a prominent Prison Governor well aware of the need to reflect the concept of humanity in his dealings with his staff and those in his care, are this year running an essay competition for serving prisoners. The theme for 2016 is ‘Mental Health’. We are currently contacting potential speakers and a chair for the day and will definitely be presenting some current models of best practice at the lectures in September.

As we did in 2014 and 2015 we are running an essay competition for serving prisoners and are looking for essays of no more than 2000 words around the theme of the lectures ‘Mental Health’.

following question as a heading: How do mental health issues impact on the experience of imprisonment and the running of prison regimes?

There will be prizes of £30, £20 and £10 for the best three entries and the winning entry will be published in Inside Time.

Entries should be marked “Perrie Competition” and sent to: Perrie Lectures, C/o New Bridge, 1a Elm Park, LONDON SW2 2TX.

Anyone wishing to enter the competition should send an essay of no more than 2000 words, ideally typed and double spaced, using the

The closing date for the competition is 20 August 2016 and the winners will be notified following the lectures on 22 September 2016.

Living prison history: The closure of HMP Holloway on National Prison Radio

This month the most famous women’s prison in the country will lock its doors for the very last time. HMP Holloway opened in 1852 as a prison for men, women and boys. Some of those who were sent there were as young as eight. Crimes ranged from stealing shoes to disturbing the church congregation for being drunk. People were punished by being made to walk on the treadmill - like a giant hamster wheel. In some prisons people climbed the equivalent of half the height of Mount Everest every day. Holloway was converted to a prison just for women at the turn of the following century. Among the most notable prisoners have been the suffragettes. About a thousand of them were held in Holloway between 1905 and 1914. The suffragettes wanted equal rights for women, in particular the right to vote. They came

from all walks of life and carried out of a campaign which included large amounts of criminal damage - smashing windows, slashing famous paintings, even setting off bombs. Their real protests began once they were inside the prison walls though. Many went on hunger strike to demand better conditions. The prison authorities responded by force-feeding them. On Tuesday July 5th, National Prison Radio will be broadcasting a special programme to mark the shutting down of this institution. Tales from the Castle - The Story of Holloway Prison, will feature the voices of some of the last remaining women being held in the prison. It’s being presented by Adele Roberts from BBC Radio 1, who regularly walks past the prison on her way to and from her home, which is nearby. The women at Holloway will be giving their thoughts about the closure, but they’ve also been investigating its fascinating history.

We’ll hear some astonishing testimony from the suffragettes, as they describe in painful detail the torturous regime. We’ll also hear about the five women who were executed within the prison grounds. Among them was Edith Thompson, who along with her lover, Freddie Bywaters, was sentenced to death for the murder of her husband Percy in 1922. Many then and now believed Edith to have been innocent - and that Freddie was solely responsible for the killing. It’s widely accepted that the fact Edith was having an affair - a moral outrage for a woman - had a big influence on the outcome of the case. Tales from the Castle - The Story of Holloway Prison is part of a very special HMP Holloway Takeover Day on National Prison Radio on Tuesday 5th July. The programme is broadcast at midday and 6pm. And catch the Request Show at 1pm and 7pm to hear two solid hours of requests from women at the prison.

Stay on the Straightline If you’re a music fan, being in prison can be tough - particularly if you enjoy clubbing. The main room in Fabric is a long way from a prison wing. But National Prison Radio is launching a brand new programme designed to be the next best thing. Straightline will be coming out of your speakers for two hours every Friday night between 8pm and 10pm. We’ll be playing cutting edge tracks

that are filling global dancefloors to keep you in touch with what’s happening. And every week we’ll have the Straightline Takeover Mix, where a guest DJ will put together an exclusive set of cuts that are guaranteed to get the crowds jumping. Make sure you tune in to Straightline, Friday nights from 8pm, on National Prison Radio.

Do you know?

© Fotolia.com

l Sheep are feared to have gone on a ‘psychotic rampage’ after eating cannabis plants dumped in a Welsh village. The remains of an illegal cannabis factory was fly-tipped and worried locals fear the sheep have been munching the plants. County councillor Ioan Richard raised the alarm, saying the sheep have been ‘roaming the village’ causing havoc by breaking into homes. Mr Richard said: “There is already a flock of sheep roaming the village causing a nuisance. They are getting in people’s gardens and one even entered a bungalow and left a mess in the bedroom.” He warned of the dangers of the rest of the flock discovering the remains of the cannabis plantation. “I dread to think what will happen if they eat what could well be cannabis plants - we could have an outbreak of psychotic sheep rampaging through the village.” A Swansea Council spokesman said it acted swiftly to clear the cannabis remains, but could not confirm if any sheep had eaten the plants. Telegraph

