Smoking ban ‘all legal challenges rejected’ a voice for prisoners since 1990 March 2018 / Issue No. 225 / 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

Thousands set for early release

Clarification of Supreme Court ruling from HMPPS

Fun and games for the whole family when visiting Grampian

Sex Talk...

Legal // page 37

Newsround // page 14

Jailbreak // page 44

“Prisoners are far more likely to be affected by poor sexual health.”

Credit: Virgin

the National Newspaper for Prisoners & Detainees

Government to extend Home Detention Curfew scheme in drive to relieve pressure on overcrowded prisons

The Ministry of Justice has acted to significantly increase the number of prisoners to be freed on HDC after discovering that tens of thousands of those eligible, including those serving sentences for violence, robbery, burglary and public order crimes - were not being considered. Prisoners serving sentences of between three months and four years are eligible to qualify for

early release under HDC; after being risk assessed, they can be released between two weeks and 120 days early, depending on the length of their sentence. An MoJ spokesperson said, “We are simplifying the HDC process, reducing the number of forms used in the assessment process and maintaining the strict eligibility and suitability tests. This will mean governors can make well-informed, more timely decisions and ensure robust risk management plans are in place for offenders re-

Governors have been ordered to review cases of prisoners refused release under the scheme according to a paper quietly released some weeks ago. The order is intended to lead to the release of most eligible prisoners. The move comes after officials found that in 2016 some 9,041 eligible prisoners, or 21 per cent, were released under HDC while more than 35,000 missed out.

Continued on page 11

13

Creative solution to waste

Prisoners recycle Virgin uniforms HMP Northumberland has teamed up with Virgin trains to recycle their old, out of date, uniforms into blankets, bags and coats for homeless charity Albert Kennedy Trust which supports young LGBT homeless people in crisis. Virgin Trains said: “This environmental collaboration with HMP Northumberland gives our old uniforms a new lease of life and is a creative solution to achieving zero waste to landfill, whilst also supporting vulnerable people across our patch.”

Paul Crane and Gerard Lemos

18

“We’re not naïve, we’re not stupid. But prisons should be decent and humane places. I don’t think people should be punished by being treated inhumanely.”

© Paul Sullivan

Inside Time report

But Philip Hollobone, Tory MP for Kettering, remained unconvinced. “The public does not like prisoners being released early from their sentence,” he said. “The public wants criminals to serve the sentence in full in jail. The further we get away from that, the less sentences are a fitting punishment for the crime that has been committed.”

© Paul Sullivan

“Most eligible to be released”

© prisonimage.org

leased under the scheme.”

Valentine Olukoga: wowed the crowd

Inside Poetry book launch goes off with a bang: “A truly sensational night of poetry and impassioned speeches.”

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Correspondence

Lack of family ties

Star Letter of the Month

Head of Administration Justine Best

Mr Reed - HMP Rochester

Change is possible Adam ‘Junglist’ Ghali - HMP Bullingdon I’ve never written before but have finally built up courage after a particularly positive and well-received rendition of a poem/rap I have written, at a Family Day. I performed in front of around 150 people. The Family Day was rewarded in recognition of the hard work of several prisoners who secured qualifications ranging from VR Rep, education, Restore and TSP. I was blessed with an invitation for my completion of the anger management-type course, called Resolve.

“I went into the course with blinkers on, assuming that no course could ever change or alter my own shortcomings towards the use of violence and manipulation. But to my utter amazement, I started to actually learn tools to use in my day-today survival in prison.” As the course progressed I got a better understanding of myself and why I was so easily angered by other people’s perceptions of me. I started to get good comments from staff whom I had come up against angrily in the past, and I’ve received four positive entries on my C-Nomis, which might not sound like a lot, but when you’ve been in and out of jail for 12-years and never had one single positive entry, those four are like a huge self-esteem boost. The moral to this is that change is possible and, as I’m sure every single officer who dealt with me in the past will tell you, if I can change outlooks and perceptions then anyone can.

Family ties are vital in whether a prisoner succeeds or fails in leading a law-abiding life on release. So, why does the Prison Service/ HMPPS move so many of us many miles away from our families and friends, thus destroying our family ties. In my case, as one example of which there are thousands, as soon as I was sentenced I was moved to HMP Wayland, over 3-hours travel from my home in Margate. Instead of to my local category C in Rochester. Why? How can they help us maintain family ties when they move so many of us far from home? Surely that’s not ‘putting the protection of the public first’, it’s more about ‘shove them into any space we have left’? After my move, my relationship ceased, and I didn’t see my kids for 2-years, so, I’m high-risk of reoffending as I am now homeless. The prison system is just a huge expensive institution that does little to rehabilitate and even less to encourage family ties.

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Mailbites Change of mind on smoking? Stephen Kelly - HMP Stafford I write in response to the Supreme Court ruling against the prison smoking ban in English & Wales. What does it mean for the prisons that have forced the ban through? Does it mean that smokers now have the legal right to smoke in prisons? Do prisons now have to allow tobacco back in the canteens? Can someone tell us the implications of this ruling, and do it quickly please? Where do we stand on this matter?

A great man retires Craig Stead - HMP/YOI Parc We are all saddened to learn that Chaplain Phil James is retiring. I would personally like to thank Phil for all of his support throughout the years that I’ve known him. He spent time with me when I was at rock-bottom. You will be sadly missed, and I am not alone in wishing you all the best on your retirement, and please do come back sometime to give us some tunes. All the best for the future.

Thanks for your help KJ Green - HMP Frankland I would like to point out to everybody in prison who consistently moans, whines and bitches about prison staff and healthcare staff in particular, that they are doing a great job. I have first-hand experience of this. Recently, in the healthcare centre, I lost my close friend of 8-years to cancer. The staff provided so much care and respect to my friend. They stayed with him from beginning to end. They all showed so much dignity to my friend, even when it was time to take him away. I would like to thank all HCC nurses and HCAs, and prison staff for their care and respect to us all living in HCC.

Religious choice? R Goldwell - HGMP Hull Call me a conspiracist if you like, but why does one have to jump through hoops in order to be recognised as a Pagan or a Buddhist by the prison system? Yet, you only have to say you are a Catholic or Christian and you are welcomed in a jiffy. Nobody questions you, or asks you to fill in apps or forms. Are we being pushed into Christianity in a not so subtle way by the prison system?

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Insidetime March 2018

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“Strange mutterings”

Spice Spice baby Name withheld - HMP Whatton The use of Spice is rife in this prison and on the increase. Lads are getting off their heads in front of staff, who just turn a blind eye to it all. Every day here there is at least 3 or 4 Code Blue’s, or a load of lads walking around like zombies, making strange mutterings.

“It is like the film ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ here and it is not funny anymore.” For us few who do not touch the stuff, the constant smell of burning Spice and the unavoidable inhalation of this drug won’t do us non-drug-users health any better in the long run. So, to fall in line with the zombies, next Christmas I am going to order 10 Spice roll-ups and a waiting hospital bed. Or, the prison system actually tackles the problem, get a sniffer-dog trained in sniffing out NPS, as right now the tagline seems to be ‘Come to Whatton, it’s Spice, Spice baby’.

Days gone by

Juries on trial

Jimmy A - HMP Wandsworth

N Gulley - HMP Parkhurst

Years ago, when I was in the Borstal system of the early 1980s, they had a system where you were rewarded for excellent behaviour by being given ‘time back’. How it worked was, you were given a sentence of 6-months to 2-years in Borstal. Everyone who came in on this sentence was given a possible leaving date of 9-months. Then, if you were a little shit and wanted to cause trouble and act the idiot, you would lose days. But, on the other hand, if you complied with the regime and really tried to change and better yourself you could be given back time.

There should be no doubt that the recent highly publicised examples of failures of disclosure are a small sample of cases that sit on top of a ticking timebomb that is likely to significantly undermine public confidence in our precious justice system. It is said that justice is the ‘first virtue of a decent and harmonious society’.

The best-behaved trainees could, by hard work and diligence, cut their sentence to as little as 6-months. It was a simple and effective system. I now wonder why they cannot transfer that system to adult prisons? Imagine, you get a sentence of 3 to 10 years - behave in an excellent manner, apply yourself and get self-discipline and you could be out in 3-years; act like a f****** and you serve the whole 10. It would probably change the whole attitude of prisoners and staff alike.

Don’t suffer in silence Luke - HMP Stafford Deliberate self-injury is an action to cause self-harm and results in acute injury, including tissue damage, such as cutting, burning and biting the skin from around your fingernails. It is very important that residents and officers realise that suicidal and self-injuring behaviours are not behaviours that a person can stop at will. We get asked - ‘Why would anyone want to inflict pain upon themselves by cutting or hurting themselves?’ We also know that it is dangerous and often life-threatening, but many people self-harm to gain a sense of relief, but it can also produce relief of emotional pain, almost as if that person had taken painkillers such as morphine. Being in a strip cell can stop a behaviour/action from occurring in the moment; however, it does not improve or eliminate the behaviour in the long run, it is the reason that strip conditions do not generally work for people like us. If you are currently experiencing thoughts of self-harm or have self-harmed, please don’t suffer in silence, speak to someone. This could be a Listener, Share rep, workshop instructor, safer custody rep, healthcare or The Samaritans.

Contributing to Mailbag

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If you would like to contribute to Mailbag, please send your letters to the address on the left. It is very important that you ensure the following details are on all paperwork sent to Inside Time: YOUR NAME, PRISON NUMBER & PRISON. Failure to do so will prevent us responding to you and your submission being withheld from publication. Please note letters for publication may be edited. We will be using the new ‘Money Transfer Service’ for prize money so include your DOB on your entries. 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.

Although these, and many other examples of injustice, point towards an urgent need to reform the whole justice system, including parole, it is the current jury system that requires the boldest restructuring as it is the principal filter in ensuring that a sound and balanced verdict is reached. The current jury system is out of date, unreliable and not fit for purpose. It needs to be radically restructured to incorporate modern and more technical advances, such as the use of artificial intelligence to reliably test and measure the quality of evidence, particularly when this is based on ‘hearsay’. Juries struggle to separate legal from moral issues, are limited in their capacity to effectively process complex and contradictory information, are too easily influenced by the skilled ‘crafting’ of a determined police and prosecution team and are unfairly expected to deal with an emotional reaction that is so great that it undermines their capacity to reliably extract, assess and integrate key evidence. That is vitally important. The fundamental question is whether or not it is possible to unfairly influence a jury. I am confident that it is, particularly in serious cases involving allegations of sex offences and murder, where, contrary to the usual premise in law, the accused is presumed guilty until proven innocent. In service to humanity and the Crown, it is the criminal justice system that now needs to be put on trial so that Prime Minister May’s assertion (PMQs - 20-12-17) that - ‘It is necessary to ensure that we are truly providing justice’ becomes a reality. Justice can never happen in a system that doesn’t work. We shouldn’t tolerate this.

Mailbag

2-9

Page 4

“It has taken an inmate being hospitalised for this epidemic to be taken seriously.”

Newsround

10-15

“They’re not going to be in fear of dying from heat stroke anyPage 13 more.” Comment 16-28

Page 20

“Over 2,000 local residents charged at the police station trying to gain their release.”

Information

Page 31 Legal

29-35

“That was a big mistake, as it looked as if I was not interested.” 36-41 “I’m concerned about how I’d cope.”

Page 41 Jailbreak

Page 53

42-56 “Nothing was politically incorrect because everything was always a joke with a sense of humour.”

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On the Xmas Wire Christmas meal, gone but not forgotten Name Withheld - HMP Castle Huntly I had to write in because I can’t stop laughing as I’m reading the January issue of Inside Time regarding the ‘festive feast’ we supposedly had here at Castle Huntly. What a pile of pish. I will start with the ‘full English breakfast’, ha, ha, ha! Good one. We had a slice of square sausage, overcooked until it had the constituency of rubber, potato scones, which were fried in the chip fryer so that they were burnt on the bottom, plus 2 tomatoes. Mushrooms were available for the vegetarians, but we did get a slice of fried bread. As for the lunch that the papers and the SPS were gushing about, this is an open prison and there were 70 cons here not out on leave, unfortunately there was only enough chicken for 50 of us. For the unlucky 20 it was Halal curry, not even a veg option. No pudding of any sort, and there were not enough pot noodles to go around. This was the worst dinner I’ve ever had in jail.

Phony Christmas cake

‘Drop ‘em!’ HS Khatkar HMP Frankland It is a part of daily life for prisoners to be strip-searched regularly. Be that during a cell-search, when going on or coming off a visit, and sometimes just randomly. As a matter of fact, I am always prepared for it and as soon as my cell door opens my hands automatically drop to my waistband, expecting an officer to say ‘Drop ‘em!’ Sometimes, when they enter my cell with those purple latex gloves on I just get up and oblige by removing my kit. But, I am sure that there are some members of staff who stick on their uniform and come to work and carry out their personal fantasies of making grown men strip.

JP Thomson - HMP Barlinnie I am writing to you about the ‘Christmas dinner for Scottish prisoners’ story. It sounds a lot better on paper than it did in real life, it was uneatable and most of it went into the bin. The newspapers blatantly lied, as usual. For breakfast we got link sausages in a roll. And what we had was a main course dinner, with a bit of cake, and not a ‘3-course meal’. Most of the stuff mentioned in the paper was conspicuous by its absence - no coffee, no meat platter, no lamb curry, and certainly no after-dinner mints!

Swinfen Scrooge E Redman - HMP/YOI Swinfen Hall Every year I put up my Christmas decorations and try to bring a bit of Christmas spirit behind these walls. Except this year it wasn’t to be. I was in my element, listening to my favourite Christmas songs when suddenly my door opened, and I was greeted by a not very happy governor. I was then told to take down my Christmas decorations as they were a ‘fire hazard’. I understand health & safety but surely, if that were the case, I would have to remove most of the contents of my cell, after all, anything that can burn is a ‘fire hazard’. With everything that is wrong with the prison system, surely this governor could be doing something more important? I’m a life-sentenced prisoner and all I was trying to do was enjoy the holiday.

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However, what troubles me is that the fact that this latex glove crew also search my family, and a notice that went up today sets out the ‘line’ that Frankland follows, i.e. ‘a handshake is the only appropriate physical contact between prisoners, staff, visitors, etc’. It made me wonder why it is then ok for staff to be manhandling my family? I get visits from my parents, sisters and nieces (children) and I have been told by my family members that some of the searching staff are overtly touching when they do their rub-down searches. My father, almost 70, sure did not like the 21-year-old staff member feeling him up. It is not acceptable for these people, strangers with 6-weeks training, to be touching my family, especially the kids.

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Damian Samways – HMP/YOI Brinsford I am 30-years-old and have been in and out of the jail system since I was 18, clearly something is not working. Then I arrived here at Brinsford, which started taking adults in June 2017 (due to overcrowding in the system, I suspect). I came in December and found, to my amazement, that the adults and kids are not kept separate! We are all mixed and live together. This is far from ideal, as I’m sure most right-thinking people would agree. The YO’s (Young Offenders) are mouthy, arrogant, wannabe gangsters. On top of that, Brinsford has no regime at all for us adults, which means we are living under YOI (Young Offender Institute) rules. There are only a few adults here, so during association I find myself not coming out of my cell in order to avoid any confrontations. I’ve seen them attacking people, in twos and threes, with weapons. I’ve already had to give one of them a slap and received 5 extra days on my sentence. I cannot see how I’m supposed to be getting rehabilitated whilst living with a load of kids on a YOI regime. At the weekends we get 40-minutes association per day. When I asked the staff why this was, I was told – ‘Well, it used to be 60-minutes, but the staff noticed the YO’s were getting bored and started to dick about, so we shortened it to 40-minutes’. It takes me 5-days to get a shave as they don’t trust YO’s with a razor. Every time I ask for a transfer to an adult jail they say ‘they’ll look into it’.

Not just ‘manflu’

Spreading fast Louis B - HMP Garth Here on F & G Wings at Garth, we are under quarantine because of the influenza virus being introduced from outside. However, it is like locking the gate after the horse has bolted. Prisoners were coming down with flu-like symptoms as far back as Christmas. It has taken an inmate being hospitalised for this epidemic to be taken seriously.

I get no replies to my apps or complaints, and have spoken to the IMB, who said they would get back to me, but haven’t. I was tried and imprisoned as an adult and I don’t expect to be treated like a YO.

Prison multiverse

“I, and many others, have just been given paracetamol and sent back to work/education to spread the virus even further around the prison.”

David Kendall – HMP Oakwood After years of hearing negativity about private sector jails I was, unfortunately, transferred to HMP Oakwood. I can categorically confirm that the theories of Professor Stephen Hawking and Brian Cox are now proven. There is indeed a ‘multiverse’, because Oakwood certainly does operate through the laws and physics of another dimension. You need a degree in quantum mathematics to keep count of how many locked gates you have to pass through on even the shortest journey, multiplied by the time it takes an officer to be available to open said gates. If anyone with any power is reading this, take note - private prisons are failing quicker than HMP.

This is even worse when you factor in how many older gentlemen we have on F & G Wings, who are the most at-risk group when it comes to contracting influenza. I believe that Garth, as a whole, have failed in their duty of care to inmates. Hopefully, lessons will be learned from this.

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 (see below). Inside Time, Botley Mills, Botley, Southampton, Hampshire SO30 2GB.

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Scandal of falsely convicted William Pullman - HMP Barlinnie Prisons throughout the UK are filled with men and women who maintain their innocence. These people are prevented from progressing and obtaining parole, or, worse still, being forced into a position of having to accept guilt, simply because they are desperate to be released from the misery of a prison sentence that they did not deserve. Their lives destroyed, families broken apart, livelihoods and homes lost, demonised in their communities for crimes they did not commit, and, in the worst cases, lives lost to suicide.

“Recent media exposure has shed light into the reasons behind some of these tragic cases, into the darkest recesses of, at best, police incompetence and, at worst, outright corruption by police forces that are supposed to protect the public.” In any criminal case, police officers conduct a thorough investigation, interviewing witnesses and gathering evidence to support their case through to conviction. During this in-depth process police will unearth evidence that is either not relevant to their case or which does not support their case, this is called ‘unused evidence’. It may transpire that some of this evidence or witness statements actually undermines the police’s case and could prove an accused’s innocence entirely. The police and also the prosecution have a legal responsibility to compile what is called ‘a schedule of unused evidence’, which must accurately list and detail all of the evidence and statements the police have, but which they do not intend to use even if it undermines their case, and make that evidence available to the defendant’s legal team. The problem is, that police have not been doing this and innocent people have gone to prison. The government desperately needs to change the law and invest in establishing an independent organisation to take the role of assessing evidence and compiling schedules of unused evidence away from the police forces. There is an unacceptable and significant conflict of interest with police being tasked and trusted to perform this role which often leads to abuses of process and wrongful convictions. The fact has been proven that police cannot and should not be entrusted to perform the role of disclosing and producing unused evidence that could undermine their case.

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Just as bad Kevin Midgely - HMP Humber Every time I pick up a newspaper, watch the news on TV or listen to the radio, I hear, see or read about people receiving Community Orders for sexual offences such as possessing indecent images of children. My problem with this is that when I was sentenced for burglary and handling stolen goods, I was told that handling stolen goods was as bad as burglary because if no one handled the goods there would be nowhere for the burglar to sell his goods, so no burglars. But, surely this also applies in principle to sex offences? If people did not view it and store it, maybe the people supplying it would think twice. Or maybe if the courts stopped protecting these people and handed out proper sentences the users might think twice.

Please educate me

5

Mailbites

AS - HMP Channings Wood Here at this prison, they do not class prisoner education as essential, yet education is in most inmate’s sentence plans. My Probation Officer wants me to do Level One maths & English, and he would also like me to do any courses to better my chances of finding employment upon release. I am finding this very hard in the current regime. In the prison newsletter, delivered in December, we were told that things would get better in January. I’ve been here 7-months and it has just got worse.

“We are all bored of hearing the excuse ‘staff shortages’. What about telling our Probation Officers that ‘staff shortages’ count as a valid reason not to follow our sentence plans?” Before I got sentenced I would not be able to write a letter like this, so it goes to show what a bit of education can do. Imagine what it could do if it was classed as ‘essential’? I have learning difficulties, so I really struggle when education is ‘stop-start’ all the time. Education should be essential.

Real life slave labour

Eligible for nothing? Leanne Jefferies - HMP Eastwood Park Before being sentenced for my crimes of ‘possession with intent to supply’ I had never been in trouble with the law and had the cleanest of records. I come from a good background, am a female who has always worked hard to become a success, in both home and work life. I was sentenced to 4-years in custody, and learnt that I was ineligible for HDC because of the length of my sentence. This is even more disappointing and insulting when I see women in and out of prison in the 13-months I have already done. Surely there has to be something that will allow a case-bycase basis for HDC other than not permitting a chance due to the length of sentence?

Pressing ahead regardless Phil Green - HMP Buckley Hall We have now had a ruling by the Supreme Court that confirms prisons are not legally subject to the smoking ban, however, it appears governors/HMPPS are determined to enforce and press ahead with the ban. Are governors/HMPPS more superior than the Supreme Court? Or are they just not bothered about being arrested for contempt of court?

Solomon Bygraves - HMP Norwich

Big shirt policy

Numerous times here at Norwich, I have mentioned to SOs, CMs and Governors that Wing Domestic Workers are underpaid. Wing Domestic Workers (WDW) are landing cleaners, painters and servery workers, and I think it is totally unacceptable that we are paid 67p per session. There are 2 sessions per day, so our daily wage is £1.34. We also receive 50p per day, Monday to Friday, which is called in-cell allowance, which even the unemployed receive. WDWs do not get paid for Friday afternoons or weekends, even though we work those days. We get a choice - work or be sacked. In total, our weekly wage is £8.53. Personally I think this is real life slave labour. The prices on our canteen sheets are rapidly rising but our pay stays the same. There are no incentives here for prisoners to gain a work ethic, we are forced into slave labour. I would like to know if it is the same in other prisons?

I recently came across a copy of the DHL HMPPS Retail News (dated December 2017), and it turns out that - ‘Since most establishments have gone smoke-free, we have seen a 38% increase in volume’, i.e. prisoners are spending their money on products such as sweets, crisps and fizzy drinks. According to DHL, they are having to invest in larger vehicles and bigger store rooms. Prisons are now probably going to have to invest in new polo shirts for the Obesity and Diabetes reps.

SCC

P Grannon - HMP Wymott

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6 Mailbag

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

A warning

Insidetime March 2018

Mailbites Give us more incentives to behave

In February 2017, I had a mild stroke at 6.30am. The left side of my face dropped, and my left arm went totally limp. I pressed my cell-bell for assistance and the night man came to my door, I explained, and he ordered the keys over his radio. A prison manager attended my cell and gave me the briefest of check-overs before leaving me, still suffering. He informed me that he would send healthcare to see me.

Laura Mace - HMP Peterborough

When two nurses did show up at 7.50am, I had regained feelings in my face and arm. After another brief check-over I was told that I might be able to see the doctor that day. My landing officer was brilliant and so concerned he got another inmate to look after me until the doctor came in. At 8.45, the same landing officer personally took me to healthcare and got me in to see the doctor straight away.

“Once the doctor had checked me he confirmed that I’d had a stroke and that I should be in hospital.” At 12.20pm I was collected and taken to reception to be stripsearched and cuffed for my trip. An ambulance was waiting and once inside the paramedic asked me what was wrong. I told him that I’d had a stroke at 6.30am that morning, a look of sheer disbelief came over his face. I can only assume he was surprised at how long it had taken to get me in an ambulance. At hospital I was put in the MRI scanner and, after some blood samples were taken, I was told to come back to the hospital at 1.30 the next day. The next day, at 1.20 I rang my cellbell to ask when I was going back for my appointment at the hospital? At 2.50, my door was finally opened, and I was taken back to hospital. I had my neck scanned, and when I was in the consultant’s office he looked on his computer for a while and then left the office to check something. It was at this stage that one of the escorting prison officers stated - ‘If you have been smoking Spice, now is the time to tell us.’ The consultant then came back, with a surgeon, and informed me there was no doubt that I had suffered a minor stroke and that if I did not have an operation to clear the artery in my neck then I was odds-on for a major stroke within 2-weeks. It was at this moment that the escort officers realised how serious this was. I did have the operation straight away, yet from the minute I had the first stroke little did I realise what a major battle I had ahead in convincing the authorities that not everything is down to smoking Spice. I found out later that healthcare staff and uniformed staff had been arguing out on whether I was ‘bluffing’ or not! This whole thing has left a bitter taste in my mouth. Staff should be aware, we are not all lying drug-users, some of us do need genuine medical help.

IPPs, be afraid, be very afraid Spike - HMP Elmley A lot of facts have been printed lately in Inside Time about IPPs, and rightly so, but these facts just do not add up. Nick Hardwick writes in his article (December issue), quote - ‘In 2016/17, 46% of all IPP decisions resulted in release and 24% in progression. The number of IPPs yet to be released is down from 6,080 in 2012 to 3,107 now’. Well, don’t that sound great - NO! What he failed to mention is that in the month of September, 750 IPP prisoners were recalled back to prison. It also reported that was a 22% increase in the month before. Well, my maths ain’t that good, but this means nearly 900 IPP prisoners were recalled in just 2-months alone. If IPPs are getting recalled at this rate it will not be long before the majority will be recalled back into custody. I got an IPP in March 2006, with a 3-year tariff. I got released in February 2017 on my 4th oral hearing. I am now recalled for ‘poor behaviour’, no offence committed. So, IPPs, when you finally do get released, be afraid, be very afraid.

Hard to stop

Profiting from our misery Name withheld - HMP Leicester This prison has now been tobacco-free since the summer of 2017, but I am still finding it hard to quit smoking completely, so I use a vape. We are being charged £3.99 for 3 capsules, £6 for a vape pen, and £3 for a charger plug. We could buy the same 3 capsules in the outside world for £1.99, so, my question is why are we being charged 100% more than the general public? Are we just here to be ripped off left-right-and-centre by private suppliers and the prison system itself? Do you just see us as financially vulnerable victims that you can easily prey on with little comeback? Because that’s what it feels like. I wouldn’t mind, but the goods we are supplied are shoddily made, 2 out of 10 of the vapes leak oil or taste nasty. The pen does not charge half the time, or is faulty at point of purchase. DHL are taking advantage of us on a huge scale. I’m sick of putting money into the pockets of these private company vultures. Bring back smoking.

The burning question J E Adams HMP Isle of Wight What effect has the smoking-ban had on our prisons? Draw near and let me shed some light on the matter. It’s not all smoke and mirrors. The infamous National Tactical Response Group (NTRG) had to roll up to 580 ‘situations’ at jails in England & Wales last year. Let’s get straight to the point - that’s up more than 500% on 2010 and it is costing the taxpayers a packet (pardon the pun). Politicians have warned that prisons are suffering an ‘epidemic of violence’. The MoJ has said the situation is spiralling out of control. The POA said the data showed the ‘reality’ of prisons needing national support ‘to maintain security and control’. The remedy to the problem is to reverse the smoking ban. Just consider all the advantages: increased revenue from tobacco taxes; reduced violence and no dreaded popcorn lungs. The MoJ should not let this opportunity ‘go up in smoke’.

Thought police? LD McCalmon HMP Humber For someone who enjoys smoking, and has for the last 14-years, I think it is disgusting that our contradictory laws force us to quit smoking. I hope everyone has read the January issue of Inside Time and the article pertaining to the fact that the Supreme Court have ruled that the actual smoking ban was predominantly for public spaces, and not prisons. I have started to notice more and more often now a pattern of control being asserted over our daily lives. Quitting smoking may bring health benefits, but it should be our own choice and not the choice of government bureaucrats. What’s next, I ask myself, are they going to have us wearing the same clothes, like North Korean sheep? The government should keep its nose out of people’s business, unless that business is detrimental to society as a whole.

© Deposit Photos

Richard Geary - HMP Channings Wood

In relation to the mailbag by Andrew Jones ‘Unenhanced enhanced’ (January 2018 issue), I have to agree with him 100%; there are no REAL benefits to being ‘Enhanced’ in prison. I have spent the majority of my sentence in segregation due to bad behaviour. Am I fazed by this? Not at all. There are NO incentives to behave in prison. I can stock up on everything I need in canteen for 3-months or more, then I get in as much trouble as I can, because loss of canteen, TV, association, earnings won’t bother me. Even the seg isn’t punishment, I quite enjoy being away from the constant mix-up on the wings. Why would I want to be Enhanced when I’m happy being naughty? The IEP system needs to be updated so that people really want to be Enhanced. Give us more incentives to behave then maybe the prison system might change for the better. Show me there’s something to behave for, help me change my ways and sort the system out before things go too far.

The bells, the bells Sakir Bhatti - HMP Leeds I feel compelled to write and substantiate the claim by someone from HMP Leeds in the January issue, in reference to staff incessantly resorting to control & restraint at the slightest sign of defiance by a prisoner. I wonder, if requested, whether this prison could disclose accurate figures on how many times the general alarm has been activated over the period of one random month? Such a disclosure would be a strong indicator on prison performance alone. I can personally attest to the fact that the average amount of alarms pressed by staff is around every 30-45 minutes throughout the day. This month alone (10th of January) I’ve counted the alarm being used 43 times, and that is just on this wing. That is a lot of incidents or ‘disturbances’.

Cash cows Stefan Tode - HMP Birmingham Forget the system! The system won’t help, you’re worth too much to these private companies you slave for and who run our prisons. A farmer doesn’t sell his cows until they stop producing milk, so forget any help you might want to rehabilitate and change your life, you are a commodity and if you do get rehabilitated they can’t earn out of you. They need the prisons as full as possible to guarantee a maximum return on their investment. To all readers - if you know of any prison that does any form of courses or programmes, no matter the nature, please send me the information. If anyone needs this information I will pass it on. Forget the system - don’t be a cow.

All my life for a one stretch? Peter McDonald - HMP Frankland Where is the justice for us IPPs? That is a question I would like to ask David Gauke before he’s replaced by the next right-wing robot on the production-line of Justice Secretaries. Most of the 3,400 of us that are still in closed conditions have done years over our original tariffs. Yet, here I am in a top-security Dispersal, 12-years over my 1-year tariff, and they have put me on ‘high observation’ without explaining why, so I feel emotionally distressed. When you screw up you should pay a price, but, is that price so dear that I should spend the rest of my life in one of Her Majesty’s ‘failed institutions’? People that maintain these kinds of sentences cheapen the value of a human life and have no compassion for the feelings of that individual person.

You cannot dampen my spirit Sam Charnley - HMP/YOI Parc It has come to my attention in recent weeks that there is an unfortunate heightened level of discrimination here, if it’s not abuse or unnecessary physical contact, or being called ‘sweetheart’ by the wing’s closet homosexual, it’s going to an area of employment and being called ‘faggot’ or ‘batty-boy’ by the youth of today. Guess what? Some people are gay, get over yourself, I’m happily out of the closet and have a partner whom I love dearly. If you think you can dampen my spirit, think again. What certain people don’t seem to realise is that I’m not so different, I am still ME. We are all in prison for different reasons, so if you’ve got nothing nice to say then don’t say anything at all.

THANKS TO A SAFETY RAIL AND A DODGY SCREW WE WERE ABLE TO CLAIM £30,000 FOR INMATE 3670 Inmate James Costelios’ top bunk didn’t have a safety rail, he rolled and fell 5 feet onto an unforgiving concrete floor and fractured his pelvis. Unfortunately the subsequent operation failed because a collapsed screw underpinning the fracture went undetected. Through no fault of his own James had to endure considerable pain for several months... so we sued the prison and the NHS for personal injury and negligence... AND WERE AWARDED £30,000. James is just one of many prisoners Jefferies Solicitors have successfully represented over the years. You may not have your freedom but you still have rights. You could be entitled to personal injury compensation caused by trips, burns, gym or workshop accidents, even attacks by cell mates or staff. Talk to the countrys leading prison injury lawyers and claim what is due to you.

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8 Mailbag

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

Spouting negative

Mailbites Flu jab for all Lloyd Phillips - HMP Leyhill I suggest that all prisoners are given the flu jab every year. We have an amazing healthcare team here, but due to the sheer numbers of prisoners getting the flu, they are rushed off their feet. I am not sure how much a flu jab costs, but I believe Asda offer it for £5, so if the MoJ were to buy it in bulk, 100,000, they would probably get a huge discount and the cost would be negligible compared to the cost savings of fewer hospital visits, fewer prescriptions, fewer staff, tutors and healthcare professionals off sick. There would also be less chance of people dying in custody, where disease spreads like wildfire, or becoming gravely ill. New inmates could receive it on reception at their first healthcare check.

Judicial Review on smoking Name withheld - HMP Altcourse I write in reference to the piece ‘Smoking ban cannot be enforced’ (January issue). I currently have a Judicial Review lodged with the European Court of Human Rights. It is very unjust to force people to stop smoking in prisons, whether private or government run. Due to the smoking ban, the illicit use of Spice has increased, which means more Code Blue’s and deaths. New life sentenced inmates who have smoked for years will find vapes provided at extortionate costs and are not as effective as tobacco. How can the government possibly justify falsely including a rule under the 2006 Health Act to extend the smoking ban in prisons, when in IRC centres you can still smoke? I have 900 signatures of people who support my JR and I have sent them to the ECHR.

Criminal prices Name withheld - HMP Isle of Wight Yet another robbery by DHL. Last year I bought a kettle from the DHL-run canteen which cost £9.99, which I found reasonable. But, I have yet to receive the kettle. I have been given several excuses why nobody has received the kettles that they have already paid for, but the consensus seems to be that said kettles have been found, after PAT testing, to trip the electric. Fair enough, but now DHL are refusing to refund our money. I have been told by a prisoner who works with DHL that the woman in charge has stated that she will not be refunding our money! Surely this is theft/robbery and would not be allowed in the real world? Just think, if 200 prisoners each bought one of those kettles, that’s £2000 into DHL’s pockets. Remind me, who’s meant to be the criminals here?

Epi-pens in possession? Name withheld - HMP Altcourse Here at Altcourse, which is run by G4S, the policy is that they do not allow epi-pens in possession. However, if you suffer from severe allergies you can easily go into anaphylactic shock at any time. We are told that if we do suffer an anaphylactic shock, we should press our cell-bell, but at the rate by which they answer any cell-bell here, the prisoner would be dead.

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Phil Green HMP Buckley Hall We have all heard the repeated drivel spouted by Ministers regarding violence reduction in our prisons. They will often spout positive phrases such as ‘reform and rehabilitation’ and ‘we will reduce prisoner numbers’. Then, because they don’t have the courage to implement positive change, they take the easy option and spout negative phrases such as; ‘We will build more prisons’ and ‘We will employ former soldiers as prison officers’. This is the counterproductive vision of fools that will only end in disaster. In order to reduce violence and at the same time; reduce prisoner numbers, we need a revolutionary, pragmatic approach. We must extend the Incentives and Earned Privileges Scheme to include remission. Remission is the ideal incentive and very easy to implement. Currently, a 16-year determinate sentence is split into twoparts. The first part will be 8-years in custody, followed by 8-years on license. This never changes. It makes no difference whether someone is well-behaved or misbehaves, and this needs to change. With remission as an incentive, a prisoner who behaves, works, gets an education and proves he can be trusted, could be rewarded with time taken off the custodial part of his sentence. This would have the potential for the prisoner to reduce his time in custody to a quarter of the sentence, with 3-quarters spent on license. Those who misbehave or do not engage would serve a larger part of their sentence in custody. Think about it.

Insidetime March 2018

Never mind the b*****ks

Polygraph please Steve Kidd - HMP Swaleside On the 14th of January 2018, I’d been in prison for 10-years, a decade of my life for something I didn’t do. Lancashire Police, HMPPS, Blackpool Probation and all of my many friends, family and supporters know that I’m not a killer. After standing my ground from remand in HMP Preston and ever since, I think it is high time I forced my case further into the minds of those who have the power to free me. To that end I offer myself up to any agency to take a polygraph test to prove once and for all that I was blackmailed into pleading guilty to this Joint Enterprise murder that I’m held on. In doing a polygraph test I’ll be able to show that my QC told me that my girlfriend would get life and my 7-weekold would be taken into care if I went to trial instead of pleading guilty. That my Junior Counsel told me to ‘Think of your son’, something he later denied on oath at my Vacation of Plea hearing and in interview with the police. Also, that one or both of my legal team spoke to the Prosecution before they blackmailed me to ask about my girlfriend’s position if I was to plead. The Prosecutor told them to tell me that she would only be charged with assisting an offender if I pleaded guilty, and she would be able to go home with our son. I did not kill the victim, I was not even in the same room when it happened. But I want to take a polygraph test, not for the courts, but to prove to everyone else that I’m telling the truth. Polygraphs are being used by Probation, so it is not a big ask. Let me prove what I say. Editorial note Unfortunately a Polygraph test could prove nothing. They are not ‘lie detectors’ as some people call them and they are not credible testers of whether a person is being truthful; that is why Polygraph results are not recognised in courts of law either in the UK or the USA. The purpose of probation requiring people who were convicted of sexual offences to take the tests on release is to encourage them to be honest about their feelings and possible high risk activities.

