Prisons & Probation – Latest News:
- Tue, 29 Sep 2026 16:49:04 +0000: A change in prison culture is vital – as is more money to reduce overcrowding | Letters - Prisons and probation | The Guardian
Vicki Cardwell, Phil Hind and Stephen Evans respond to an interview with Pia Sinha, the head of the Prison Reform Trust
Pia Sinha’s significant expertise inside and out of the prison system makes her a voice to trust on why our jails are struggling badly (The truth about UK prisons and organised crime: ‘They’re your good lads. Respectful. Keep their noses clean’, 22 September). I lead a charity, Spark Inside, that uses life coaching to support rehabilitation and culture change across our prisons.
We work with staff who go into the service because they want to make a difference. But the challenges of the environment can stifle that spirit. This is why since 2020 we have coached more than 150 prison staff, supporting them in problem-solving, resilience and confidence.
Continue reading... - Sat, 26 Sep 2026 23:01:48 +0000: First Encounters: Julius Caesar review – so thrilling it kept a hall full of teens in pin-drop silence - Prisons and probation | The Guardian
Ormiston Bushfield Academy, Peterborough
An intro to Shakespeare doesn’t get any better than the RSC’s revival of Phyllida Lloyd’s all-female prison-set production led by Harriet Walter, which is touring schoolsThe auditorium is stripped bare – a repurposed hall whose ascending seating resembles an amphitheatre but with plastic chairs. This show could pass for a school production, in appearance, if you didn’t know better. The Royal Shakespeare Company’s revival of Phyllida Lloyd’s all-female Julius Caesar, which originally ran at the Donmar Warehouse in 2012, is now touring secondary schools.
We are in Peterborough, but also in Rome and in a women’s prison: Shakespeare is framed within an incarceration story, which occasionally impinges on it with interruptions from guards and prison protocols.
Continue reading... - Fri, 25 Sep 2026 18:00:13 +0000: More sex offenders in England and Wales could be released amid court system crisis, police sources say - Prisons and probation | The Guardian
Sources tell the Guardian they are braced for more offenders being bailed into the community ahead of October’s early prisoner release
More sexual predators in England and Wales could be freed instead of jailed because of the pressure on courts and prisons, police sources have told the Guardian.
The warning comes after the Metropolitan police commissioner, Mark Rowley, on Thursday condemned the release on bail of a man after he admitted taking pictures of children and women, and then using AI to sexualise them.
Continue reading... - Tue, 22 Sep 2026 11:26:21 +0000: Prison Letters: the teenager writing letters to jailed climate activists – documentary - Prisons and probation | The Guardian
A teenager struggling with climate anxiety searches for hope in an unexpected place – writing letters to imprisoned activists. Max, 14, is on a quest to understand the human stories behind direct action and why so many climate protesters have spent time in prison. As replies begin to arrive, a dialogue bridging generations unfolds and connection transforms despair into purpose. When Max writes to the judge presiding over a high-profile trial, he is surprised to hear the letter referred to in the judge’s closing remarks
Continue reading... - Tue, 22 Sep 2026 11:26:06 +0000: Prison Letters: the teenager writing letters to jailed climate activists – documentary - Prisons and probation | The Guardian
A teenager struggling with climate anxiety searches for hope in an unexpected place – writing letters to imprisoned activists. Max, 14, is on a quest to understand the human stories behind direct action and why so many climate protesters are in prison. As replies begin to arrive, a dialogue bridging generations unfolds and connection transforms despair into purpose. When Max writes to the judge presiding over a high-profile trial, he is surprised to hear the letter referred to in the judge's closing remarks
Continue reading...