© Fotolia.com

l A tiny sea bird has made the longest ever known annual migration, which saw it fly from Northumberland to Antarctica and back. The record breaking Arctic tern covered a mammoth 96,000km in its journey down to its winter home in the Weddell Sea before returning to the Farne Islands. And during its lifetime, it will complete this journey enough times to clock up around 3,000,000km. BBC

l The 2016 Global Peace Index, released in June, says the conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, and elsewhere in the Middle East have caused the number of violent deaths due to conflict to hit a 25-year high. But if we take out the Middle East the world would have become more peaceful. Although this was the silver lining, much of the report reflected the bleaker results of conflict and war. Terrorist attacks are at an all-time high, and more people are displaced than at any time since World War II. More than 100,000 were killed in conflict in 2014, up from nearly 20,000 in 2008. Syria, where nearly 67,000 people were killed in 2014, accounted for the bulk of the increase. The United Nations has said the number of displaced people is likely to have ‘far surpassed’ a record 60 million last year. The index showed that most attacks it classified as terrorist were concentrated in five countries - Syria, Iraq, Nigeria, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Vice

l The rising proportion of people who describe themselves as not ascribing to any type of religion considerably outnumbers Christian people in England and Wales, a new study has found. In 2014, 48.5 per cent of people said they had no religion - or were ‘nones’ - compared to 43.5 per cent of people who identified as Christian - Anglicans, Catholics and other denominations - researchers at St Mary’s Catholic University in Twickenham found. The percentage of ‘nones’ has almost doubled from 2011, when 25 per cent of people referred to themselves as having no religion. The study, Contemporary Catholicism in England and Wales, launched in June, analysed data collected through British Social Attitudes surveys over three decades. The Independent l Of the 1.3 million British citizens who currently reside in other EU countries, more than 300,000 live in Spain; 250,000 live in Ireland; 185,000 in France; and 103,000 in Germany. It is not clear what their status would be were the UK to leave the EU. The Independent

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l When French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte met his Waterloo, he wasn’t actually in Waterloo. In fact, Bonaparte never stepped foot in the Belgian town. The battle with the forces of the Duke of Wellington took part three miles away, along the Mont Saint Jean Ridge. History Magazine

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l The cashless society is coming ever closer: new figures show that in 2015, only 45% of UK transactions were made in cash, down from 64% in 2005. However, cheques are still in business. Although few retailers now accept them, 546 million were signed last year. Daily Express

l Many teenagers fantasise about making their first million - and according to new projections, that magic milestone could be sooner than some people think. Analysis of earnings data from the Office for National Statistics suggests the typical 18-year-old who enters the world of work this year will earn a total of £1m by 2044, when they will be 46. As well as having the prospect of £1 million to look forward to, earners will also have paid over £238,000 in tax and national insurance by that point. Financial Times l A new study shows that going to church could be the secret to a long life. Researchers at Harvard University tracked 75,000 women for 16 years, and found that the regular church-goers were a third less likely to die during that period. Daily Mail

l An extraordinary amount of equipment is required to turn Monaco’s ordinary roads into a fully-fledged F1 race circuit. Some 33km of safety rails are installed, 20,000 square metres of wire catch fencing, 3,600 tyres for tyre barriers and 1,100 tonnes of grandstand seating for spectators. Sky l In 1980, the average FTSE 100 top executive earned 25 times as much as the average employee in the same company. By 2007, the multiple had risen to 120. Last year it stood at 130. Daily Telegraph

l In the last week of May the International Space Station made its 100,000th orbit around Earth since its launch on 20 November, 1988. That amounts to 2,643,342,240 miles. BBC

l There are far more men called John leading the UK’s biggest companies than women. There are 17 men called John - outnumbering all the female bosses (7) put together. Men called Dave also outnumber women, by 2:1. Guardian l A recent YouGov poll carried out by The Movember Foundation found that 12 percent of men over the age of 18 don’t have a close friend they would discuss a serious life problem with. That’s two and a half million men across Britain. Over a quarter of men said they got in touch with their mates less than once a month, and 9 percent said they don’t remember the last time they made contact with their friends. This can develop into a serious problem in later life. Research by the World Health Organisation has shown that a lack of close friends has a significant impact on men’s health in the long term, leaving us at risk of depression, anxiety and suicide. Sarah Coghlan, head of Movember UK, said: “Many men we’ve spoken to don’t actually realise how shallow their relationships have become until they face a significant challenge, such as bereavement, breakdown of a relationship, fatherhood or loss of employment - and yet that is of course when good friends are needed most.” Vice

l Researchers from the University of Bristol’s Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group found that pub-goers tend to slow down when drinking out of a straight glass compared to a curved one, and that glasses with measurement markings also curb chugging times. So if you want a beer but want to resist the urge to down it: ask the bartender to serve it in a Pyrex measuring jug. Similarly, bar owners should now only serve booze out of fish bowls to get customers drinking more. Munchies l The history of why Q is almost always followed by U is fascinating, and dates back to when the Normans invaded England in 1066. Before that, English didn’t even have a Q; it used “cw” to replicate the sound. After the invasion, though, the spelling of English was changed to match the French ways: “cw” was replaced with “qu.” So can we blame it on the French? Not exactly, because they got that spelling from the Romans ... who actually got it from the Etruscans, who actually got it from the Phoenicians. Gizmodo

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50 Jailbreak // Inside Poetry

Star Poem of the Month Congratulations to this months winner who receives our £25 prize

Love All The Way Paul Lumsden - HMP Edinburgh Dementia has driven That perfect image Closer to cold ground Some fantastic heaven? Married when the cloth cap And gnawed pipe Were icons in their day, That emphatic masculinity! Bus fares were cheap Chimney stacks belched smoke, And peep shows Amused working folk. The photo album From sepia into colour, From Kodak to mobile camera Snapshots of two together. Back in the day Sophistry seemed A vague peculiarity, And a stamp cost a penny. Enola Gay and Big Boy Went on their way, A rising sun never set On the many who died that day. There’s a lot of history In a long-time together, A tender story Of Him and Her. As their old hands clasp I gasp, Love all the way Appears so different today.