HS Khatkar HMP Frankland Re; Fake inspections (January issue) - I have experienced these so-called random, unannounced, inspections countless times and it is just a load of old b*****ks. It is quite amusing for us, though, to see all the staff dressed up as they should be but normally are not, they put on their ties and everything. And suddenly governors are appearing on the wings acting all friendly to inmates, when you normally only see them at adjudications, where they are rarely friendly. But, the most shocking thing about these open circus days is the fact that anyone with a voice who might talk to the inspectors and tell them the reality of what is going on is safely and securely locked away in a cell where inspectors never set foot. Instead, the orderlies and office cats are ushered forward to talk to the nice inspectors. What a complete farce!

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Inspectors are right about bullying

“We only have a few rules around here, but we really enforce them.”

© Deposit Photos

Ex-prisoner “Mr B” - details withheld

No holy smoke William Franks - HMP Grampian I write in response to the Mailbag titled ‘Holy Smoke’ (January issue), which was written anonymously. Mr Anonymous (I will presume he is male) claims to be deeply offended by his fellow inmates who use pages from their Holy Bibles for cigarette papers and he feels that this behaviour is sacrilegious. He also states that if they have an ounce of respect, they should cease this practise forthwith. The first thing I would say about this is that it is up to the individual what they do with their own property, and neither you nor I have any right to tell them otherwise. Secondly, when it comes to the Bible, I find the book extremely offensive. The most offensive parts of the Bible are when it tells us to kill the gays (Lev 20:13); the adulterers (Lev 20:10); the apostates (Deut 13:6-10); blasphemers (Lev 24:13); sabbath breakers (Num 15:32-36); our unruly children (Lev 20:9 + Deut 21:18-21); as well as those men who refuse divine command to impregnate their dead brothers’ wives (Gen 38:8-10). And I am deeply horrified that any decent and moral individual would ever consider bending their knee to a tyrannical god who drowns babies (The Great Flood); or, who orders ‘His’ chosen to commit genocide and ethnic cleansing (see the Books of Joshua and Numbers); a god who commands a father to ‘gut’ his beloved son as part of some sick and twisted test of loyalty (Abraham and Isaac); a god who has accepted a human child sacrifice to be carried out in his name (the story of Jephthah in The Book of Judges) to a god who sends bears to maul defenceless children to death, just because a bald-headed man got his feelings hurt (2 Kings 2:23-25). And, because of His own insecurities, he thinks it is ok to demand that we love Him rather than have to earn it. We also find Him telling us we have to hate our parents, including our brothers and sisters, and if we refuse then we cannot be one of his disciples (Luke 14:25-26). Isn’t this how all cults behave? And if this still isn’t enough, He thinks it’s ok for us to own our fellow humans as slaves (Exodus 21), and that women should be denied a voice in the church - for He has forbidden them to speak or preach in the church, for if they want to know anything, they are supposed to ask their husbands (1Corin 14:33-35), should we be offended that this Bible treats women and girls as personal property of men? Mr Anonymous may not know this, but there are plenty more offensive verses to be found in this deeply offensive book of his - but, of course, the Bible was not written by highly enlightened or scientifically minded individuals, it was written by deeply ignorant and highly superstitious men, who were writing for a mainly male dominated society, thousands of years ago when they thought the world was flat and epilepsy was caused by demons. Mr Anonymous claims that the words found in the Bible are, in fact, literally, God’s own words as passed down to us. So, I challenge him to produce the evidence for that. Though, he cannot use the Bible to prove the Bible. The Bible is ‘the claim’, and not ‘the evidence’. Maybe we should just censor all religious books and keep them away from children.

Mailbag

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

Insidetime March 2018

As a resident of HMP Bure, in 2017, I found it enlightening to read the 2017 HMIP Inspection report on HMP Bure. In point 1.17 it said “…procedures to challenge perpetrators of victimisation or bullying were poor, amounting to a single line in electronic case notes indicating that a prisoner was a ‘perpetrator’ and that an investigation had taken place. In the notes we reviewed, there was no information about what had happened or how prisoners were to be managed. Similarly, victim support amounted to ‘victim’ being entered into the case notes, and we were unable to find any support plans.” Its recommendation was: “1.18 Outcomes of investigations into incidents of bullying or violence should be clearly recorded and there should be sufficient challenge and management of perpetrators, and support for victims.” From my own experience, of being a victim and a witness, of such, at Bure, I can tell you that the prison, at all levels, did not care about what prisoners did to other prisoners. I observed the prison staff sitting back, not doing their job, not responding to requests for help, not answering their office door, not patrolling the landings, not confronting bullies. I did observe the wing and management staff, directly and indirectly, bully and victimise residents, including myself. The Inspectors finding, above, gives an actual example of deliberate dereliction of duty by the staff. The staff do so little to actually manage bullying and poor behaviour at Bure that one could claim that the staff want residents to come to emotional and physical harm. That is, it is my view that the staff are complicit (by their lack of action) in the bullying, threats and violence that occurs at Bure. 

The new normal Name withheld HMP Bullingdon

9

Mailbites Slave wage

I wonder if what goes on here is normal in other prisons and I would be interested to hear if it is. The Violence Reduction (VR) reps are normally high on Spice and some of them are known bullies who bully other prisoners. The Muslim Listeners are only interested in helping other Muslims. Some of The Listeners have been involved in bullying and harassing other prisoners, including shouting abuse out of their windows and deliberately turning up their stereos at night. Some of The Listeners and VR reps are telling victims of bullying that it is their own fault because they are weak. We have a predatory Shannon Trust member grooming the young prisoners he mentors. We had a Thames Valley CRC rep complaining about having to help others when he’d rather sit in his cell chatting to his mates. We have some Insiders who are just too lazy to help new prisoners. We do not have a Foreign National or LGBT rep on our wing. Also, staff seem to ignore the smell of cannabis and Spice, and for the majority of the day are nowhere to be seen. Bad behaviour is rewarded here. Does that sound normal to you?

W Tatton - HMP Manchester Reading the December issue, where Paula Wainwright says she gets just £10 for a 5-day working week. With recalls, I have done 7-years of an 8-year sentence and for the past 3-years I have not been able to use the phone to keep in contact with my family. I work 7-days a week in the laundry for a crappy £7.50 per week. I cannot afford toiletries and other essentials and I certainly don’t earn enough for phone units. It’s about time the MoJ brought prisoners pay and discharge grants into the 21st century.

In praise of National Prison Radio M Bradbrook - HMP Holme House I am a rocker at heart, so have been listening to the Rock Show and Chris is a great presenter. From June to November 2017, I was stuck behind my door because education was cancelled due to staff shortages. I had never really listened to NPR in the daytime until this 16-week bang-up. I found myself listening to some great programmes, like the Prison Takeover, and finding out what other prisoners do in the prison, past, present and future, Books Unlocked, and much, much more. NPR made those 16-weeks a little bit more bearable. So, thank you all at National Prison Radio, and keep up the great work.

Poor disclosure Name withheld - HMP Leyhill Given the sudden scrutiny on police disclosure of evidence, could you please include a section or column in the paper that could provide some direction and support for those convicted where evidence was withheld. In my case, the police refused to hand over a CD with the complete phone/text messages. The selected message list was missing, so much data that even a 3-month block was missing! The times, dates and content of that missing data would have supported my case. Can you help? See pages 26, 37 and 39

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Justice Minister responds to HMP Nottingham Urgent Notification • completed over 800 maintenance tasks, including repairing windows and damaged cells, with monthly inspections resulting in significant improvements to cleanliness.

HMP Nottingham

David Gauke MP Following the referral of HMP Nottingham for urgent action under the new Urgent Notification Protocol between the prisons inspectorate and minister for justice, David Gauke, the Justice Secretary has announced his plans for Nottingham. Care for the most vulnerable offenders will be dramatically improved, with NHS England supporting HMP Nottingham with an additional £200,000 to improve mental health services. Specialist healthcare staff will now spend additional time with those most at risk of self-harm, and more detailed mental health assessments will be

completed by trained professionals. A local suicide prevention policy has also been launched, providing additional staff training in managing vulnerable offenders, and the prison will continue to work closely with the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman to make sure all recommendations on deaths in custody are implemented. As part of interim measures, the prison stopped holding young offenders and 50 prisoners aged between 18 and 21 have been moved or will be moving after their next court appearance. It has also been announced that category B prisoners at Nottingham will be moved out into the High Security Estate. In addition, Nottingham has: • carried out a full review of safety and violence, with body worn cameras now fully operational and staff receiving additional conflict resolution training; • committed to recruiting 100 new officers to boost the prison’s frontline, as well as increasing mentoring for new recruits and less experienced staff;

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Commenting on the actions taken Mr Gauke said: “I’ve been absolutely clear that conditions in some of our prisons are unacceptable, and I will not stand for them. We’ve already taken immediate action to address failings identified by the Chief Inspector, but this action plan is only the beginning. The most troubling and tragic of the problems at HMP Nottingham is the unacceptable level of self-harm and deaths. To address this, we have established a new suicide prevention policy, boosted the mental health assessment and referrals process, and got extra support from the NHS. But we can’t stop there and I am committed to getting the basics right at Nottingham and across the estate. We must stop the drugs, violence and selfharm, and clean up our prisons so we can focus on making them safe and secure places for rehabilitation.” Following the notification Mr Gauke wrote to HMCIP Peter Clarke with his plans. The letter can be downloaded here: https://tinyurl.com/ ybdkyd9k A full action plan setting out what must happen and dates can be downloaded here: https://tinyurl.com/ya9424j7 Prison inspectors will now carry out a final full inspection which will be published later this year.

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£2million payout for poor healthcare Prisoners have been paid close to £2m in compensation for poor healthcare behind bars since 2010 amid mounting concern over the scale of the crisis gripping Britain’s prisons. New figures show that payouts to prisoners for medical negligence or poor treatment have been on the rise since 2010-11, when inmates received just £26,389 in damages, compared to £360,325 last year. Compensation claims amounted to £1,984,439 over the past seven years, soaring to a high of £617,468 in 2012-13, analysis of official data showed. Leading doctors have spoken out in the past over the challenges in delivering healthcare behind bars, as shortages of prison staff and transport can mean medics are forced to cancel or delay treatment for sick prisoners for security reasons, according to the BMA. In its latest annual report, the prisons watchdog said health services “were affected by shortages of prison staff and restrictive regimes” and many prisoners lived in overcrowded and poor cells. Shadow health minister Justin Madders, who obtained the figures, said: “These are extremely worrying findings. The substantial increase in compensation for negligent care is a stark indication of the unprecedented pressures being placed on NHS workers treating prisoners, and shockingly the real figures could be higher still. Seven years of harsh austerity has left patients suffering and care quality has evidently taken a hit.” Credit: The Independent

Prison officer recruitment failing The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) say they have now recruited nearly 2,000 new prison officers since their recruitment campaign started to replace staff cuts brought in by Chris Grayling. They say a further 1,582 new recruits have been offered jobs and booked onto training courses. The MoJ say there was a net increase of 1,970 officers from October 2016 to December last year, up from 17,955 to 19,925. They say recruitment will continue and all new recruits will be given improved suicide and self-harm prevention training. The nationwide drive to recruit more prison officers has been a damp squib in London where Belmarsh, Pentonville and Wormwood Scrubs have all seen staff numbers fall. Despite the MoJ recruiting 4,563 new officers last year nearly 2,000 left the service. A quarter of the new recruits left within their first year. For London prisons, including Brixton, Downview, Feltham and Isis the total net gain was just 22 staff. A POA spokesman said: “These statistics clearly demonstrate that enticing new staff into the job in the London area is simply not happening.” Justice Minister David Gauke said: “These figures show we are on target to recruit 2,500 additional prison officers. I am determined to tackle the issues in our prisons head on and I am committed to getting the basics right so we can focus on making them safe and decent places to support rehabilitation. Staffing is the golden thread that links the solutions we need to put in place to drive improvement, so I am delighted our recruitment efforts are working.”

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Looking Back... through the Inside Time archives March 2008

A life saved “Just before Christmas, a prisoner here on C Wing at HMP Birmingham collapsed of a heart attack in the recess area. Several officers rushed to the scene and after repeated attempts at resuscitation, the inmate survived long enough to be treated by paramedics. The man’s heart stopped several times but the officers never gave up and under extremely stressful circumstances managed to save his life.” Mailbag - HMP Birmingham

Lives lost “The name ‘abattoir’ suits the situation here in Wakefield prison. Every year the death rate appears to increase caused by, among other things, self-harm, heart attacks, cancer, strokes and diabetes. At least a third of inmates are ‘under the doctor’. Most are old and dying, many are diabetic - often as a result of the rubbish food - one man who developed diabetes in prison is now blind.” Mailbag - HMP Wakefield

Money back! “I write in the hope I may be able to assist other inmates. I found out to my good fortune that because I was in full-time employment up until entering custody, I was owed money from the Inland Revenue. I contacted them, stating when my last day of employment was and that I would like to bring my tax affairs up to date, and some time after received a repayment of £1,100.” Mailbag - HMP Littlehey

Former Prime Minister’s wife says prisoners should earn more “Cherie Blair, wife of the former Prime Minister, is leading a drive for prisoners to earn up to £10,000 a year doing work in jail for firms which are household names.” Newsround

Newsround 11

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Insidetime March 2018

Thousands set for early release Continued from front page The new drive to release more prisoners early was introduced days before David Gauke took over as justice secretary from David Lidington in January. A streamlined application process was introduced at the beginning of this year with the number of forms to be filled in halved. Past processes had become “overly bureaucratic” and tended to frustrate the objects of HDC resulting in only a minority being released, official guidance says. Other desired outcomes, according to the paper, are that “release on HDC is the norm for eligible offenders, so that most can benefit from ... extra stability ... and HDC is refused for eligible offenders by exception”. In the last quarter of 2016, 15,469 prisoners were eligible for HDC but 2,329 were let out under the scheme. A unit has been created in the MoJ to push ahead with the plan, including a clearing house to

deal with checks on the addresses to which prisoners are being released. No one serving a sentence of four years or more for any offence is eligible. Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said that while it was good to release people to the community on a tag, “this looks like a panic measure because prisons are in such dire straits. Ministers must give prison governors the political cover if things go wrong with a prisoner, as they will because humans are complex and make mistakes,” she added. Peter Dawson, Director of the Prison Reform Trust said, “If this is actually followed through, it will be a modest step in the right direction on prisons. Time will tell. But much more radical action is needed to bring our insatiable appetite for imprisonment back under control. Until that happens, many prisons will be neither decent nor safe, much less places of reform.” HDC the facts page 30

In the papers

Jailed for begging in a ‘posh area’

Newsbites Police on ‘Poo Watch’

A homeless man has been sent to prison for begging in a ‘posh’ part of Bristol. Bristol City Council had taken out an injunction banning him from the Clifton Village area of the city. The Council said they were forced to take action because of his “destructive lifestyle” and that it was for his own good, but an expert said the council was “criminalising begging” and was not helping the situation. David Cowan, a professor of Law and Policy at Bristol University, and an expert on property and housing law said: “It is just stupid. The issues here are not criminal, they are structural. They are putting someone in prison for begging - what else are they supposed to do? There is no precise law against begging. What is happening here is they are criminalising begging through the injunction process. It begins as a civil order and becomes criminal on breach. The real issue here is not begging, it’s the existence of begging against a backdrop of austerity. What are they to do? What are the options?”

Essex Police officers have been tweeting daily updates of an operation they described as “poo watch” since a suspected drug dealer that police believe swallowed his stash has spent more than three weeks in custody refusing to go to the toilet since he was arrested in Harlow on 17 January. Police said they would continue to apply to court for custody extensions until he produced the goods or allows doctors to retrieve the package he is suspected of swallowing. Chief Superintendent Paul Wells, of Essex Police, said: “If you are arrested and suspected of having drugs inside you, we can and will keep you in custody until you produce them.”

Shadow Justice Secretary not happy with MoJ Shadow Justice Secretary Richard Burgon has said that figures which show that prison staff were redeployed to understaffed prisons 1,700 times in 2017 at a cost of nearly £2.5million, reveal “chaos at the heart of the government’s prison strategy”. The cost, which covers travel and hotel expenses would have been enough to employ 108 full time officers, said Mr Burgon. He said that to shift staff from one prison to another to ‘paper over the cracks’ failed to address the “disastrous Tory decision” to axe thousands of staff which left prisons more dangerous than ever.

Polygraph recalls Probation officers have recalled 160 people to prison since 2014 because they were unhappy with the men’s answers given during polygraph tests (wrongly labelled ‘lie detectors’). They were introduced to help monitor people convicted of sexual offences and are routinely included as part of licence conditions. When introduced, the government said that nobody could be sent back to prison solely on the results of the machines - polygraph results are not allowed to be used in courts in the UK or America. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “Public protection is our number one priority, and testing is strictly mandatory for all high-risk sex offenders. And these figures show polygraph tests play an important role in the monitoring of these offenders.”

Filleted statistics Dr Kimmett Edgar and Geoff Dobson - Prison Reform Trust writing in the Guardian Your leader (8 January) and Marcel Berlins’s plea to politicians (Let’s stop fighting over the figures in 2009, 5 January) highlight the extent to which criminal justice has become a party political football. In such a fevered climate it can often seem as though statistics have been filleted to expose evidence that a political opponent has gone “soft on crime” rather than to understand what might be effective and in what circumstances. Sadly, the end product of much good work by researchers is to feed the fear of crime and pleas for ever tougher punishments. How else can we explain the lack of attention given to the excellent research into restorative justice, which shows that victims of crime who have such meetings with offenders are far more likely to be satisfied with the process than those who experience the traditional court process? Less than 1% of victims of adult offenders have access to restorative justice. This dynamic is unlikely to change while it is the Home Office that publishes criminal justice research and statistical information. Such vital work should be placed at arm’s length from government if it is to provide a truly independent basis for sober, informed policy debate.

‘Serious action needed’ Lord Woolf If you ask me whether we have gone back to where we were pre-Strangeways,” Lord Woolf told The Observer last month, “I think we are there in that sort of territory. It is not confined to one of our prison establishments. It is across the board. There has been a complete breakdown in recognising the fact that serious action is needed, and recognising that the only way to do it is to have a long-term plan, with somebody in charge of it throughout the term. I’m afraid we’ve got to have a complete reassessment of the situation.

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www.insidetime.org as a disqualified driver, despite him giving false details. He was issued with a summons for three offences and his vehicle seized. The armed response unit returned to patrol within ten minutes, and without the mobile fingerprint scanner this could have resulted in the unit being out of action for four hours taking the individual to a custody suite.

“May I have your print sir?”

‘Stop and Scan’ New mobile fingerprinting technology will allow frontline officers across the country to use their smart-phones to identify people in less than a minute - saving police time and reducing costs Inside Time report An app. on an officer’s phone, combined with a handheld scanner, will mean police will be able to check fingerprints against both criminal and immigration records by connecting to the two live databases (IDENT1 and IABS) via the new Biometric Services Gateway. West Yorkshire Police (WYP), who worked with the Home Office to trial the new system, will begin an initial roll-out of 250 scanners to officers in the coming weeks - the app. is already available to its 5,500 frontline officers. It is expected that another 20 forces across the country will roll out the system by the end of this year. Minister for Policing and the Fire Service Nick Hurd said:

“By cutting out unnecessary trips to and from the police station, mobile technology is really helping to save valuable time and allowing officers to do what they do best - cutting crime and keeping us safe. “It’s clear that by embracing technology the police can improve efficiency and, if all forces delivered the level of productivity from mobile working as the leading forces, the average officer could spend an hour a day extra on the frontline.” To ensure the information accessed from the Biometric Services Gateway remains secure, fingerprints are not stored and are automatically deleted from the device once they have been checked. As well as identifying a person of interest who may be withholding their name, the technology enables officers to

By cutting out unnecessary trips to and from the police station, mobile technology is really helping to save valuable time and allowing officers to do what they do best - cutting crime and keeping us safe. rapidly identify someone experiencing a medical emergency and make contact with their next of kin. Early examples of the new system in action include a firearms unit who detained a driver after a short pursuit and were able to identify him

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West Yorkshire Police Assistant Chief Constable Andy Battle said: “As we have already experienced in the trial, the combination of these digital solutions bring tangible benefits to policing our communities. It means we can submit fingerprints of suspects from the street to a live time national database and receive results in less than a minute. We have seen first-hand, for instance, how this rapid identification has enabled speedy and accurate medical treatment based on the records available. Its use also allows relatives to attend hospital to see their loved ones when time is of the essence. From an operational perspective, they quickly open investigative leads into serious crimes and

Insidetime March 2018 can often reveal the associates of an otherwise unknown victim. Likewise, they can immediately identify suspects who attempt to give false details and will prompt people to be more forthcoming in the first place.” Privacy and human rights advocates warn that the mobility of the technology and the lack of oversight in its deployment means it could foster abusive policing tactics. Martha Spurrier, director of UK advocacy group Liberty said the technology could exacerbate problems associated with current stop and search powers, which are disproportionately used to target minorities and are often cited as a cause of tension between police and local communities.“The problem with these mobile applications is that there’s nothing to stop an individual officer acting on their worst prejudices. With taking fingerprints or interviewing subjects, there’s a really good reason people have to take suspects to the station, because it [allows for oversight]. These are safeguards to make sure a police

The problem with these mobile applications is that there’s nothing to stop an individual officer acting on their worst prejudices. officer isn’t wandering around an estate fingerprinting people at random.” The veracity of the fingerprint databases that underpin these scans was also called into question recently. In January, a parliamentary committee tasked with investigating government policy on immigration found a 10 percent error rate in the Home Office’s list of ‘disqualified people’. This, said the committee, has fed into a string of injustices, from individuals being denied bank accounts because of their supposed immigration status to citizens being held in detention centres only to be later released without apology or explanation.

Newsround 13

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World prison review

The heat is off Texas prison gets Aircon The state of Texas plans to install air conditioning in a notoriously hot prison after reaching a settlement with inmates in a federal class action lawsuit. Temperatures regularly exceed 100°F (38°C) in the summer. Prisoners argued in court that allowing prison temperatures to rise above 88 degrees amounts to cruel and unusual punishment. “It’s a big day for the inmates who suffered through those summers at the Pack Unit,” said Jeff Edwards, attorney for the prisoners. “They’re not going to be in fear of dying from heat stroke anymore.”  Texas has more than 100 prisons, and almost 75 percent of them don’t have air conditioning in the areas where inmates live. Nearly two dozen inmates have died from heat stroke in Texas prisons in the last two decades. Japan promotes employment for former prisoners In 2016 the Japanese Justice Ministry established job information centres to help released prisoners find employment. They were set up as Japan believed that one way to stop reoffending was to ensure released prisoners could access employment. The correctional work support information centres, established in the cities of Saitama and Osaka, collect information including age and qualifications of some 2,500 prisoners about to finish their sentences within the next six months, and let recruiters know at which job-placement offices they should post offers - by the end of last year, the centres received 848 such inquiries from firms, which led to the employment of 128 former prisoners. The centres are holding presentations targeting companies and taking other promotional measures to encourage more employers to hire former prisoners. Recruiters who have used the system said they can now offer jobs more smoothly to job seekers at prisons and correctional institutions. According to the Japanese Justice Ministry, the chances of a repeat offence by people under probation without jobs between 2012 and 2016 was 26 percent, more than three times higher than those with jobs. To help the employment of those leaving prisons, the Japanese government has offered financial incentives to companies hiring them and also began stationing job-placement office workers in prisons since 2015.

Britain asks for Thailand to improve its prisons The British embassy in Thailand is worried over the treatment of British prisoners in Thailand’s prisons, urging authorities there to adopt adequate measures to protect them against human rights violations. Thai Corrections Department chief, Naras Savestanan said that the embassy wants his department to “be aware of prisoners’ rights, prevent suicides and escapes as well as ensure their quality of life” but Mr Savestanan said that although his prisons were overcrowded and short of staff his authorities had complied with international guidelines requiring good prison management, governing matters such as admission and search procedures and healthcare for prisoners - standards are laid down in the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, known as the Mandela Rules, and the Bangkok Rules, a set of UN rules giving special care for female prisoners.

Chinese prisons safest in world - says China The Chinese Ministry of Justice says that almost no one in China has broken out of prison, and the country has the safest prisons worldwide. Xiong Xuanguo, vice minister of justice, said at a press conference in Beijing that every year there were very few prison breaks nationwide; he said China’s prisons focus on work to guard, manage and reform prisoners. Prisons in China reformed prisoners using various methods, including psychological treatment, cultural education and skills training, he said: “The basic requirement for Chinese prisons is to transform the law-breakers to law-abiding citizens, doing our best to lower the reoffending rate.”

Good Prison News

Prisoners at Parc bring hope to Africa

Old kit transformed

Saudi critics jailed A criminal court in Saudi Arabia sentenced a columnist to five years in prison for insulting the royal court, the official body that represents the king and crown prince. It’s the latest case targeting critics of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who in September oversaw the arrest of dozens of prominent Saudi figures, including moderate clerics, for not publicly supporting or for criticizing his domestic and foreign policies. Rights groups have described the 32-year-old prince’s crackdown on dissent as authoritarianism. Bodyswap prisoner caught in Peru Police in Peru have recaptured a prisoner more than a year after he escaped from prison by swapping places with his twin brother. The man is serving a 16 year prison sentence and when his twin brother visited him he drugged him, swapped clothes and walked out of the prison. Authorities had their suspicions and took the ‘new’ prisoner’s fingerprints (twins don’t have identical fingerprints). Now recaptured, the prisoner can look forward to a move to a high security prison. His twin was arrested and interrogated in case he colluded with his brother but has now been released.

Prisoners at HMP Parc, Bridgend, recently won a Highly Commended certificate signed by First Minister Carwyn Jones at the HubCymruAfrica Awards held recently in the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff.

Old for new Prison and Virgin Trains bring essentials to the needy HMP Northumberland has teamed up with Virgin Trains to recycle their old, out of date, uniforms into blankets, bags and coats for homeless charity Albert Kennedy Trust which supports young LGBT homeless people in crisis. The old uniforms have been handed over to the prison to be recycled by its talented textiles team. This follows the launch in 2017 of Virgin Trains’ new body-neutral uniform range designed by sustainable fashion designers Gerardine and Wayne Hemingway.

Crown Prince Mohammed

© Virgin

Insidetime March 2018

Approximately 30 million tonnes of corporate wear is sent to landfill each year in the UK - Virgin Trains is looking to address this with a creative solution. The innovative partnership is part of a rehabilitation scheme that helps to prepare prisoners for life outside, in an effort to reduce reoffending rates. The initiative will see prisoners transforming the old uniforms into items such as blankets, bags and coats to help those living on the streets. The items will then be donated to local homeless charity, the Albert Kennedy Trust. “We’re delighted to be partnering with Virgin Trains on its uniform upcycling initiative,” Steven Goodacre, head of business development at HMP Northumberland, said. “Not only is it great to be giving back to local and national homeless charities, but it’s also a fantastic opportunity for our offenders within the establishment to learn new skills which will help them once they have been released, while also decreasing the likelihood of reoffending.” Zinzi Dzusa, responsible business manager at Virgin Trains, added: “Virgin Trains has a passion for sustainability, so when it came to launching our new uniforms we wanted to make sure our old ones were being recycled in the best way possible. This environmental collaboration with HMP Northumberland gives our old uniforms a new lease of life and is a creative solution to achieving zero waste to landfill, whilst also supporting vulnerable people across our patch.”

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The award was for money the prisoners had raised for two different charities in Africa: Wells of Hope in Uganda - a charity that cares for the abandoned children of offenders, and SEFCymru - a charity set up in Cardiff to relieve the drought in East Africa.

“The prisoners raised the money through a variety of activities, including sponsored football matches and themed family days.” Phil Forder, community engagement manager at the G4S run prison in Bridgend said: “Schemes that allow prisoners to give something back to society play an integral part in the complexities surrounding rehabilitation. Prisoners are incredibly generous when opportunities arise to fundraise for a good cause. “In the last 12 months over £7,000 was raised for various causes, both local and further afield.”

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Insidetime March 2018

Good Prison News

Families count at HMP Parc

Fun and games for the whole family when visiting Grampian

Teachers take children’s work into prison to show parents

chairs to the side. We can play football with little target goals, the same with tennis, badminton, basketball, mini versions of these sports.”

Nice one son! Every Wednesday and Saturday prisoners at HMP Grampian are now able to play football and badminton with young relatives during visiting times and helping the youngsters connect with relatives serving time at the prison. The sessions are run by Streetsport - in partnership with Children in Need and charity Families Outside. Ross McNeil, Streetsport outreach co-ordinator, said: “It’s been going a little bit under the radar for around seven months now. It’s a brand new programme funded by Children in Need, in partnership with Families Outside. Children in Need gave them the funding for it and they chose Streetsport. Every Wednesday and Saturday I’ll go up to the prison during family visiting times, for an hour and a half. The kids will come up with the family to visit their relatives. It’s to give the kids a better experience than sitting at a table chatting and getting bored. “It’s just in a visiting room. We push tables and

Because of the success of the project it is now set to expand to make use of the gym and, in the summer, the prison’s football pitch. Lindsay Jessiman, Families Outside family support co-ordinator for the North-east, said: “The prison was really receptive to the idea. Both the prisoners and the kids said ‘this is brilliant!’ Instead of sitting at a table really bored, all of a sudden there’s all sorts of games and activities to do.”

“Positivity for families” Stuart Campbell, head of operations at the Scottish Prison Service, said, “This is an excellent project that has created so much positivity for families in such a short space of time. The enthusiasm of Streetsport and the wide range of activities they offer to the families is fantastic.” Credit: Aberdeen Journals / Evening Express

Paul Sullivan Corin Morgan-Armstrong, Head of Family Interventions, for G4S custody and detention services in the UK, told Inside Time how HMP Parc is showcasing the benefits of prisoner rehabilitation through its Invisible Walls project.

Rishan Gudka

He told us: “If prisoners could see through their cell walls, to look in the direction of the home where their family lives, and somehow see through those walls, they would see their son crying at night because he wants his dad, or their partner struggling, drowning in debt - if they could just see that, it would make them behave in a different way.” He believes this so strongly he decided to do something about it and, in 2012, he devised a project called Invisible Walls. He says: “Prisoners who have their children’s name tattooed on their skin might tell you nothing is more important than their family, and yet everything they do runs counter to that. I wanted to connect these men with the emotional and practical hardship they are putting their families through in order to give them a different focus and help them to go down a different path,” The Parc scheme, which was delivered in partnership with Barnardo’s Cymru, ran for its first five years using Big Lottery funding. Each prisoner taking part in the scheme is allocated a mentor, who also works together with the prisoner’s family - children, partners and grandparents - to help sustain and rebuild connections. Within Parc’s Family Intervention Unit, prisoners on the scheme also have access to 19 different ‘family interventions’, from parenting-for-dads courses to in-prison parents’ evenings. “We want children to see their father doing something positive and being applauded,” explains Corin, “The mentors work with prisoners’ partners, children and their schools, and social services to bring all the threads together.” A December 2017 evaluation of the first five years of the project by the University of South Wales has found that it is already getting significant results, leading to further funding by the HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) and G4S. As well as the obvious help to prisoners’ children the scheme has transformed the prospects of the prisoners too. On arrival at Parc, 80% of prisoners on the scheme had been unemployed, and 17% homeless; 89% were misusing drugs or alcohol. On release, only 25% were unemployed and 1% homeless; 20% were misusing drugs or alcohol.

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The Tax Academy™ is a Social Enterprise created by Paul Retout , a Tax Specialist to help Prisoners with their tax affairs in Prison and on the outside. He was recently profiled in ‘ The Times’ – ‘ Tax Rebates for Cellmates’ having run tax seminars for inmates in HMP Wandsworth.

G4S and HMPPS Wales have funded Invisible Walls to continue, increasing the time mentors spend with prisoners post-release from six to 12 months. “We now have a cost-effective approach I’m confident that other prisons could adopt. We have an opportunity to create a family strategy across Wales’ prisons and we’ve had interest in the scheme from prisons around the world. If I could double the team we could double the outcomes - but our new delivery model is leaner and smarter, and that means it can be replicated,” says Corin.

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Leicester student win Scandinavian-inspired designs by a De Montfort University (DMU) student have been chosen for redesigning the visitors’ room and waiting area at HMP Stocken. Interior Design students were invited to respond to Stocken Prison’s brief, following DMU’s successful redesign of HMP Leicester, which saw a dramatic increase in visitor numbers and partners taking their children in for the first time. Final-year student Rishan Gudka impressed with his light, airy designs and suggested use of local resources. The brief was to address the needs of visitors, prisoners and prison officers and staff, by creating a more welcoming space while maintaining the required levels of security. After speaking to prisoners’ families and prison staff, as well as conducting research into prison environments that can reduce reoffending rates, Rishan proposed a dramatic transformation to the original space. Wendie Zijlstra, Head of Operations at HMP Stocken, said: “Rishan’s designs were chosen because of the natural feel and sectioning of the areas. The impact will be great on how the men, their children and other visitors will use this space and view it as their own.”

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Homeless packs for released prisoners

Rough sleepers should be welcome

Homeless hostel call for Holloway Visitor Centre Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has called for the, now closed, HMP Holloway Visitor Centre to be opened up as a hostel for homeless people. The prison was shut in 2016 and last year the visitor centre was ‘occupied’ by feminist group Sisters Uncut, who called for a women’s centre and affordable housing to be built on the site. Mr Corbyn, who is MP for the Islington area where the prison is, wrote to the new Justice Secretary David Gauke saying that leaving the site empty was a waste of a good resource. “I am writing to ask that you consider agreeing, in principle, to the temporary re-opening of the HMP Holloway Visitor Centre so that it may be used as a homeless hostel. Having an additional resource to help address the needs of local homeless individuals would be hugely beneficial. Rough sleeping is on the increase in Islington and across the country, and is an emergency that needs action now.” In response the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said: “The Visitor Centre at HMP Holloway is currently a key site for prison officer recruitment as we continue to increase staffing numbers. Regrettably therefore the centre is not vacant and is unable to be put to alternative use. We are working closely with the council and others on the sale of the site.”

A project set up by the Christian charity Loving by Giving in conjunction with  HMP Norwich, provides an urban survival kit for life on the streets to prisoners being released from Norwich with no accommodation. Loving by Giving is a charity that works to relieve poverty and change people’s lives practically. Alison Wernham, Project Co-ordinator for the charity  said: “The backpack gives these ex-offenders a starter pack to assist them initially on release.  There is currently the need to provide approximately 10 backpacks a month - this number is expected to increase. We really believe that together we can make a positive difference in the lives of many people who are in desperate need”. The backpacks contain the following items: Sleeping bag, toothbrush, hand towel, cereal bar, toothpaste, warm hat, refillable water bottle, shaving foam, gloves, scarf, pen, safety razor, socks, notepad, shower gel, rain mac and a £5 supermarket voucher.

Newsround // Local Prison News 15

Newsbites Anti-bullying policy at Drake Hall ‘not fit for purpose’

Cheating the Inspectors A leaflet distributed to staff at Northern Ireland’s Maghaberry Prison telling them how to answer questions during an expected ‘unannounced’ inspection has been met with derision from staff at the prison; one senior officer said that the leaflets attracted more graffiti than a public toilet. The leaflet is entitled: “Are you ready for inspection? What you need to know about the unannounced inspection at Maghaberry Prison.” It includes photographs and a question and answer section to guide staff on how to respond to questions from prison inspectors. One prison officer said: “We are all feeling so much better now that we have a wee leaflet. It’s absolutely genius. It provides us with five questions and seven answers. So pretty excellent all round.

“We have prisoners trying to kill themselves, staff members under extreme pressure, colleagues facing some very dangerous situations while dealing with a staffing and experience crisis, others suffering physical and mental health concerns and we are expected to just get on with it and pretend everything is wonderful … ” “HMP Maghaberry is not a place anyone wants to be, not prisoners and very few prison staff. Problems continue, little changes and the inspectors think they have seen everything and they have not - yet. But sure now we have a leaflet so it’s all good. If this is what the DoJ thinks will ensure the next unannounced inspection will go like a dream, they need to have a rethink.”

The inquest into the death of a prisoner at Drake Hall just 8 days after her transfer from Peterborough has identified a failure to monitor and assess suicide and self-harm risk at both prisons, and failure in responding to bullying at Drake Hall. There had not been a self-inflicted death in Drake Hall since 1996, and evidence was heard about the negative impact of the recent closure of Holloway on the prison. The mother of four, who had never been in prison before, experienced bullying at Drake Hall, and repeatedly spoke to staff about her distress but no plan was implemented to address this.

Inquest criticism for New Hall The inquest into the death of Emily, a 21 year old woman at HMP New Hall, in 2016, has concluded that a lack of professionalism at New Hall, including in the implementation of suicide and self-harm procedures (ACCT), contributed to her death. She was the youngest of 22 women to die in women’s prisons in 2016, the highest annual number of deaths on record. Including Emily, there have been five deaths in New Hall since 2016. The woman’s death took place behind the building where exercise took place, in an out of bounds area. It took prison staff two and half hours to notice that she had gone missing and to find her body, despite the fact that she should have been checked every half an hour because she was considered at risk.

