Prisons & Probation – Latest News:
- Fri, 26 Jul 2024 17:20:24 +0000: Was the jailing of Just Stop Oil protesters fair? | Letters - Prisons and probation | The Guardian
The crackdown on the right to protest in recent years is starting to look like an insidious march towards illiberal democracy, writes Patrick Callaghan. Plus letters from Rosy Mackin, Michael Daniell, Nigel Hooper, Ric Allen, Robert Nelson and Rowena Beighton-Dykes
I agree wholeheartedly with Chris Packham’s and Dale Vince’s article criticising the jailing of environmental protesters (You may find Just Stop Oil annoying. You may dislike their tactics. But they do not belong in prison, 19 July). It’s a chilling response that shames our judiciary.
Yes, the protesters are often annoying, aggrandising and disruptive: that’s the point. Our history is littered with such protesters, whose actions have changed the lives of many and resulted in governments enacting legislation. That we now have legally protected characteristics for many citizens is, in part, due to campaigns by annoying, aggrandising and disruptive citizens, often pilloried, jailed and worse. Our legislative limits on the right to protest in the past few years are starting to look like an insidious march towards “illiberal democracy”, to coin a phrase that Viktor Orbán has used to describe his government.
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Patrick Callaghan
London - Fri, 26 Jul 2024 17:12:45 +0000: What needs to be done on probation | Letter - Prisons and probation | The Guardian
Probation was always best delivered as a local service, with national oversight of standards and procedures, writes Mick Gough
Having just read Rajeev Syal’s article (Cut ‘unsustainable’ probation workload in England and Wales, urges watchdog, 22 July), I’m shaking my head in disbelief – again! All sensible commentators agree that the probation service is under severe workload pressures. Of course this must be addressed because of the implications this has for public protection, victims and the rehabilitation of offenders. Martin Jones, the chief inspector of probation, floats the idea of youth justice services soaking up some of the work. Has he uncovered a part of the public sector that is underworked and/or overresourced? No, he is simply passing the buck.
A brief review of the problem’s origins should help in looking forward. Chris Grayling decided that with all 35 probation areas marked “good” or better by his government’s system, privatising 70% of probation (later reduced to 50%) and allowing a small group of chancers to make a profit was a great idea. David Cameron and George Osborne allowed this flight of fancy to play out. And while probation did eventually get remodelled as a national service in 2021 (after the Tories reluctantly accepted the “plan” had not worked), it is now a cumbersome amalgam of 12 regions in England and Wales.
Continue reading... - Thu, 25 Jul 2024 13:28:55 +0000: Sunak rejected advice to release prisoners early a year ago - Prisons and probation | The Guardian
Discussions took place in June 2023 but aides thought backbenchers would reject proposal to ease overcrowding
Rishi Sunak’s Downing Street team rejected advice a year ago that they should consider the early release of prisoners who had served less than half of their sentences to relieve prison overcrowding, the Guardian has been told by multiple sources.
Discussions took place inside No 10 in June 2023 over the proposal, a version of which was adopted two weeks ago by Keir Starmer’s government.
Continue reading... - Wed, 24 Jul 2024 07:12:09 +0000: Family of Allan Marshall to sue prison service in Scotland over 2015 death in custody - Prisons and probation | The Guardian
Police and Crown Office also to face legal action in bid to hold authorities accountable
The family of a man who died in custody after he was restrained by 17 officers will sue the Scottish Prison Service, police and Crown Office in a last resort attempt to hold authorities accountable for his death.
Allan Marshall, 30, from South Lanarkshire, died in 2015 after he was restrained for at least half an hour at HMP Edinburgh. The father-of-two, who had an underlying heart condition, died in hospital four days later. His cause of death was recorded as brain injury due to cardiac arrest during physical restraint.
Continue reading... - Tue, 23 Jul 2024 15:57:58 +0000: A fruitful protest in Wales that did not cause misery for others | Letter - Prisons and probation | The Guardian
Richard Bonfield recalls how he organised a peaceful gathering that led to an inquiry and, ultimately, victory for local people
Re George Monbiot’s article about peaceful protests following the jailing of four Just Stop Oil activists (A record sentence for a Zoom call, arrests for those holding signs outside. This is a blight on British democracy, 19 July), I agree with peaceful protests that can make a difference in changing people’s minds and hearts, but not with actions that cause misery to ordinary people, as was the case with the M25 protest.
In May 2011, I was the organiser of the biggest peaceful protest outside the Senedd Cymru against proposals for swathes of windfarms and pylons to cover huge areas of mid-Wales. Initially, each village set up it own protest group, but quickly everyone realised that we needed one group to fight these imposed developments – result, all 25 groups came together.
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