Mariax

There now follows an appeal on behalf of The Blatta Orientalis Protection League

Brian Kerridge - HMP Winchester I hate these days when I’m locked away, Overthinking and guessing is a strain to da brain, It’s confusing not an illusion, It’s hard to have left love behind, Da fing dats against me is my mind, Playing games, being spiteful makes me fink dat she’s lied.

Brian Darby - HMP North Sea Camp “I am a common cockroach As anyone can see And I’m here to appeal to youNo easy task for me; But, you see, I’m feeling threatened By your boots and toxic sprays. Quite frankly, I can’t understand These warmongering ways It can’t be anything I’ve said As, vocally, I’m mute; My only crime, it seems to me, Is you don’t find me cute? I’m squat, so what? Get over it. And please step over me. I’ve no wish to be squashed and spread Throughout wherever you may be. Mind you, that helps to spread my eggs So all would not be lost. Therefore, before you stamp on me, Please think about the cost. Revenge would be my brood’s to take, They’d infest you in hordes You’d soon find unpenned cockroaches Are messier than swords. They leave faeces in your dinner, Trample on your daily bread With filthy feet as they compete To get their bellies fed, Once here, you know, we’re hard to shift, Tenacious as flu mucus And, since we’re radiation proof, It does no good to nuke us. For should you opt to stamp with bombs We’ll prove our real worth By meekly, once you’re stomped to bits Inheriting the earth. Till then, let’s try to get along, Live and, maybe let live? For where strangers can coexist There’s little to forgive. Thank you”

What’s my poison? Jamie Shoesmith - HMP Wandsworth Back in the day, at first it waz the cider to drink, with a whiskey chaser to taste so see you later, As kidz at school, we went from cherry knocking front to back doorz with screw driverz we open car windows to go on a motorway tour, as the boredom crept in, the street highs were always local. On foot to the corner shop smokin rolled cigs to burn then our hearts start to yearn, at the ages of twelve coughing and chokin pure spirits provakin with the devil in the top flat, with smack and crack, as a youth I said forget that, moms would of gave me a slap with very loud back chat, dealers walking around with pockets fat, people attacking, just to get a ASBO, friend or foe, people whispering this hear moto, no longer did I look forward to this once a year Santa’s grotto. As a gifted kid, from the age of fifteen, smoking hash pipes, with this feeling, I waz alright, high as a kite, with the need to fight the inner enemy, mental health was a struggle, with booze and brown trying to remove this masked clown, on Halloween trick or treat was ever so neat, you must be crazy this here prison system has not got me beat, so I live on the road for ten years at a time. I like the young me this reality always comes back ghosts me, say hello father sit in church to pray, that’s an unspoken message from this here life’s god, I’m still trying to get out this foggy smoked filled room, to be attacked by verbs then knives and gunz, survival kicks in, so what’s my poison? Can I carry on with nothing in my blood stream, like the queen I want to live long, so say goodbye to hell, when this comes, hopefully heavens got my back.

Insidetime July 2016

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I try to forget these thoughts In my sights by spending some time writing these rhymes. She says, she’s honest, and will always be mine, I’d rather be deleting than repeating these thoughts dat I hide

Who Are We Lee Potter - HMP Wayland

She’s loving, caring and spoils me and kind. But what’s dis prick constantly hanging around by your side. I’ll want you forever and your love I hold with pride. I hope you’re looking forward to da day I come home & make this my last stink inside.

Who are we? That wage war Upon our mother earth Beautiful, even though Ravaged and ransacked and raped By the strong in numbers Strong with metal and guns and machines and gods We, who eat dead meat wrapped in plastic packaging Who are we? That chew pills and invent disease With attention spans As long as a headline in a celebrity magazine We, who babysit out kids With chemical shit and smart TVs Who are we? That stare at screens and work all day To pay for the car That drives us to work We, with man-made maladies of the mind Advancing blindly towards oblivion Who are we? With poisonous thoughts Of death and carnage Of looting, plunder and prey Until nothing remains Until the earth As desolate as the moon Sits alone Naked, nuclear and toxic u We will award a prize of £25 to the entry selected as our ‘Star Poem of the Month’. To qualify for a prize, poems should not have won a prize in any other competition or been published previously. Send entries to: Inside Time, Poetry, Botley Mills, Botley, Southampton, Hampshire, SO30 2GB. Please put your name, number and prison on the same sheet of paper as your poem. If you win we can’t send your money if we don’t know who or where you are! By submitting your poems to Inside Time you are agreeing that they can be published in any of our ‘not for profit links’, these include the newspaper, website and any forthcoming books. You are also giving permission for Inside Time to use their discretion in allowing other organisations to reproduce this work if considered appropriate, unless you have clearly stated that you do not want this to happen. Any work reproduced in other publications will be on a ‘not for profit’ basis. Please note poems for publication may be edited. When submitting your work please include the following permission: this is my own work and I agree to Inside Time publishing it in all associate sites and other publications as appropriate.