Wormwood Scrubs murder Three prisoners have appeared in court accused of murder after a fatal stabbing at HMP Wormwood Scrubs on 31st January. The victim was stabbed repeatedly and was pronounced dead at the scene. A trial date has been set for July.

Suicide rate fall at HMP Northumberland It is good news for HMP Northumberland where the number of prisoners taking their own lives has fallen. In 2016, four people took their lives at the Sodexo run prison. Last year this fell to just one. Although every death is one too many, prison managers hope the trend to less deaths will repeat throughout the prison estate.

Elmley IMB: ‘maintenance should be back in-house’ Following the dramatic fall of Carillion, which had contracts to clean and maintain 50 prisons in England and Wales, the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) at HMP Elmley has become the latest board to criticise work done (or not done) by the company; describing the outsourcing of maintenance contracts as a “catastrophic blunder” in its latest report. They say it took three months to repair a water leak, another three months to fix three bolts on a toilet door. They plead for the new justice minister to allow prisons to take maintenance and cleaning back ‘in-house’.

Erlestoke prisoners face ‘prison mutiny’ charges Two men have been found guilty of ‘prison mutiny’ following a riot at HMP Erlestoke which caused ‘many thousands of pounds’ of damage and caused 120 prisoners to be transferred to prisons around the country. During the disturbance one prisoner set fire to his cell and two others climbed onto the roof. The court was told that tensions were running high because prisoners were locked in their cells over a weekend because of staff shortages. The prosecution admitted that problems at the prison began after a national ban on smoking started a trial on the site. They told the court; “As you can imagine it caused tensions to rise among prisoners as it was, frankly, a very unpopular move.” He told the court that because of staff shortages the prison was put into lockdown and unrest followed because of the ‘slow process’ of delivering prisoners’ meals.

Call Intercept success The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) say that their mobile blocking equipment at HMP Shotts is intercepting around 660 mobile phone calls a day and, since it was installed in May 2016 it has intercepted over 418,000 attempted calls. The prison holds around 550 prisoners and SPS say they believe the calls are made from about 40 different phones within the prison. HMP Shotts is the only Scottish prison to use the special IMSI-catcher technology - which acts as a fake mobile tower to catch and block phones trying to connect to a phone network.

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www.insidetime.org met visiting their dads in prison. Imagining their situation made me even more aware of the problems facing families when a parent goes away. Last month I went along to Wormwood Scrubs Visitors Centre where PACT, as its longterm CEO, Andy Keen-Downs announced, was celebrating a group of events. First of all, they were back at the centre which they had built with the support of The Tudor Trust and had subsequently seen the contract for running it go to a different charity. Sounding Out aloud

Music, families and Bird Success against the odds celebrated Month by Month Rachel Billington Sounding Out On a wintry evening I walked down the Uxbridge Road to Bush Hall, a great music venue in Shepherds Bush. As I pushed open the door, huge blasts of music and enthusiastic shouts and applause told me I was late. This was a public performance by Sounding Out, a band made up of ex-prisoners on a two year course with the Irene Taylor Trust.

When one of the guitarist’s strings had to be replaced, a singer turned himself into a stand-up comic which made the audience roar. I knew that before I went. What I didn’t expect was the level of professionalism. Backed by a synthesizer, drums and two electrical guitars, the well-miked singer

was giving his all: ‘When I was younger I went to gaol, everyone thought I was destined to fail…’ ‘It’s so hard to smile…’ ‘I don’t want to be in this dump any more…’ ‘You’re an alcoholic/There ain’t no doubt about it…’ Music and lyrics are written by the men who seemed to have that essential ingredient to carry an audience: confidence - which is another way of saying they really seemed to be enjoying themselves. When one of the guitarist’s strings had to be replaced, a singer turned himself into a stand-up comic which made the audience roar. As if all this wasn’t enough, the Sounding Out band was joined for a later set by the string quartet Phedra, so we got a double band for our money. The programme which organised our evening is called Sounding Out Traineeship and operates on a part-time basis in the London area. Of course it’s not just about exciting music or rather exciting music is linked to opportunities to help others, such as mentoring young people at risk of offending. I could see

Sounding Out joined by Phedra

on-stage how much it meant to men who are coping with all the difficulties of starting a life outside prison. As Jay commented, ‘I learnt to work under pressure, kept it together and tried to do my best’.... or as Lawrence said, ‘The project has given me more confidence and more of

Although it is impossible to avoid a child suffering when a loved parent is locked away, the book suggests many imaginative ways of helping. Steve Bradford, Governor of the prison, warmly welcomed PACT’s return. This was good news, but equally interesting was Steve’s take on the changes in the attitude of the government towards prisons. Describing the last five or six years as the worst he’s known in his thirty-three years in prison, he told us that he

ll I saw you take the ba t’s tha ter sis r you from not a ver y nice thing to do, you made her cry. r! Go and say sorry to he

an understanding around how music works together.’ He added ‘My family says they have seen a big improvement in me and that I’m more focused.’ Anyone who’s interested in following in their footsteps should approach t heir Musician in residence and then write to: The Irene Taylor Trust, 7-14 Great Dover Street, London SE1 4YR. Locked Out I’ve always been a supporter of PACT (Prison Advice and Care Trust), particularly their work with children. A few years ago I wrote two children’s novels, Poppy’s Hero and Poppy’s Angel about a little girl and her friend who

wrote the book and designer Tim Powell explained how the material arose out of talking to families, adults and children about the effects of prison and seeking ways to make better communication and understanding (see cartoon strip below). Although it is impossible to avoid a child suffering when a loved parent is locked away, the book suggests many imaginat ive ways of helping, including open conversation, games, and drawing. The book is beautifully produced but is also online for those who can’t get hold of a copy. The evening was rounded off by Kevin McGrath OBE. Kevin is one of those remarkable people who uses both his time and hard-earned money to help disadvantaged people improve their lives. He grew up in a council estate in West London and still lives in the area. I already knew him as co-founder of The Clink restaurants in prison and for his generous donations to the Longford Trust. But this was the first time I’d heard him refer to his childhood memories of visiting his own father in Wormwood Scrubs prison. His personal story made the point that a child with a difficult start in life can still have a successful future but, as Kevin pointed out, it can be so

I wish she wasn’t watching me all the time - I wish she’d just go away and leave me alone!

believes the government now recognises the problems and ‘Things will get better. Slowly but surely the purse-strings are being released.’ He added, ‘I’m hoping that we’ll be allowing mobiles in cells and that prisoners will be able to text.’ He talked of Skype already in use and, again, his hopes that laptops will be in cells. It seems that our Ministry of Justice may at last be supporting the use of technology which could do so much to keep prisoners in touch with families and work. The main event we were celebrating was the publication of a book called ‘Locked Out’. PACT’s Joanna McKay, who

Veronica Bird: escaped who told me he met her every Monday for seven months, during which time she poured out her story. Veronica’s father was a miner but her mother planned a better life for her and encouraged her into winning a scholarship to a boarding school. When she arrived there she weighed four stone four pounds while the average for a girl her age was seven stone four pounds. All went well, until her mother died and her sister’s husband took her out of school to help him with his grocery business. She escaped, first into the police force and then into the prison service which became her refuge and her life. Never

This is all my fault I wished for it!

much easier when communities, churches, synagogues, business, sport, and of course PACT are there to help. Veronica’s Bird Women governors of prisons were a special race thirty years ago. In the month when we celebrate Inter nat iona l Women’s Day, it seems appropriate to note the remarkable life story of Veronica Bird, who was born during WWII in Barnsley, one of nine children w ith a drunken, abusive father and ended up as an esteemed governor with an OBE to prove it. I met Veronica, a pretty, petite lady, at the launch of her book in Pentonville Prison. The book is ghosted by Richard Newman

married, she struck me as an extraordinarily determined woman who found a world as far from her childhood as possible, yet with its own extremes as challenging as anything she had grown up with. Some of the most interesting parts of the book describe her visit to Russian prisons, Ivanova and Vladimir, which taught her that even the very worst UK prison has nothing on those in the Soviet Union. A dormitory for women held one hundred and thirty prisoners in two-tiered bunks - with only a locker for possessions. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the book is called Veronica’s Bird, published by Clink Street.

All images © Paul Sullivan

Poetry book launch goes off with a bang Clare Barstow A truly sensational night of poetry and impassioned speeches was held with the launch of the seventh volume of Inside Poetry: voices from prison at Daunt Bookshop in Holland Park, London on February 21st. There was so much buzz and excitement in the room as everyone awaited the introduction by our editor Erwin James, who introduced event organiser and editor of the Inside Poetry anthology, Rachel Billington who kicked off the proceedings. Rachel spoke of how difficult events in her life inspired her to write poetry and this book shows how deeply emotional were the words of men and women who had submitted their heartfelt

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phere to an audience who were so appreciative of the diversity of the work. An Introduction to Charismatic Molecular Biology written by Gordon Chorlton from Guernsey made us laugh, followed swiftly by a stint On Commercial Road, an experience from Shane Thompson at HMP Ranby. A break allowed us to reflect and discuss the work we had heard. Tom Pilling from New Bridge was really moved by the words and Prof Jenny Hartley, one of several representatives from the Give a Book charity, whose CEO, Victoria Gray, reads poetry for Inside Time, was delighted to have been given the opportunity to listen ral Pinter Poetry Prize, Prisoner by Charles Sharp from HMP Wakefield. Antonia Fraser, the brilliant historical biographer, whose late husband, one of our greatest playwrights Harold Pinter, spoke about how she and her husband would get ideas by reading the poetry from Inside Time

submitted a poem to Inside Time before, why not give it a go as you never know, you might be appearing in the next anthology.

to the quality of the work. Harriet Walter, the actress, felt it was a privilege to have been invited and she wanted to show her support. Valentine then read out Jail by Numbers from Alan O’Reilly at HMP Risley which invoked some audience participation. The recital was rounded off by reading out the wonderful entry from the winner of the inaugupoetry to Inside Time over years. This collection covers submissions from 2014-17 and is a true testament to the power of words. Valentine Olukoga, a brilliant actor who trained as part of the Synergy drama course for ex-offenders, read out the poetry in a sizzling atmos-

out aloud and so it was truly fitting to dedicate a poetry prize in his memory. Another guest, artist Charlotte Johnson, said that she couldn’t wait to get back to read the rest of the book. Everyone agreed what a wonderful evening it had been but the true participants were all of you who have submitted such amazing and personal work over the years. If you haven’t

Producing a rock-opera in prison Graham Coutts

Nine steps to success Here at HMP Wakefield, in 2017, we pulled off a project that might have seemed impossible at first glance. We produced a rock-opera from scratch: ‘The 4 Lives of Jimmy G’ - which was a roaring success. If we could do this in a top security prison then anyone can do it - as long as the conditions are right at your prison. Here is our guide on producing your own project. STEP 1 In order to produce your own rock-opera in prison you must first ask yourself the following questions; • Do we have a progressive No1 Governor, who supports this type of initiative and has the autonomy to make it happen? • Do we have enough musical equipment? • Do we have somewhere to rehearse and a venue for the show? • Do we have the depth in musical proficiency or guys with the right attitude and the motivation to learn? • Do we have a member of staff who is willing and able to act as Project Manager? If you have all of these dominoes in a line,

then you are ready to begin. STEP 2 Write a rock-opera! I know this sounds obvious. It could be written by one prisoner, or the result of a collaboration effort. You could involve writers in your prison to create the narrative. STEP 3 Draft a proposal for your No1 Governor. Make sure you include a number of options: the ‘wish list’ for the shows, down to a more basic version. Also, include how this arts project will benefit the prison community. STEP 4 Once you get Governor’s approval, the real hard work begins. You will need a clearly defined action plan and a prisoner to drive the project forward; someone who is not afraid to ruffle some feathers to get things done and does not pay attention to nay-sayers. Having an action plan and following it through is essential to this type of project. STEP 5 Carefully, pick your band and performers. You will be spending a lot of time with each other, under significant pressure, so you want a good team working together. We only had one official morning’s rehearsal per week. Even though we had 8-months, once you take

out the setting-up and breaking-down, this only left us with 60-90 minutes rehearsal time per week. And the band and performers had to learn 21 songs. This was not an easy task. The choir had even less time to rehearse. Given this, the effort everyone put in was miraculous. STEP 6 You will need someone to act as Stage Manager to micromanage the timings of the performance; for example, stet and costume changes, vocals FX and guitar changes, plus so much more. This has to be someone with keen organisational skills. STEP 7 It would also be sensible to have a Director to work with the performers on their acting and movement. STEP 8 This is optional: apply for funding. There are many organisations which fund artsbased projects. If you are going to apply for funding make your project collaborative and cover several different art mediums; and, do it well in advance of starting your rehearsals to leave yourself time to make your purchases of equipment and services. We applied to 3 different organisations and approached several more before the Arts

Pictures from left to right: Actor Valentine Olukoga; Inside Time Editor Erwin James with Victoria Gray CEO of Give a Book; PRT Publishing Manager Tony Callaghan with CEO of Prison Reading Groups Sarah Turvey; Harriet Walter, Maggie Ferguson (Literary Editor), Rachel Billington; Writers Antonia Fraser and Rachel Kelly.

Council agreed to fund the project. It not only enables us to pay for sets, props and costumes, but also to buy musical equipment (e.g. headset mics) and to engage Project Instrumental and The Geese Theatre Company, who did some workshops with the performers. NOTE - the Arts Council application can only be submitted online, and a hard copy will need to be downloaded from their site. It is very involved and will take a considerable amount of time to complete; it may be too much for one person. Utilise the knowledge and skills of your team; delegate questions or sections to people who can provide the Arts Council with the most relevant information. Next, review the draft application as a team and amend as appropriate. You will now need a member of staff to submit the application online, as the application will be made in their name. STEP 9 Market your event. Use every method at your disposal. You have a ready-made audience starved of musical and cultural experiences; and do not forget to invite staff, dignitaries, prison charities and other VIP guests. You now have the information you’ll need to set up a project like this. Good luck! Graham Coutts is resident at HMP Wakefield

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Life beyond crime

Liberation and transformation is possible, even in prison “My story I feel can offer at least information, at best inspiration. My life of drug addiction and crime lasted 40 years, through heroin and crack cocaine and stories that could fill volumes. In 2004 I was sentenced to 18 years. Standing in my cell one day a letter came under my door. It was a reply to a letter I had written to my eldest daughter saying sorry for not being around and would not be for a long time. Her letter began, “Dear Daddy, you are our Daddy, so we forgive you.” This struck me to the core of my being and was the catalyst for change.” Norman Anderson

New book brings together the perspective of experts from across the prisons arena Erwin James Paul Crane and Gerard Lemos have been providing practitioners and policy-makers with information for action on social problems since 1994. They have worked with professionals in social housing, local government, criminal justice agencies, schools and voluntary organisations as well as trusts and foundations. The scale of their influence is considerable, as are their professional credentials. Paul Crane is the author of two civil rights handbooks (Trouble with the Law and Gays and the Law). He is a Cambridge University law graduate and now a non-practising solicitor. As a lawyer he specialised in civil rights work and took part in the landmark case before the European Court of Human Rights that led to the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Northern Ireland.

Kings Cross station, the first thing I was keen to find out was where their interest in prisons and prison reform came from. As a prisoner I was always intrigued by the motivations of prison reformers and campaigners. But it was only after I was released Connecting is the key “I have known several prisoners who have changed their lives. They have all said that the very first step is recognising that there is someone who accepts them unconditionally. Norman had his letter from his daughter… Lee started to talk about his crimes when he realised there was someone who knew what he had done and still did not reject him… Sally found someone she could trust.” Hilary Peters

after serving 20 years and becoming a professional writer that I discovered just how many open-hearted people with a social conscience who care about how our prisons are run there are. Currently there are over 600 NGOs or non-government organisations who work in one way or another trying to better prison conditions and outcomes for people in prison.

firm. So that was the foundation for the interest I developed.”

Paul is the first to explain. “When I was a student I studied Criminal Law and Criminology and I set up a radical lawyers group - and also one of my friends was an ex-Dartmoor prisoner called Doug. He, along with another former prisoner set up a thing called Preservation for the Rights of Prisoners. It was a long long time ago - then I trained as a Lawyer with Benedict Birnberg, the well known civil rights

Interest in prisons The release of their new book, Life Beyond Crime, edited by Paul Crane, presented the perfect opportunity for that to happen at last. When I met up with them at their office in Kings Place, a short walk from London’s

Paul Crane: Studied Criminal Law

© Paul Sullivan

Gerard Lemos leads the organisation’s research team and is the author of many books including The Good Prison: Conscience, crime and punishment which was published in 2014 and was well-reviewed. He has also written for the New York Times, The Guardian and the BBC. For almost as long as I have been a journalist I have been aware of their names and their work but somewhat surprisingly given our interest in prison reform, our paths have never crossed.

Gay rights So how did the European court challenge to Northern Ireland come about? “Being involved with Gay liberation brought me into contact in a very personal way with crime and punishment,” he explains. “I was involved in the Gay rights movement - then Jeff Dudgeon asked me to take his case to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). [ Jeffrey Edward Anthony “Jeff” Dudgeon MBE is a Northern Irish politician, historian and gay political activist. He currently sits as a Ulster Unionist Party councillor for the Balmoral area of Belfast City Council. He is best known for bringing a case to the ECHR which successfully challenged Northern Ireland’s laws criminalising consensual sexual acts between men in private. He is one of three openly gay politicians elected to the City Council along with Mary Ellen Campbell of Sinn Féin and JulieAnne Corr of the Progressive Unionist Party.] Although we didn’t get equality,” continues Paul, “we got the illegality in Northern Ireland abolished. It was an important victory that had a lot of knock on consequences for other European countries. It was one of those situations where people were being punished, harrassed, imprisoned, to my mind,

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in a completely unfair and discriminatory way.” Gerard agrees and talks about his own motivations. “It was very much a landmark case,” he says. “But I’m not a lawyer. I worked at the institute of community studies with Michael Young, (Baron Young of Dartington, 9 August 1915 - 14 January 2002, was a British sociologist, social activist and politician who coined the term “meritocracy”), it was a brilliant apprenticeship. I guess I’m not sure why I’m interested in this area other than to say I have always been interested in what you might broadly term, excluded adults, I’ve done a lot of work on homelessness, adults with learning disabilities, and of course people in prison and former prisoners. It does seem to me wrong and unfair that they are excluded, but also I find them to be very interesting people.” Stories “People in prison,” says Gerard, “often have a very fascinating and significant story to tell. We got interested in prisons specifically in 2006, almost twelve years ago. We had both visited prisons in the past but never really did any work on them. But what struck me was that prisons get a lot of very bad press. Obviously there are all sorts of problems in there, everyone knows that. But there are also lots of good things going on in prisons, and lots of good people working in them - as well as lots of prisoners who want to turn their lives around. We felt that these were the Relationships, survival outside, feeding the soul “Each person in prison is a unique individual. Every offence has its own unique set of circumstances. Individuals all have different roads to recovery, reform and rehabilitation. Therefore a person-centred approach to prisoners and learning is essential, and needs to be built on effective, professional relationships developed with trusted individuals in custody.” Andy Keen-Downs and Anna Peaston

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Gerard Lemos: “Prisons get bad press” stories that weren’t being told.” Their new book certainly tells many of their stories - ether first-hand accounts of personal experience, or through the experience of those who work in all areas of the system. Described by the respected film maker and criminologist Roger Graef as, “A precious gift to justice professionals and those experiencing the justice system,” the book is a compendium of stories, opinions, and commentary, covering just about every possible criminal justice circumstance. Published with the support of the Monument Trust it is an extremely informative and deeply insightful piece of work with the potential, in my view, to have a wide-

spread positive impact across the whole of the prison system. I asked Gerard about his book, The Good Prison. “People thought that was quite a controversial title,” he says. “How can prisons ever be good? But my experience of meeting a lot of people in prison or who work in prison is that there are lots of good things going on. Even if they are not what we want them to be, we will have prisons for a very long time and we need to make them good places, where people can have hope and purpose and the staff can feel they are valued.” Why help prisoners? That’s the challenge, I say, for any civilised society. Why should we help

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people who have hurt us? Law abiding citizens often baulk at the idea of giving prisoners anything that looks like a treat or a perk. Why should they care about what happens to them in prison? “There are two answers to that. First, obviously you want people to come out and not re-offend, so we all have an interest in that. But some people are not coming out soon. Others might take a different view, but I do think society, any society feels that people who do something wrong, who hurt other people, should make amends for what they have done. I do believe that. But I think there are lots of ways of doing that without over-use of imprisonment. I’m a strong advocate of restorative justice for example.” But prison doesn’t really allow people to make amends does it? Just being banged up with little purpose other than to ‘do time’. That’s hardly making amends. “No,” says Gerard, “but it could. In all our work, that is what we have been interested in. Its easy to criticise, its harder to say, there are ‘Parenting is not for Cowards’ (Rob Parsons, The sixty second father) “2017 is my twentieth year working with prisoners, the last ten of which have increasingly been about working with those who become isolated, stigmatised, and socially disadvantaged: the children and families of prisoners. The message that was most clear is to slowly but surely make all departments and aspects of the prison recognise the benefits of supporting and becoming involved in family intervention work.” Corin Morgan-Armstrong

good things going on and there should be more good things going on. We’re not naïve, we’re not stupid. But prisons should be decent and humane places. I don’t think people should be punished by being treated inhumanely.” Big piece of work There are over fifty essays in the book. By any measure it is a remarkable achievement. How did they go about finding their contributors? “We put out a call in October 2016,” explains Paul. “It was a big piece of work, much bigger than we anticipated. The call went out to organisations that are part of the Monument Fellowship, each had its own data base with lots of contacts, and we had a tremendous response. I was very keen to have different ways of expressing the voyage of self-discovery through art and through poetry. As one person commented, we had a complete festival of contributions looking at the whole subject from many different angles.” How many of the contributions are from serving or former prisoners? “About a third,” says Gerard. “Their voices are equally important and we wanted to highlight some of the lesser known initiatives that are going on in prisons. Like the Orpheous project for example, where young disabled people go into prisons and make music with prisoners. And the Shakespeare plays set in a women’s prison.”

Optical training labs in prisons “Tanjit Dosanjh is an optometrist. He was encouraged by news of an optical programme in California prisons where one optical lab in 1989 had grown to five labs manufacturing 400,000 spectacles for state health insurance companies. Inspired Tanjit set out to turn his own vision into reality. By 2015 Tanjit had secured start-up funding to finance an optical training lab in Maidstone. The grants came from the Monument Trust, the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and the Triangle Trust. So how does a contributing prison view this initiative? Rosemary is a prison officer and Trustee: “The opportunities offered by Tanjit are worth their weight in gold. The right prisoners who value a second chance will become hard-working and loyal employees.”” John Harding CBE Feel good factor What do they hope the impact of the book will be for people who work in our prisons? The prison officer, or the prison governor who reads it for instance, how do they want him or her to react? Gerard replies. “Feel good about yourself. Feel enthusiastic about what you are doing, both in the job and over and above the job, and don’t be afraid to do new things that other people are doing. Be different, be free. If you could just take a couple of ideas from the book, that would make all the difference.”

Life Beyond Crime, edited by Paul Crane published by Lemos & Crane with the support of the Monument Trust in association with the Koestler Trust is available to buy price £15.00 from www.koestlertrust.org.uk/shop/books/life-beyond-crime www.lemosandcrane.co.uk

beesleyandcompanysolicitors Personal Injury and Civil Action against the Police and other authorities •• Personal PersonalInjury Injury(accidents both in and (accidents out of custody) both in & out of custody) • Police Assault • Assault • False imprisonment or Malicious • False imprisonment Prosecution •• Negligence Malicious prosecution • Compensation for Childhood Abuse in • Negligence Care Interference or with property/goods •• Mistreatment Assault by Inmates or • Prison Staff Allegations of mistreatment/injury • Claim forby delay in Parole hearing and caused inmates or staff review Contact: Mark Lees

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Inside Voices

Cover-ups uncovered Mr McCulloud - HMP Garth The recent well-publicised case of a young man accused of rape when the police and CPS conspired to hide evidence that would clear him has proved that the system is corrupt. The police have shown that in order to secure a conviction, regardless of guilt or innocence, all they have to do is suppress evidence that is in favour of the defence. It is no surprise to most of us that this happens. It is a regular practise between the police and the CPS and the only surprise is that they have finally been exposed. They normally do a better job of hiding evidence which, this time, has shown the illegal tendencies of the system. This has been going on for years, but very little has been done to rectify this illegality. The victims of this unjust system are in prison and, obviously, who is going to believe the likes of convicted sex-offenders? The CPS is legally bound to share information with the defence - even when that information will assist the defence. It is now clear that disclosure is not complied with, and much thought has gone into the best methods of ‘losing’ evidence, especially if it looks like it would assist in securing a ‘not guilty’ verdict. Failing to allow witnesses to testify; not using witness statements; not allowing witnesses to be contacted by the defence; are just some of the ways used to ensure a not guilty plea will fail.

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Stand by your man! The strike that changed our world

The list of probable offences committed by the police and CPS in pursuing conviction statistics goes on and on as they are the masters of their own destiny, and yours, if they make the rules and then break the rules. Maybe now this present case has come to light it will pave the way to more investigations, both present and past, as it is common knowledge that with the help of ‘doctored’ evidence there are a lot of people in prison who should not have been convicted in the first place. The people who should be in prison are those who have colluded to hide evidence - police officers, CPS, in fact anyone who has lied or looked on, knowing others have lied in order to obtain false convictions. Let’s now see the so-called justice system do to them what they have done to others - shame them and send them to prison. Appeals can only be heard on specific points, one of them being if new evidence is offered, but how can new evidence be offered if the police and CPS have conspired to hide it? I suggest that, at the end of trial and before sentence, all evidence held by police and the CPS should be looked at by an independent judge to ensure nothing has been held back, especially if it helps the defence. It may make trials a bit longer, but nowhere near as long as a convicted but innocent person will subsequently spend in prison.

Victorian farm labourers at work: the Ascott Martyrs would have looked just like this Paul Jackson In May 1873 a group of defiant wom a n i n A s cot t u nde r Wyc hwo o d , O x ford sh i re objected to blackleg labour being brought in to do the work while their men folk were on strike. They were charged u nder t he C r i m i na l L aw Amendment Act which had recently been passed to stop any such action i.e. picketing. Encouraged by the newly formed Agricultural Workers Union, farm labourers around Oxfordshire were gaining more and more confidence to seek higher wages and better conditions. A year earlier a similar withdrawal of labour in nearby Woodstock led to the army bringing in the harvest.

The union, who did not provide any legal representation, and the women, were expecting to be fined but the magistrates felt that women should not be treated any different from men and sent them down immediately. The word spread like wildfi re and over 2,000 local residents charged at the newly built local police station trying to gain their release, breaking windows and causing mayhem. Police reinforcements had to come f rom Oxford, which of course took a long time so eventually the women were t ra nsfer red through the cold night to Oxford jail - a 6 hour trip on an open horse and cart.

ful picketing. At the time there was considerable support from the Church for the landowners led by the Duke of Marlborough, who raised a petition of the local establishm e nt to t h e L o r d H ig h Chancellor defending the magistrates’ action, but to no avail. Consequently, religious le a d e r s w e r e n o lo ng e r appointed magistrates, something which still continues to this day.

In the village there is very little commemoration of the event. Around the Martyrs’ Tree on the green are names of t he woma n a nd ju st, ‘Imprisoned 1873.’ So recently an Educational Trust has been formed to raise the profile of the events to ensure a legacy in the village and also to be a centre for information and research. Descendants and villagers are currently making a ba n ner wh ich w i l l b e unveiled at the annual Martyrs Day on Saturday June 23rd.

The threat of Irish immigrants at lower wages, increasing mechanisation and lower cost grain imports from the USA did not help the security of the humble farm labourer. The two magistrates (who were Church of England local vicars) tried the case and may have had prior knowledge of the villagers of Ascott. Six of the women were Baptists and one was a Methodist (marked on the charge sheet) and their persuasion may well have further antagonised the JPs, especially as it was a time when the rapid growth of non-conformism was a threatening source of irritation to the established church. The strike became a cause celeb for the union and a ‘line in the sand’ for the Landowners organised by the Duke of Ma rlborough. It reached to the ‘highest in the land’ as 16 of the women in the village were charged and sent to the Oxford jail, with their babies, for 7/10 days of hard labour.

One of the few surviving photographs of the original Ascott Martyrs, this is Fanny Honeybone Letters started appearing in local newspapers against the extraordinarily harsh sentences and then very soon the London Times, leading to a pardon from Queen Victoria which arrived as the women were being released. The women travelled back by cart through the local villages and were cheered, treated as heroes, and presented with £5 each (from public subscription, mainly collected during the riots) and material to make a dress in the Union blue. Later, Queen Victoria sent along red petticoats and 5 shillings for each of the martyrs. Following this debacle the law was changed to allow peace-

The Martyrs’ Tree The Martyrs’ Tree on the village green at Ascott was planted in 1973, celebrating 100 years and the names of the Martyrs are displayed on the seats. In this year when we are celebrating 100 years since the Suffragette movement, perhaps we should also be thinking of t hose cou rageous women who ‘stood by their men’ and were probably the world’s first woman’s protesters ... 45 years before Emily Pankhurst and co…

Paul Jackson is Chairman of Ascott Martyrs @Educational Trust. More information is available at www.ascottmartyrs.org.uk. International Women’s Day 8 March

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Careful, or we’ll all be in the dock

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Insidetime March 2018

You’re ALL nicked! The history of the Joint Enterprise law not even been at the scene of the crime, or have even had any knowledge that a crime has been committed. To any right-minded person the law of Joint Enterprise seems harsh and unjust, but particularly to the hundreds of innocent people stuck serving long sentences for crimes they did not commit.

Noel Smith In the last decade there have been hundreds of cases every year of what is known in British law as ‘Joint Enterprise’. This is a law by which every single person with the slightest connection to a crime, usually murder or manslaughter, can be arrested, tried, convicted and jailed as if they were the principle of the crime, even though many who have been through this have

To understand how we have reached this point, we must look at t he law of Joi nt Enterprise itself. The law of Joint Enterprise, also known as ‘common purpose’, is 300-

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years old and was fi rst used in the 16th century to prosecute aristocrats for duelling, which had become commonplace and alarming to the public at large. It was thought that by creating this law the authorities could put an end to duelling by arresting everyone involved, including the duellist’s seconds, the referee, the doctor and anyone who had come to watch. They would all be convicted of murder or wounding, whichever was the outcome of the duel. The law stated that where someone acts in conjunction

with the killer, but does not strike the blow, he is equally guilty. The law was seen as a good one and put an end to duelling in public.

Wandsworth prison. Decades later, Derek Bentley was posthumously given a pardon. Though what use it was to him by then is a moot point.

An example of the law being used long after duelling came in 1846, (R v Swindall and Osborne), when two cart drivers, who were engaged in a race, ran down and killed a pedestrian. It was not known which cart had actually killed the victim, so both drivers were held jointly liable and both executed for murder. The law stayed on the statute books and was little used or commented on until an infamous case in 1952 brought it once again to the attention of the public.

Though he could not even see what was going on, nor did he join in the assault, he was convicted and sentenced to life under Joint Enterprise.

The case of Craig and Bentley harshly focused the minds of the public and press on the law of Joint Enterprise, when both young men were convicted of shooting and murdering a police officer on the rooftop of a warehouse in Croydon during a burglary. It was Christopher Craig, then aged 16, who had fired the fatal shot, but Derek Bentley, the older of the two, was executed for the murder because Craig was too young to hang. It was claimed that as Bentley had been heard to say, “Let him have it, Chris” (a claim disputed and disseminated ever since), he was equally guilty of the murder of police officer Sidney Miles. There was public uproar over the case and thousands of people signed a petition asking for clemency for Bentley, but it was ignored, a nd he was ha nged at

In July 2013, when the last of 17 young people were sent to prison for the murder of 15 year-old Sofyen Belamouadden at London’s Victoria train station, DCI John McFarlane of the Met. Police stated: ‘The law in Joint Enterprise is clear and unforgiving - you do not need to deliver the fatal blow, or even to be at the actual scene of the killing to be found guilty and sent to jail’. Joint Enterprise is ‘unforgiving’ indeed.

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Some of the cases are so mind-boggling t hat t hey de s e r v e a me nt ion . For instance, the case of Jordan Cunliffe, who was one of three youths convicted of the murder of Garry Newlove. At the time of the murder Cunliffe was suffering from severe

Campaign group Jengba (Joint Enterprise Not Guilt y By Association) want to see the law reformed and work with over 500 people who have been convicted under Joint Enterprise. Figures, compiled in 2013, showed that from 2005 to 2013, 4,590 people had been prosecuted for homicides involving two or more defendants and, of those, 1,853 were prosecuted for homicides which involved four or more defendants - all under Joint Enterprise. From 2013 until 2015, the CPS prosecuted 260 cases of murder/manslaughter with multiple defendants, requiring 893 defendants in the dock.

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T he Joint Enterprise law stayed there quietly on the books and did not get a wholesale revival until the late 1990s, when the media decided to focus on gangs and, in particular, teenage gangs. After the tabloids had managed to stoke their readers into a frenzy over stabbings and shootings by ‘gangs’ in the inner cities, the government decided to blow dust off this 300-year-old law and use it against any group of young people whom they decreed a ‘criminal gang’. This has led to some very dubious convictions for murder and manslaughter in recent years.

keratoconus, a degenerative eye-condition, and this meant he qualified as blind. Though he could not even see what was going on, nor did he join in the assault, he was convicted and sentenced to life under Joint Enterprise. There are many more equally perplexing examples of how this law does not work properly.

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Inside Voices

A journey through the therapy looking glass

Ethnic co-mingling In a recent issue of Inside Time it was reported that HMP Whitemoor ... ‘Continues to hold a disproportionate number of Muslim men’ who account for ‘over 40% of the population’. Recognising that the balance of different prisoner groups must be addressed to enable the maintenance of order in our prisons, Ben Crewe has published a peer reviewed essay under the heading of ‘The Sociology of Imprisonment’ in the second edition of The Handbook on Prisons. Here he explains the consequences of environments in which groups with divergent values and interests are forced to live in close proximity.

Any community fragmented into clusters of mutually hostile residents warehoused in close quarters will always be on the precipice of violence. It is clear how the nature of social relations within a prisoner community typically revolve around conflict and sub-group rivalry, where behaviours and conduct are often most easily explained by reference to cultural orientations. Obvious racial cleavages, ignorance, suspicion and distrust will lead us to frequent violence in prisons where ethnic and religious differences are amplified by a higher percentage of non-indigenous or culturally hostile inmatesincluding convicted enemies of the state. Ethnic co-mingling becomes more limited where inmates choose to self-segregate according to shared cultural backgrounds. It has been shown that ‘black’ and ‘Muslim’ prisoners are

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more cohesive than ‘whites’; so, where there is only a marginal numerical dominance of non-Muslims at Whitemoor peace cannot prevail. Tolerances are tested where there are gangs whose in-group allegiances only encourages the exploitation of non-members. Forcing white inmates to huddle together for protection only makes the self-segregation and the gang issues more volatile. Any community fragmented into clusters of mutually hostile residents warehoused in close quarters will always be on the precipice of violence. Dr Crewe, Deputy Director of the Prisons Research Centre at the University of Cambridge, refers to data published by Professor Liebling in 2012 when mentioning High Security Establishments in England & Wales in regard to the ‘increasing collective power of Muslim prisoners’ becoming an obstacle to peace and cooperation, as institutional stability and staff safety are undermined. It is known that Muslim gangs are ‘less inclined’ to negotiate with staff, and as a consequence non-Muslims are then less likely to cooperate when they perceive injustice and unfair or biased treatment. The deliberate maintenance of a balance of power in favour of a minority of Muslim bullies will only lead to undesirable behaviour; this contradicts any intention of rehabilitation or correction in those prisons which encourage and incite racially or religiously motivated gang warfare. Our governor here is a student of penology with the University of Cambridge, and so is well aware of the facts and statistics available; as such, we residents look forward to positive steps being taken to improve safety at HMP Whitemoor.

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inherently struck by the air of acceptance and understanding within the room. The air was rejuvenating and filled with hope. As the next few months unfolded it became a private mission of mine to figure out the source of it.

Reece Johnson

Diversity and democracy Harold Mose’s therapeutic journey approaches an end. But the ‘journey through the therapy looking-glass’ continues with me and there’s much more to be said.

Some prisoners feel that establishing equality in prisons has not always been a priority of the ‘system’. Thankfully the ‘Lammy review’, a recent report that highlights inequality within the British justice system, has brought this to the attention of those who may be able to create more procedural fairness. The time I have spent here though helped me to conclude that Grendon’s attitude towards the relevance of equality might be the catalyst behind the ‘air of acceptance and understanding’ I experienced on arrival.