© Fotolia.com

A game played by men with funny shaped balls Narissa Williams - HMP Send One question has started to bug my friends, Why do you like rugby they ask me? They ask are you sure it’s a sport And not just a fight? By the looks of that scrum they don’t seem too polite. Why do they pile in real close, and They get real close face to face, And they have no concept of personal space. There’s no telling what they’ll do. They just do what they like. If you think that’s sport, you can go take a hike. They’re all overweight, not slim or athletic. Compared to most sportsmen they’re pretty pathetic. Their goal’s called a ‘Try’ but why no-one knows, “A try to do what?” is the question they ask. And them goalposts they look weird as well, they don’t even have nets. They look like those aerials on old TV sets. When they’re fed up of kicking, they pick up the ball. And they just run off - that’s not sporting at all! All this I’d accept, but for one further fact. Whoever designed this ball deserves to be sacked For the shape of the ball, what’s wrong with round? What part of ball did they not understand. That’s reason enough for the game to be banned. But I tell them I’m addicted, so all I can say, Is I hope England get hammered next time they play WALES.

Jailbreak // Inside Poetry 51

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Support Kim Roberts - HMP Eastwood We in prison depend on those We have left behind; for our very existence Without their support and acknowledge, we cease to exist in the outside world. We fade before our very eyes We feel life slipping away as the people drift further away from us. It’s like being shipwrecked in a hostile land, the land of the lost. And half the time, the people who supply you with the vital elements of life and hope; get tired, or too busy or simply don’t care anymore. So, like death we cease to exist.

Sing Billy Sing

James Murphy - HMP Lowdham Grange No guitar allowed in Lowdham Grange After Billy Bragg has poured his rage, The governor has banned them due to the metal, But still it’s safe to use the kettle. Strings could be used for tattoos or to barricade the door, No weekend rendition of faith no more. No Dylan, no Slash or Hendrix will be played and all enquires will be delayed. What of the old guitars will they rot and decay? Or guts become nylon and sounds all array Yet in the past you could visit and pay To sit in San Quentin and watch Johnny Cash play! Oh my stringless soul sits and smokes a fag I’m hoping you read this Mr Billy Bragg Sing us a song to free our strings and listen to the music as our jail sings.

Something you said Lloyd Dennis - HMP Isle of Wight Something you said that day Dispersed all the cloud Balanced the elements Re-shifted the ground. Something you said that day Filtered my brain Decongested my lungs Made me healthy again.

My Mask

The Old’uns and the Young John B - HMP Kirkham

Jay Griffiths - HMP Garth

“Onward Soldiers!” rang out the command, Just after the break of dawn. Cohorts of men climbed over the top, Some Old ‘Uns, but most barely born.

I wore my mask today It helps me keep people away People don’t know the real me That’s the way I want it to be I’m scared to let my true colours show So I’m lost in darkness And really don’t know Who I am anymore I’m lost behind my steel door.

These men lined up and marched across This Godforsaken land. And now they lie there silently The Legions of the Damned. No sooner had their march began, Than the mouths of cannons spoke With voices louder than a peal of bells Ringing through the smoke.

Something you said that day Altered my path Set my map with my compass Cut my journey by half.

I try to get by day to day But the mask is heavy And people say That I look sad And my head is down It’s easy to smile, don’t be a sad clown

Something you said that day Transfigured my guise Morphed fuel into ashes So my phoenix could rise.

Sometime I wish I could fit in To get involved to mingle in To be a friend to someone To laugh to giggle to have some fun

The tongues of flame that left the throats Of these devilish weapons of war Spat shards of steel across the sky. Explosions by the score Rang out across the battlefield. Men fell, both young and old. Satan sat smiling, honing his scythe, Midst the bodies of those once so bold.

Something you said that day Killed turmoil and strife A rapid swipe of your tongue May have just saved a life.

But would that just be a different mask A heavier one, it wouldn’t last So a sad clown I’m destined to be I’m quite scared to just be me.

The enemy soldiers shouldered their arms, “Fire at will’” their corporal yelled. The crack of rifles, the volleys of shots, And the cries of those already felled. Their brothers tumbled like skittles, But still they advanced blindly as They clambered up the wooden steps From trenches spewing poisonous gas.

Muhammad Ali Hugh Kunz - HMP Leyhill Muhammad Ali has passed away Not here to fight another day But he would face any man Floating like a butterfly Stinging like a bee A boxing ballerina Round after round With the heart of a lion And just two gloved hands But if you think he’s gone to rest Watch the lightning strike Hear the thunder roar That’s Muhammad beating the devil As the angels applaud

‘Inside Time is proud to publish the overall winner of the 2016 Novus Enigma Poetry Competition. The entries came from 38 prisons in England and Wales.’

Into the carnage of the Western Front, Where Angels feared to go. Passchendaele, the Somme and Flanders Field, Where now only poppies grow.

Jamie Starbuck - HMP Long Lartin

A mother’s loss of her only son, Her heartache and the pain. The boy she kissed as he went off to War, Never to come home again. Known only to families and loved ones, The names of so many men. At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, © Fotolia.com We will remember them.

I see wasted grass just outside Quite far long and just as wide I see dogs run lonely as a hog bound hedge What a waste we could grow veg.

Our freedom was what they were fighting for In the Great War, it is said. But they made the ultimate sacrifice, And oh, what a price they paid.

Viewed from Seg and where I sit I see five trees and no privet A few circles of bland daffodils I see lost opportunity to learn new skills.

The Generals who sanctioned these conflicts The blood spilt will stain their hands. They sent young men to die. For what? Barren fields in foreign lands.

As you, yes you, not me, read this Raise a hand in clenched fist And vow to write, put an app in Demand the right to do some gardenin’

The smoke of battle’s long since cleared the air. The cannons stand silent once more. Oh God, please do not e’er allow Those guns again to roar.

Let’s grow some stuff you could say We’ll make food ourselves, no need to pay Our food will have goodness and niceness and taste Less for the bin to go to waste

Two minutes silence on Armistice Day Is all we’re asked to give, For those brave young men, who gave all they had, So in peace others may live.

© Fotolia.com

Don’t Grow Grass

52 Jailbreak // Prize Winning Puzzles

Insidetime July 2016

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Read all about it!

Caption Competition Last Months £25 Winner Mark Ellson HMP Lowdham Grange

1. What was the name of the MP tragically murdered in her constituency? 2. Who won the Formula 1 GP in Baku? 3. Who manages the Welsh football team at the European Championships? 4. What make of car won the 2016 Le Mans 24 hour race?

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5. Which Star Wars actor was killed by his own car?

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6. St Thomas’s hospital in London has unveiled a statue to the black nurse who served in the Crimea, what was her name?

If you don’t want callers to be disadvantaged or put off by the high cost of calling your mobile - just get a landline number for it.

7. In which country did Major Tim Peake land after his trip to the International Space Station?

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8. How much did Sir Philip Green sell BHS for? 9. At which historic Wiltshire site was the summer solstice celebrated? 10. Which band are in court over a riff in their recording of Stairway to Heaven?

Last Months Winners J S Wright HMP Manchester (£25) Wayne Adamson HMP Frankland (£5) Muriel Southall HMP New Hall (£5)

Answers to last months News Quiz: 1. Manchester United, 3. MS804, 4. Ukraine, 5. Harmony of the Seas, 6. 23rd June, 7. Billie Piper 8. Vauxhall Zafira, 9. Sadiq Khan, 10. Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton

A £25 prize is on offer for the best caption to this month’s picture.

Full details are available on our main advert in Inside Time and at www.fonesavvy.co.uk

See box to the right for details of how to enter

What do you think is being said or thought here?

The image above went ‘viral’ in May after one ‘Reddit’ user asked members to put a caption to this intimate father and son first cuddle.

That’s it daddy, kiss goodbye to all your money and free time!

Inside Knowledge // All the answers are within this issue of Inside Time - all you have to do is find them! The first three names to be drawn with all-correct answers (or nearest) will receive a £25 cash prize. There will also be two £5 runner up prizes. The winners’ names will appear in next month’s issue. 1. How many families and friends of IPP’s marched on Parliament? 2. How many prisons will gain control of their budgets? 3. What is the success rate claimed for the organisation Care After Combat? 4. Princess Alexandra celebrates how many years of New Bridge? 5. Name the award-winning garden created by prisoners from Glenochil & Cornton Vale? 6. Which MP describes prisons as ‘Overcrowded slums’? 7. Who retired as Governor of HMP Brixton a year ago? 8. What name did Russell Brand suggest for released prisoners? 9. What percentage of children say they have been victimised by staff at HMP Parc Juvenile Unit? 10. In the survey how many prisoners serving 5 years have developed PTSD? 11. Which date has The Howard League asked prisoners to keep a diary on?

How to enter

1. MTCnovo, 2. Wandsworth 169%, 3. 21, 4. New Psychoactive Substances, 5. AA, 6. Any shop with the yellow PP sign outside, 7. Human Rights Acts 1998, 8. 1811, 9. Vacancies are mainly advertised on the IMB/MOJ website., 10. Debenhams, 11. Church of England chaplain, Jo Honour, 12. Copies of sentencing remarks,13. Chief Executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, 14. Estimated at 85%, 15. Exeter, Channings Wood, Dartmoor and Erlestoke

Please do not cut out any of these panels. Just send your entry on a separate sheet of paper. Make sure your name, number and prison is on all sheets. Post your entry to: Inside Time, Botley Mills, Botley, Southampton, Hampshire SO30 2GB. You can use one envelope to enter more than one competition just mark it ‘jailbreak’.

The three £25 Prize winners are: David Whitehall HMP Elmley Trishan Burland HMP Wandsworth Solomon Bygraves HMP Norwich

CLOSING DATE FOR ALL COMPETITIONS IS 21/07/16

12. Name the charity who have set up the GOTOJAIL scheme? 13. How many miles did Ironman John McAvoy complete in the Staffordshire competition? 14. What year did HMP Holloway open? 15. What year was the book A Kestrel for A Knave released? Answers to Last Month’s Inside Knowledge Prize Quiz

The £5 runner up prizes go to: Haroon Abdulhaqq HMP Highpoint Anthony Carrington HMP Rye Hill

Answers to last months quizzes PATHFINDER

CROSSWORD Across 1 Prince Charming 8 Grail 9 Literacy 11 Spencer 12 Cayenne 13 Shane 15 The Tatler 17 Pneumatic 20 Ghent 22 Wharton 24 Parasol 26 Adam West 27 Teddy 28 Pretty Flamingo

Down 1 Pegasus 2 Image 3 Cold cream 4 Culprit 5 Autocue 6 Mercy 7 Nick Nolte 10 Wear 14 Alexander 16 Algorithm 17 Pawn 18 Tannery 19 Capital 21 Tally-ho 23 Tempt 25 Sudan

SUDOKU

Bargain Hunt Coronation Street Eastenders Eggheads Emmerdale First dates Flog it Gogglebox Heartbeat Home and away Judge Rinder Masterchef Neighbours Newsnight Pointless The Chase The One Show