“Hello my name is…” and the ‘round-robin’ began. “I’m… I was sentenced to…welcome to the wing”. I had just arrived and took the opportunity to assess the clientele - rumour had it that it was full of monsters and madmen. But I had hopes here would be different from other prisons in regard to how people, residents and staff alike, treat each other despite their differences and opinions.

One of Grendon’s four pillars, ‘democracy’, gives residents a voice in the society they live in and helps to create an establishment in which people are treated more equally. From the moment men arrive on the induction wing they are encouraged to attend events held monthly that promote, and educate people about, the nine protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010. These are hosted by residents who comprise the ‘Prison Equality Mentors’ team. And the events bring together some great minds from diverse backgrounds.

In the community-room there were people of different ages, ethnicities and cultural backgrounds, all of them prepared to speak about inner issues from their crimes to their childhoods. Although at first I felt overloaded by the brief details of the men’s offences, I was

Once, speakers from the Middle East came to give a talk about the work they are doing across the world to unite Muslims, Christians and Jews, and the importance of different faiths living in peace and working together. I thought how Grendon reflects this. Religious

services here are open to all, regardless of what faith you are registered under or if choose not to. Each Friday afternoon there is also a chapel drop-in where residents from all wings can meet in the chapel for discussions. The gym, visits and education is open to everyone in the prison and most importantly, the wings host all types of people who ultimately become a source for learning however you want to see it. Grendon has long championed equality and unmistakeably the benefits can be seen in the life of the residents. There is a designated wing for crimes of a sexual nature on which the therapeutic work is tailored for those crimes. And there is TC+ wing, for those with learning difficulties. But despite residents being housed on difference communities, all types of offences can be seen within Grendon and the acceptance and tolerance I have witnessed in this prison is like no other. And many residents understand themselves and others more from engaging in the group therapy process. It seems to be a clear source of strength to the men here as they confront diverse issues, whether it’s about sexuality, cultural ignorance or any other aspect of the protected nine strands of diversity. On the whole I believe Grendon is onto something - by prioritising the promotion of diversity and equality it has established a truer sense of democracy that acknowledges the importance of an equal voice, a democracy that is essential in order for us to achieve our shared goals. Reece Johnson, a nom de plume, is a resident of HMP Grendon

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Conversations with Clare

I was invited by the director of the Hardman Trust to attend t h e i r v e r y f i r s t Aw a r d s Ceremony in Scotland. This took place amidst thunderous applause at Castle Huntly Open Prison in Dundee on 24th January. It demonstrates how much the award scheme has grown in the past few years and its determination to be as inclusive as possible going forwards. The Governor in Charge, Gary Law, was delighted to welcome members of the Trust to the prison. In a brief interview he not only spoke about the challenges of running an open prison in the current environment but also about the positive achievements of getting so many of the 298 men out to work. We were served coffee by a prisoner who had taken a barista course and had been offered work at Costa coffee chain in Dundee. There was also a scheme where the men learnt to train dogs to help Dementia sufferers, which was truly awe inspiring. I was incredibly moved by the prisoners’ dedication and focus whilst training the dogs and how it had helped some turn their lives around. Eddie spoke about his tough life growing up in Glasgow and how training the dogs and receiving the award had helped him turn his life around. The Governor began the ceremony with a brief history of his establishment and its

“Learning to live in a strange new world”

Surviving within these walls Jak Jones - HMP Dovegate

Awards develop self-confidence As a former award winner, I spoke of my own experience of being chosen to win an award and how this achievement had given me a lot of self-confidence both whilst in prison and on the outside. I also addressed the audience on how knowing that I had the money for a laptop gave me the focus and renewed determination to believe that I could continue working as a freelance journalist and that I was able to contribute as a valid member of society. It has enabled me to find some employment on release due to the support I have received from the Trust. The ceremony was chaired by Chairman of the Trustees at the Hardman Trust, Hugh

250 poems composed by 206 prisoners first published in Inside Time, between 2014 and 2017 Copies are available at a special discount price of £7.50 +£1 p&p for Inside Time readers, family & friends. Inside Time, Botley Mills, Botley, Southampton, Hampshire SO30 2GB Telephone: 01489 795945

Lennon, who gave a rousing speech about the work of the Trust in promoting rehabilitation. He was supported by their Director, Ian Wilson, who read the summaries of each award winner - detailing why they had been chosen due to their exceptional progress made towards rehabilitation. The awards were presented by Stephen McGee, Chair of the Board of Governors from Fife College, the educational provider at the prison.

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Enablement the focus for the Hardman Trust and SPS

achievements. There were seven award winners, six men from Castle Huntly and one woman from Cornton Vale, who were granted money for laptops, educational and vocational courses and work tools. They all spoke about how the award would enable them to find or carry on work in the future and upon release. Their heartfelt stories of how they overcame great difficulties to obtain their goals was rapturously received by all who attended.

A number of invited guests from the Scottish Prison Service and friends and family of the winners also attended the ceremony. Some of the families had travelled a long way to be there but they said it was worth it to see their loved ones be recognised for their achievements. Most of the prisoners were lifers, as you must have been given a sentence where you serve at least 7 years in prison to be eligible for an award and only have 2 years left in custody to apply for an award. There are already plans in place for another award ceremony at Castle Huntly in the next year and the signs are it will be as successful as this one in acknowledging achievements north of the border. Clare Barstow is a writer and former resident of HMP

voices from prison

Castle Huntly Awards

Inside Voices

insidepoetry

Clare Barstow

Insidetime March 2018

VOLUME 7

Nearly 13 years done! I can barely believe it myself. Gone so quick, yet grinding slowly too. Hard to describe ... I’m 30 now, and this is all I know. This world, this place, I’m enveloped in the lifestyle, the daily grind…’survival’. From unlock begins the day’s regime …forward-looking already for that evening bangup... another day done. Human warehousing, literally. To live? A life? Nobody lives here. No life lived within concrete walls. A truth …on average, in every prison, more than 60% of each wing is chasing drugs. Daily, from morning unlock until bang-up, drugs. Spice, paper, Subutex, weed, heroin, pre-gabs, gabbies, sleepers ... any and all. Collective chase ... each addict enabling, triggering one another’s craving, ‘need’. Sorrowful cycle, sad, so hard to break. The ‘need’, ‘want’, run-around, ‘the wing is dead’ they say. Panic. Is this really rehabilitation? What does that even mean? Rehabilitation in 21st century British prisons. It’s a sad joke. Perpetuating a cycle of all destructive cycles, which brought each soul to within these walls. Purgatory, neither here nor there. Came away at 18. Life. Grew up in the Dispersal System, downgraded from Category A-B after a decade. Considered ‘quick’. Discovered some positive aspects of myself along the way. Found my potential, education, did well. Proud, yet sad I didn’t at school. Too late? A natural talent with pencils and art - yet impossible to nurture and to develop in these warehouses. Watched many men stab, stabbed, slashed, hot fat, boiling water, melting skin, prison politics; lockdowns, daily strip-searches…what humanity? Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, numbness, addictions, hopelessness, self-harm …the want to die. Scarred, wounded and afraid. To exist in these moments is brutal. Thoughts do day-dream, reminiscing the past, pre-incarceration…some smiles, grief, mourn it. Yet, imagine the possible futures? Life after life. Scary, strange world, digital age? Social media? Life online? No, thank you!

Where do I fit in? To live in the moment? What does that feel like? How can I repent my past? How do I be at peace with the pain, violence … murder ... my hands bare…whilst existing in these hopeless houses? Victims, victim’s families, have all the right to want vengeance, justice. Have and hold hate for all us perpetrators. This reality of our existence holds no repent for our actions, our victims. Breeds animals and self-medicators in the majority. No justice within prison. How can a kid come in at 18, be 40 when they leave, yet be scarred by the ordeal? Learning life in a strange new world…all of the while, learning too; to live with the decades of existence of being warehoused? The violence, mental health issues, drugs, destructive cycles, loneliness, the sadness. Carry it ...hold it ... live with it all? Be ‘rehabilitated’…a member of civilisation? It’ll be all I know. I’ll miss it, too. I cry, yearn for life, civility, to breathe easy without anxious worry, I carry pain, sadness, sorrow. Will it all change? It needs overhauling, to shed light, true light, to bring innovative change. Need the media not to lie, not to sensationalise prisons …’Holiday Camps’. I didn’t know that holiday camps have suicides, drugabuse, infestations, murders, staff beatings? Diametrically opposed landings, a soul in each cell, lost. Humans with no humanity. Duty of care? Screws, officers, rehabilitation? No, just a job, pays the bills. Beaters, bullies, haters. Some show humanity, decency…rare though. ‘Holiday camps’? Really? I heard of this ‘rehabilitation revolution’ …I’m still waiting for this ‘sea of change’ bull. Another headline snatch for electors. A disturbance in any prison …POA standard response: ‘Staff shortages are the reason’. More or less staff, it’s still the same environment, a perpetuating cycle, same warehouse - you can’t polish a turd, they say. I can’t envisage any possible future for myself, others, or the ‘system’ itself. Personally, I will survive, bruised and battered. To endure is my redemption for my crimes, but I will have experienced no rehabilitation along the way. Where is my rehabilitation, please?

From over the wall

Loneliness Earlier this evening I was sitting outdoors just having watched a parade of classic cars go by. Without exception they were in splendid condition. The cars I admired the most were a couple of very early Rolls. They were huge open-top machines and even after 80

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He was still conscious but blood was pouring from deep lacerations on his forehead and nose. Well, a small group gathered and we soon had an ambulance on the way to collect him. As we were waiting for it to arrive I asked him a few questions. Was he married? No. Did he live alone? Yes. Had he any relatives living nearby? No. Where were his nearest relatives? He had none. I don’t know his name and I doubt that I shall ever see him again, or hear how he got on at the hospital, for he lived in New Zealand from where I am writing this column.

The road alone is long

Terry Waite CBE

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years or so since they were manufactured their engines purred like a contented well fed cat! An elderly onlooker stopped in front of me and turned to walk towards the kerb to get a closer look at one particular model which had been parked on the side of the road. As I watched, he stumbled and fell face down on the hard pavement, his forehead and nose taking the full force of his fall. I could hear the crack as his head hit the concrete. Naturally, I rushed over to him.

This set me thinking about loneliness. I have no idea whether this old man was lonely or not but naturally I wondered if he was, given that he lived totally alone and there was no living soul whom he could call on in the event of an accident. His situation is not at all unusual. Back at home, in the UK, I keep in touch with an elderly man who lives alone. He lives in a small village and is fortunate that he has good neighbours who call and see him and help him out with household chores. I have phoned him regularly whilst I am abroad and each time I

speak with him he tells me that he is terribly lonely. Loneliness is not in any way confined to those who live alone or are getting on in years. In prison you are surrounded by people day and night. It’s not at all easy to know whom to trust and because of that some prisoners retreat into their own inner world. Even here they can be plagued by doubts, regrets or self-pity. You name it and it can be found lurking within the inner recesses of the mind. Not every prisoner has strong family relationships but even those that do find that imprisonment puts a severe strain on this bond, be it in marriage or with a partner. It can be especially difficult when a prisoner is locked up in a jail far from their home. There is evidence to suggest that the breakdown of relationships is a significant factor in suicide amongst prisoners. There is no doubt that talking with others is one way of dealing with the problems of loneliness but as I said, the issue of whom to trust is always there. Over the years I have known some individual prison officers and governors who have been brilliant at gaining

the confidence of individuals in their charge and have been able to b e of rea l he lp. Admittedly there are problems here also, because no prisoner wants to be seen as a ‘nark’ and this can hold some people back from talking. Much depends on the calibre of the individual officer or worker in the prison. This is where prison visitors can play a useful role but, as many of you will know far too well, they vary in ability. I have known some prison chaplains who have been really excellent but as in all professions there are some who are simply time servers or those who simply want to push religion at you. Let me underline that there are some good, really good, men and women in the prison chaplaincy who can be a real help in aiding the individual prisoner combat loneliness. It’s not at all surprising to me that alcohol and narcotics are rife within the prison system for they do seem to provide a temporary escape from the reality of the situation. I have no hesitation at all in saying that they are bad news all round. Eventually they will destroy your health and have a bad effect on your relationships with others. You may disagree with me but I can’t

say strongly enough - keep away from these killers, no matter how tempted you might be to use them as an ‘escape route’. They are fatal. As readers of this column will know, I spent almost five years in what was very strict solitude. I did not have any conversation with another individual for years and so I had to face the problem of loneliness within myself. This is a difficult road to take, particularly if you have a low self esteem or over-riding feeling of guilt. Don’t take the ‘stiff upper lip’ route. That’s no help at all. The seemingly strongest individual may put on an air of confidence but always remember they are human, just like yourself. If you are lonely you have my understanding, as I have been there. Try and find someone to talk or correspond with. At least that will be one step forward out of a situation that can be, and frequently is, crippling.

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.

It is Lent but I am still eating chocolate With 1st April being Easter Sunday, we are now well into the season of Lent. There is a tendency to think of Lent as a time of self-denial - to give up something which we enjoy. And chocolate seems to be the number one favourite. But I have to admit that I am continuing to consume the same (very modest!) amount of chocolate. As always, it is our motive which is important. Easter is the most significant event of the year for Christians. Lent should be a time to remind ourselves of the events leading up to that first Easter when Jesus, God the Son, suffered His horrendous death by crucifixion. It is all too easy to have a selfish motive for any sacrifices which we make – chocolate or otherwise. Are we looking to please God and gain His favour and

so expect Him to bless us in some way? It is the biggest mistake anyone can make – to believe that we can earn God’s favour. Every one of us has offended God and there is nothing we can do to put things right. But, wonderfully, there is nothing we need to do, except to receive God’s free gift of forgiveness and reconciliation. That was made possible when Jesus sacrificed Himself in our place – to pay the penalty for our sins. During these final weeks of Lent will you take time to think about what Jesus did for you – so that you might get right with God? Would you like to know more? Please do write to us. John Phillips

What is Lent?

Lent is the period of forty days before Easter. Many Christians observe it as a period of fasting and reflection on the events leading up to Jesus' crucifixion. Jesus sacrificed His life to pay the penalty for our sins. We can only be saved from God's judgment by putting our faith in Jesus.

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Fair trials ‘jeopardised’ by Inside Voices disclosure failures Police disclosure in crisis ‘Cock-ups hardly surprising’ says leading forensic scientist Inside Time report The collapse of a series of rape cases has shaken public confidence. The Commons Justice Select Committee is to hold an inquiry into disclosure problems which according to its chair, Conservative MP Bob Neill, have led to ‘inappropriate charges, unnecessar y delays in court proceedings and potential miscarriages of justice’. A joint report by the police and CPS inspectorate last year warned that until officers and prosecutors take disclosure responsibilities more seriously, ’no improvement will result and the likelihood of a fair trial can be jeopardised’. Public faith in the fairness of trials is being eroded and the justice system is approaching ‘breaking point’ due to failures to disclose key digital evidence, the head of the criminal bar has said. The comments, from Angela Rafferty QC, come as a leading forensic scientist, Dr Jan Collie, exposes the difficulties defence experts have in obtaining downloaded material from p ol ice a nd pro s e c utor s , i n c lu d i ng d e a l i ng w it h ‘games’ officers play in pursuit of convictions. Rafferty, who regularly prosecutes, said: “The justice system is approaching breaking point. It’s beginning to happen on both sides - prosecution and defence. All of these cases collapsing because of disclosure [problems] are a sign of that. The danger is that

jurors’ faith in the justice system is being eroded which lets down all of the witnesses in a case. Cost-cutting and outsourcing has put the administration of justice at risk ... I don’t think it’s bad faith by the police. They have been under-resourced. They are swamped. In some of my cases it ’s t he police who have revealed material that’s helpful to the defence.”

We had a case of a woman who said she was raped. The police had not looked at her phone. We eventually got [the complainant’s mobile] and there was a message saying: ‘Thanks for the great sex’. Dr Ja n Col l ie, head of D i s c o v e r y Fo r e n s i c s i n London, who mainly works for defendants, said: “The odds are stacked against the defence in many ways. We rarely get access to the actual piece of equipment. In the past I could go to the police station and see a phone or a computer and physically check it’s the right piece. Now everything comes pre-packaged and is handed over on a hard drive or USB stick.” Dedicated police digital forensic units have disappeared, she said. “Now I am trying to arrange access to exhibits

with a police officer who is not a technical specialist. A lot of officers are given very minimal training on how to download a phone or tablet so it’s hardly surprising they often cock it up.” Collie recalled a case in which a 15 year-old schoolboy was sent an unsolicited, illegal pornographic video on his phone through a group chat. “It came up and he deleted it,” she said. Nonetheless the youth was kept out of school during the investigation. “After the case I was shocked by the attitude of the officer who was really unhappy because he hadn’t made the charge stick. How can you be unhappy about not criminalising a 15 year-old?” The material downloaded depends on the setting used by any investigating officer. “There’s potential for me [as a digital forensics expert] to find more, but if you accept the other side’s output reports, you are at the mercy of what they have chosen,” she said. “We had a case of a woman who said she was raped. The police had not looked at her phone. We eventually got [the complainant’s mobile] and there was a message saying: ‘Thanks for the great sex’. “The police would have been quite happy to take her word for it. The man would have gone to jail and lost his job. The charge was dropped on the first day in court. The prosecutor offered no evidence. Rape is an extremely serious matter but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t look at both sides of the argument.”

Terry GM Smith BA Hons Open HMP Highpoint Due to costly experience, I have been screaming for a radical overhaul of the police disclosure regime for many years. So, you can imagine how I felt when the Daily Mail took up the challenge and published a 3-page exclusive on the scandal of police disclosure in regard to sexual cases. It was like journalists were fi nally waking up and fi nding what we have known for years - the police disclosure system is rotten beyond the core and needs replacing with an independent, accountable and transparent system. We learn, according to the Daily Mail that 3 young men accused of rape were on the very brink of wrongful conviction when the police disclosed vital evidence which cleared them. More specifically, Liam Allen (22) a student; Isaac Itiary (25) father of two and Samuel Armstrong (24) an MP’s aide, were the latest victims of a wholly deficient and defunct disclosure process which almost ended in calamity. Moreover, we learn from this fiasco, the role of the Disclosure Officer is indelibly fraught with stress and tension as there is an insoluble conflict of interest between the Disclosure Officer and the Senior Investigating Officer and prosecuting barrister in the case versus a contradictory duty to the defence where he must disclose material that may acquit the accused. Put another way, the Disclosure Officer must exhibit unswerving loyalty and commitment to two separate line-managers and also a duty to disclose to the defence. By any standards it is an ill-conceived marriage based upon irreconcilable differences that can only lead to an acrimonious divorce. Arguably, this is because the Disclosure Officer has a wide variety of options when he comes across material or evidence that must be disclosed to the defence. For instance, if the evidence is ‘non-sensitive’ he can disclose it. Secondly, as in the Liam Allen case, he can render the material ‘sensitive’ and refuse to disclose it. Thirdly, he can discuss it with the prosecution and refuse to disclose it or even notify the defence about it. Fourthly, he can,

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but should not, amend and distort the description of the material in the police schedules hoping that the defence miss its relevance or; lastly, he can simply push the material to one side and make out it never crossed his path and hope the defence do not raise it at trial. Ultimately, what we learn from the role and duties of the Disclosure Officer is that a just and fair trial depends entirely on the good judgement and honesty of the individual officer in charge of the disclosure process. So, what went wrong with the three rape cases above? Why did the allegations of rape get all the way to trial before the disclosure anomalies were raised, debated and eventually rectified? In the case of Liam Allen, it is alleged police failed to disclose 40,000 text messages from his accuser which included rape fantasies. In the case of Isaac Itiary, the police refused to disclose critical mobile messages which supported his claim that the under-age girl posed as a 19-year-old. And in the case of Samuel Armstrong, the defence waited up to 9-months for phone and medical records which the police claimed the accuser refused to hand over. In each of these cases, it was only by sheer luck rather than the proper purpose and operation of the statutory disclosure process that prevented them from becoming another miscarriage of justice with lengthy prison sentences. It seems as if the Disclosure Officers are concealing evidence against suspects that would be useful to the defence. History tells us that there is a litany of miscarriages of justice based upon the legal concept of poor disclosure - Bob Maynard, Sam Allen, Sean Hodgson, Stefan Kiszko, et al. It appears as if detectives do not care one iota whether a defendant is guilty or not. All that matters are the deprivation of exculpatory disclosure is a key tool in the ploy to dupe the judge and jury and bring about convictions, albeit wrongful or not. What is equally disturbing, even the legal profession claim they do not know how common or widespread the abuse of disclosure is, as it all goes on behind closed doors. More alarmingly, how many serving prisoners are in prison at this very moment down to improper and unlawful disclosure procedures? One barrister has branded the scam as ‘a systematic cultural problem’ in the police service. The Daily Mail claimed, ‘The police watchdog faced urgent calls to conduct a national inquiry’. It is also important to recognise and acknowledge the immoral bar of disclosure abuse by the police has been raised to include young men of good character as well as bad. Ultimately, this means that we are all vulnerable to being wrongly convicted. All it takes is an unexpected serious criminal allegation and a dodgy Disclosure Officer and you are on your way to a prison cell and desperately fighting for your life back. Thank god for the journalists and others for raising this ‘monstrous injustice’ in the British criminal justice system. It has been long overdue.

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a year legal aid cuts, as well as their impact on the cost of justice. Much of what is being recognised now as bringing the justice system to melting point is the consequence of years of these cuts. Again, a Secretary with longevity in the role could lead on the future direction of justice policy within the UK, as well as keep justice issues top of the government’s agenda.

Stephen Clear The criminal justice system in England and Wales is failing victims and witnesses to such an extent that MPs say it is now ‘close to breaking point’. Years of budget cuts and changes have led to a justice system that is in meltdown. With such a crisis at hand, one would expect some kind of ‘strong and stable’ leadership from the UK government. Yet, in the most recent cabinet reshuffle, Prime Minister Theresa May once again appointed a new Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, David Gauke. Gauke is the sixth Justice Secretary since 2010, and Theresa May’s third. He replaced David Lidington just six months after he took up the role. Prior to that, Liz Truss held the position for less than a year.

Sinking ship? The post of Lord Chancellor - now more commonly known as the Secretary of State for Justice - dates back to medieval times when they were responsible for the supervision, preparation and dispatch of the King’s letters, using the sovereign’s seal. Prior to the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, the Lord Chancellor held roles in all three arms of the state. They were a senior judge, a member of the cabinet and presided over the House of Lords.

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The Ministry of Justice is considered a major government department. Supported by 32 agencies and public bodies, its core purpose is to protect and advance the principles of justice, while upholding the rule of law. In fact, the UK justice system has long been ‘the envy of the world’. An ‘independent judiciary’ with ‘global lawyers’ the ‘brand’ is recognised as ‘internationally outstanding’. But the lack of consistent leadership is causing it to stall. Though there are permanent secretaries working within the ministry, it is the Secretary of State who steers the ship and maintains relationships and trust between the government and the judiciary.

Similarly, there is the impact of the extensive programme of court closures, which must be headed up by consistent ministerial leadership. The country needs someone to ensure adequate responsibility is taken for the decisions being made, and to ensure that access to justice is not restricted.

Criminal justice system ‘at breaking point’ Years of unstable leadership leading to meltdown Today, the Lord Chancellor is an elected MP who holds the cabinet position of head of the Ministry of Justice. While they still have the ancient title of Lord Chancellor, the role focuses on responsibility for the efficient functioning and independence of the courts, along with other important constitutional roles. But constant changes at the top mean that the Secretaries of State for Justice have not fulfilled these roles. In the meantime, judges have been branded ‘enemies of the people’ - with only a slow response to defend them - and their diversity has been called into question.

Your Rights Our Responsibility

On this latter point, in early 2018, David Lidington said that judicial diversity targets were ‘not the answer’ to the issue. So what is? While the judicial appointments commission has a role to play in diversity matters, a Secretary of State must be in place to set out the government’s position on what is a pressing matter. The judiciary should represent the people of society, and right now it is not doing so. Cuts and closures Looking to the front of house, England and Wales also needs a Secretary to lead on a meaningful review of the consequences of the £450m Blackfords new ad

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Without heeding these glaring warning signs now, the ‘breaking point’ could very quickly develop into a crack in England and Wales’s legal system. Only with someone at the helm who can take long-term responsibility for overhauling the country’s legal system can justice be truly served at all levels.

Stephen Clear is Lecturer in Law, Bangor University This article first appeared on The Conversation www.theconversation.com 24.1.14:Layout 1 24/1/14 12:59 Page 1

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Tales of Wisdom

The traveller Sid Arter There was once a traveller who went from place to place seeking wisdom and understanding. He never settled for long in any one town; preferring to keep moving to seek out new

experiences and acquaintances from whom he might learn. He took shelter where he could, often sleeping in caves, hedgerows and derelict out-buildings or accepting hospitality in exchange for work. He did odd jobs such as cleaning and labouring to earn enough money for food; and he made few demands upon the world.

One afternoon he came across a shepherd on the hillside tending his flock of sheep. He greeted the shepherd with a friendly smile and wished him a good day. The shepherd invited him to share the stew he was making over an open fire; and the two men were soon exchanging tales of their lives and fortunes. Thinking of where he might stay that night, the traveller asked the shepherd, “What kind of weather are we going to have today?” The shepherd replied: “The kind of weather I like.” This answer puzzled the traveller who replied: “How do you know it will be the kind of weather you like?” The shepherd replied: “Having found out, sir, that I cannot always get what I like, I have learned to always like what I get. So I am quite sure we will have the kind of weather I like.”

Inside Voices Wormwood Scrubs saved my life Aroon Kumar Mohunol HMP Wormwood Scrubs I’m 57 years-old and finally, for the first time, on a recent Sunday, I quit the methadone, the cocaine and all the other drugs that had been running my life. And it’s all thanks to HMP Wormwood Scrubs and their good care. God (who I’ve believed in for the last 40 years) took an extreme measure to catch my attention when he said: “My son, enough is enough”. It took incarceration in Wormwood Scrubs to begin that change, and it was at the first mass on my first Sunday inside. This is going to sound strange, but thank God for Wormwood Scrubs... here’s why: • The chance to do some education; • Help to get off the drugs; • Care on the wing; • Sacrifices made every day by officers and all the other people from the library to the chaplaincy. I respect the hard work of the staff very much

and often, I’ve thought - ‘would I leave my family, my safety and security to do a job like that? Is it just a job or is it a passion? Or a love for mankind? I can’t say that I like it in here because I have never come in contact with the law before, in any kind of way. The most important thing for me now is that I’ve revived my relationship with my God. I lost my way but thanks to the Scrubs I found the tranquillity to read the bible and to digest the words I read. I’m particularly grateful to a particular officer (he knows who he is) who saved my life recently. I ended up at the hospital with a bleeding head, having collapsed after taking a roll-up. It had Spice in it and I collapsed however I repeat, that officer saved my life. It’s easy to say a lot of negative things about the Scrubs but I want to be honest, and tell the truth as I see it. They saved my life and, most importantly, my relationship with God is mended. Yes, it took HMP Wormwood Scrubs to wake me up.

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Outside Voices

The real menace is drugs in prisons, not smoking “The subject of prison brings out the best and worst in us” Steven Downes My views on the prison regime fluctuate like the heart-rate of an interval runner. It often depends on which criminal I have last heard about in the media. Some bring out the inner Norman Tebbit, others the Norman Lamb.

said. So where do you stand on prisoners being allowed to smoke? Wayland Prison, near Watton, is about to become the latest place to bring in a total on-site (inside and outside) smoking ban.

Banning smoking means tobacco becomes jail contraband: just one more thing to search for and detect at a time when prisons are near to breaking point.

I do know that the danger of becoming institutionalised is real. For many prisoners, routine, regular meals and some certainty are far more attractive than the chaos they experience on the outside. This is a big leap, but during my three months in Hellesdon Hospital (not a prison, but certainly an institution) I became comfortable with the rhythm of life and dreaded trying to return to what passed for normality. I shared space and time with many patients who were far more attached to the hospital environment. On any occasion that one was released, I was deeply fearful on their behalf. The case in prison is far less open and shut, as I’ve already

Good job, eh? For it’s not meant to be a holiday camp. Prison should deprive its guests of their fun and make them regret their villainous behaviour. That said, I might surprise you when I say that I don’t support a total smoking ban at Wayland or at any prison. Banning it indoors should be automatic: does anyone really still think we should recreate the blue-grey haze of Porridge and add health and a future to the things that prisoners

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are deprived of? But for goodness’ sake keep the odd outdoor smoking area. I’m not saying it out of respect for the wishes of prisoners, who haven’t earned that right. It’s more that I do not see the point in introducing yet another potential point of conflict for prison officers to deal with. Banning smok ing means tobacco becomes jail contraband: just one more thing to search for and detect at a time when prisons are near to breaking point. I’d sooner the meagre resource was focused on a real menace – drugs. The daily list of prosecutions at Norwich Magistrates’ Court is punctuated by people outside and inside Wayland and Norwich prisons accused of attempting to smuggle drugs. The porousness of our prisons is chilling to contemplate. It puts vulnerable inmates at risk, undermines authority and maintains the cycle of addiction and offending. Smoking is not a big deal in that context, so why make it into one? Credit: Eastern Daily Press

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E-Burn ‘major success story’

The first prison in Europe to implement a tobacco-ban for inmates was on the Isle of Man. Isle of Man (IoM) prison actually brought in a ban on tobacco products in 2008, quite a time before the idea was put into practise in mainland prisons. Instead of tobacco, the inmates were issued with nicotine patches. But, in March last year, a 6-month pilot involving the use of e-cigarettes was implemented. The aim was to reduce the dangers caused by inmates smoking ‘illicit materials, such as bananas, tea-bags and nicotine patches. On top of the health issues of this, the prison had also suffered over 800 power-cuts, caused by inmates using the electrical supply in order to light their homemade ‘cigarettes’. Home Affairs Minister Bill Malarkey, recommended a policy change, saying that as a result of ‘updated evidence and medical opinion…I have been persuaded to revisit this issue by the weight of evidence provided by medical professionals and the availability of an e-cigarette that is specially designed for use in prisons’. The new policy allows inmates to purchase e-cigarettes called ‘E-burn’ and use them in their cells and in outdoor spaces. E-Burn Limited produce an e- cig specifically designed for high security environments and it is currently supplied in a few prisons and extensively within the NHS in their secure establishments where rechargeable devices are considered unsuitable or unsafe. As a result, the following figures have been recorded; a 42% drop in adjudications, a 58% drop in behaviour warnings, a 50% fall in power outages, plus 25% of new receptions asking for help in stopping for good and an annual saving of £8,500 on nicotine replacement therapy. Following the trial, Prison Governor Bob McColm said the pilot had been a ‘major success story’. Chairman of the IMB, Bob Ringham praised the prison’s ‘improved atmosphere’ and said that to ban e-cigarettes

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Les Nicolles, Guernsey’s prison, banned tobacco for inmates on New Year’s Day 2013. This was the second prison in Europe to go ‘smokefree’. Though, Les Nicolles rolled out a number of initiatives from day-one. The Deputy Governor, Lou Arkle, increased purposeful activities and encouraged the use of electronic cigarettes. The result of this has been a reduction in offences against discipline, self-harm, bullying and the use of segregation. The prison is now exclusively using E-Burn Ltd. © Deposit Photos

There has been a lot said and written since the MoJ decided to roll-out a tobacco ban over the entire England & Wales prison system. The jury is still out on whether this ban will be challenged, particularly in light of the recent ruling from the Supreme Court, but in the meantime, there seems to be some benefit coming from the switch to electronic cigarettes for most inmates.

Smoke free update from HMPPS Another prison where E-Burn is about to be introduced is HMP Jamestown, which could well be the most remote prison in the world (though St Helena now has an airport so it’s no longer a five-day passenger voyage by ship from Cape Town) and certainly one of the smallest.  Currently around 42% of prisoners at Jamestown smoke, (this equates to 5 out of a total of 12 prisoners!).  A spokesman for HMP Jamestown said - ‘It is a very old prison, built in 1827, with lots of wood, including a wooden staircase as a fire escape!  Reducing fire risk is also a goal for a smoke free prison.  This is one of the reasons we do not want to introduce re-chargeable e-cigs.  We have purchased E-Burn as a trial, not just for the prisoners but also to test the delivery logistics. Posting items directly to St Helena is not reliable and the freight company that serves the island have advised that they cannot send them airfreight.  So, it could take two to three months by sea before they arrive as freight from UK goes to Cape Town before being transferred to the ship that brings supplies to the island. We are genuinely interested in having a smoke-free prison and I am sure this is the way to go.’ Editorial note Whilst there is no direct association or connection between Inside Time Ltd and E-Burn Ltd, John Roberts is a director of both companies.

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“If you are a smoker and are currently in a prison that has not yet gone smoke free why not get ahead?” Did you know that there are now 85 prisons which are completely smoke free? This covers Wales and two thirds of prisons in England. This accounts for over 68,000 men and women living in smoke free conditions across the North East, Yorkshire, North West, Midlands, and South West, including the whole female estate and Long Term High Security prisons. The Prison Service has been

supporting smokers by making as many appropriate alternatives to smoking available as possible and smoking cessation clinics continue to run in smoke f ree prisons. Rechargeable vapes were introduced in Summer 2017, and a range of different flavours have recently become available to buy on the canteen. So far over 50,000 vaping devices have been sold to date and the Prison Service is now exploring other makes of vaping dev ice to prov ide

greater variety and choice. The roll out will continue into London and the South East this year. If you are a smoker and are currently in a prison that has not yet gone smoke free why not get ahead and look to quit smoking on your own terms before the ban comes in? There are smoking cessation clinics available as well as alternatives to tobacco on canteen. Speak to healthcare or an officer for more information.

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

Noel Smith

would be a step backwards. This was a joint effort between IoM prison (which is located in Jurby), the Probation Service and the Public Health Directorate. So, the tobacco ban and e-cigarettes seem to be working quite well for the Isle of Man prison.

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Sentence too long? Wrongly convicted? Due for parole? Being investigated for fresh offences? Got an adjudication? Been recalled?

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Parole Board Update Home Detention Curfew ... the facts speak freely at a hearing. I also think prisoners and victims should have access to a simple process to challenge our decisions where they disagree, but this must not lead to unnecessary delays.

Nick Hardwick Parole Board Chairman

The Parole Board has been in the news a lot recently and you will probably have questions about what’s going on. There are two things that are currently happening that may affect how the Parole Board works in future: 1) the rules about how we make decisions and in particular whether our hearings and the reasons for our decisions should be confidential as at present, are being examined in the courts, following a challenge by victims and others of a decision to release a prisoner, and 2) the Ministry of Justice are reviewing whether the whole parole process should be more open, how victims are involved in the process and whether there should be a procedure for reviewing parole decisions. I think bodies like the Parole Board should be open to being closely examined. Many prisoners might themselves have criticisms about how the Board works and the decisions we make. The Parole Board should be more open but I believe that needs to be balanced against the right to privacy of prisoners, victims and others and the importance of prisoners feeling they can

No decisions have yet been made and once we know what the Courts and Ministry of Justice have decided we will ensure information is available to prisoners about any changes - including through the pages of Inside Time. A lot of the questions that are being asked of the Parole Board address the points raised in my last article here about; transparency, independence, diversity. I asked for prisoners to write to me with their views and ideas about these points and many of you have done so. For that I am very grateful. Prisoners’ voices should be heard, and this is one way that we can engage with you. In your letters you have highlighted the effect that delays in reviews can have on you. Delays affect prisoners and their families’ ability to plan for the future. We are making progress in reducing delays. We have dramatically reduced our backlog and now prisoners should not usually have to wait longer than the planned timings for their parole review. Unfortunately, there are still other ways that parole reviews can be delayed. This includes deferrals on the day of a person’s oral hearing. There are both good and bad reasons for deferrals. We must make sure that the panels have all the information they need and do nothing that is unfair, but cases should only be deferred when absolutely necessary. One of the problems with cases being deferred at pres-

ent is that a new panel has to be appointed, there can be problems finding a new date and a lot of anxiety and uncertainty while this happens for both victims and prisoners. We are going to try and move to a system where if a case can’t be completed on the day of the hearing, it is adjourned and the same panel keeps responsibility so they can quickly set a new date and reduce the uncertainty and anxiety that currently occurs. We hope that will lead to some significant improvement.

I am always interested to hear your thoughts on these and other issues. You can continue the discussion in the letters pages of Inside Time or feel free to write to me at the Parole Board with your ideas: Nick Hardwick, Chair, The Parole Board, 52 Queen Anne’s Gate, London SW1H 9AG.

New Parole Board phone numbers: Update your pin for 12 March The Parole Board will have new telephone numbers from 12 March onwards. This means you will need to add the new Parole Board general enquiries number to your PIN: 0203 880 0885. Your Parole Board case manager’s new number will also need to be added to your pin. These numbers will be sent to OMUs and solicitors and should be available by 12 March. If for any reason you don’t have your case manager’s new number by 12 March, or don’t know who your case manager is, use the general enquiries number and you will be directed to the right person.

Our commitment and service to you, does not stop when you leave the dock. Reeds solicitors are dedicated to providing legal expertise along with unparalleled client care. This service also includes issues you may experience in custody. Our Prison Law Team are able to offer advice and assistance under the Legal Aid Scheme for the following issues:

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Our experienced Solicitors also offer competitive fixed fees for general Prison Law matters including: Contact our team now by calling 01865 592670 or write to us calling our Freepost address: RTXS-CHLX-SYRC - Reeds Solicitors - 403 Silbury Boulevard - MILTON KEYNES - MK9 2AH

PRISON REFORM TRUST

Ryan Harman Advice and Info Service Manager

Home Detention Curfew (HDC) is a scheme which allows some people to be released from custody early to a suitable address, providing they stay there during certain hours - usually a 12-hour period through the night. This is monitored by an electronic tag which you would be required to wear - which is why it is often referred to as ‘tagging’. Rumours about HDC are commonplace in prison, and barely a week goes by without someone asking us if the eligibility criteria have been extended. Sadly, there is no truth to these rumours at present, and changes to eligibility like this would need a change in legislation first. However, HMPPS are currently trying to improve the procedures for those who are eligible for HDC, and this drive is accompanied by new guidance for prisons, PSI 01/2018 Home Detention Curfew Assessment Process. The aims are to make sure that those eligible are identified early, that the process operates without delays and, most importantly, that release on HDC becomes the norm for people who are eligible. Working out if you can get released on HDC can be complex - the following is intended to be a rough guide but please feel free to contact us or speak to staff for more detailed information. The first thing the prison must establish is your ‘eligibility’ for HDC. Eligibility is a matter of law, so if you are ineligible you will not be released on HDC under any circumstances. PSI 01/2018 does not make any changes to the eligibility criteria or the presumption of unsuitability. You are ineligible if any of the following apply: • You are serving 4 years or more for any offence; • You have been convicted of a sexual offence and are required to register; • You are currently serving an extended sentence for violent or sexual offences; • You are serving a sentence for failing to return on ROTL, absconding or escape; • You are serving a sentence for breach of the curfew requirement of a Community Order; • You have ever been recalled to prison for failing to comply with HDC curfew conditions; • You have ever been returned to custody by the court for committing an imprisonable offence during an ‘at-risk period’ of a previous sentence; • You are currently serving a recall from early release on compassionate grounds; • You are a foreign national who has been recommended for deportation by the court or you are liable to deportation and a decision to deport has been served. If you are eligible for HDC there are still reasons you could be ‘presumed unsuitable’. This is a matter of HMPPS policy rather than law. The reasons for being presumed unsuitable include

if you have a history of sexual offending but are not required to register, if you are liable to deportation, if you have been recalled for poor behaviour during a previous period on HDC or if you are currently serving a sentence for any of the following categories of offence; homicide, explosives, possession of offensive weapons, possession of firearms with intent, cruelty to children, racially aggravated offences, or terrorism. If you are eligible but presumed unsuitable you will only be considered for release on HDC in ‘exceptional circumstances’. The prison should work out your eligibility within five working days of sentence calculation and should inform you in writing. If you are eligible and suitable for HDC you should be considered automatically and should not need to apply. You should receive a Proposed Address Form at least 10 weeks before your HDC eligibility date, or sooner if you are serving a very short sentence. If this does not happen, speak to staff or put in an application to OMU or the HDC clerk at your prison. At least five weeks before your eligibility date, and once an Address Checks form has been returned by your responsible officer in the community, your case should be assessed, and a decision made. The decision maker should agree to release on HDC unless: • You are under investigation or have been charged or convicted of a serious further offence during your current sentence; • There are risk management planning actions which must happen before you are released (for example the address has been found unsuitable), or • There would be fewer than 10 days to serve on HDC before you would normally be released automatically. It is also possible that a decision can be postponed for the above reasons. If you have been refused because the address was found unsuitable you should be given the opportunity to have an alternative address considered, providing there is time. If your release on HDC is approved, you must serve at least 28 days or a quarter of your sentence in prison, whichever is the longest. However, the maximum period of HDC is 135 days. This means if your sentence length is between 18 months and 4 years you must serve until 135 days before the halfway point of the sentence.

For more detailed information on HDC, please contact us using the details below. We can send you a copy of PSI 01/2018 as well as other useful information about HDC. 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.

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The Careers Lady

The Hub

example, those offered by The British Academy of Garden Design. Their address to find out more information is: 1 Berkeley Street, London W1J 8DJ. Tel: 02033931172. The course costs start at around £395 for a Certificate in Garden Design which takes around 3 months to achieve.

The first step through the door to your future

John also asked for information on recruitment agencies in Ireland. There are several that advertise gardening jobs. I found three contacts that may be useful:

Forty seconds that could change your life

The job interview It is a well-known fact that many company interviewers make up their mind about a prospective employee within 40 seconds of an applicant walking through the door. Interviews can be very stressful, no matter how many you may have attended. Being prepared is the key to what you can do to make your interview effective and positive. How to prepare for those 40 vital seconds: • Firstly, dress appropriately. No matter what type of job it is - whether it is in a shop, warehouse or an office - the interviewer will expect you to have made an effort in how you dress. • Smile. It costs nothing but will show the interviewer that you are looking forward to his / her questions (and will conceal any nerves you may have). • Hold out your hand for a handshake and wait to be asked to be seated. All of the above are common sense but you need to show confidence even if underneath you are nervous. Before the interview, it is important that you research the company you are working for. I remember many years ago I made a mistake in this regard and it cost me the job. I had been recommended by a friend who worked for the company and she had filled me in on the

company information and about the job I was applying for. At the end of the interview I was asked if I had any questions for the panel. I said ‘no’. That was a big mistake, as it looked as if I was not interested in finding out any more. Always have at least three questions you want to ask (even if you know the answers). One could be about what training may be available for the job you are applying for. Another could be about where in the department you would be working. On no account should you ask about money. You can ask that question if you are successful in the interview and be offered the job. You may have to wait for a response to the interview selection as there may be other applicants. The interviewer will tell you when they will contact you. If it is several days, it only means that the interviews may be carried out over a period of time. Often there will be more than one interviewer. If it is a large company it will include someone from Personnel, perhaps the manager of the department you are applying to work for, and a manager from another department. As you are introduced to them, try and remember their names. They will each ask you a question, so it would be noted if you respond using their names. If there is more than one applicant, they will

ask the same questions of everyone - so to be able to refer to the panel by name will certainly give you the edge over someone who is less personable.

© Deposit Photos

Garden maintenance

From prison to pruning John from HMP/YOI Stoke Heath recently asked me how he can use his current education and practical achievements to progress his gardening career. There are courses which can help anyone wanting to start a career in Garden Design. For

As an interviewer I would often use one of my staff to show prospective employees around the building. As well as giving the applicant time to combat their nerves, it was also a way of finding out about the person applying for the job, especially if they would be working as part of a team. Useful feedback from that member of staff can be crucial in the selection process. Be yourself, but be aware that the company not only wants to make the right decision about whether you are a suitable candidate but also wants to know that you are friendly and that you will fit in with the rest of the team.

© Deposit Photos

• Recruitni, Belfast Telegraph House, Clarendon Dock, 33 Clarendon Road, Belfast BT1 3BG Tel. 0845 030 3299 • Premiere People, 55 Royal Avenue, Belfast BT1 1FY Tel. 0289023577 • 16-30 Chapel Hill, Lisburn BT28 1BW Tel. 02892668330 My advice would be to look at recruitment agencies nearer to where you would be living on your release. If you or your supporters outside prison have access to the internet there are more agencies listed who may be able to help you. As an example of work available, I found one current gardening job advertised with Recruitni which is a Temporary Garden Maintenance job paying £7.96 - £8.20 per hour. However, remember you need to register with your local Job Centre as soon as you leave prison. Once registered they will be able to help you look for specific jobs, not only in gardening but also refer you to companies with jobs that can use other skills that you may have achieved in prison.

Wrongly convicted of a crime?

Lost your appeal?

This may all seem a bit complicated but if it prepares you for the job it will all be worth it.

What next?

Summing up • Use your 40 seconds effectively; • Research the company you are applying to; • Have three questions ready to ask at the end of the interview. • Remember that everyone you come in contact with when you arrive may be someone you will be working with and they will also be making a judgement on you.

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]

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Hot off the presses: PET’s new curriculum

There are 30 new courses listed, including: • Creative and Professional Writing; • Residential Letting; • Pre and Post Natal Fitness Instruction; • CIMA Sage Level 4 + 5 (Accounting qualifications) • Yoga Beginners; and even • Goat Husbandry. Also listed are the Level 1 Open University courses that PET began funding last year. There are 20 modules to choose from, equivalent to roughly the first half of the first year of your degree. Subjects range from the arts, to languages, social sciences and mathematics.

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

Human Resources

Lunchtime bang-up “perfect time to study”

How I did it: Alumni study tips Every year PET funds around 3,000 courses for people in prison. Some choose to continue studying - or even teaching - after they are released. Here are some of their tips for successful studying. Dave - Criminology Lecturer, York “Exercise is essential. In prison I ran around the football field every afternoon because it helped me unwind but also increased my brain power. Nowadays I still run for the same reason and am able to work a lot of things out in my head while running. In prison and now, I wrote copious amounts of notes which helped with my final essays. I hand write my essays too. I find this method creates a deeper learning experience. The process of handwriting enables an additional thought process before word processing. Always write references as you go - never wait until the end when you have to go and search for your sources.”

The curriculum’s cover is courtesy of Julio Osorio, inspired by memories of a childhood spent in rural Colombia. Julio completed this work while in prison, where he also received PET funding for arts and hobbies materials. He is now making a living as a professional artist. Copies of the curriculum are currently winging their way to every prison’s education department/library, so you’ll be able to find the whole list of courses there. If not, we have a limited amount of copies to send to prospective learners - please write to John Lister, FREEPOST, Prisoners’ Education Trust to request yours.

© PET

PET has just printed its new 2018 curriculum. It’s our biggest yet, with over 100 courses to choose from, as well as case studies and an expanded study skills session.

Course Notes

Most importantly make sure you enjoy what you are doing so you want to learn it and don’t have to force yourself to learn. Alan, Bio-Medical Student, Greater London “Find quiet time behind the door, without interruptions, and make time religiously. Avoid studying during noisy times such as football/ sports. Plan properly to finish before your deadlines - it is surprising how quick that time disappears when you need to do something. Also write things out in your own words, and check back with tutors to make sure your understanding is correct. Most importantly make sure you enjoy what you are doing so you want to learn it and don’t have to force yourself to learn.” Gareth, Criminology Student, Anglia Ruskin “The really big thing for me was to talk about it. Whatever you are studying, there is something really valuable about trying to have conversations with people on the yard, or between

sets at the gym. It helps for you to think about how to explain really complex topics in a really basic way. The better you get at explaining it in lay terms, the more it sinks in and the more people will be likely to ask you to carry on.”

I found that it was good to study at a set time during the day. A perfect time I found was during the lunchtime ‘bang up’.

If you have a problem in the workplace, are asking for a pay rise, or are about to gain or lose a job, it will the Human Resources (HR) professional who you’ll be speaking to. But it’s not just about hiring and firing - HR personnel take responsibility for the overall safety and wellbeing of people in the workplace. Their duties cou ld i nclude employe e empowerment, team building, and building links with the outside community. If this sounds like it could be interesting, you might want to consider applying for funding for NCC’s Principles of Human Resource Practice Level 3, one of the brand new courses we’re offering in 2018. “We decided to begin offering this course after receiving a lot of letters from people in prison who were interested in this area,” says John Lister, PET’s advice manager who is responsible for choosing the subjects we offer. “As you’re not able to study for CIPD

[HR’s main professional qualification] by distance learning, the Level 3 qualification is the next best thing. It’s an industry-recognised qualification that should be a really valuable preparation for work in this area.”

HR personnel take responsibility for the overall safety and wellbeing of people in the workplace This course provides learners with a firm foundation in the most common areas of HR. It is aimed at those who are new to HR, or who are looking to further their HR career with a professional qualification. There are seven units, covering topics including employment law, employee rights, recruitment and training and development. Speak to your education department to request a form and apply.

To look at a full curriculum, or for more information about how to apply for a distance-learning course with PET, please speak to your prison’s Education Department. If you need further help, you can write to FREEPOST, Prisoners’ Education Trust.

Fred, Events Management Student, Bournemouth “I found that it was good to study at a set time during the day. A perfect time I found was during the lunchtime ‘bang up’. As I used to study every day, I never forgot or made excuses, as there was usually not much on TV or anything to do during that time period anyway, then I still got the evenings to myself to chill out, read books, watch TV or play PS2, while still getting a large amount of work done. Another tactic I used was to highlight, with a highlighter available on the canteen sheet, sections of text within the textbook I found particularly relevant or interesting.  Simply highlighting helped imprint it onto my brain and quickly find it again should I need to reference it later. I also frequently stopped my studying to apply what I was learning about to real life, drawing up plans for my event company, using tactics I was learning about. This did not only reinforce what I was learning about by applying it to a real-life scenario, but it helped me to put together detailed event plans, which I still refer to now. I believe this was instrumental in helping me remember everything when it came down to taking my tests.”

What if you were governor for a day? In the Spring, PET will be holding its annual lecture, inviting three governors from the UK, US and Denmark to speak about leadership. As part of this, we’re asking: If you were governor for a day, what would you change? We’re interested in the views of serving prisoners, particularly around education, but all topics are of interest. We will share what we learn on the day through the event and social media. All contributions will be anonymised unless requested otherwise. Please send your answers to FREEPOST, Prisoners Education Trust before 30 March.

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Rory Stewart OBE MP

Visitors from abroad… Chris Parsons

© Deposit Photos

We need to do much more to improve the state of our prisons. I have been in the job for six weeks and I am looking very carefully at the HMIP reports, particularly the recent ones on HMP Liverpool and HMP Nottingham. I think we should start with the basics, our prisons should be decent, clean, safe and secure. Getting that right is vital and is the foundation for all the other work that we can do together on rehabilitation, education and ultimately resettlement.

Keeping safe Juliet Lyon CBE It’s a year since the Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody (IAP), working with Inside Time, Prison Radio and the Samaritans, launched our Keeping Safe plan. In February 2017 we called on people in prison to say how best to prevent suicide and self-harm. Over 150 prisoners across 60 prisons wrote or phoned in and said how to keep people safe. No one should die a bleak lonely death in prison. Everyone is worth more than that. Masses of work to prevent suicide and self-harm is being done by Samaritan listeners, peer supporters, prison staff, safer custody officials, nurses, chaplains, IMB’s and charities. Now the new Minister for Justice, Rory Stewart, has written to you through the pages of Inside

Time to say that he will improve the state of our prisons and ‘learn from the advice that many of you provided to the Independent Advisory Panel’ which is fantastic. He is clear that there is much more to do before prisons are the decent, clean, safe and secure places they should be. One man wrote to the IAP that ‘it’s the basics... There’s no point in doing anything until you get the BASICS right’. Now the Minister is promising to ‘start with the basics’. Some things take longer than others and, let’s face it, there’s a lot to put right. But I think you can expect, and be part of, change across the prison system. Selfinf licted deaths are going down thank goodness. We have to prevent self-harm and avoid many of the so-called natural deaths too. There are reasons to be hopeful: together we can keep people safe.’

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We have a duty towards prisoners, prison officers and society to protect people inside prisons and ultimately protect the public. Any loss of life is a terrible tragedy and the Prison Service will do all it can to prevent any such tragedies but we also need to work together with prisoners and great charities, such as Samaritan listeners, and learn from the advice many of you provided to the Independent Advisory Panel. We have a duty towards prisoners, prison officers and society to protect people inside prisons and ultimately protect the public.

A couple of walkers recently paused at our field gate stall and introduced themselves. We’re from Yorkshire, just passing, what happens here then? LandWorks is a resettlement project for those already in or at risk of going to prison. How many prisoners are here? We have 4 or 5 offenders every day from our local prison HMP Channings Wood and usually 2 offenders serving their sentence in the community. What do they do? We have a carefully planned work structure, wood working, market gardening, a pottery and even charcoal production. Critically around this we weave more social skills. We cook daily, and everyone eats together. We encourage 1:1 working time, weekly counselling sessions and resettlement support work have all proved to be vital in our success. How are you funded? About 25% of our running costs is covered by our own enterprises, wood products, veg, eggs, pottery, charcoal, kindling etc. All on sale at our field gate. Our local community are incredibly supportive and generously provide about 28% of our funding. The remaining 53% comes from various trust funds large and small. How do you judge success? We are independently evaluated, and the evidence for the last four years gives us impressive statistics…91% of former trainees in employment and less than 4% reoffend.

Rory Stewart is the Minister of State for the Ministry of Justice Juliet Lyon CBE is Chair of the Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody (IAP) What do you think are the best ways to prevent selfharm and suicide in prison and keep people safe? Write to: ‘FREEPOST IAP’ IAP must be in capital letters, no stamp and nothing else on the envelope.

Fixed Fees for: Early Removal Scheme Family Governor’s Adjudication HDC

Why do you think this works so well? Simply, we build trusting relationships with individuals who have lost trust. From the very beginning we have accepted people for who they are today not for what they have done. Trust is hard won and easily lost but until you have reached that point of trust in a relationship it is difficult for meaningful change to occur. Have there been any high points? Many, so many. Recently I was really touched when one Saturday afternoon (completely by chance) I met one of our graduates outside the LandWorks gate, turns out he and his wife periodically just drive past, so they can look in and Tom is able to remind himself that he was involved in something good. Low points? Yes of course. Addicts in particular…trying to sort out life can bring great highs but can also sink to terrible depths. Why do you do it? I find that a tough question, but I do get a lot from this job, it’s the degree of their honesty that I love and respect… perhaps this occurs when someone is at the lowest point of their life, perhaps they have nothing to hide behind, I find that is inspirational. Of course, it also means you constantly hear difficult things. Stuff that you probably can only take so much of. Can LandWorks expand? It is challenging to continue to increase numbers without losing the core or diluting the ethos and I suspect reducing success. But LandWorks could be a template for others, It’s a simple philosophy… To believe in people. Chris Parsons is the manager of LandWorks https://landworks.org.uk

National Prison Law Solicitors www.instalaw.co.uk Instalaw Solicitors have over 40 years combined experience representing prisoners rights and we can represent you no matter where you are in the country! Specialists in Parole Board paper reviews, oral hearings & independent adjudications

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The Inspector Calls

fully addressed or monitored. “Basic procedures designed to improve safety, such as assessment, care in custody and teamwork (ACCT) documentation, were poor. In the context of the high levels of self-harm, suicide and prisoners presenting with mental health problems, this was inexplicable. Much more needed to be done to analyse and understand what sat behind the suicides and self-harm in the prison.”

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

HMP Dartmoor

Category C men’s training prison Unannounced Inspection: 14-24 August 2017 Published: 12 December 2017 Safety W W W W Respect W W W W Purposeful Activity W W W W Resettlement W W W W

“Prison with 70% sex offenders and ‘shocking’ failings in resettlement work to reduce risk of harm to public” Located in the heart of Dartmoor and built on land owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, the prison remained under threat of closure. Local managers felt this had resulted in a degree of ‘planning blight’, as evidenced by a reluctance to invest in upgrading the poor infrastructure. Dartmoor operates an ‘integrated regime’ of VP and mainstream prisoners. The report says that some excellent work had been done to facilitate the transition to a fully integrated regime, but more work was needed to embed the changes, ensure the risks of men in this context were well understood and develop the support package for those who still felt anxious. While levels of violence were very low, more men than previously told inspectors they had felt unsafe at some time and that they had been victimised by other prisoners. HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Peter Clarke says that Dartmoor is home to hundreds of sex offenders and needs help from the Prison Service to improve ‘shocking’ failings in its work to protect the public from the risk posed by men it releases. The prison was well led in many ways but there was ‘confusion nationally’ about

its role: “Our most serious concerns related to resettlement. Dartmoor was not a designated resettlement prison, which meant it did not have adequate resources to effectively engage in pre-release planning. Despite this, over 200 men in the year leading up to the inspection had been released from the prison. Our projections indicated the number would be even higher next year. In addition, offender management provision did not ensure that men received support to reduce the risks of harm they might pose to the public on release, or that release planning for the highest-risk men was timely or comprehensive. This was a shocking and totally unacceptable situation, given the generally high-risk population being released from Dartmoor.” Inspectors found that 511 of the 633 men in the prison were under MAPPA (Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements); despite this level of risk, they also found that: * Release planning for high-risk prisoners was often unplanned, rushed and poor. * Far too many men left Dartmoor either homeless or in very temporary accommodation. * While national prisons strategy involves transferring men back to a local resettlement prison three months prior to their release, this did not happen in Dartmoor. * There was little provision at Dartmoor for men who were in denial of their sexual convictions and ‘too many sexual offenders were released without having sufficiently addressed their attitude, thinking or behaviour.’ In summing up, Mr Clarke says: “We had significant concerns about the lack of clarity relating to the prison’s resettlement and risk management responsibilities, and in particular its inability to carry out adequate pre-release planning for men being released from the prison. While we considered Dartmoor to be well led and making strides in some important areas, it was being hampered by confusion nationally about its role, doubts about its future and inadequate resources to do the job it was being asked to do. The solutions to many of the most significant concerns we raise in this report are not in the gift of the governor; the active support of HM Prison and Probation Service is needed.”

Full report: www.tinyurl.com/yd72uz2v

Local To: HMP Bullingdon, HMYOI Aylesbury, HMP Woodhill, HMP The Mount & HMP Grendon but Pickup & Scott will represent prisoners nationwide. We are able to assist with all Please contact aspects of prison law, including: Charlotte Lyon at: • Parole Board Reviews • Recall to Prison • Independent Adjudications • Sentence Calculation Members of the Association of Prison Lawyers

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HMP Swansea Local male category B

Unannounced Inspection: 7, 8, 14-17 August 2017 Published: 3 January 2018 Safety W W W W Respect W W W W Purposeful Activity W W W W Resettlement W W W W

“Complacency and inexcusable failure to address suicides and high self-harm” Peter Clarke says that inspectors in 2014 had warned that the prison needed to be ‘energised, rejuvenated and refocused on delivering better outcomes.’ He says that this inspection, in August 2017, was very disappointing. “It is clear that the complacency we warned about after the last inspection had been allowed to take hold … Swansea had a ‘complacent and inexcusable’ approach to the safety of vulnerable prisoners, failing to respond effectively to high levels of self-harm and suicides of new prisoners.” Inspectors were concerned by evidence about eight self-inflicted deaths of prisoners in their early days in Swansea. They found the prison had not fully acted on recommendations by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO), which investigates deaths in prisons. Mr Clarke said that the PPO recommendations were ‘significant and highly relevant’ and failure to implement them ‘was inexcusable - particularly as, in the previous six months, there had been 134 incidents of self-harm - three times the rate that was recorded at the last inspection.’ He added: “There had been four self-inflicted deaths since our last inspection, all of which occurred within the first seven days of arrival at Swansea. At our last inspection in 2014 there had also been four self-inflicted deaths; all of those men had similarly taken their own lives during their early days at Swansea. Subsequent recommendations by the PPO had not been

A third of prisoners said they had problems with feeling depressed or suicidal on arrival at Swansea. 53% said they had problems with drugs and 32% had problems with alcohol on arrival, higher proportions than in comparable prisons. Inspectors noted: ‘mental health provision did not meet the high level of need, although the care that was provided was good.’ The suicide constant watch cell was ‘unwelcoming, dirty and unfurnished.’ In the early 1980s, Swansea had started the Listener scheme and this developed into a nationwide service: ‘In Swansea in 2017, enthusiastic and committed Listeners felt underused and undervalued’. Violence had risen since 2014 and drugs were a significant problem. Far too little attention was paid to ensuring men could obtain the ‘very basics for everyday living’, such as socks, boxer shorts and sheets. The report says: a further area of significant concern was that ‘purposeful activity’ was particularly disappointing, having fallen to the lowest possible assessment of ‘poor’. Mr Clarke said: “For a prison of this type to have a regime where half the prisoners are locked up during the working day, with unemployed prisoners locked up for around 22 hours each day, was unacceptable.” Summing up, Mr Clarke says: “The current governor had a number of coherent plans for improvement and had made some progress. He was enthusiastic about the future and he has the opportunity to move the prison forward and to once again make it a decent, safe and productive establishment. However, to do so he will need the active support of his leadership team and staff at all levels within the prison and in Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). Grudging acceptance of change or passive resistance will not suffice.” Full report: https://tinyurl.com/y93qbxca

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Monitoring

Inside Time report HMCIP Peter Clarke particularly welcomed the finding that HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) has failed to respond prop erly to H M Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) recommendations to improve safety, conditions and other outcomes for prisoners. The Justice Committee’s concerns about the failure to deliver on recommendations was, Mr Clarke said, “sadly no more than a continuation of a trend I reported on in my last Annual Report, when for the first time we found that the number of our recommendations that had been implemented fell behind those that were not. “It was all the more troubling that the Committee heard that senior HMPPS leadership had relied on reassurances from HMP Liverpool that previous HMIP recommendations, from our May 2015 inspection, were being successfully implemented. Michael Spurr, CEO of HMPPS, told the Committee: “In May, before the inspection, the prison was reporting that 66% of the recommendations were green, on-track and being delivered.” As Mr Spurr commented: “That was not right.” M r Clarke added: “When we inspected HMP Liverpool in September 2017, we found that a mere 25% had actually been achieved.” Inadequate implementation

of HMIP recommendations was a feature not only at HMP Liverpool, but also in a number of other prisons. For instance, in January 2018, following an inspection at the ‘fundamentally unsafe’ HMP Nottingham, Mr Clarke issued the first Urgent Notification letter, under a new protocol which requires the Secretary of State for Justice to take public responsibility for improvement s i n pr i son s where inspectors raise significant concerns.

Abject failure of too many prisons to take inspection reports seriously must stop. M r C l a rk e a d d e d : “ T h e response from the Secretary of State to the first use of the Urgent Notification protocol in the case of HMP Nottingham was welcome. However, the fact that the Urgent Notification had to be issued confirmed a failure to implement previous inspection recommendat ions in H M P Nottingham. “Only 12 out of 48 recommendations had been achieved, a shocking failure given that the previous two inspections had been announced in advance to give the prison the best pos-

sible opportunity to respond. The Secretary of State said that the prison had been in ‘Special Measures for some time and this had meant that steps were already being taken to support the prison to address safety’. Sadly, these steps clearly did not include our safety recommendations f rom t he Febr u a r y 2 016 inspection. A mere two out of 13 had been achieved. It is tragic that in recent days, since the Urgent Notification protocol was invoked, there has been another apparently self-inflicted death at HMP Nottingham.” Inspectors who visited HMP Nottingham in January 2018 assessed safety as ‘poor’, the lowest HMIP grading and the third consecutive time inspectors found this to be the case. Between the 2016 and 2018 inspections, levels of selfharm had risen ‘very significantly’ and eight prisoners were believed to have taken their own lives (with some cases still subject to a coroner’s inquest). M r Cla rke welcomed t he Committee’s recommendation that independent scrutiny needs to be injected into monitoring the implementation of inspection reports. “It is crucial that the progress in implementing HMIP recommendations is transparent and independently verifiable. The abject failure of too many prisons to take inspection reports seriously must stop.”

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Justice Committee backs prison inspector’s call for more scrutiny Bringing conflicting parties together

The Restorative Prison A new approach to conflict resolution and violence reduction

Tony Walker We all know about conflict in prisons. We all know how easily it is triggered, how rapidly it escalates, how far it goes and how long it festers. It grows tangled and widespread roots throughout every prison and, whenever it rears its ugly head, the outcome is never good. Traditional responses to conflict in prisons are reactive and focus on suppression rather than resolution. They tend to come only after the conflict reaches trigger point and rarely deal with the cause. The Restorative Prison is a new initiative that offers a proactive approach to resolve conflict, wherever possible, before it escalates. Over the last 18 months, using their wealth of experience and expertise in Restorative Justice, Restorative Solutions CIC has developed and trialled the Restorative Prison approach in HMP Buckley Hall and HMP Peterborough (Men & Women’s). This approach to prison conflict empowers prisoners and trusts them to resolve issues themselves, using proven techniques to get to the root of the conflict and repair the harm. It gives people higher levels of autonomy but holds them responsible, which is the epitome of a genuinely Rehabilitative Culture. Prisoners and staff have been trained in Restorative Approaches to bring conflicting parties together in all areas of the prisons to resolve conflict and repair harm. For low level conflicts and disagreements, informal restorative meetings are used. For more serious or complex matters, the case is progressed to a formal restorative conference. Suitable prisoners and staf f who have completed t he Foundation Level are selected to progress to Practitioner Level, meaning they can facilitate formal as well as informal interventions. The flexibility of the approach allows for it to be applied to all situations of conflict across the prison community. Restorative Approaches are being used to resolve conflict between prisoners, between prisoners and staff, and increasingly in response to prisoners’ complaints. Managers use restorative approaches to resolve conflict between staff members and, in a growing number of cases, it is now being used to resolve conflict between prisoners and their families.

The early collection of hard data shows that the typical cases are: verbal altercations, bullying, debt, assaults, drugs and fighting. In nearly half of the cases, prisoners who are trained practitioners have facilitated the case with a member of staff and in nearly a quarter of cases prisoners have resolved the issue without staff. The restorative approach works in the adjudication process. For example, the adjudicating officer uses restorative questioning to explore the impact of the incident and/or makes a referral to explore Restorative Approaches following an award. In November 2016 the MoJ’s White Paper on Prison Safety and Reform highlighted the emerging value of the Restorative Prison initiative to encourage governors to take a restorative approach where appropriate. Due to the adversarial nature of our traditional justice system, most people will not have been exposed to anything like this before. When people embrace this approach, not only do they learn of the human consequences of their actions and see things differently, they are now equipped with a tool to solve or resolve the problem. Those exposed to this approach, either as practitioners or as parties involved, state that it has led to a positive change in their mindset, behaviour and attitude. There are even cases where the person who caused harm has been so impressed by the process they’ve gone on to be trained as a facilitator themselves. The Restorative Prison programme is due to begin its rollout this year. It is the aim of Restorative Solutions to give every prisoner in the country restorative options in the future. If you would like to know more about Restorative Justice or Restorative Prisons contact: [email protected]

Tony Walker is Director of Service Delivery at Restorative Solutions CIC Restorative Solutions CIC has been working for the past ten years in close partnership with a multitude of local organisations, prisons, and police forces to make restorative approaches accessible to all. Our aim has always been to provide restorative solutions that reduce harm and resolve conflict.

IT’S THE BEST CURE FOR MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE, AND WE’LL GET WHAT’S DUE TO YOU Preventation is always better than cure however it seems even harder to apply the sentiment when you’re in prison. The reported cases of clinical and dental negligence during confinement is on the increase. Whether it is due to a lack of resources or inept practitioning there is no excuse if your health has suffered physically or mentally, as a result you could be due 1000’s of pounds in compensation. Negligence may not just affect you now it could have painful or expensive repercussions far into the future which is why you need expert, experienced advice to secure the compensation which is due to YOU.

As one of the countries leading personal injury lawyers Michael Jefferies have been successfully representing prisoners in cases of clinical and dental negligence for many years. We have won compensation from 100’s to 1000’s of pounds all on a NO WIN NO FEE basis. If you feel you’ve been badly treated, misdiagnosed or kept waiting for an unacceptable amount of time contact us now and we will get the compensation you deserve.

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Criminal Justice - a general rant! David Wells

We constantly read reports in the media that the criminal justice system is in crisis. Prisons are full, inmates live in squalid and inhumane conditions, drugs and violence are on the increase, and in more recent times the huge publicity surrounding the issue of the police and prosecution failing to disclose available material to the defence, which results not just in prosecutions which should never have taken place, but has in my view resulted in countless wrongful convictions. Is it any wonder that these problems occur when public funding across the criminal justice sector is repeatedly slashed? Even the probation service has been affected, not to mention the CCRC who are now so under-resourced that its reputation for impartiality and fairness is under scrutiny like never before. But it is the Police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) who come under review in this article. The CPS prosecutes offences on behalf of the Police. The Police are the ‘investigators’ whose job it is to gather the evidence. In the most serious of cases the CPS will review the ‘evidence’ gathered and makes a decision on whether to charge and what charge to bring. The Police, under the Police & Criminal Evidence Act (The Act) and its Codes of Practice are duty bound to ‘pursue all reasonable lines of enquiry’ in any investigation. This means that the Police should make enquiries which can or could support a suspect’s

innocence, as well as pursue those enquires that will support the guilt of a suspect. In my experience this fundamental obligation is not adhered to as it should be. Many would argue that the Police are simply interested in securing a conviction. They assume that a suspect is guilty just because he or she had been arrested. This is no doubt a view more prevalent in allegations of a sexual nature. I have had to remind investigating officers in police interviews time and time again of their responsibilities as police officers. I have even cross-examined, at trial, officers in charge of cases who have not even been aware of their investigators’ duties under the Act. T he t rouble i s t hat t h i s ‘impression of guilt’ from the outset is what creates complacency in criminal investigations and it is complacency which creates unfairness. In the worse cases this can create miscarriages of justice. There is an expression that I heard some years ago which has always struck a chord with me …’It’s better that a guilty man go free than an innocent man get wrongfully convicted.’ How true that sentiment is. Take, for example, the recent case of the man cleared of raping a woman; a man whose reputation and character was destroyed by a prosecution intent on securing a conviction. It turned out that the complainant in the case had her own phone examined and the Police found a text which confirmed that there could be no issue that she consented utterly disgraceful. That took two years to resolve! This is obviously an extreme example

but we would be foolish to believe that such failures in the system are unique to this case. They are not. The CPS announced that it was going to conduct a review of all current and past cases similar to this poor man’s. I am not convinced that it will solve much at all and that this is simply a weak attempt by the Police and CPS to distance themselves from the significant criticism they are both facing. Such statements do nothing but give false hope to the many wrongfully charged individuals awaiting trial and those who find themselves wrongfully convicted. There is no doubt that funding cuts have hit defence lawyers too. In Crown Court cases, defence lawyers now get paid depending on how many pages of evidence there is. This was seen as a cost-saving exercise when it was first introduced, but the emergence of more and more digital evidence meant that cases were costing the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) quite a bit of money more than they wanted to pay! This has resulted in the CPS cutting corners when it comes to serving evidence and getting involved themselves, quite wrongly, with the politics of justice. To make it worse, t he L A A recent ly capped the evidence that can be claimed for in a criminal case. The system is indeed in crisis. Until such time that we have a properly funded criminal justice system we will continue to see injustice and misery.

David Wells is a Solicitor and Partner at Wells Burcombe

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Smoking ban ‘all legal challenges rejected’ Clarification of Supreme Court ruling from HMPPS Richard Wills

is very clear evidence, following air quality testing undertaken in 2015, which made absolutely clear in terms that no Government could ignore, the very real dangers from second hand smoke to everyone in prisons - prisoners, staff and visitors alike. Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) has a duty of care to protect everyone in prisons from the proven harmful effects of second hand smoke and the ban on tobacco honours a long standing commitment made by all Governments since 2007.

The Black case, upon which the Supreme Court ruled on 19 December, was not about whether or not the implementation of the smoking ban could continue or not and the ruling has not stopped the continuing national rollout. The appeal was brought by an individual who supports the ban and was about a point of law, whether or not the 2006 Health Act - effectively the smoking ban - applies as a matter of law to Crown premises. If it had, the Government Reports from prisons that have gone smoke would have been in breach of the law for not free, are almost unanimous notinginthe Our aspecialist team committed to helping victims of abuse and are in experts having smoking ban in are place. improved atmosphere and air quality. We have bringing action against local authorities, such social services, and residential also as taken great care to learn lessons as the The Supreme Court upheld the view that it does institutions, such as children’s homes. implementation has continued. So that the not. All other legal challenges against the ban process is as effective as it can be and that we brought thus far have also been rejected in very Our dedicated team of male and female lawyers have a proven track record with address the concerns of prisoners and staff; clear terms. The Supreme Court in Black ruled sexual, physical and emotional and thatabuse we doclaims. all we can to support all pristhat public sector prisons were not bound by oners smokers, vapers and be non-smokers PartChild 1 of the Health Acttake 2006, which contains abuse can a long time to come to terms with and it can difficult foralike.