CATCHPHRASE

WORD MORPH

1. Backing Up, 2. Sleeping at the Wheel, 3. Quarterback, 4. Coffee Break, 5. Identical Twins, 6. Count the Ways

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GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

1. Norma 2. 18th, 1700s 3. Yuri Gagarin 4. Heel 5. Mt. Vesuvius 6. India (invented by British soldiers) 7. 221B Baker St. 8. Seven 9. Gin 10. El Salvador 11. US (not Australia) 12. Five 13. Art Nouveau 14. 31 miles (50K)

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THE RIDDLER 1. Darkness, 2. Nine, 3. Shadow, 4. Secret, 5. Beetle, 6. Queue, 7. Coffin, 8. Blackboard, 9. Stone, 10. Twenty, 11. Racecar, 12. Bubble

TRUE OR FALSE MIND GYM 1. 488, 2. 39, 3. 2175

1. False, 2. True, 3. False, 4. True, 5. True, 6. True, 7. True, 8. False, 9. True, 10. True

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Crossword

Inside Chess by Carl Portman

The Riddler

Tom from HMP Isle of Wight asks what my idea is about inter-prison chess exchanges. Specifically, I want to see prison chess clubs playing each other. This would develop healthy competition and be a very productive and I hope exciting use of time. For this to occur chess clubs first need to exist - hence why I am encouraging this in prisons. Secondly, prison governors and senior staff will need to play their part to support such an initiative. We are a way from this yet, but it is an aspiration. John from HMP Norwich asks who the current World Champion is. His name is Magnus Carlsen and he is from Norway. He defends his title this November, probably in New York. His opponent will be the Russian Sergey Karjakan. Both players are very young and I expect some very memorable games. I shall keep readers posted in this column about the outcome.

Across

Down

1. Czech composer whose works include “Ma Vlast” (7) 5. Ruler of ancient Egypt (7) 9. Great hunter of Greek mythology placed in the sky as a constellation (5) 10. Something unreasonably held to be immune to criticism (6,3) 11.. A Cajun dish of rice with shrimps, chicken, etc. (10) 12. Decorated with gold (4) 14. Actor who played the part of Ben Cartwright in the TV series “Bonanza” (5,6) 18. Actor who played the part of J. R. Ewing in the TV series “Dallas”(5,6) 21. The leading resort on the French Riviera (4) 22. Someone who writes an account of another person’s life (10) 25. Duke —, American jazz musician (9) 26. — Lessing, British novelist who wrote “The Golden Notebook”(5) 27. Profoundly cruel or evil (7) 28. Unmarried people (7)

1. Macedonia’s capital (6) 2. A mysterious person or situation (6) 3. The second wife of Henry VIII (4,6) 4. — Adams, renowned photographer of the landscape of the American Southwest (5) 5. Any large thick-skinned mammal (9) 6. Elderly (4) 7. A stored collection of documents (8) 8. A gun for the high-angle firing of shells at a low velocity (8) 13. A medieval instrument of torture (4,6) 15. Aware of things as they really are (9) 16. Historic region of Europe including areas now in Belgium, France and the Netherlands (8) 17. An ornamental band or chain encircling the wrist or arm (8) 19. — Ladd, American actress (6) 20. An unstable situation of danger or difficulty (6) 23. “— of New York”, 2002 film directed by Martin Scorsese (5) 24. In a little while (4)

Zack from HMP Hewell asks how to set up a prison chess club. Again, this is something that needs support from the Governor but inmates need to push collectively. If there is enough demand, I have found that prisons staff will listen and try to accommodate. I can visit your prisons (after an official invite from the governor or staff representative) and help to kick-start a chess club. It’s easy really. You need people and chess sets! If you are able to meet at a regular time, then a chess club becomes embedded in the culture of the prison - at least that’s the theory! Finally, Gary from HMP Wymott asks how many people out of the 80,000 in the prison system try and solve my puzzle. Well that’s hard to say. I only know of the people who actually write to me but there may be hundreds more who try to solve the puzzles but do not wish to write in. In terms of winning the magazine prize every month, I would say you have about a 25-1 chance. Thank you all for your letters - do keep them coming. 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 A

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For this month’s puzzle take a look at the game Merges - Warkenten from Trier earlier this year. White just played 1.Be3 skewering Black’s queen and rook. It looks nasty. What did black now play in response to gain the upper hand? A chess magazine (Donated by Chess & Bridge of London) as your prize if you are first out of the hat. Write to me with your answer care of The English Chess Federation at The Watch Oak, Chain Lane, Battle, East Sussex TN33 OYD or you can email me at [email protected] and they will forward it to me. Please note that you should always write to me at the ECF not via InsideTime. The solution to June’s puzzle was 1.Nf3xe5! and now if black takes the queen with 1…Bg4xd1 he loses to 2.Bc4xf7+ Ke8-e7 3. Nc3-d5 checkmate. Be careful out there! The winner will be announced next month. Congratulations to Jason from HMP Belmarsh who was the winner of May’s puzzle.

1. Five men were eating apples, A finished before B, but behind C. D finished before E, but behind B. What was the finishing order?

7. What object has keys that open no locks, space but no room, and you can enter but not go in?

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8. Some try to hide, some try to cheat, but time will show, we always will meet, try as you might, to guess my name, I promise you’ll know, when you I do claim.