VICTIMS OF CHILD ABUSE Helping victims plan for the future and achieve justice

the smoking ban provisions, Part 1 experiences. Regardless of how long ago victims to speak out about because their traumatic HMPPS does fully appreciate how difficult quitdoes not bind the Crown. However, private tingbe smoking be.aHence thetoabuse tookbyplace, may still able tocan make claim.the very close prisons continue be bound Part 1you of the support provided by healthcare partners in Health Act 2006. thebe Black judg- with the utmost levels of professionalism, Anything youThe sayefftoect usofwill handled prisons. Together, HMPPS and health care ment is that the criminal offences in the Health sensitivity and understanding. partners have been at pains to do all they can Act 2006 (for smoking in a smoke-free area, or to communicate, prepare and support prisonfor a manager failing to take steps to prevent ers and staff through implementation of the smoking in a smoke-free area) do not apply to ban. Those that do not necessarily want to give public sector prisons. However, these criminal up and need some transitional support are able offences continue to apply in private prisons. to purchase e-cigarettes and vapes. HMPPS The current position in relation to public sector has taken keen notice of the feedback from prisons that are smoke-free as a matter of polprisoners on this and we are constantly seekicy is that smoking can be treated as a disciing to improve the choice of products and flaplinary off enceChristine and dealt with Sands under the adjuCall and the team on 01924 868911 vours available. dications system.

Email [email protected]

Richard Wills works for HMPPS Smoke1HL Free The primary for the banHouse, currently Wellington being Write to reason Neil Jordan Road, Dewsbury, WF13 Policy Project successfully implemented in the closed estate

VICTIMS OF CHILD ABUSE

Helping victims plan for the future and achieve justice Our specialist team have already helped victims at the following places;

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If you have suffered sexual abuse in any institution or whilst in the care of your local authority we may be able to help.

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Pre-Tariff Reviews - how do they work? Darryl Foster and Anisha Mondair As per previous articles, from the 21st February 2018 legal aid was available, subject to means, for those subject to a pre-tariff review by the Parole Board. This is a significant step for prisoners serving an indeterminate sentence as legal advice will be more readily available in what is a crucial stage in their progression. This article seeks to look at the practicalities surrounding pre-tariff reviews. What is a Tariff? Those subjected to an indeterminate sentence are given a tariff. Indeterminate sentences have no end date nor do they have a fixed date for release. Indeterminate sentence prisoners will have been given a tariff, also known as a minimum term, which they have to serve before they can be considered for release. Upon reaching the minimum term, or tariff expiry, release is not automatic, it can only be granted at the direction of the Parole Board. Should an

indeterminate sentence prisoner be granted release by the Parole Board they will remain on licence for life. Should they be refused release by the Parole Board they will remain in custody until the Parole Board feel that their risk is manageable in the community. What are Pre-Tariff Reviews? A transfer to open conditions is seen as a significant stage in the sentence of an indeterminate sentence prisoner. It is at this stage that the reduction in risk is tested in the community by virtue of release on temporary licence. Prior to tariff expiry, indeterminate sentence prisoners can apply for a transfer to open conditions. This is known as a pre-tariff review. The Parole Board will give consideration to the progress made by the prisoner and will make a recommendation to the Secretary of State as to whether that person is manageable in open conditions. A pre-tariff review will commence 3 years prior to tariff expiry. This will allow time for the preparation of reports

and for a dossier to be produced. The dossier will be considered by the Parole Board after the prisoner has had the opportunity to submit representations. Subject to the nature of the indeterminate sentence being served, the Parole Board may have to direct that an oral hearing take place before a final decision can be reached.

It is vital that legal representation is sought with regards to a pre-tariff sift and a pre-tariff review. ... with regards to a review, Legal Aid is now available. Should the Board recommend a transfer to open conditions, and the Secretary of State accept that recommendation, the transfer will take place. As the review commenced 3 years prior to the tariff expiry, there will be time for the prisoner to transfer to an open prison and

engage with the regime within the open estate in readiness for their on-tariff review, at which point the Parole Board can consider release. What is a Pre-Tariff Sift? A pre-tariff sift takes place prior to the pre-tariff review. This is a process by which the prison will review your progression and recommend whether your case should be put before the Parole Board for consideration for a PreTariff Review. Not all indeterminate sentence prisoners will be subject to a pre-tariff review. Only those who are successful in their pre-tariff sift will have the benefit of a pre-tariff review. The Sift will take place during a meeting called the Sentence Planning Review Meeting (SPRM). At the Sift, the prison will consider the prospect of t he pr isoner obta in ing Category D status. Should it be felt that there is outstanding work to do or progress to be made, the prison may not put the prisoner forward for a pre-tariff review. Are you eligible for a Pre-Tariff Sift? In order to be subject to a pre-tariff sift and therefore a pre-tariff review, you must have been given a tariff over 3 years in length. In addition, should you meet any of the criteria below, you will be deemed not to meet t he requirements for a pre-tariff sift unless there are exceptional circumstances: • Category A prisoners; • Those with an OASys assessment of high/very high risk of harm;

Our open, friendly solicitors working in Criminal Defence will help you with all aspects of Prison Law including: Licence recall • Adjudications Parole hearings • IPP queries Judicial review • Sentence planning issues

Call us on 01865 518971 or visit www.hinesolicitors.com Oxford Freepost address FREEPOST RTHU - LEKE - HAZR Hine Solicitors | Seymour House 285 Banbury Road | Oxford | OX2 7JF

• Those with a proven adjudication for serious violent offences within the last 12 months; • Those with a history of absconding from custody or attempting to escape; • Those that have committed a further offence whilst on a ROTL. The decision regarding the pre-tariff sift rests with the G over nor of t he pr i son. Representations can be submitted in support of the review and any negative decision can be appealed. When will a Pre-Tariff Sift take place? The pre-tariff sift will commence 4 months prior to the

pre-tariff review. Reports are requested and the decision made 2 months prior to the start of the review. What is a Guittard Application? You may have heard t he phrase ‘Guittard Application’ when discussing the progression of pre-tariff prisoners. Currently, the Parole Board has no power to recommend the transfer of an indeterminate sentence prisoner (save for those subject to Imprisonment for P ublic Protection) without taking oral evidence at a hearing. A Guittard Application potentially saves the need for a full review of a prisoner’s progression by the Parole Board. In certain circumstances the Secretary of State can consider the suitability of a prisoner’s transfer to open conditions without the need for the Parole Board to make a recommendation and without the need for oral evidence to be taken. In order to make a Guittard Application the following must be met: • The pre-tariff review must have commenced and a dossier must be in existence; • The dossier must contain evidence that significant progress has been made; • There must be a consensus amongst professionals that the prisoner is suitable for open conditions; • There must be no areas of concern arising from the dossier which require exploration by way of oral evidence; • There must be clear benefits of an immediate transfer to open conditions. Should the above criteria be met, a transfer to open conditions may take place without the need for the prisoner to appear before the Parole Board to give evidence. What will happen if I am unsuccessful with my Pre-Tariff Review? If your pre-tariff review is unsuccessful, you will generally have to wait until your tariff expiry date for your next review. In certain circumsta nces you ca n ask t he Secretary of State to re-refer your case back to the Parole Board for a second pre-tariff review. There would be a need

to demonstrate a change in circumstances since the previous review such as completion of offending behaviour work, support of professionals for progression or a reduction in risk. What can I get Legal Aid for? As stated, from 21st February 2018 legal aid was available for pre-tariff reviews. Legal aid is not available with regards to a pre-tariff sift or a Guittard application as it has only been extended to cover matters before the Parole Board. As a pre-tariff sift is a decision of the prison and a Guittard application a decision made by the Secretary of State, funding is not available. Do I need a lawyer? It is vital that legal representation is sought with regards to a pre-tariff sift and a pre-tariff review. Prisoners must go through a pre-tariff sift in order to engage in the review process. Whilst funding is not available for this stage of proceedings, we can offer competitive fi xed fees to ensure that careful legal representations are put forward arguing for a review to take place. With regards to a review, Legal Aid is now available. A legal representative can give you advice on the procedure of a review and argue to the Parole Board, in writing or by way of a hearing, that progression should take place. This is both in cases where professionals support a progressive move to open conditions and where they do not support a progressive move. Should you have support of professionals we can advise with regards to the prospect of a Guittard application which may be a quicker route to open conditions than the Parole Review. Should you require assistance, our firm employs a number of expert individuals who would be able to assist you. Please contact our Prison Law Department at Hine Solicitors on 01865518971 or FREEPOST - RTHU - LEKE HAZR Hine Solicitors, Seymour House, 285 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 7JF for our Oxford office or FREEPOST - TRXS TYCU - ZKHY Hine Solicitors, Crown House, 123 Hagley Road, Birmingham B16 8LD for our Birmingham office. Darryl Foster is a Solicitor and Anisha Mondair a Trainee Solicitor at Hine Solicitors

Insidetime March 2018

Legal 39

www.insidetime.org Advertorial evant to the investigation.” So if material is ‘relevant to the investigation’ it will be retained - if it is retained it should then be listed in an itemised schedule. The reason for that is so that decisions on disclosure can be made - not by the police but by the reviewing lawyer who reads the schedule.

© Deposit Photos

The problem for the police is that the scheduling of digital material will often be a very significant task. The AG’s Guidelines provides practical guidance.

Disclosure Will they ever get it right? Jonathan Lennon and Aziz Rahman All of the official guidance documents and all of the important case-law on the topic of disclosure in criminal proceedings refer to the seminal case on disclosure and Public Interest Immunity (PII); R v H & C [2004] 2 Cr. App. R 179. The authors represented ‘H’ in that case. However, here we are, 14 years after the House of Lords ruling (Pre-Supreme Court days), and it seems that disclosure is still the major fault line in criminal cases. On 14/12/17 the prosecution offered no evidence at Croydon Crown Court in the case of Liam Allen, a 22 year-old who was accused of rape. He had been telling the prosecution from the outset that the ‘victim’ was lying. The case was dropped after the Crown belatedly disclosed phone messages between the complainant and her friends which supported what he had been saying from the beginning. That case resulted in the Metropolitan Police announcing review of all its rape cases that were about to go to trial. A series of similar cases followed and the CPS then announced in January that a review of all live rape cases in England and Wales would take place. The issue in each case was the failure by the prosecution to disclose digital material which cast doubt on the Crown’s case; i.e. text messages, emails, social media chat etc. Rape allegations are difficult cases for prosecutors. They are not just serious but very often it will be one person’s word against another. Thus, when the defence is that the complainant is lying, then his or her text/social media messaging could well go towards assisting that case, or undermining the Crown’s case. But

the problem about disclosure of digital material is not at all limited to just sex cases. These disclosure concerns arise all the time. The CPIA 1996 and Attorney General’s Guidance The Criminal Prosecution & Investigations Act 1996 (CPIA) sets out the framework for prosecution and defence disclosure in criminal litigation. The Act is the starting point and then there is the Code of Practice (“COP”) made under it. After R v H & C the Attorney General issued his own ‘Guidelines’ in 2005 and there have been numerous other guidance documents since; including Lord Justice Gross’ Review of Disclosure in September 2011 which led to a re-writing of the Attorney General’s Guidelines on Disclosure (see December 2013 edition).

How digital unused material should be examined/scheduled The AG’s Guidance makes it clear that where there is a huge amount of digital material to be examined then ‘key word’ searches should be used. The ‘hits’ can then be examined and decisions made on retaining or not - anything to be retained is scheduled so that the CPS lawyer can decide what should be disclosed from the schedule - that decision is based on what the defence have set out in their Defence Statement. Problems arise when the police do not properly search the digital material or properly schedule the results. The prosecuting lawyer cannot direct disclosure of a particular email chain if he or she doesn’t know about it. In any case where digital material has been seized and the defence think that support for their case might lie with, e.g. a co-defendant’s email discussions, or a witnesses telephone traffic etc, then it is important to say so in the Defence Statement. Critically, if at all possible the defence should give suggested key word

The CPIA Code of Practice tells officers that; “the investigator must retain material obtained in a criminal investigation which may be rel-

In conclusion, the reality is that for those of us working in the criminal justice system we welcome the recent publicity. It shows what cuts to police forces, legal aid and CPS budgets can do. But, we are where we are - what about those facing trial now? The reality is that the defence now have to be ever more vigilant and think tactically from the earliest possible stage.

Jonathan Lennon is a Barrister specialising in serious and complex criminal defence cases based 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 & Partners: ‘he is phenomenal and his work rate is astonishing’; ‘One of the best juniors in financial crime.’ 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.

Problems arise when the police do not properly search the digital material or properly schedule the results. The prosecuting lawyer cannot direct disclosure of a particular email chain if he or she doesn’t know about it. Where officers raid premises they may end up seizing several computers and other digital items - and certainly mobile phones. Clearly not all the data on the computers/phones will be relevant to the investigation. The police can still seize the computers and take them away to conduct a ‘seize and sift’ procedure later; i.e. to assess from the mass of digital material what may be relevant to their investigation.

searches to the prosecution in the Defence Statement. If the police fail to carry out properly particularised reasonable searches of the terms supplied they will have to justify their position later. This will often be difficult for them - especially in the current climate. In our experience the prosecution simply failing to consider defence suggested digital search terms is something that happens frequently - despite their being a responsibility on the prosecution to carry out such searches.

“An exceptional firm with exceptional people, Rahman Ravelli Solicitors is the leader in the field” The Legal 500 Telephone

01422 346666

“They are absolutely uncompromising in advancing the proper interests of the client” Chambers Legal Guide

Roma House, 59 Pellon Lane, Halifax, West Yorkshire HX1 5BE

“They absolutely know what they’re doing and have dedicated people with a real interest in the subject” Chambers Legal Guide

36 Whitefriars St, London, EC4Y 8BQ Tel: 0203 947 1539 Also in Birmingham

www.rahmanravelli.co.uk / [email protected]

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40 Legal // Q&A

Insidetime March 2018

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

Anon HMP Wymott

Q I wish to resettle in Spain upon

my release. I have a property there and want to know if I can be released to resettle in Spain immediately and if not, how long would I need to wait before I could be allowed? Waiting would have an unnecessary financial impact on me. Lastly, I want to know whether the Northern Ireland case of McManus has any bearing on my potential application?

Prison Law Answers are kindly provided by: Hine Solicitors Stevens Solicitors Kesar & Co Solicitors MKS Law Solicitors Pickup & Scott 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 Prison Law Query (concise and clearly marked ‘Prison Law Query’) 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.

A As you have correctly stated in

your letter, PSI 8/2015 (Permanent Resettlement Outside England and Wales of Offender Subject to PostRelease Supervision) sets out the guidance and policy for prisoners seeking permanent resettlement outside the UK. The PSI sets out three distinguishable criterions which must be satisfied before an application is approved and a decision made to enable you to reside abroad. Paragraph 2.6 (1, 2 and 3) set out the three criterions. Whilst you may not have any familial ties in Spain, the fact that you have residential ties there (because you have your own property abroad) the first criterion would be satisfied. Your case also satisfies the second requirement because based on the information provided, there is nothing to indicate that your offence is connected or potentially connected to Spain, the country in which you wish to settle. In order to become eligible for resettlement abroad, you would need to demonstrate that you have satisfied

the third criterion, namely that protection of the public (victims included) reoffending and rehabilitation of the offender will not be undermined by such resettlement. The PSI goes on to give some further guidance on this requirement and states that it would not be appropriate to allow individuals to resettle outside the UK where they represent a high risk of violent and/ or sexual reoffending. In your letter you indicate that you are not eligible for SOTP due to your low risk of harm. The question here would be whether, based on your conviction, you are assessed as posing a low/medium risk of reoffending in the OASys as sometimes the Risk Matrix 2000 scores assessment for risk of harm could be different to the risk of reoffending in the OASys. When carrying out the assessment of your eligibility for this, the assessor may argue that you do not satisfy this requirement, however it is for you to demonstrate that your risk of reoffending is not high by highlighting factors that could be argued to show that your risk is lower - such as conduct in custody, whether you have undertaken any offender behaviour programme (although it is stated in your letter that you have not undertaken the SOTP due to low risk scores), whether the index offence is historic and there has been a significant period between offence and conviction with no offending, support, etc. On the issue of duration in the UK before the resettlement is approved, the PSI goes on to state that an offender is required to spend a ‘suitable period of time’ in the community. It does not

clarify what this ‘suitable period of time’ is but guides us by indicating that this will depend on the complexity of the case and the risk of serious harm that the offender poses to enable the Offender Manager to assess the likelihood of reoffending and compliance with requirements in the community. This period in the community will often strengthen the case to support the assertion that the third and final requirement can be satisfied. I am aware that you wish to spend as little time in the UK as possible upon release, however I cannot guarantee what this duration would be. More importantly, given your conviction for a sexual offence, it is unlikely that you willbereleaseddirectlytoresettleabroad. Lastly, the McManus case is unlikely to have any positive bearing on your case, as this is a case concerning the prohibition of inmates in Northern Ireland residing with their family in the Republic of Ireland. The court held that this prohibition was unlawful because it disproportionately infringed on their right to a family life (Article 8) and being able to reside with their family contributed to their rehabilitation and remaining offence free in the community.

TH HMP Gartree

Q Can a life sentence prisoner, upon release on a licence, do temporary work as a counsellor? A Whilst you are unlikely to be subject

to licence conditions that prohibit you from undertaking specific employment, it is possible your licence conditions mean you would automatically be in breach by undertaking certain work. For example, if you have a licence condition that states you cannot have supervised contact with children under the age of 18 then you would not be able to counsel individuals under the age of 18. In any event your Offender Manager, who would conduct their own assessment to determine if you pose a risk in this type of work, must approve all employment. Anyone who works with children must undergo Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS - formally known as CRB check) and therefore the employer will be aware of your criminal conviction. It will then be down to the individual employer to determine if this immediately excludes you from consideration under their policy.

In conclusion, I believe that there are good prospects of making a successful application to resettle abroad, however I cannot advise on how long you are expected to spend on licence before the application is approved and you are able to resettle in Spain.

Ultimately, being subject to a life-licence does not automatically prohibit you from becoming a counsellor. However, both your Offender Manager and the organisation in question must be satisfied you do not pose an increased risk in that role.

Response by Kesar & Co Solicitors

Response by Pickup & Scott Solicitors

Kesar & Co SOLICITORS

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

CRIMINAL DEFENCE SPECIALISTS: 1. 2. 3.

Offences committed in prison Historic offences Extradition

PAROLE

We are the Parole Hearing specialists with experience totalling more than 25 years! We will get you an oral hearing and work with you to ensure that you can either progress or get released. In special cases we take active steps to have you released into rehab as an alternative to open conditions. We specialise in difficult cases for lifers and IPP prisoners and, when possible, we do not hesitate to challenge refusals by applications for judicial review.

APPEALS

If you feel that your defence team did not do enough or that your sentence is unduly harsh, maybe our team can review your case? We have an experienced and dedicated team who have successfully appealed a number of cases at the Court of Appeal.

COMPENSATION CLAIMS

We can assist with claims for parole delay, personal injury, clinical and dental negligence as well as claims based on age, disability, religion, race, sexual orientation etc. No win-no fee and legal aid available.

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

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Insidetime March 2018

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

Answers this month were kindly provided by: Jason Elliott, a barrister at Jason Elliott Associates Ltd, a barrister led entity specialising in Prison Law and Criminal Appeals.

“I even struggle getting upstairs to my cell”

Q I’m remanded for an ofAnswers to readers’ legal queries are given on a strictly without liability basis. Send your Sentencing Query (concise and clearly marked ‘Sentencing Query’) to: 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.

fence of blackmail. I’m considering pleading guilty but I know the Judge will have to give me a prison sentence and I’m concerned about how I’d cope. I’ve got a lot of medical problems and it makes it very difficult for me to manage in prison. I even struggle getting upstairs to my cell, which is on the 2’s. Is this something the Judge would consider?

A The short answer is yes,

although I doubt it will save you from a custodial sentence. In R v GD [2017] EWCA Crim 1762, the Court of Appeal dealt with a profoundly deaf man who had received a lengthy

extended sentence. Reports indicated that the defendant’s communication abilities were limited. The sentencing Judge had said that he wasn’t prepared to make a reduction in sentence to reflect the defendant’s disability. On appeal, the Court of Appeal noted that prison staff were making arrangements to deal with the defendant’s disability but said that the focus of the court should be on the extent to which a custodial sentence would be more onerous compared with a younger, fitter defendant and that the sentence should be reduced to take account of his disability.

© prisonimage.org

Sentencing

The reality is that the prison population is getting older. There are a number of reasons for that - the Courts are passing longer sentences and there has been a growth in the number of individuals who are prosecuted (and consequently sentenced) for historic offences. This has given rise to increased demands on healthcare at a time when resources are at their most limited. R v GD doesn’t represent a new development in the law. It merely serves to remind sentencing Judges that disability - and therefore ability to cope within the prison environment - can be a mitigating factor when passing sentence.

Q While I was waiting for trial on bail in this country I was arrested and remanded on a European Arrest Warrant. The warrant had nothing to do with my trial, and it was withdrawn quite quickly. If I’m found guilty and sentenced, does the time on remand count towards my sentence?

A In R v Prenga [2017] EWCA Crim 2149 the Court of Appeal refused to credit remand time for a separate offence in a situation like yours. They said that the rules for giving credit for time on remand or on qualifying bail contained in the Criminal Justice Act 2003 were intended to represent a

comprehensive set of rules governing the issue. They said that it wasn’t unusual for a defendant to be remanded in relation to a more serious charge while on bail for a less serious charge.Ifthemoreseriouscharge was withdrawn, credit would not usually be given for the less serious offence if it resulted in a custodial sentence. There’s often sense, in a situation like yours, to seeking revocation of bail in relation to the less serious matter. That way, credit for remand time can be preserved. It’s also worth remembering that, in principle, the court has a residual power to make allowances for time spent on remand if that is necessary to correct an injustice. A sentencing Judge can reduce a sentence to achieve justice and to reflect exceptional factors. The power is often used in cases where there has been delay, but it’s far from being the only situation where a discretionary reduction can be made.

Q As though my prison sen-

tence wasn’t long enough, I also have a confiscation order to pay. I’ve paid some of it off but I can’t afford to pay the full amount. I know the Courts are going to make me serve a term in default but I don’t

Specialists in Prison Law • Cat A Reviews

• Pre-tariff Reviews

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• Re-categorisation

• HDC

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0151 200 4071 solicitors

63 Hamilton S quare B irkenhead Wirral C H41 5J F

Legal // Q&A 41 know how this works now that I’ve made a partial payment.

A You’re not the only one who

has difficulty understanding how the Courts calculate terms in default. That’s why the Supreme Court recently ruled on the subject - R (Gibson) v Secretary of State for Justice [2018] UKSC 2. When a confiscation order isn’t paid in full within the time allowed, interest is charged. In those circumstances, crediting the part payment against the amount outstanding at the date of payment would result in a smaller reduction in the default term than would have otherwise been the case. This is because the amount owed has been increased because interest is also owed. The Supreme Court said that the deduction to take account of part payment of a confiscation order should be made by reference to the sum that was outstanding at the time when the order was made. It might well be that Parliament had intended the increase in the amount outstanding caused by adding interest to be the starting point for calculating the reduction when part payments are made, but that wasn’t what the statute said, and it was important to be specific in dealing with matters where liberty was at issue.

42 Jailbreak // Fitness

Runners Corner

Running needs no special equipment

© Deposit Photos

than they had burned and runners ate almost 200 calories fewer than they’d burned. Researchers think this may have to do with runners’ increased levels of the hormone peptide YY, which may suppress appetite.

Running is free, you can do it anywhere, and it burns more calories than any other mainstream exercise

Walk or run? What’s best for you? Running and walking are both popular ways to get a great cardio workout. But is a brisk walk really as good an exercise as a sweaty, heartpounding run? Research reported by the American Heart Association finds that walking is just as good as running when it comes to lowering your risk for heart disease. Researchers analysed the health of some 48,000 runners and walkers mainly in their 40s and 50s. They found that, mile for mile, brisk walking lowers the risk for diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure as much as running does. “Running allows me to set my mind free. Nothing seems impossible, nothing unattainable. Kara Goucher, Olympic long-distance runner Joints The difference? You’ll have to spend more time walking than you do running to get the same health benefits simply because it takes longer to walk than to run the same distance. For instance, a 15-minute jog burns about the same number of calories as a half-hour brisk walk. Keep in mind that the chance of being injured is greater in runners because running puts more stress on the body -- on the joints in particular. But if you’re still thinking of stepping up the pace to running and you haven’t done

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much running before, first check with Healthcare, especially if you have arthritis or other health conditions, like heart disease. “All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking.”   Friedrich Nietzsche Mix it up And keep in mind that you don’t have to stick to either walking or running. You can stay motivated by mixing it up. What’s more, adding short sprints to your walking routine will give you a bigger calorie-burning boost for your efforts. While walking can provide many of the same health benefits associated with running, a growing body of research suggests running may be best for weight loss. Perhaps u n s u r p r i s i n g l y, p e o p l e expend 2.5 times more energy running than walking, whether that’s on the track or treadmill. For a 160-pound person, running 8 mph would burn over 800 calories per hour compared to about 300 calories walking at 3.5 mph. And when equal amounts of energy were expended (meaning walkers spent more time exercising), one study found runners still lost more weight. In this study, not only did the runners begin with lower weights than the walkers; they also had a better chance of maintaining their BMI and waist circumference. Appetite suppressant Plus, running may regulate appetite hormones better than walking. In another study, after running or walking, participants were invited to a buffet, where walkers consumed about 50 calories more

“Nothing, not even pain, lasts forever. If I can just keep putting one foot in front of the other, I will eventually get to the end.”   Kim Cowart, runner and journalist But aside from weight loss, walking has definite pros. Researchers looked at data from the National Runners’ Health Study and the National Walkers’ Health Study and f o u n d t h at p e o p le w h o expended the same amount of calories saw many of the same healt h benef its. Regardless of whether they were walking or running, individuals saw a reduced risk of hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, and improved better cardiovascular health. More weight And running does have downsides: It puts more stress on the body and increases the risk for injuries like runner’s knee, hamstring strains, and shin splits (which plague even the most consistent runners).

Sweet dreams The Prison Phoenix Trust Trouble sleeping is incredibly common, both in prison and on the outside, and can be frustrating and miserable. Luckily, there are steps you can take to help yourself drop off. One of the things that people most often say after starting yoga and meditation is that their sleep has improved. Try this routine just before you go to sleep. You may be able to do most of it on your bed. Keep your attention on your breath as you move through these postures and movements. Let us know if they help! Happy Cat

Cross legged side bends

Breathe in.

5 breaths each side. Feel the stretch along your side.

Cross legged forward bend Lean forward over your crossed legs, as far as is comfortable. Stay for 5 slow breaths. Cross your legs the other way and repeat.

Supported bridge Lie like this with a pillow or some rolled up blankets or jumpers under your hips. Relax for 10 slow breaths.

Legs up the wall Angry Cat Breathe out.

Cross legged twist 5 breaths each side.

Find a wall or door you can lie in front of. Get your bum as close to the wall as possible, then put your legs up it, lying back. Stay in this relaxing posture for 30 breaths, or much longer if you’d like.

Child pose Stay for 5 breaths, or longer if you’d like, in whichever of these two postures is most comfortable.

“I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.”   Noël Coward When running isn’t on the cards, walking with added weight might be your next best bet for an effective workout. Research shows that walking while wearing a weighted vest can increase the metabolic costs and relative exercise intensity. A study showed that walking at a slow speed (1.7 mph) on a treadmill at a six-degree incline can be an effective weight management strategy for obese individuals, and help reduce risk of injury to lower extremity joints. And picking up the pace slightly almost always helps. One study found speed walkers had a decreased risk of mortality over their slower counterparts. No matter what pace feels right, listening to your body and completing a proper warm-up and cool-down are all ways to prevent injuries.

Shoulder Circles Breathe in as you move your elbows forward and up, and out as you move them down and back. Moving slowly and smoothly, do this 10 times. Repeat in the other direction.

… and now for sleep Lie on your bed like this, or with your hands on your belly, and bring your attention to your breathing. Count your breaths as they flow in and out of you. When you get to 10 breaths, start again from 1. If you get distracted or lose count, bring your attention back to the breath and start again from 1. Do this for 5 minutes, or until you fall asleep. This breath counting is an effective way of helping you relax and fall asleep, rather than being kept awake by repetitive or worrying thoughts. Even if this doesn’t work, remember that you are still resting and nourishing your body and your mind, even though you are awake. Sweet dreams! 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.

Jailbreak // Fitness 43

www.insidetime.org

Insidetime March 2018

Cell Workout

The 10 to 1, no-rest method

Get the body you want Inside & Out

The Voice Of The Ville December 2011 was definitely a low point in my life - as I was spending my fi rst Christmas in jail. After a trip to the library I picked up a copy of ‘T he Voice Of T he Ville’ Christmas special. I read an article by one of the trainee journalists, Fabian. It was called ‘Active career for the New Year’ and it explained how the PE Department were running the Active IQ Level 2

Gym Instructor and Level 3 Personal Trainer courses. Being accepted onto t he course was the turning point, when things started looking up and my bleak outlook on my time in prison changed. It may sound weird but 5 years on, its always a pleasure to go back into HMP Pentonville where it all began, this time being invited back by the Journalism team to feature in the April issue of VoV. The Voice Of The Ville started back in 2007 a nd was

revamped in 2017. The aim of the magazine is to bring a fresh approach, new ideas and hope, based on real-life stor ies. T heir readership is diverse and they try to reach as many readers as possible. VoV is filled with advice, news, debate, interviews, opinion, stories, artwork, and poetry - all written by prisoners. The interviewees are chosen based on their life experience after prison. The message here is that there is life after prison. Helena Bapt ista is t he Journalism tutor and Voice of the Ville magazine coordinator at HMP Pentonville. She has been working in prison education for the past 10 years as a sessional/part-time tutor. A degree in Public Relations and Advertising, an Honours degree in Humanities, along with her work experience in other settings, including the Arts and design, enables Helena to br i ng a f re sh approach to prison education.

tribute, it is the first time in that they have had a go at writing and there are clearly some very talented people, who only found out about their skills when they joined the Journalism class. They also have the occasional poet, petrol head, football fan, art lover, chef and their contribution to the diversity of the magazine is invaluable. From this some decide to further their education by enrolling onto a distance learning course. And

For some of the men who con-

some, for the fi rst time, feel compelled to start reading. As one man, who had a story published in the VoV, said - “I look forward to Monday because your class makes me feel alive - This is the first time I’ve done something I’m really proud of”. Doing something you’re proud of in prison can make a big difference to your confidence, morale and outlook. Who knows what you can go on and achieve? “There is life after prison.”

Cell Workout by LJ Flanders

A bodyweight training guide designed for use in a prison cell. This 234 page book will guide you with step-by-step instructions performing 204 exercises, with photographs and sample workouts. Price: £16.99 ISBN: 9781473656017 Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton www.cell-workout.com

How it works The circuit designed here doesn’t let up. When you train any squat variation, plus the pull up and the dip, you work nearly every muscle in your body, and your heart will race to supply them with blood and oxygen. Perform all exercises and sets back to back -10 to 1- decreasing the number of reps after each set. This will help you keep the workout going even as you get fatigued. It’ll also get you leaner, and build endurance. Directions Perform the exercises as a circuit, completing a set of each in turn and resting as little as possible between sets. Repeat for 10 circuits (until you’re doing only one rep). The Workout 1. Jump Squat -10 to 1- reps 2. Pull Up -10 to 1- reps 3. Dip -10 to 1- reps

HMP Rye Hill are completing a ‘Veterans in Custody Awareness Challenge’ on the 7th May concluding on the 8th May to coincide with VE day. Together, their veterans in custody aim to highlight the challenges many veterans have faced transiting to civilian life and within the criminal justice system by: Cycling the distance from London to Paris via the Battlefields of the Somme WW1 - 284 miles Rowing the distance from Dover to Dunkirk - 47 miles Running/marching the distance from Normandy D-day Beach landings to Paris - 158 miles In doing so, HMP Rye Hill will also be raising money for Galanos House a local British Legion Care Home with a specialised Dementia care wing, with the support of SSAFA the Armed Forces charity. They further aim to promote unity, integration and peace within their establishment, including all ages, abilities and social back grounds. HMP Rye Hill challenge all prisons to join them in raising awareness of Veterans in Custody, whilst raising money for a veterans charity of your choice.

Can you beat their time?!

Is there another way your staff and veterans in custody could raise awareness and money for charity in May? Coordinated by the Ministry of Defence Covenant funded IOM Cymru SToMP project, every prison in Wales is organising a series of events throughout April and May with and for Veterans in Custody. These will include fundraising for local veteran charities, donating to local food banks and celebrating Armed Forces Day 2018 with staff, their families and the wider armed forces community in Wales. As part of these events, they will replicate HMP Rye Hill’s 'Veterans in Custody Awareness Challenge.' HMP Berwyn, HMP Cardiff, HMP Parc, HMP Prescoed, HMP Swansea and HMP Usk have accepted HMP Rye Hill’s challenge...

Will you?

For more information or to register your interest

[email protected] [email protected]

44 Jailbreak

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Fulfilment achieved

extremely poor among large parts of the prison population, yet infection rates are high. The rate of infection for blood-borne viruses, such as Hepatitis B and C and HIV, is four times higher in prisons than in the general population.  

But you have to make a conscious effort to find it Motivation and confidence You’ve got a million ideas, a bucket list of adventures, but you never quite get beyond the bed. So start work on your confidence before you get out of bed in the morning. Dr Gary Wood, life coach and author of Unlock Your Confidence, recommends this simple daily stretching exercise. ‘From the bed, reach your arms upwards, palms open as though pushing up. Breathe in as you do this. Pause, form fists and pull down with a little resistance. As you do, breathe out. Repeat seven times. Now sit up and do the same again. Get out of bed and repeat again. Then write down three things you are looking forward to today.’ The thief of time Wood describes procrastinating as, ‘getting locked in a dialogue between thoughts and feelings’ - he suggests trying a cognitive-behavioural fix. ‘The easiest way to alter perceptions is to take action. It gives us fresh input to consider rather than ruminating over the same thoughts and feelings.’ Start small with courage The secret, he says, is to tackle small goals first. ‘It could be a one-minute meditation or writing one line in a letter. It’s best if it coincides with something you’d do anyway.’ For example, you could use your first glass of water of the day as your trigger. The point is to make the change and commit to it. It’s how we start to rebuild confidence, which, after all, is about the courage to take action.’ Focusing on bigger changes can overwhelm us. ‘The effort to do something seems far more hassle than not doing anything at all. We then find reasons to justify the actions, such as, “not enough time” or “what will others think?” I encourage my clients to commit to small acts of defiance against those negative attitudes.’ Keep a record In times of self-doubt, fill out a diary or journal. ‘Keeping a record of your progress can be a useful resource. It’s like collecting evidence to contradict negative thinking.’ Countering negative attitudes can have marvellous results. Wood has clients who have started degrees in their late sixties, resumed former childhood hobbies such as riding and dancing, decided to travel the world, or learnt new languages. Eating Difficult in prison. But eating as well as you can is crucial. ‘Of prime importance is maintaining a stable level of sugar in the bloodstream. Disruptive foods include starchy carbohydrates - bread, potato, rice, pasta and breakfast cereals. Much better are protein-rich foods, such as meat, fish and eggs, coupled with salad or vegetables. This basic nutritional strategy will boost your energy levels.’ Dr Briffa’s next tip, he acknowledges, sounds ‘slightly mad’. He advises ‘intermittent fasting’ - consuming food only within an allotted time slot, such as noon until 8pm. ‘Going from dinner to lunch without food basically forces the body to burn fat, which can accelerate weight loss. It also increases the amount of ketones, a byproduct of fat burning, which provide ready fuel for the body and brain. Those who employ intermittent fasting feel good on it, and enjoy

stable levels of energy and concentration.’ Good enough Many of us suffer from imposter syndrome - that feeling you’ll be unmasked as the incompetent pretender that you really are. This ties into the notion that we have to be ‘best’ or ‘perfect’ in order to be ‘allowed’ to take part. Graham Allcott, founder of the Think Productive consultancy and author of How to be a Productivity Ninja, knocks this idea on the head. ‘Perfection is the enemy of done,’ he says. ‘Adopt a mindset of “good enough” rather than perfect. It’s about letting go - convincing yourself the house is tidy enough, or the mail says what it needs to say, not everything you could say.’ Be specific Don’t be vague about goals. On the contrary, Allcott recommends clarity, including making very specific to-do-lists. ‘Most people’s to-do lists contain things like “education”. What you need instead is something like “speak to the education/skills training officer and arrange an assessment.” Defining actions help you picture them in your mind. Well defined is halfway to well done.’ Try the Pomodoro Technique For bigger jobs, he recommends this time-management technique named after a tomato-shaped kitchen timer. ‘Set your time frame to 25 minutes, and work in a dash until zero. Have a five-minute break, then repeat. Doing this through the day will help your brain to stay fresh. It’s counterintuitive to stop so soon when you first start using it, but it really works. There’s no secret sauce to increasing productivity,’ he says. ‘It’s more about changing your mindset and then doing the simple things consistently and well. The key is to stick with it.’ Be open about being shy Another common ‘body’ reaction is for our face muscles to freeze into an uninviting mask, when we’re feeling shy in unfamiliar social situations. Phillip Hodson, Britain’s ‘first agony uncle’ and BACP fellow, says it’s fine to open a conversation with: ‘I know nobody here help!’ He also recommends using open-ended questions such as ‘What do you feel about X?’ rather than ‘Do you like X?’ to keep conversation flowing. Break a sweat Exercise is a well-known energy booster. Even a brisk 15-minute walk will get your heart rate up and blood flowing to the brain. Numerous studies support both the physical and psychological benefits of time spent walking or running or time in the gym. And finally, relax… Visualisation can elevate mood, but few of us have time to meditate. In prison time is abundant. The trick, according to life coach, Gary Wood, is to incorporate visualisation into our everyday activities. ‘Imagine light streaming from the shower head, clearing away negativity and giving you energy. Imagine a glass of water cleansing the inside of your body. And when the day is done, conclude it in a positive way - write down three things for which you have been grateful - even in prison. Jo Carlowe is a freelance journalist, editor and copywriter

Sex is often a subject people find embarrassing to talk about, with people often leaving sexual health issues untreated for months, making matters worse. Radio 1’s Adele Roberts

Sex Talk... When it comes to sex education, some of us will have memories of embarrassed teachers trying to navigate their way around a banana with a class full of giggly kids. For some, that was the extent of our sex education, although many people wouldn’t have received any sex education at all. This leaves a massive information gap. And if you’re in prison, you’re statistically far more likely to be affected by poor sexual health.   On March 1st, a new programme launches on National Prison Radio. Sex Talk is all about sharing knowledge surrounding sexual health.   Adele Roberts from BBC Radio 1 will be presenting this week-

©NPR

Jo Carlowe

ly programme, interviewing experts, sexperts, doctors and nurses.   We’ll be hearing from men and women up and down the country, who’ll be talking about their own experiences with sexual health both inside and outside of prison.   We’ll also be hearing from prison healthcare teams who will be talking about the amazing work they do surrounding sexual health.   Sex is often a subject people find embarrassing to talk about, with people often leaving sexual health issues untreated for months, making matters worse. Some STI’s can be completely symptom-free, so until you get tested, you really don’t know what you have.   The understanding of HIV is

National Prison Radio broadcast Sex Week in February last year, and 16% of listeners who heard Sex Week took action after hearing the programmes (for example, requesting an HIV test). Sex Talk is building on this success, hoping to increase the number of people getting tested for the virus, and removing some of the stigmas still attached to HIV.   Did you know that if you are HIV positive and are on effective treatment you cannot pass on the virus to new partners, to your future children, and when caught early, you can expect to live a life as long as those living without the virus?   Sexual health is an extremely important part of healthcare, and this programme aims to let those inside know about the support and treatment available in prison, as well as giving listeners the information to make safe decisions regarding their sexual health on release. Tune in to Sex Talk every Thursday at 12pm, repeated at 6pm and on Sundays at 2pm.