2. It is everything to someone, and nothing to everyone else. What is it?

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3. What has a mouth but can’t chew?

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9. First you see me in the grass dressed in yellow; next I am in dainty white, then I fly away. What am I?

4. A man says,”Brothers and sisters, have I none, but that man’s father is my father’s son.” Who is he pointing at?

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10. Hands she has but does not hold, teeth she has but does not bite, feet she has but they are cold, eyes she has but without sight. Who is she?

5. If it is two hours later, then it will take half as much time till it’s midnight as it would be if it were an hour later. What time is it?

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11. What can bring back the dead; make us cry, make us laugh, make us young; born in an instant yet lasts a life time?

6. Forward I am heavy, backwards I am not. What am I?

________________ ________________ 12. I amm I? Answers to all puzzles are in the next issue. Only Puzzles on the ‘Prize Winning Puzzles’ page have prizes for completing.

________________

Jim Reading A1109DJ HMP Isle of Wight

Wordsearch // Lee Child Books Lee Child Books B A D L U C K A N D T R O U B L E Q T T

S G I V F S A D R G H N C R T C G W H H

D T E H G D G D G N B B C X H Z H E E E

F P T R I P W I R E V C X O E N J T A H

A Wanted Man

P E R S U A D E R F V X B V E X V R F A

V R Y T C C G E G D A U G B N C B E F R

F S I H V V T G G N R O R F E B N G A D

R O N E B B D D O N N J G S M N M T I E

S N G V N N A F I E Y H N G Y B V B R F

H A G I C X D N T S D H T G F A E H T R

G L H S F F G O N E V E R G O B A C K A

B B T I H B M V B L I A F T U O H T I W

G G S T F O H G S D H N S F Y T H N Y A

ABadWanted Luck andMan TroubleGone Tomorrow Personal

O D F O R T G N J T G S T D Y H N H H N

N S G R D F U H M Z Y A W D R A H E H T

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S W D U J J F R D B G R Q W R T H W F D

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The Visitor

Tripwire Die Trying Persuader Bad Luck and Killing Floor Echo Burning Without Fail Trouble Never Go Back The Affair Gone Tomorrow Worth Dying For Die KillingTrying Floor Nothing to Lose The Enemy Never Go Back Echo Burning The Hard Way One Shot Nothing to Lose One Shot Thanks to Jim Reading - HMP Isle of Wight for compiling this Personal Wordsearch. If you fancy compiling one for us please just send it in Persuader max 20 x 20 grid and complete with answers shown on a grid. If we TheitAffair use we will send you £5 as a thank you! Remember to include your name, number and prison with your entry. The Enemy The Hard Way The Visitor Tripwire

54 Jailbreak // Just for Fun

Insidetime July 2016

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In this month...

Mind Gym

1 July 1841

15

The Colony of New Zealand was established. (New Zealand was previously part of the Colony of New South Wales in Australia. Both colonies were under British rule.)

×4 / +5 / ÷13 / Square it / -7 / ÷3 / +5 / ×2 / +19 =

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+77 / ×3 / -18 / 70% of it / ×2 / -88 +¼ of it / 90% of it / -65 =

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1 July 1916 World War I - the Battle of the Somme (France). This was the first battle to use tanks.

Submitted by Mohammed Ali - HMP Wandsworth. Start on the left with the first number and work your way across following the instructions in each cell. If you would like to submit similar puzzles we will pay £5 for any that are chosen for print. Please send in a minimum of three puzzles together with the answer!

1 July 1976 The first Apple computer, the Apple I, went on sale (for $666.66). Buyers received a single circuit board and had to provide (or build) their own case, power supply, keyboard, TV (for display) and a cassette recorder (for storage - though this required an add-on interface, sold separately). About 200 were built, of which about 175 were sold.

Sudoku // Very Hard

2 July 1816

The French frigate Méduse ran aground 30 miles (50 km) off the coast of Senegal. The crew decided to build a raft to reach shore, but it was unstable, fights broke out, passengers were washed overboard, and some committed suicide. Only 15 of the 150 people who set sail on the raft survived by the time they were rescued on 17th July. (There were other survivors in the ship’s boats, which initially towed the raft along, but as it was slowing their journey and supplies were running low, they cut the ropes and left the raft to its fate.)

True or False?

3 July 1916

Death of Hetty Green, (‘the witch of Wall Street’), American businesswoman and financier. The wealthiest American woman of her era and possibly the wealthiest in the world. Eccentric and miserly, she avoided all outward signs of wealth, lived with her children in cheap lodgings, dressed shabbily and sought medical treatment from charity clinics.

5 July 1946 The first bikini two-piece swimsuit was unveiled at a fashion show in Paris, France. It was created by French designer Louis Réard.

9 July 1996

A riot broke out at a football match in Tripoli, Libya when a team supported by the sons of Libyan leader Muammar Gadaffi scored a questionable goal which the referee allowed. Fans of the opposing team began shouting anti-Gadaffi slogans, prompting his sons and their bodyguards to fire their guns into the crowd, causing a stampede and riot. Sources say more than 50 were killed.

14 July 1946 The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care by Benjamin Spock was published. It is one of the best-selling books in history (second only to the Bible in the USA during the 20th century).

15 July 1946 The USA loaned the UK $3.75 billion (£1.9 billion) to support its overseas expenditure following WWII. The UK made annual repayments (+ 2% interest) until the loan was repaid in Dec 2006. ($3.75 billion in 1946 would be worth about $57 billion today.)