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Book Review Transgender Behind Prison Walls by Sarah Jane Baker / Review by Clare Barstow ISBN-13: 978-1909976450 / Publisher: Waterside Press / Price £13.99

This book, which gives vital information about everything you need to know regarding the Prison Service regime for transgender prisoners, is a mu s t re ad fo r e ve r yone involved in the Criminal Justice System. Sarah Jane Baker has used her experience of being a transgender lifer who has served over 25 years in 30 male prisons to give a true insight into what the prison system provides to cater for transgender needs, as well as areas where it falls short in providing an adequate service. T he foreword i s by Pa m Stockwell, who first visited Alan Baker as a prison visitor before he transitioned into Sarah. Despite her initial shock, she has continued to support Sarah throughout her journey and gives an objective view of how others can be affected by those who choose to take the difficult decision to transition. Sarah writes about her difficult experiences in various establishments where the bullying, violence and lack of staff sympathy was incredibly hard to take when she first decided to choose to be identified as a woman. Whilst things have improved slowly since the Gender Recognition Act of 2004, the Equality Act in 2010 and various Prison Service Instructions regarding guidelines on the treatment of trans-

gender prisoners, there is still a long way to go, as the recent suicide of t wo pr isoners demonstrates. Sarah encapsulates the whole journey a transgender must face from first coming into reception through to cell allocation, work, clothes, makeup, wigs and other necessary items and special provision. I was truly moved by the heartfelt stories of other men and women who had struggled with being recognized in their chosen genders by staff and prisoners. The bad media coverage has also made it hard for some to decide to come out as transgender, particularly if they are high profile. This book is a mine of information and gives important details of who needs to be informed when a prisoner decides to transition. Having had a number of transgender friends in the prison system, I understand totally how difficult it has been for them and the battles they have faced. T he 2016 P r ison Ser v ice Instruction on the care and management of transgender offenders has gone some way towards improving the situation but there are still areas that need to be improved. The leg i slat ion i s a l s o gone through with a fine-toothcomb to ensure that anyone can understand how it is relevant to the topic and what changes have occurred recent-

Let us help you

ly to update new guidelines. Sarah also gives useful details on where to receive medical treatment and about practitioners who are experts on gender dysphor ia in t he National Health Ser v ice. Useful magazines and books are also mentioned. I was very impressed with the amount of research carried out in writing the book, which is written in a clear and concise style, concentrating mainly on the necessary facts. There are areas where the emotions come through when she talks about her personal experiences but this balances well with the information to give a true guide for transgender prisoners or indeed anyone who works with or has friends or relatives who are transitioning. I am really pleased that I had the opportunity to read this book and am left with a much greater understanding of the problems faced, as the author has taken the time to explain everything in a thoughtful and considerate manner. She has defi nitely taken us on a journey and I hope that everyone will get the opportunity to read this as it will open up your mind to things you might not have thought about and give you a much g reater understanding of how the prison system deals with one area of diversity that has been neglected for far too long.

Why use • Expert Prison Law Team shortlisted for the Northern Law Awards for their success in helping prisoners. • Michael Robinson, John Griffith and Clark Robinson have acted for thousands of clients in your position.

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Reading Group Round-up Promoting reading and reading groups in prisons The report this month comes from Bullingdon, where the group discussed Neverhome, Laird Hunt’s novel about a cross-dressing soldier in the American Civil War. “I was strong and he was not so it was me went to war to defend the Republic. I stepped across the border out of Indiana into Ohio. Twenty dollars, two salt-pork sandwiches, and I took jerky, biscuits, six old apples, fresh underthings and a blanket too. There was a conflagration to come; I wanted to lend it my spark. Meet Gallant Ash: hero, folk legend and master of war. Ash is a leader of men and a brutal and fearless soldier. Will look you dead in the eye and kill for no reason. But Ash has a secret. Gallant Ash is a woman. This is her story...” The group was on fine form, full of energy and enthusiasm, and we had a great discussion. A couple of the men had found it tough going and a bit hard to connect with. But more had been gripped by both the story and the voice of the narrator. One member declared: ‘I was hooked from that opening sentence’ and he went on to quote it from memory: “I was strong and he was not, so it was me went to war”. Another added, ‘I loved that fierce independent girl, she was like Mattie Ross in True Grit’ (a book we had read in the group many months before). ‘I felt swept up in her life and I loved the language like when she writes “I miss you fierce”’. Other comparisons were to Cold Mountain (another reading group book from a long way back) and the film Slow West. There was lots of discussion of Constance and Bartholomew and their reversed roles. We debated at length why we all admired her strength and courage but were less comfortable with Bartholomew’s ‘feminine’ sensitivity. For one member the ‘lynchpin’ of the book was the meeting between Constance and the slave woman who had also gone to fight in disguise. ‘It’s a moment of sharing their experience as women when they talk about their children, but it’s also a reminder of what a white person can’t imagine about a black slave’s life. It’s all in that phrase “Tell you what”’. The crux came when someone reminded us that Constance turns out to be an unreliable narrator and then challenged us: ‘Does that change the way we think about her?’ Some of us admitted that we hadn’t really taken it on board but for Paul it was a shocking discovery and forced him to go back and re-think her: ‘And that was hard because the childish part of me wanted her to be heroic in an easy way so I could have a feel-good ending. This was much tougher’. The letters in the novel tied in with a poem we read at the end of the session. This led us to

letters in prison and the pleasure for some in writing and reading them. ‘I never really wrote letters til I was inside and I like the way writing them makes you think about the other person and what you really want to say. Very different from texts and Twitter’. Another man talked about how the handwriting in a letter seems to create a physical connection and that sometimes the way the writing moves can let you trace the feelings behind it. It was a great meeting and I think we all left on a high. Many thanks to Penguin Random House for generously donating copies of the book.

Letter Here is a letter come across the ocean over the back of a world curved like a whale. I unwrap it, like tissue, and sentences spill out, as though the seal on a jar has broken, coils of cornflower blue on paper thin as shell. I saw a sailor’s valentine once in a museum in Nantucket Sound, a mosaic of broken scallop glued in a compass rose. ‘Writ from the heart’ it said. Words come best like that: in ink or blood, when the source is from a major vein. I read, and understand this much: if ink sees off time and miles, then so must love. Hugh McMillan (b. 1955) The Bullingdon group is supported by Prison Reading Groups (PRG). If your prison doesn’t already have a reading group, encourage your librarian to have a look at our website www.prison-reading-groups.org.uk . PRG is part of Give a Book www.giveabook.org.uk

TurningPages Prisoners who can read teach prisoners who can’t If you would like more information on how to become involved, as either a Mentor or a Learner, contact the Reading Plan Lead in your prison (ask a Shannon Trust Mentor who this is) or write to: Shannon Trust, Freepost RTKY-RUXG-KGYH The Foundry, 17-19 Oval Way, LONDON SE11 5RR.

ShannonTrust

46 Jailbreak // Mother’s Day Messages

www.insidetime.org “A mother’s love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity, it dates all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path.” Agatha Christie, “The Last Séance” Mam, Happy Mother’s day, I would not change you for the world but I would change the world for you. You are one in a million, my best friend. Miss you and love you loads. Lots of love and hugs, Daughter Kirsty xxxx “A mother understands what a child does not say.” Jewish Proverb

The best mum ever, always there for me. I love you. Happy Mother’s Day love Marie xxx To mum, we’ve been through a lot but we’re strong from that. Always thinking of you. Love your Elle xxxx Mummy Phillips, Happy Mother’s Day! Love your little boy... Lloyd :) Harley-Jane the best mommy in all the world. Big kiss and hug love Stuart xx “A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.” Tenneva Jordan Dear Mum, Happy Mother’s Day. Keep shining your beautiful smile. All my love your daughter Kimberley, countdown to home. Xxx

derful day. See you soon, lots of love from Zach x x x “Mothers and their children are in a category all their own. There’s no bond so strong in the entire world. No love so instantaneous and forgiving.” Gail Tsukiyama, Dreaming Water V Rowe , Happy Mother’s Day Mum, thanks for everything, you’re the best. Love and miss you, always Carl xxxxx To Mummykins (Faith), thank you for being there for me through everything. I love you. Evan xxx To the best mum in the world, hope you have a special Mother’s Day. Wish I was there to make it better. Love Luke.

Mum, I love you so much. Can’t wait to make so much up to you very soon. Love Madeleine xxx

“‘When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.” Sophia Loren Mother, Happy Mother’s Day, 1st one away from you, I love you and miss you lots, lots of love Bob xx Hi Mum, Happy Mother’s Day. Hope you have a won-

By Ross Gay from my mother’s sadness, which was, to me, unbearable, until, it felt to me not like what I thought it felt like to her, and so felt inside myself—like death, like dying, which I would almost have rather done, though adding to her sadness would rather die than do— but, by sitting still, like what, in fact, it was— a form of gratitude which when last it came drifted like a meadow lit by torches of cardinal flower, one of whose crimson blooms, when a hummingbird hovered nearby, I slipped into my mouth thereby coaxing the bird to scrawl on my tongue its heart’s frenzy, its fleet nectar-questing song, with whom, with you, dear mother, I now sing along.

“Because even if the whole world was throwing rocks at you, if you had your mother at your back, you’d be okay. Some deep-rooted part of you would know you were loved. That you deserved to be loved.” Jojo Moyes, One Plus One Mummy, you are so loving, caring and supportive. You mean the world to us. We love you. Love Christopher, Matthew and Shame xx

Mama, Lynn. Im blessed to have such a loving mum. Words will never do my love for you justice. Love Bear x

Mother, your support, love and warm-hearted ways gives me strength, thank you. Love you to the moon and back, forever, Craig xxxx

To Mum, Catherine, Happy Mother’s Day and thanks for being there for me through all the good and bad times. Love you loads and see you soon, Mike xxx

Mummy, You’re the best in the world, supporting me through all I throw at you. Happy Mother’s Day love Zander xxx

My Amazing Mum Liz, you’re perfect in every way. I couldn’t ask for more. Happy Mother’s Day. Lots of Love James xxx

The gift of a rose A man stopped at a flower shop to order some flowers to be sent to his mother who lived two hundred miles away. As he got out of his car he noticed a young girl sitting on the curb sobbing. He asked her what was wrong? She replied, “I wanted to buy a red rose for my mother but I only have seventy-five cents, and a rose costs two dollars.” The man smiled and said, “Come on in with me. I’ll buy you a rose.” He bought the little girl her rose and ordered his own mother’s flowers. As they were leaving he offered the girl a ride home. She said, “Yes, please! You can take me to my mother.”

Happy Mother’s day Mam, Irene. I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me. Best mam ever x Love Ricky xxx

“A mother’s arms are more comforting than anyone else’s.” Diana, Princess of Wales “The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.” Theodore Hesburgh

Ending the Estrangement

To my Mam, You are the best ever and I am so blessed to have you as my mum. I love you so much. All my love Louisa, Lewis & CourtneyRose xxx

Patricia, You’re caring, thoughtful, honest, trustworthy and provide plenty of comedy flatulence. Best mum in the world, thankyou, Jon

To my wonderful Mum, you are so loving and caring and I love you so much. Lots of love Matt xx Zacha, me and the boys love you always and want you to know that you are a mum in a million. Love you baby, Frankie, Lindon and Paul xx

Hi Mum, Happy Mother’s day. You’re the best and you always stuck by me. Not long now. Love Brett XXX

Insidetime March 2018

The birth of Mother’s Day While we now associate Mother’s Day with making breakfast in bed for our mums, it has not always been intrinsically linked to honouring motherhood. From tradition behind the day to its americanisation, here is the story behind Mother’s Day. Mother’s Day is always on the fourth Sunday of Lent, exactly three weeks before Easter Sunday and usually in the second half of March or early April. In the UK, the day has long been associated with mothers and family. For centuries, it was custom for people to return home to their families and their ‘mother’ church on Laetare Sunday - the middle of Lent. Those who did so were said to have gone ‘a-mothering’. The day often turned into a family reunion and a chance for children working away from home - often young domestic servants - to spend time with their mothers. Many used to pick flowers from the verges along the way to leave in the church or hand to their mothers when they got home. But it was American social activist Anna Jarvis who lobbied the government for an official day to honour mothers in the US, and is regarded as the “Mother of Mother’s Day”. She dedicated her life to the cause after swearing she would do so after her mother’s death, which fell on May 9. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday in May to be ‘Mother’s Day’, to honour the day Anna Jarvis’ mother died. The day took off in Britain when vicar’s daughter Constance Smith was inspired by a 1913 newspaper report of Jarvis’ campaign and began a push for the day to be officially marked in England. Smith, founded the Mothering Sunday Movement and even wrote a booklet The Revival of Mothering Sunday in 1920. Interestingly, neither Smith nor Jarvis became mothers themselves. By the 1950s it was being celebrated throughout Britain and businesses realised the commercial opportunities, leading to the cardand flower-heavy version of the day we celebrate today. Credit: The Telegraph

She directed him to a cemetery, where she placed the rose on a freshly dug grave. The man returned to the flower shop, cancelled the order, picked up a bouquet and drove the two hundred miles to his mother’s house. And finally... The most famous lines that Philip Larkin ever wrote will strike a chord if you’ve recently had a family row - or if you just want to forget the whole day.

This Be The Verse By Philip Larkin They fuck you up, your mum and dad. They may not mean to, but they do. They fill you with the faults they had And add some extra, just for you. But they were fucked up in their turn By fools in old-style hats and coats, Who half the time were soppy-stern And half at one another’s throats. Man hands on misery to man. It deepens like a coastal shelf. Get out as early as you can, And don’t have any kids yourself.

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On this day… 18 March 1834

Behind the gate The life and infamous times of Britain’s prisons: this month HMP Preston

Courage condemned

Tolpuddle Martyrs sentenced! Charges brought by local landowner This morning six farm labourers from Tolpuddle, a village near Dorchester in Dorset, were sentenced to 7-years transportation to the penal colony in Australia for trade union activities. The men, George and James Loveless, James Brine, James Hammett, Thomas Standfield and his son John, were arrested for ad m i n i ste r i ng u n law f u l oaths. Though this reporter has heard reports through various sources that the real reason for their arrest was because they had formed a group called the Friendly S o c i e t y o f A g r i c u lt u r a l Workers (FSAW) and were demanding a wage increase. The trial, at Shire Hall in Dorchester, heard how the men had sworn a secret oath, using a painting of a skeleton, as part of the initiation process into the FSAW, after paying a shilling as their fee. It was stated that the men had been blindfolded as they swore the oath of allegiance and were then presented with the painting when the blindfolds were removed. This, apparently, was to warn them of their own mortality and to warn what would happen if they broke their oath. The skeleton represented death. The charges against the 6 men were brought by a local landowner and himself a magistrate, James Frampton. Mr Frampton wrote a letter to Home Secretar y Lord Melbourne some weeks ago to complain that he believed these men were actually forming a trade union for farm labourers and suggested the

Noble Lord invoke the Unlawful Oaths Act 1797. This is an obscure law that was created in response to the mutinies at Spithead and Nore, in which sailors of the Royal Navy withdrew their labour from 16 ships in the Channel Fleet and 15 ships in Plymouth. These mutinies lasted from the 16th of April to the 15th of May 1797, and were over the poor pay and conditions of Naval Ratings. After the mutinies of 1797, 29 sailors were hanged and 29 imprisoned, 9 were flogged, while still others were transported to Australia. The leader of these mutinies, Richard Parker, was convicted of treason and piracy and hanged from the yardarm of HMS Sandwich, the vessel where the mutinies started. The FSAW was formed in 1833, and it is believed that the Tolpuddle 6, as they are now being called, had been living in meagre poverty on just 7 shillings per week. They had asked for an increase to 10 shillings per week but instead, their wages were cut to 6 shillings per week. The Whig government have become alarmed at working-class discontent in the country in recent years, so the government and the landowners, led by James Frampton, have been determined to squash these societies in order to avoid any more outbreaks of dissent. T he Tolpudd le 6, led by Methodist preacher George Loveless, held their meetings in t he House of T homas Standfield to discuss various

topics surrounding their work and poor rate of pay, but the men have claimed that the FSAW is not a trade union, and their rules show that the FSAW was clearly structured as a ‘friendly society’ and operated as a trade specific benefit society. The Court was having none of this and the men were convicted of swearing secret oaths. The Unlawful Oaths Act forbids the forming of secret societies to act against the interests of landowners. Before 1824, the Combination Acts had outlawed ‘combining’ or organising to gain better working conditions. But these Acts were repealed in 1824/5 making trade unions no longer illegal. Hence these men were not charged with forming a trade union, though an inference may be taken. It is believed that the 6 convicted men will be transported as soon as can be arranged, in order to avoid any unpleasantness from working-class ag itators a nd ot her rab ble-rousers. A legal source has hinted that the men will be put to hard labour, possibly in Van Diemen’s Land, a hard and dangerous area of the new colony. This evening there were mutterings of dissent and displeasure amongst the working-classes about the harsh treatment of these men, and already there is a petition circulating calling for the reversal of the verdict and sentence. This reporter predicts more to come.

Noel Smith Her Majesty’s Prison Preston is a category B male-adult prison operated by HMPPS and located in the St Matthews area of Preston in Lancashire. The prison should hold a maximum of 750 prisoners, but in July 2001, Preston was deemed the most overcrowded prison in the system, with a whoppi ng 78 % ove r t he C NA (Certified National Average). P re ston’s f i r st Hou s e of Correction was opened in 1618 at the former Greyfriars’s Convent, between Lower Pitt Street and Ladywell Street. But the first real prison built on this site, designed by William Blackburn, was constructed in 1790 but was completely rebuilt as the present-day prison between 1840 and 1895. It was based on the typical Victorian ‘radial style’, or ‘panopticon’ - meaning a central hub with wings that could all be seen from the centre. Also, sometimes known as the ‘Pentonville model’. The prison closed in 1931 and did not re-open again until 1939. The reason for the closure was due to the drastic drop in crime during this period, so the prison was mothballed. It was opened again in 1939 by the British Army. The army used the prison - as a military prison - until 1948, when it was handed back to H M P. It w a s complete ly re-rolled as a category B male adult local prison in 1990. In one of the prison’s first modern-day inspections, in 1999,

HMCIP stated that progress at the prison was being impeded by ‘obstructive and uncooperative staff, who used a heavy-handed approach with inmates and relied on strength of numbers rather than personal relationships to keep order’.

inside the prison. A healthcare worker was smuggling drugs, alcohol and mobile phones into the prison for distribution. He was convicted and jailed for 4½ years. Several inmates also received extra prison sentences for their involvement.

Though, compared to some, Preston is a relatively new prison, it has had more than

A report by HMCIP in 2014 found that ‘the prison was generally satisfactory and was

its share of problems in the recent past. Preston was amongst the first prisons to issue its staff with Pava spray, an incapacitant used by the police and others. The Pava spray was trialled by Preston staff in order to tackle the unpredictable levels of aggression and violence caused by prisoners smoking NPS (New Psychoactive Substances) such as Spice and Mamba. Before this trial, Pava spray was only available to Tornado Anti-Riot Units. The General Secretary of the POA described the move as ‘A step in the right direction’.

doing some good work to reform and resettle those it held. 85% of inmates were still engaged in some sort of purposeful activity. Attendance at work and education was good, with the quality of provision, as well as learner achievements, similarly meeting requirements.’

In June 2016, HMP Preston hit the headlines once again when a smuggling ring involving several prisoners and a prison-worker was discovered

Today, the prison holds men remanded or sentenced from Crown and Magistrates Courts s e r v i ng L a nc a sh i re a nd Cumbria.

They also said - ‘Preston remains a traditional and stable institution despite having many of the disadvantages common to old, inner-city prisons. In many areas it continued to do better than comparable prisons.’

48 Jailbreak // Inside Poetry

Congratulations to this months winner who receives our £25 prize

Spice Michael Atherton - HMP Berwyn It turns champs into tramps Enhanced wings into prisoner of war camps Smack-heads They’ve got no chance

My Offender Manager

A Light In Rubies Eyes

Anon - HMP Lewes

Suddenly you are controlled and herded like sheep You are told when to eat and when to sleep You are told when to use the toilet literally This is when you know you have no liberty You can be treated badly Sworn at and shouted at and no-one cares

I have a little unicorn She works in OMU But how I get to meet with her I haven’t got a clue I’ve written to her every month An app. in bold black ink I think a vortex on the way Is where my apps all sink

Lifers to basic From enhanced Politicians beg the government To take a stance

I’m told she was in residence Once, when the moon was blue But that was just a fairy tale And obviously untrue

It’s turning Manchester city centre Into a care home for the indolent dementia Another patient, another body Laying on a stretcher

I want to ask about my time Inside for years to come I sent a little questionnaire But answer came there none

13 year-olds full to the brim Into the shop for their chemical crop A tenner’s worth of cardiac arrest The ‘progress’, from being 13 Flooding in like locusts If you focus You notice the process The destruction, the distress

Rev Shirley Ann Glover - HMP Eastwood Park

Then there is Rubies! Suddenly you are not controlled and herded like sheep Suddenly you are no longer told when to eat or when to sleep Suddenly you can use the toilet whenever you please And if you close your eyes you could almost believe you are free Suddenly you are all grown up, respected and treated with grace Suddenly there is someone who believes in you I am shown something new and I want to say I’ve got to know more Firstly, I start with learning to crochet When I think I’ve got it, I start big My first blanket, here I come It was colourful and bright The squares that started as squares Soon turned to oblongs and cubes Some fat ones and some wide ones too But I did not care, because suddenly I mattered

Is she so pure that seeing me Will sully her sweet mind? I know that looking at the sun Can make some people blind

A scarf for my daughter with pretty flowers for my princess Yes me, I crochet flowers All because someone believed in me Back to my blanket, four months on 375 squares later and it will be done

So, my charisma I’ll turn down Propose another date I’ll write once more to OMU And patiently I’ll wait

Now the real work begins Suddenly this lady who believes In me, gets me another challenge Time to design and make a shirt “Yes,” she says. “You can do it. I believe in you”

Looking for the release In the corridors of your mind The higher you go The more you go blind You’ve got to walk through them And up the stairs that you climb To realise that they’re there Reeling in emotion and battling with time You’ve obviously fallen And you know that that’s true So, when you look in the mirror You know that that’s you I was once like you, falling Wallowing in the misconception of nice Until my conscience came calling I then escaped from the clutches of death And the destruction of spice

Kind Violence Robert Gibney - HMP Perth Nobody spoke, except the Junky with the kind Face covered in scars He spoke about heroin and Its effects on the brain Everything he thinks He knows is Wrong I didn’t have the heart to Tell him this I liked his kind face Covered in acts of violence

© Deposit Photos

Like the phone box you’ve just broken When scrounging off mam Feeling completely condemned When she says f**k off with your shite

Desert Flower William Pendray HMP The Mount Tell me what it takes to flourish In a land so desolate and bare Share with me your lack of worry I could use it here Rooted in the rubble Yet reaching for the light I recognise your struggle As it resonates with mine Surrounded by the flesh and bone Of falling souls Returning to the Earth Tell me how your beauty blossomed When all there was Was dirt… You await the rain to Liberate your thirst As I await my freedom to Reinstate my worth Our surroundings hold us captive In darkness, entombed beneath But as sure as night recedes like A kingdom in mourn of its queen Disaster brings prosperity And light will set us free As golden, crimson sovereign skies Reign on thee

Shirt number two completed And a Jamaican flag coloured blanket too I am blown away by what I have achieved Because she believed in me

© Deposit Photos

Star Poem of the Month

Insidetime March 2018

www.insidetime.org

The Bird That Never Flew Stephen McDonald - HMP Lancaster Farms I often sit and wonder Why birds come here each day For surely if I was a bird I’d fly the other way Let’s place myself behind its wings And see where I would go I’d fly where there was sunshine And I’d fly where there was snow I’d fly to Egypt’s pyramids Also China’s Great Wall I could fly to Australia Then to Niagara Falls Fly across the desert And over open seas To witness all Earth’s wonders While floating on a breeze Just spread my wings And off I’d fly Glide on the wind Through open sky

Suddenly I am not controlled and herded like sheep Suddenly I am no longer told when to eat and when to sleep Suddenly I can use the toilet whenever I please And when I close my eyes I can believe that I am free

But there is no wind beneath my wings I am grounded just like you You see this bird in my mind The bird that never flew

A special thank you to the group leader Alma A beautiful woman inside and out who just believes in us/me/ women inside A woman who never made anything in her life She believed in me and I would fail her if I did not say Thank you for allowing/teaching me to become Another light in Rubies eyes

Unwanted Present

Exeter Snatches for Patches Martyn Dance - HMP Exeter You land in jail and it’s always the same Everyone’s innocent and you’re not to blame Everyone’s running around doing their grafting And some days is harder than white water rafting Remember the days when you’d get nicked for a wick Now they turn a blind eye coz they don’t want the stick It used to be give us a burn, I’ll give you my food Get your own burn, don’t be so rude Now it’s do us a favour, have you got any strips I’ll give you my pudding, I’ll throw in some chips No smoking ban has ruined these jails So think about that before buying those scales Or getting so drunk and not remembering that fight Don’t think of these dark times, just think of the light I know what I’d like more than running around for PG’s And that’s watching my kids doing their first wheelies And snuggling on the couch with my wife watching Eastenders Rather than running around with half of these benders I’m so glad it’s a short one I’m doing this time I wanna be a family man again, I’m done committing crime

Denzil Davies - HMP Erlestoke There was bugger-all on telly again And just the usual old films in my head Repeats, mostly bad, you replay ‘em When banged up and laid on that bed None of ‘em made out in Hollywood All directed in-house you know Cuts from the life you led not so good Wrong steps taken long years ago ‘If only’ and ‘what if’ and ‘why nots’ The changes we’d make if we could You’d never have been handed the sentence you got ‘Cos this stuck in jail ain’t no good Lots of time now on set to ‘re-shoot’ Or not! As the case may be Calmly rehearse and on healthy skills moot Oh it’s an actor’s life for me You can’t change the past ‘cos it’s history And there ain’t no ‘time travel’ yet The future remains just a mystery The present? It’s a gift, don’t forget

Jailbreak // Inside Poetry 49

www.insidetime.org

Insidetime March 2018

Dysfunctional

Martin

Ashley Murray - HMP Doncaster

Brian Cleaver - HMP Lewes

How will rehabilitation help when I don’t even know myself? It will only make me more confused and damage my mental health They wanna lock me in a box for years alone to think I need anger management, counselling, medication and a shrink!

Into my cell walked this chap, a stranger I was soon to learn that he was a giant of a man He talked with love and pride of his wife and boys His face lit up when he spoke of his shed And the many projects that he did to help family and friends We lived no more than fifteen miles apart on the outside If things from our past could have been different We would quite possibly never have met

No childhood, no happiness and no education In and out of trouble, 15 years spent on Probation Just a lost soul out on the road, without a friend and on my own Dragged up in poverty and from a broken home An outcast, the black sheep, I learnt to live a life alone How they gonna fix someone that I don’t even know? The loving child, the weird one, the outcast and the thug Straight ‘A’ student, the father, the kid who craved for love

© Deposit Photos

Years of bottled-up anger, heartache and emotion Tears inside from traumas, if I cried I’d make an ocean Demons that I’m yet to face, the pain I tried to cover The angry face of my dad who beat my frightened mother

The Wind Kevin Smith - HMP Forest Bank

This mighty man gave me so much support He was the calming influence during my times of panic We talked of the past, we spoke of the future We were cell mates for such a short time before he was shipped out However our words have been spoken, the memories set I have the fire and determination within me to walk alone Moving ever forwards on my long journey to the gate Stepping out into my future He wasn’t a stranger, he was my friend Thank you Martin Goodbye … and good luck

Rice Advice

Ripple Effect

Help

BJ Earl - HMP Elmley

Christopher Murray - HMP Northumberland

M McCullough - HMP Garth

F**k a skinny burn coz that shit’s been laced You live and you learn, the shit’s got no taste Don’t want your mind churned, you see in your face Their trust aint been earned, your trust aint been placed Just roll up your own and smoke what is yours, Their cover’s been blown, they fall to the floors And once you’ve been shown, keep track of the scores Coz Spice-heads are known, don’t open the doors Mate, don’t give that shit a place in your life Because full on fits, they aint f**king nice You’ll get shot to bits, whitey like some rice Your mind calls it quits, just don’t roll the dice It deffo ain’t safe, it deffo ain’t cool Your mind’ll get raped, you’ll jibber and drool The toll that it takes, it breaks all the rules And in every case, no Spice-head is cool It’s not a real drug, it’s not meant for man The pushers are thugs, so let’s take a stand We’ll prove we aint mugs, I know that we can Let’s squash it like bugs, let’s f**k up their plan We’ll rise to the top, so just call us cream You just gotta stop, enjoy being clean Their business will flop, they won’t make a bean Foundations will rock, our people will gleam

When you hear the ripple effect No thought for the criminal I suspect Let me tell you what I mean Not always as simple as it may seem When you’re sentenced for a crime It’s not just you that serves the time Maybe it’s you inside the cell But you leave behind a life of hell The life you had never seemed that good You should have stayed, like you said you would Instead you chose a life of crime And watched your daughter serve that time A fatherless child, an empty heart A ruined life right from the start You done the thing you used to slate You broke your child and called it fate She’s a victim and you’re the criminal She serves the time that becomes subliminal Now the closer we become I’ll never forget She’s my constant reminder of every regret Yesterday’s gone and tomorrows to be But from her pain I’ll never be free Karmas a bitch, there’s nothing you can do You’re 15 years too late, she’s already you Now when you hear the ripple effect Think of the ones you promise to protect

In all my years in prison, I only had two friends An A4 writing pad and a little biro pen We would sit up at night together until some silly times Writing loads of stories, or just some stupid rhymes

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.

responding to you and your submission being withheld from publication. We will be using the new ‘Money Transfer Service’ for prize money so include your DOB on your entries.

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 March 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.’

The hyperactive alcoholic, the ticking schizophrenic Lash out in a second, then someone needs a medic I’m confused on who I am, I adjust myself to fit in Just send me to a mental place, I think I need admitting These people they can’t help me, I don’t think anyone can I was dysfunctional as a child, now I’m f**ked up as a man Me, I’m in a place that no-one else can get to This is just a sentence I’ll adjust my mind to get through

It is very important that you ensure the following details are on all paperwork sent to Inside Time: YOUR NAME, PRISON NUMBER & PRISON. Failure to do so will prevent us

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

© Deposit Photos

My head is so messed up - my heart’s got too much pain in I’ve got no luck or no love, that’s why it keeps on raining Me, I don’t think I’m bad, I’m just misunderstood F**k your diagnosis and your jail, I just need a hug

It blows every day, it comes and goes Only to whistle in the cells Each day, no reason why it does what it does Just to rustle through The doors, the vents creak away They do long eerie like bottomless holes Endless seas all come back to Wind bending sweeping wind, hollowness darkness But then there is no picture of what wind is Most think dark blackness but others shall say how I know it to be humble and cold Never that close to understand the true force of wind Shimmering in the air, turning into nightmares Wheeling, turning round and round Into the distance, out of sight but not out of here for many What has happened to the people And the cities it leaves behind Where has it been?

Poetry used to pour ‘til my pen ran out of ink Then I’d get another and together have to think Another funny story, I need a good punch line It gets a bit monotonous, the same thing every time I met a guy who couldn’t write, I wrote for him a letter Because it was a personal thing, I really felt much better I wrote someone a birthday card, he wanted it personalised My little pen and I worked hard and brought tears to his eyes So now as well as writing rhyme, I have a new occupation Helping other people keep in touch with close relations Or a letter to a solicitor when someone needs advice I ask for nothing in return, it’s just nice to be nice So if you’re poor at writing and reading’s not your thing Don’t be alone, there’s many more just like you on your wing Go ask around, talk to people, ask who you can trust Keeping contact with your family in prison is a must Even sending them a card that says ‘I’m doing well’ Is better than being depressed, sitting in your cell Assuming some can’t read this, I hope that someone will Volunteer to help you up that education hill

50 Jailbreak // Prize Winning Competitions

Read all about it! 1. How many gold, sliver and bronze medals did Great Britain win in the Winter Olympics? 2. Who won this years The Voice? 3. Which date in March is Mother’s Day? 4. Who won the Arsenal vs Manchester City match on the 1st of March? 5. Who won Dancing on Ice? 6. Two Kardashian’s have given birth already this year, what are their babies unique names?

Caption Competition

9. London holds the biggest Chinese New Year celebration outside of Asia, which animal represents this year’s Chinese New Year? 10. Who was the host for this year’s Oscar Academy Award?

Last Months £25 Winner David Jones HMP Brixton

Fonesavvy providers of ‘landline type numbers’ for mobile phones.

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

Proud sponsors of Inside Time’s PRIZE quiz ‘Read all about it!’ 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. Calls to mobiles don’t have to be expensive! Full details are available on our main advert in Inside Time and at www.fonesavvy.co.uk

7. England’s rugby head coach has just been reappointed for another 2 years, what is his name? 8. Which Neighbours star has recently returned, offering a large sum of money in return for another baby?

Insidetime March 2018

www.insidetime.org

Last Months Winners Wayne Smith HMP Featherstone (£25) John Short HMP Edinburgh (£5) Kenneth Ramsay HMP Edinburgh (£5) See box to the right for details of how to enter Answers to last months News Quiz: 1. Rugby, 2. Courtney Act, 3. Wales, 4. Joseph Parker, 5. Tiffany Butcher, 6. Godman’s, 7. Ed Sheeran, 8. Ant, 9. Holly Willoughby, 10. Lucille Anderson

Ha Ha, I knew it, we’re both Megalomaniacs! North Korea leader Kim Jong Un is delighted in the release of the book Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House. The book describes a commander-in-chief sliding into dementia, surrounded by staff that does not respect him. Closing date for all competitions is 22/03/18

Kristina Astakhova and Alexei Rogonov from Russia perform in the pair figure skating at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea. What do you think is being thought or said here?

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. Prisoners being released from which prison with no accommodation are being provided with an urban survival kit? 2. Which prison is NHS England going to support with an additional £200,000 to improve mental health services? 3. Who keeps in touch with an elderly man who lives alone in a small village? 4. Who finds the bible extremely offensive? 5. Where has there been a reduction in offences against discipline, self-harm and bullying as a result of exclusively using E-Burn Ltd? 6. David Gauke is the sixth Justice Secretary since when? 7. Who is troubled by the fact that the latex glove crew search his family? 8. On March 1st, a new programme launches on National Prison Radio. What is it called? 9. Who was the first blind person to reach the summit of Mount Everest? 10. Where was the launch of ‘Inside Poetry: voices from prison’ held in February?