15 July 2006 Twitter, the online micro-blogging service, was publicly launched.

1. Shaving makes hair grow back faster. True __________ False __________ 2. For every human on Earth there are 1.6 million ants. True __________ False __________

© MW Released life sentenced prisoner

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3. Going out with wet hair increases your chances of catching a cold. True __________ False __________ 4. An octopus has three hearts. True __________ False __________ 5. Black holes aren’t black. True __________ False __________ 6. Cracking your knuckles too much will give. you arthritis. True __________ False __________ 7. Sugar makes children hyper. True __________ False __________ 8. Bananas grow on trees. True __________ False __________ 9. The Great Wall of China can be seen with the unaided eye from space. True __________ False __________ 10. If a piece of paper was folded 45 times, it would reach to the moon.

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Call Christine Sands and the team on 01924 868911 Email [email protected]

Write to Neil Jordan House, Wellington Road, Dewsbury, WF13 1HL

True __________ False __________ Answers to all puzzles are in the next issue. Only Puzzles on the ‘Prize Winning Puzzles’ page have prizes for completing.

Pathfinder Mathematics Gordon Hazell HMP Dartmoor

Celebrity Quotes

Pathfinder // Mathematics

“And I promise the power is in the people and I will use the power given by the people to bring everything I have back to the people” Kanye West “I don’t want to cover up anymore. Not my face, not my mind, not my soul, not my thoughts, not my dreams, not my struggles, not my emotional growth. Nothing” Alicia Keys on why she stopped wearing makeup “But I truly don’t understand how 200 of our fans could beat up several thousand English” Vladimir Putin commenting on the violence of Euro 2016

“I am very disappointed. I haven’t committed a crime. There is nothing wrong with having sex on TV” Former Miss Great Britain Zara Holland after being stripped of her crown because she had sex on the ITV show Love Island

“I’ll post what I’m comfortable with. Some days I’m confident, some days I’m not. I’ll send it to my husband, if he’s into it and thinks it looks good - that’s the only reaction I care about. But if I take the photo and I like it, I’ll post it.” Kim Kardashian on posting nude selfies

General Knowledge Quiz 1. How many Godfather films have been made?

8. What was Michael Jackson’s middle name?

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Jailbreak // Just for Fun 55

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Insidetime July 2016

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Addition

Estimate Even numbers Area Fractions Calculator Less than The object is to try to figure out the well-known saying, Calculus More than place, or thing that each square is meant to represent. Cube root Multiply Decimals Odd number Diameter Power number Division Prime number Equals Pythagoras Equations Quadratic

Catchphrase Algebra

Fractions Less than More than Multiply Odd number Power number Prime number Pythagoras Quadratic Remainder Square root Subtraction

Addition Algebra Area Calculator Calculus Cube root Decimals Diameter Division Equals Equations Estimate Even numbers

Thanks to Gordon Hazell HMP Dartmoor for compiling this Pathfinder. If you fancy compiling one for us please just send it in either 15 x 15 or 12 x 12 squares, complete with answers. If we use it we will send you £5 as a thank you! Remember to include your name, number and prison with your entry.

Anagram Square person,

Rearrange the letters in each row to form a word. Write your answers into the blank grid. The first letter from each word, reading down, will spell the mystery keyword.

9. Who is the lead singer of Dire Straits?

1 P

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K

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M __ __ __ / K __ __ __ __ __ __ __

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3. Which came first: the Neolithic Age or the Mesolithic Age?

10. A rhinologist specialises in the treatment of which part of the human body?

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2. Name the red Telly Tubby.

Neolithic £ Mesolithic £ 4. In which region in France are Chardonnay wines produced?

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11. Which singer married and divorced the head of SONY music?

M __ __ __ __ __ __ / C __ __ __ __

5. Who wrote The X Files ?

12. True or False?: Darwin’s university degree was in Theology.

C __ __ __ __ / C __ __ __ __ __

True

6. Which nut has the name of a South American country?

__ __ a __ __ __ 7. What is the highest score in Darts?

180 £

256 £

320 £

__________False __________

1

Word Morph

2

Can you morph one word into another by just changing one letter at a time? It isn't quite as easy as you think!

5

____________________ 14. Which English football club was originally known as Newton Heath?

comb

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Answers to all puzzles are in the next issue. Only Puzzles on the ‘Prize Winning Puzzles’ page have prizes for completing.

SOLICITORS

Turn to

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Thanks to James Hogg - HMP Lincoln. If you fancy compiling an Anagram Square for us please just send it in 5 x 5 squares, complete with answers shown on a grid. If we use it we will send you £5 as a thank you! Remember to include your name, number and prison with your entry.

Why use

FIGHTING FOR THE RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUALS IN THE SOUTH EAST

PRISON LAW DEPARTMENT Catherine McCarthy

4

hole

13. In which year was the first World Cup?

CLARKE KIERNAN

3

Parole Hearings • Adjudications • Recalls Members of the Association of Prison Lawyers

56 Jailbreak // National Prison Radio

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What’s on National Prison Radio // July 2016 National Prison Radio is currently available in prisons across England and Wales. We broadcast 24-hours a day, seven days a week, into your cell. If your prison has National Prison Radio, you can listen through your TV by using the tuning buttons on your remote control.

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