How to enter

11. From 12th March, what is the new Parole Board general enquiries telephone number? 12. Who was convicted and sentenced to life under Joint Enterprise even though he qualified as blind? 13. Who said: ‘A mother’s arms are more comforting than anyone else’s’? 14. Who performed in front of around 150 people at a Family Day? 15. Who heard some years ago ...’It’s better that a guilty man go free than an innocent man get wrongfully convicted’?

Send your entry on a separate sheet of paper. Make sure your NAME, NUMBER & PRISON is on all sheets. Failure to do so will invalidate your entry. We will be using the new ‘Money Transfer Service’ for prize money so include your DOB on your entries. Post to: ‘jailbreak’. Inside Time, Botley Mills, Botley, Southampton, Hampshire SO30 2GB.

Answers to Last Month’s Inside Knowledge Prize Quiz 1. Anne Owers, 2. In House Records, 3. 2011, 4. Andrea Albutt, 5. Roger Kearney, 6. David Ramsbotham, 7. Matei Clej, 8. David Gauke MP, 9. HMPPS, 10. The Rock Show, 11. £850,000, 12. John Hanson, 13. Germany, 14. HMP Whatton, 15. HMP Winchester The three £25 Prize winners are: Gavin Frampton HMP Winchester Cherie Madge HMP Askham Grange Christopher Angel HMP Holme House

The £5 runner up prizes go to: Terry McCabe HMP Erlestoke Anni Rowland HMP Downview

Answers to last months quizzes CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

QUICK CROSSWORD Across 1 Manufacture. 7 Guru. 8 Crumpet. 9 Ski. 10 Koran. 11 Deface. 13 Bursts. 16 Nasty. 18 Gel. 19 Oregano. 20 lota. 21 Disentangle.

Flicker Productions are looking for people who are due to be leaving prison in March or April to take part in a new Channel 4 documentary.

Down 1 Mousse. 2 Nausea. 3 Facile. 4 Chunk. 5 Umpires. 6 Extends. 11 Dentoid. 12 Fosters. 13 Bogota. 14 Ruling. 15 Tiptoe. 17 Yearn.

A NEW DOCUMENTARY ABOUT PRISON LEAVERS

This is an opportunity to tell your story in your own words Filming parts of your experience after release yourself. If you would like further information or are interested in taking part...

PLEASE CONTACT EMAIL: email@flickerproductions.tv

PHONE: 0203 761 4576 WRITE: Flicker Productions, 128 Wigmore Street, London, W1U 3SA

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GEFBADCHI 3

CATCHPHRASE

WORD MORPH

1. Little fish in a big sea 2. So long for now 3. Foreigner 4. Round of Golf 5. Holy Cow 6. Picket line

stale state slate plate

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Daily Sudoku: Thu 4-Jan-2018

ANAGRAM SQUARE

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(c) Daily Sudoku Ltd 2018. All rights reserved.

We want to reveal people’s experience during their first year out of prison and ask what the government, communities and individuals could be doing to help improve lives after release and avoid re-offending.

medium

SUDOKU 2 6 7 3 8 4 1 5 9 9 8 3 1 6 5 2 4 7 1 5 4 9 7 2 6 3 8 6 7 2 8 4 3 9 1 5 5 4 9 6 2 1 8 7 3 3 1 8 5 9 7 4 6 2 8 9 5 4 3 6 7 2 1 4 2 1 7 5 8 3 9 6 7 3 6 2 1 9 5 8 4 Daily Sudoku: Thu 4-Jan-2018

(c) Daily Sudoku Ltd 2018. All rights reserved.

This film aims to highlight the challenges ex-offenders From all backgrounds - may face on the outside and also celebrate the successes as many re-build their lives.

medium

http://www.dailysudoku.com

The Personal Injury Specialists

“NO WIN -NO FEE” PERSONAL INJURY

You may be entitled to claim compensation

Recent changes in the law now mean that the Prison has more responsibility than ever to ensure your safety whilst under their care. We are happy to consider all injury claims that occurred within the last three years.

• Accidents at work • Injured by someone else’s mistake, at work or elsewhere

Medical Negligence

Work Accident

• Falls from bunks • Assaults following threats that have been ignored • Slip & Trips • Faulty equipment, furniture or fittings

If you have suffered and you are not sure whether you should claim, then contact us by phone or freepost and we will advise you on the best way forward - all “no win, no fee”.

Contact us today, you may be entitled to compensation!

Dental Negligence

This month's challenge

0800 145 5105

4

Request a Claim Form

Send your: Name, Prison Number and Claim Type to FREEPOST RSSU-GCXH-SJLG Attwood Solicitors, 5-7 Hartshill Road, Stoke on Trent, ST4 1QH

www.attwoodsolicitors.co.uk [email protected]

1

3 5

9 2 4 7 6 1 3 8 2 7 9 6

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Slip and Trip

Here is the solution to last months challenge. Did you manage to solve it? 7 3 5 2 9 6 1 4 8

9 4 8 7 3 1 2 5 6

2 6 1 4 8 5 9 3 7

4 2 6 5 1 3 8 7 9

8 5 3 6 7 9 4 2 1

1 7 9 8 4 2 5 6 3

3 1 2 9 5 7 6 8 4

6 9 4 3 2 8 7 1 5

5 8 7 1 6 4 3 9 2

52 Jailbreak // Just for Fun

Insidetime March 2018

www.insidetime.org

Cryptic Crossword

Do you know?

‘Boy, this guy is slow’ Why do ants walk in a line? Ants are highly social insects, thriving in colonies of millions of individuals that work as a team. Good communication skills lie at the heart of their success. They rely heavily on chemical scents, called ‘pheromones’, to defend territories and exchange complex information - from the location of food sources and nest sites, to the presence of predators. Each ant species has its own chemical vocabulary of up to 20 different pheromones which can be secreted to form specific scent trails. The tips of their antennae translate the chemical ‘words’, thereby guiding the ants, in a line, to or from the desired destination.

Across

Down

1. Princes don’t turn out undistinguished (11) 9. Intimate sprees thrown with adult content (7) 10. Gallery opening to allow circulation (6) 12. River fish one’s found inside croquette (7) 13. Fit for occupation (7) 14. Clothes shop’s carrying small pants (5) 15. Gentle pulse, perhaps, before guy taking Ecstasy... (9) 17. ...got better grass outside man, right? (9) 20. Telegraph, page after page, eagerly read initially (5) , 22. Meths or rum container (7) 24. Criminal type’s associate (7) 25. Fairy Queen consumed by bitterness (6) 26. Weary say, with sentimentality, old hat (7) 27. Censures any drunk getting wasted (11)

2. United almost start to get hard (7) 3. Girl’s pet may get this (9) 4. Selling drinks after last orders (5) 5. Formula One’s new course outside (7) 6. Ruffle caught in chopper turbulence (7) 7. Cool about ‘Great Fire’ out of control (11) 8. Old party leader works and works (6) 11. Carrying gym bag before class (11) 16. Gives up seat with cab I’d ordered (9) 18. Caught bird eating parrot? Disgrace! (7) 19. Hammer staple? (7) 20. Bag lady in dock (7) 21. Quietly tramps on moon (6) 23. ‘Panorama’ is watched, reportedly (5)

The joke’s on you

met. “What happened?” asked the rich ex-homeless man. “When last we met I used my 3 wishes and look what I got. I wished for excellent health, lots of wealth and women.” “Well after we separated I put the eggs in my bag cause I didn’t believe that it was a real genie. As night came along I was hungry and I wanted to eat. As I took the egg out, it falls from my hand, it breaks and I yell ‘balls’ in anger. An infinite amount of testicles appeared out of the blue and surrounded me like an avalanche. In the chaos I find another egg, break it and wished for all the balls to disappear.” The rich man points out that it’s two wishes, what happened to the third? “When I wished for my second wish, my balls also disappeared...”

• Two homeless men were walking in the desert when suddenly a gust of wind reveals a shiny object in the distance. Both of them rushed to said item and saw it was a lamp. A genie appears out of the lamp as they were trying to clean the lamp. “Thank you for releasing me. I shall give 3 wishes to each one of you.” The men stared blankly at the genie. “Seeing as you are still in shock of my appearance, I shall give each one of you 3 eggs. When you feel certain about what you wish for, break an egg and your wish shall be granted.” The genie disappears. The men agree to separate and meet again in the future. Several years pass and they meet each other at random in a local shopping centre. One was shining in health, riches and women while the other looked exactly the same since the last time they

• Jesus calls the restaurant to book the table for the Last Supper “Table for 26, please.” “26? I thought there were only 13 of you.” “Yes, that’s right, but we’re all going to sit on one side.”

‘Filthy humans’ Black Death ‘spread by humans not rats’ Rats were not to blame for the spread of plague during the Black Death, according to a study. The rodents and their fleas were thought to have spread a series of outbreaks in 14th-19th Century Europe. But a team from the universities of Oslo and Ferrara now says the first, the Black Death, can be “largely ascribed to human fleas and body lice”. The study, uses records of its pattern and scale. The Black Death claimed an estimated 25 million lives, more than a third of Europe’s population, between 1347 and 1351. “We have good mortality data from outbreaks in nine cities in Europe,” Prof Nils Stenseth, from the University of Oslo, told BBC News. “So we could construct models of the disease dynamics [there].” He and his colleagues then simulated disease outbreaks in each of these cities, creating three models where the disease was spread by: rats, airborne transmission, fleas and lice that live on humans and their clothes. In seven out of the nine cities studied, the “human parasite model” was a much better match for the pattern of the outbreak. It mirrored how quickly it spread and how many people it affected. “The conclusion was very clear,” said Prof Stenseth. “The lice model fits best. It would be unlikely to spread as fast as it did if it was transmitted by rats. It would have to go through this extra loop of the rats, rather than being spread from person to person.”

Crisps ‘for women’ Doritos have announced they will soon be releasing ‘ladyfriendly’ tortilla chips. They will be quieter to eat, less messy and come in a packet designed to fit in handbags. Indra Nooyi, Global Chief Executive of PepsiCo, which owns Doritos, said: “They don’t like to crunch too loudly in public. And they don’t lick their fingers generously and they don’t like to pour the little broken pieces and the flavour into their mouth. For women [it’s about] low-crunch, the full taste profile, not having so much of the flavour on the fingers and how can you put it in a purse. Because women love to carry a snack in their purse.” Lad Bible

Flat cat Drivers who run over dogs are required by law to report the incident to the police, but the nation’s second favourite pet - the cat - does not come under the same law. However, a recent survey by Carbuyer reveals 59% want the same requirement extended to felines. The Road Traffic Act 1988 state you only have to lawfully report a car accident with a limited number of animals - a dog, goat, horse, cattle, ass, mule, sheep, badger or pig. In 2016, Highways England announced it would scan run over dogs for microchips, meaning owners of the pet could be notified. An RSPCA spokesman told Carbuyer it would like the same done for cats found injured on the roads. www.admiral.com Does sea air really make you sleep better? Take a coastal walk and the chances are that you will sleep better, according to a 2015 study by the UK’s National Trust. However, there is no evidence that sea air in itself will make you sleep better. At one time, people attributed their sleepiness to certain ions or ozone in sea air. In reality, we probably sleep better after a trip to the seaside because we have had a satisfying amount of exercise and have been lulled by the rhythmic sound of the waves. Those that live their daily lives by the seaside don’t tend to report improved sleep.

Fun facts... • During World War II, the crew of the British submarine HMS Trident kept a fully grown reindeer called Pollyanna aboard their vessel for six weeks (it was a gift from the Russians). • Light doesn’t necessarily travel at the speed of light. The slowest we’ve ever recorded light moving at is 38 mph. • Casu marzu is a Sardinian cheese that contains live maggots. The maggots can jump up to five inches out of cheese while you’re eating it, so it’s a good idea to shield it with your hand to stop them jumping into your eyes. • The loneliest creature on Earth is a whale who has been calling out for a mate for over two decades - but whose high-pitched voice is so different to other whales that they never respond. • The northern leopard frog swallows its prey using its eyes - it uses them to help push food down its throat by retracting them into its head.

Anagram Square 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.

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S

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D

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M

H

C

A

A

P

I

R

I

E

G

A

4 L

U

M

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O

5

E

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Y

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M

1 2 3 4 5 Thanks to Daniel Read, HMP Garth. 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, prison. We will be using the new ‘Money Transfer Service’ for prize money so include your DOB on your entries.

Just for laughs “What do you get when you cross the Atlantic with the Titanic? About halfway.” “I am more pissed off than a dragon trying to blow out candles.” “I’m rubbish with names. It’s not my fault, it’s a condition. There’s a name for it...” “I went to a Pretenders gig. It was a tribute act.” “I wasn’t particularly close to my dad before he died... which was lucky, because he trod on a land mine.” “Whenever I fill out an application, in the part that says “If an emergency, notify:” I put “DOCTOR”. What’s my mother going to do?” “The shinbone is a device for finding furniture in a dark room.” “Crowded elevators smell different to midgets.” “The sole purpose of a child’s middle name, is so he can tell when he’s really in trouble. Always borrow money from a pessimist. He won’t expect it back.”

The path to success

Riddle me this...

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?

?

Jailbreak // Just for Fun 53

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Insidetime March 2018

?

?

A man buys a horse for £60. He sells the horse for £70. He then buys the horse back for £80. And he sells the horse again for £90. In the end, how much money did the man make or lose? Or did he break even?

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5

Start at the bottom left square and move up, down, left or right until you reach the finish. Add the numbers as you go. Can you make exactly 53?

GEF BAD CHI Using the letters G,E,F,B,A,D,C,H & I fill in the blank squares. Each letter A-I must appear only once in each line column and 3x3 grid.

Did I say that?

Top facts... Mount Everest

“We can say ‘yes we’re going to do all these things, thoughts and prayers,’ but what we need more than that is action. Please. This is the 18th one this year. That’s unacceptable. We’re children, you guys are the adults. You need to take some action and play a role. Work together, come over your politics and get something done.” 17-year-old Florida shooting survivor Nikolas Cruz makes a powerful plea to “take action” over America’s gun control laws.

“I’m just lucky that I grew up in an era where we all lived in an area where everybody joked about everything. Nothing was politically incorrect because everything was always a joke with a sense of humour. People sometimes are losing that and taking themselves and everyone else seriously. I think they’re missing a lot and not enjoying the differences that we all have.” Clint Eastwood says: “The political correctness era that we’re in is really not doing anyone any good.”

Amazing Maze

Almost as hard to get out of as an IPP sentence!

1. Along with the sherpa, Tenzing Norgay, Sir Edmund Hillary became the first person to reach the summit of Everest on 29th May 1953. Hillary had feared that upon reaching the top he might ‘drop dead, or something of that nature’. 2. In Nepal, Everest is known as Chomolungma - ‘Mother of the Universe’’. In Tibet, Everest is called Sagamartha - ‘Forehead of the Sky’. 3. For every 25 people who have reached the summit of Mount Everest, one person has died trying. 4. The world’s second highest peak is also Everest. The south summit bump is almost 140 metres higher than K2. 5. In May 2005, French pilot Didier Desalles landed his helicopter on the summit for two minutes, setting a new world altitude record for landing and takeoff. The flight from base camp to summit took less than ten minutes.

Neil Speed is a former prisoner who came up with the concept of GEF BAD CHI whilst in prison. GEF BAD CHI by Neil Speed is published by Xlibris. £12.35

6. The fastest descent was made in 11 minutes: Frenchman Jean-Marc Boivin paraglided down in 1988.

Catchphrase

7. There are estimated to be 120 dead bodies on the mountain.

The object is to try to figure out the well-known saying, person, place, or thing that each square is meant to represent.

8. Everest grows about 4mm higher every year due to geologic uplift.

My mum used to say “what makes you bad, makes you better”. But the other day I was hideously constipated after eating a 12 egg omelette and the second one just made things worse. Tarquin I don’t know why everyone bangs on about the ice caps melting. I bet the Eskimos are delighted. When I consider

how much I hate gritting my drive during the winter, I can only imagine how bad it is for those poor bastards. Trevor How are energy-saving light bulbs supposed to save energy if people keep turning them off. Paul Parker Why do people always say, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you”? If they were me then they WOULD do it because they were me and I decided to do it. Whatever it is. Probably something illegal knowing me. Peter Sinclair

*CAT #124 OUT NOW!* *NEW ‘MIGOS-CULTURE 2’ £12.95*

I may be biased, but modern bands that I’ve never heard of and have never listened to can’t hold a candle to the bands of my youth. Bill Harrington

189 842 444

Send a £2 payment to GEMA RECORDS, PO BOX 54, READING, BERKS, RG1 3SD to receive your catalogue with a £2 voucher to use against your first order! Alternatively, ask a friend or relative to order online (top right corner) where they can also sign up to our email mailing list!

Boasting the exact same specification as the Xbox 360 ‘E’ console, we can introduce the cheaper and better value for money Xbox 360 ‘S’ console, available to order now! We have introduced this model because there are so many more of them available. We have experienced an overwhelming demand of Xbox 360 ‘E’ used bundles recently as they are now being supplied to 56 prisons! Both of these used consoles have had their WiͲFi component completely removed resulting in them not being able to access the internet. Please contact us for more details.

NEW to catalogue

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s.com Tel: 01 GemaRecord Email: Gema@

*CAT #124 OUT NOW!* *NEW ‘MIGOS-CULTURE 2’ £12.95*

*GEMA RECORDS 2018 CATALOGUE #124 OUT NOW!* *NEW ‘MIGOS-CULTURE 2’ £12.95*

9. Sherpa is the name of a nomadic people in eastern Nepal, who also use it as their last name. Usually, their first name is the day of the week on which they were born. 10. The first blind person to reach the summit was the American Erik Weihenmayer in 2001. 11. On 30 May 2005, Pem Dorjee Sherpa and Moni Mulepati became the first couple to be married at the summit. 12. The summit is just below the cruising height of a jet (around 31,000ft). 13. Temperatures on the mountain can get as low as minus 60C. 14. Although Mount Everest is the highest mountain above sea level, Hawaii’s Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain base to peak, measuring a total of 33,500ft, only 13,796ft of which is above sea level.



54 Jailbreak // Just for Fun

Insidetime March 2018

www.insidetime.org

In this month...

Number Search

Numbersearch – Peter Watson, HM

4 0 8 4 5 3 1 2 6 2

1 March 1938 Los Angeles flood, California, USA. A storm on 27th February caused minor flooding, but was followed by a second storm and gale-force winds. 115 people were killed and over 5,000 buildings, including several small towns, were destroyed. It was one of the most catastrophic natural disasters in Southern California’s history.

1 March 1978 The body of British comic actor Charlie Chaplin was stolen from his grave in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland, and a ransom payment was demanded from his widow. (His body was recovered by police in May and reinterred in a grave made of reinforced concrete.)

Moscow became the capital of Russia. The capital was previously the Baltic port city of Saint Petersburg, but it was considered vulnerable to German invasion during WWI, so the seat of government was transferred to Moscow.

6 7 5 8 1 7 9 1 1 5

8 3 7 7 7 3 5 6 1 1

7 8 2 7 4 9 9 1 4 8

3 5 8 4 3 2 4 8 8 4

16 March 1968

The National Prison Law Specialists

Officially the LARGEST prison law provider in the country

Trusted by more prisoners in England and Wales than any other solicitors. With Experts across the country, we can represent you in ANY PRISON. Call our dedicated team on 0115 986 0983 or write to us at: FREEPOST RTAB-BATB-HGAU Carringtons Solicitors, Nottingham NG2 2JR.

www.carringtons-solicitors.co.uk

Our Expert team of over 40 specialist advisors have a wealth of experience to offer you including: • Parole Board Reviews • Recall to Prison • Police Interviews • Independent Adjudication Hearings • Governor Adjudications • Sentence Calculation • Category A Review

for immediate FREE advice call us at the local rate on

© www.ideas4writers.co.uk Carrington Advert 130x125.indd 1

• Minimum Term Reviews • Sentence Planning Boards • Re-Categorisation • HDC “Tagging” • Transfer • Judicial Review

08454 750 650 13/02/2017 09:36

8 7

6 9 3 5 1

6

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Daily Sudoku: Tue 6-Feb-2018

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1

(c) Daily Sudoku Ltd 2018. All rights reserved.

5

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hard

Word Morph

Can you morph one word into another by just changing one letter at a time? It isn’t quite as 3 8 7 6 5 1 2 4 9 easy as you think!

2 4 5 3 8 9 stare 1 6 9 2 4 7 5 9 8 1 2 3 6 7 1 5 9 4 4 3 2 8 smile 7 6 8 5 4 9 3 2 7 2 Fun 6 facts... 4 1 5 More 9 1 3 7 6 8

1 5 7 3 9 6 8 4

7 3 6 8 5 1 9 2

6 8 4 2 1 7 3 5

•Daily TheSudoku: longest time between two twins being Tue 6-Feb-2018 hard born is 87 days.

(c) Daily Sudoku Ltd 2018. All rights reserved.

© MW Released life sentenced prisoner

The Sakai incident, near Osaka, Japan. 11 French sailors were shot dead by Japanese samurai after entering the town without permission. 29 Japanese troops and their leaders were sentenced to death by seppuku (ritual suicide by disembowelment) for firing the shots. The French captain protested at the harsh sentences and the number was reduced to 20. 11 killed themselves, matching the number of French deaths, but the captain was so horrified by the spectacle that the other 9 were spared and sentenced to banishment instead.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that judges are immune from prosecution if they give orders that are within their jurisdiction, even if those orders are erroneous, malicious or exceed their authority. The decision was in response to a case where a judge in Indiana ordered a woman to be sterilised without her knowledge, and she tried to sue him. The Court ruled that she could not sue him because he issued the order as a judicial function. It was one of the most controversial Supreme Court cases in recent history. (Stump v. Sparkman)..

0 3 2 7 2 3 1 1 5 6

Sudoku // Hard

8 March 1868

28 March 1978

1 9 4 3 5 1 1 9 1 6

Thanks to Peter Watson, HMP Bedford for compiling this Number Search. If you fancy compiling one please send in max 10 x 10 grid 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. We will be using the new ‘Money Transfer Service’ for prize money so include your DOB on your entries.

5 March 1918

The Corporals killings, Belfast, Northern Ireland. Dozens of mourners attending an IRA funeral dragged 2 off-duty British soldiers from a car and beat them, then drove them to a waste ground where they were stripped and shot dead. The incident was filmed by TV cameras. The images were some of the most harrowing of the Troubles.

5 7 1 8 1 1 0 6 6 2

17911, 2311 301190, 2665788, 4078 888, 1111118, 74991

The U.S. cargo ship USS Cyclops left Barbados, heading for Baltimore, Maryland, and was never seen again. It disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle. 306 passengers and crew were lost - the largest non-combat loss of life in the U.S. Navy’s history.

19 March 1988

6 4 7 1 6 5 2 6 4 9

17911, 2311 301190, 2665788, 407853, 1461317, 888, 1111118, 74991

4 March 1918

Vietnam War - the My Lai Massacre. U.S. Army forces killed between 300 and 500 unarmed villagers. 26 soldiers were charged but only 1 was convicted - he was given a life sentence but served just 3.5 years under house arrest. It was called the most shocking episode of the war, and was the most publicised war atrocity committed by U.S. forces in Vietnam.

3 0 5 6 0 9 7 9 3 1

• The world’s deepest postbox is in Susami Bay in Japan. It’s 10 metres underwater.http://www.dailysu • The oldest condoms ever found date back to the 1640s (they were found in a cesspit at Dudley Castle), and were made from animal and fish intestines. • Female kangaroos have three vaginas. • Most Muppets are left-handed. (Because most Muppeteers are right-handed, so they operate the head with their favoured hand.) • Melting glaciers and icebergs make a distinctive fizzing noise known as “bergy seltzer”.

Guide what?! Mohammed Salim Patel, has a degenerative condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa, and had given up hope of having a guide animal as he has a phobia of dogs. But in a couple of years he’ll have his own miniature horse to help him around the streets of his hometown Blackburn. Digby, an eight-month-old American miniature horse, is being trained for Mr Patel. Horses have a longer lifespan than dogs, living to be between 45 and 50 years old, which some have argued makes them a more appropriate lifelong companion for blind people. Stuck in the sewer A man who fell down a drain and became trapped in the sewer system for a reported three days, has been rescued by police in east London. The 48-year-old, who has not been named, is thought to have wandered through pipelines for up to 72 hours as he desperately tried to find his way out. Police hauled the man out on 8 February in Romford, six miles from Barking where he claimed he first fell in. Eyewitness Sam Palmer said the man’s first words after being rescued were “Does anyone have a fag?” Stephanie Noe, 29, who also saw police pull the man out, said: “It was so strange. The man was really dirty and I don’t think he was wearing any shoes. He looked a bit bewildered and confused”. A spokesperson from the London Ambulance Service said the man was treated for exposure to the cold and injuries to his feet after being pulled out. The Independent

Jailbreak – March 2018

Inside Chess

Would you believe it?

Bombs away! A hunter was knocked unconscious after being struck by a dead goose that had been shot and fell from the sky. Robert Meilhammer, 51, suffered a “severe head injury” after his hunting group fired at a flock of Canadian geese in Easton, Maryland, USA. One goose fell about 90ft to the ground and hit Mr Meilhammer, knocking him out and causing head and facial injuries. When he came round, he was able to say who he was but was “hazy about other details”, Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources said. Police spokeswoman Candy Thomson said geese can cause “severe damage” falling from height due to their weight and size. “These birds weigh anywhere from 10 to probably 14 pounds. They can have a wingspan of up to six feet. So, if they’re 35 yards up in the air, and they’re falling 60 feet and they hit you on the head, it’s going to definitely cause severe damage.”

Jailbreak // Just for Fun 55

www.insidetime.org

Insidetime March 2018

Turbulent flight A Dutch airliner flying from Dubai to Amsterdam in February had to be diverted and was forced to make an emergency landing in Vienna after a fight between passengers broke out in mid-air. The reason for the altercation: one of the passengers refused to stop breaking wind. Two Dutchmen objected when a flatulent co-passenger seated next to them kept blowing off loudly. The two men pleaded with him to stop and complained to the flight crew as well. However, the passenger continued to flatulate despite several requests from passengers and the crew. It is still unclear whether he was suffering from some sort of a medical condition. A brawl subsequently broke out between the offending passenger and the two Dutchmen, which is when things started to get out of control. That’s when the pilot made the decision to land the plane in Vienna, reporting that “passengers were on the rampage”. In July 2017, an American Airlines flight had to be evacuated at a North Carolina airport after a man reportedly broke wind so violently, it caused nausea and headaches among his fellow passengers. International Business Times

Wordsearch // -TV Soap Characters TV Soap Characters Reece Luckett, HMP Durham

by Carl Portman

I wish to share one of my favourite chess stories with you - and it is a good reply to people who ask just how complicated the game can be. The legend goes that many centuries ago in India, there lived a Brahmin (or Prince) called Sassa (or Sissa). The ruler of his province was a tyrant king and the Brahmin decided to teach him a lesson by inventing chess. The game would show that a king can only rule with the help of his subjects. The tyrant was delighted and offered the Brahmin a reward of gold, women, land and diamonds. All were refused. “I am a humble man” the Brahmin exclaimed “and wish only to have a modest reward. Just give me one grain of rice on the first square of the chessboard, two on the second, double that number on the third, double that on the fourth and keep doubling until you get to the 64th square”. The King was shocked. “Is that all you want? You can have all the riches you want but you choose this”. “Please just give me the rice” said the Brahmin and the king agreed. The king got out his rice sack but the more mathematically minded among you will have worked out that one sack would not be nearly enough. Indeed, the total number of grains of rice that S a s s a a s ke d f o r w a s 26 4 -1, o r s o m e 18,446,744,073,709,551,615 grains. This apparently would cover England to a depth of 10 metres or sow the entire land mass of the planet 76 times. (There are some versions of the legend where the Brahmin had his head chopped off for being a smarty pants).

S A G F U E R I V H A X I G J E S H T F

T Y I S H A R O N S P W T R I F W A X C

A E H H V A W Q A M A E G A R G P O W U

Q A J S F H R S S X D H Y C E Z H K P H

S M R E G X A R D F K T U E T X I I C T

C F E Y H V C I Y E L F I Z Q R L I H A

C X V N J U J T Z T M H N M S L T U I T

L B U M C I L A X H A G S T A K R R S I

I Y K Z P H I D G R E N Y T F H E E S S

A C S Q W W E J A U D R E Y X B C S E H

M I C K X S X S H R W S F W S T E V E D

C D I T N Q U U N Y U C Y P A E Z Q Y U

U F L Y R A V L M E N A J B K P J F E M

D E I A N S B P N H Y U A A L U E D W B

T B M R R X N N G U I J N S U I L T L A

R F R D K Y H L V I O V K F P D K B E F

P A D D Y M I B U A L K S D W O I V L R

W G J K J S P V Y C K Z I E E O E V O C

H G W X F I U O A X Y S Y M R A W M A U

V W P U I P L M T Z F D U L T S N L N D

AUDREY, CHESNEY, DAVID, GRACE, HARRY, IAN, JANE, KIM, AUDREY, CHESNEY, DAVID, GRACE, HARRY, KIRSTY, LIAM, LUCY, MAC, MICK, PADDY, PETER, PHIL,IAN, RITA, JANE, KIM, KIRSTY, SARAH, SHARON, STEVELIAM, LUCY, MAC, MICK,

PADDY, PETER, PHIL, RITA, SARAH, SHARON,

Thanks to Reece Luckett, HMP Durham for compiling this STEVE Wordsearch. If you fancy compiling one for us please send in max 20 x 20 grid 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, prison. We will be using the new ‘Money Transfer Service’ for prize money so include your DOB on your entries.

Quick Crossword

The next time someone asks you if chess is complicated just tell them it is more than 18 quintillion grains of rice! Carpe diem. Today’s puzzle shows both sides going for the king. It is White to play though, and he has already fixed a ‘red dot’ on the enemy king’s chest. How did he complete a fine checkmate in three moves?

8 7 6

Cow at large Cowabunga! A plucky cow that was being taken to an abattoir in Poland managed to escape after swimming to safety on an island. Keen to keep her life the bovine made a run for it as slaughterhouse workers tried to load her on to a lorry at the farm she was raised on. She then ran into the nearby Lake Nysa in south Poland close to the border with the Czech Republic and appeared to dive underwater, before swimming over to an island, which has become her new home. The farmer, known only as Mr Lukasz, tried for a week to get the cow back but has given up and is now caring for her on the island, where he makes sure she has enough food. He eventually called the fire brigade to help him shift the stubborn cow but when firefighters approached her by boat she swam about 50 metres to a peninsula. Her story has captured the nation, with local politician and former singer Pawel Kukiz offering to save the “hero cow” from her death. He said: “If all citizens could show such determination as this cow then Poland would be a much more prosperous country”. Sky News

5 4

Across

Down

1. Disgraceful action (7) 7. Respect highly (6) 8. Level of command (7) 9 Jealousy (4) 10. Experiment (4) 12. Alike (7) 14. Army officer (7) 16. Produces eggs (4) 18. Wickedness (4) 20. Workshop or studio (7) 21. Quick-witted or clever (6) 22. Improve (7)

1. Doubting Thomas (7) 2. Fire remains (5) 3. Toy shaped like a person (4) 4. Wool fat (7) 5. Majestic (8) 6. Petty details (6) 11. Guardianship (8) 12. Place or locate (7) 13. Withhold (7) 15. Part of speech (6) 17. Foreign (5) 19. Net (4)

3 2 1

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

Write to me with your answer, care of The English Chess Federation at The Watch Oak, Chain Lane, Battle, East Sussex TN33 OYD. Please note that you should always write to me at the ECF not via InsideTime. Also please include your prison number and if you can, the date. The answer to February’s puzzle was 1.Qxg8+ Qxg8 (if 1…Kxg8 then 2.Rf8 is checkmate) 2.Kxh3 and a winning game with more material. Winner to be announced. The winner of January’s puzzle was James from HMP Wormwood Scrubs

The last word... “We are all prisoners but some of us are in cells with windows and some without.” Kahlil Gibran

56 Jailbreak // National Prison Radio

Insidetime March 2018 National Prison Radio is currently available in prisons across England and Wales.

www.insidetime.org

March 2018 What’s on National Prison Radio // March 2018

We broadcast 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, into your cell. If your prison has National Prison Radio, you can National Prison Radio is currently available in prisons across England and Wales. We broadcast 24-hours a day, seven days a week, intothrough your cell. listen your TV by using the tuning buttons on If your prison has National Prison Radio, you can listen through your TV by using the tuning buttons on your remote control. your remote control.

What’s on National Prison Radio?

Day

Mon

Tue

Wed

07:00

Porridge

Thur

Fri

The world’s first national breakfast show made by and for prisoners. Includes the quiz, 7:40 Shout Out and the Work Out Song. Listen out for... Friday – the famous Porridge Music Special

08:00

(or local shows made in your prison)

09:00

10:00 11:00

NPR Specials See the orange box below for details of shows.

Love Bug Write to the ones you love

Hot 20 The famous UK chart rundown.

Dance music and upbeat sounds. Repeat from Friday night.

Desi Drop

Igloo Handpicked dance music from NPR’s finest presenters.

The Urban Show Hip-Hop, R&B and dancehall.

The Two hours of new British music from DJ Goldierocks.

Request Show Shout out your lovedones on the outside!

NPR Friday Sport, chat and ents. Your start to the weekend. The Rock Show The very best in loud guitar music from our expert presenters

Porridge

Another chance to hear this morning’s show

12:00

Past Present & Future

13:00

The Request Show

(or local shows)

14:00

Prime Time See 18:00 for details

Sex Talk See 18:00 for details

Freedom Inside In-cell yoga

Requests and shout-outs from prisons across England and Wales Want to hear your favourite song on National Prison Radio? To hear your song, message or poem on the radio, write to us at National Prison Radio, HMP Brixton, London SW2 5XF

All Music Daytime

15:00 16:00

NPR Takeover See 18:00 for details

New British music with DJ Goldierocks.

Music and information designed to help you make the most of your time inside.

Hot 20 UK chart rundown. NPR Friday Your start to the weekend.

Sat

Sun

All Request Saturday

Freedom Inside In-cell yoga with Prison Phoenix Trust

The week’s Request Shows back to back through the day. Write to us at: National Prison Radio, HMP Brixton, London SW2 5XF

Bob and Beyond A solid hour of reggae classics.

Eve

Mon

17:00

Bob and Beyond Reggae classics.

(or local shows)

Tue

Wed

Red Bull Music Academy Radio

Mixes, interviews, hot artists.

18:00

19:00

Deja Vu Classic tracks.

20:00

Past Present & Future

21:00

Fri

Sat

Sun

Brixton Calling News and requests from HMP Brixton.

NPR Specials See orange box below for details of shows.

Deja Vu From the 60s, 70s and 80s.

Boom Box Classic hip-hop and RnB.

NPR Talk Making the most of your time Past Present & Future Inspiring stories from inspirational people.

Boom Box Classic hip-hop.

Thur

NPR Takeover Real voices from jails around the country.

Prime Time Information to help you make the most of your time.

Sex Talk With Public Health England and Comic Relief.

The Request Show

Want to hear your favourite song on National Prison Radio? To hear your song, message or poem on the radio, write to us at:

National Prison Radio, HMP Brixton, London SW2 5XF Get your loved-ones to request tracks for Thursday’s show at:

www.nationalprisonradio.com NPR Specials See below for details.

The Request Show Shout out your lovedones on the outside!

Igloo Handpicked dance music.

The Urban Show Hip-Hop and R&B.

Desi Drop An hour of Asian music.

Inside Music Real music stories.

NPR Takeover

22:00

Hot 20 The famous UK chart rundown.

Prime Time

23:00

Books Unlocked

Sex Talk

23:30 – 07:00

Dream Time

Books Unlocked A repeat of the week’s book readings

Love Bug Write to the ones you love

The best dance music in the world, direct to your ears.

Inside Music The real stories behind the music you love. The Rock Show The very best in loud guitar music.

Two hours of brand new British music.

Freedom Inside In-cell yoga with the Prison Phoenix Trust

The Request Show Shout out your lovedones on the outside! Bob and Beyond Reggae classics. Love Bug Write to the ones you love.

This month’s book is The Lives of Others by Neel Mukherjee. Write to National Prison Radio, HMP Brixton, London SW2 5XF for a free copy.

Music and advice to help you sleep safe and sound through the night.

NPR Specials: Real talk from across England and Wales. Monday 5 March - Outside In: former prisoners look at how you can prepare for life on the out. Monday 12 March - Sounds Inside: close your eyes and open your ears. Monday 19 March - Deep Thought: get into philosophy with this beginners guide. Monday 26 March - The YO Takeover: every month we cross to the lads at HMYOI Isis.

Mar 18.indd 1

21/02/2018 16:1

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