Our March 2015 ebulletin is out now!
WHAT HAVE WE BEEN UP TO?
Reforms deliver a 'dis-United' Kingdom
We've been busy this month with the launch of The coalition years, our review of criminal justice developments across the United Kingdom since 2010. It highlights profound differences in approaches to policing, prisons and community supervision across the separate criminal justice jurisdictions of the UK. Check out who said what at the launch conference and what's happening next.
In April we'll be releasing the next instalment of our annual UK Justice Policy Review, tracking year-on-year criminal justice and social welfare developments.
'Ground-changing'
Over 100 people attended the parliamentary launch of How corrupt is Britain?, a new book edited by Dr David Whyte of the University of Liverpool described as 'ground-changing' by George Monbiot in The Guardian. Our deputy director, Will McMahon, wrote the preface to the book, and on 19 June we'll be holding a follow up event with the University of Liverpool to discuss holding state and corporate institutions to account. Read all about it here.
Breaking the chainlinks of poverty
The latest issue of Criminal Justice Matters is now available. Guest edited by the Centre's Research Director, Dr Roger Grimshaw, this issue focuses on poverty and institutional care and many of the articles are free to view on our website.
i-spy
The Monitoring Group, in collaboration with the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, held a meeting to discuss how to ensure that the judge led inquiry into police spying meets the needs and demands of the victims of police actions. The Monitoring Group has established a change.org petition calling on the Home Secretary to allow former undercover officer, Peter Francis, to give evidence without fear of prosecution under the Official Secrets Act. Read more here.
In solidarity
Earlier this month our Director Richard Garside was one of 190 signatories to a letter in The Times in support of the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. See why he signed it here.
From the inside
In this report Abigail Amey, Zoe Ellis and Will McMahon summarise the views of those who attended two events held at HMP Grendon and HMP Barlinnie.
Can we do better?
Rebecca Roberts, Senior Policy Associate, has written a review of Maya Schenwar's recent book, Locked down, locked out, for the Reclaim Justice Network website. She describes the book as 'a helpful resource for UK activists committed to scaling back criminal justice'. Rebecca also attended the 'Sites of resistance' conference at Manchester Metropolitan University and spoke about our Justice Matters project.
HAVE YOU SEEN?
Resisting privatisation
Former Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill explains how the Scottish Government reversed the policy of prison privatisation in Scotland.
Righting wrongs
See what Suresh Grover, Director of The Monitoring Group, said about the new inquiry into police spying.
Troubled families: 'flawless'
According to figures on the Troubled Families programme released earlier this month it is an almost flawless social policy, writes Stephen Crossley, PhD student in the School of Applied Social Sciences at Durham University.
Moving towards the future with music
Mike Guilfoyle reflects on supervising 'Arnold', who wanted to become a doctor.
COMING SOON
What are the alternatives to prison?
At this workshop on 21 April we will be challenging participants to think of radical alternatives to imprisonment. Sign up here.
Shock and law: debating the use of tasers
We will be debating the implications of the growing use of tasers in the United Kingdom at this workshop on 5 May.
Racism and criminal justice: Using research to hold the state to account
This roundtable event on 12 May will bring together researchers, academics and activists to consider the role of research in exposing and addressing racism and discrimination in criminal justice policy and practice.
Justice matters for women: Time for action!
On 20 May we're holding a one day conference together with Women in Prison to build collective action for challenging criminal justice failure and building social justice alternatives.
Challenging state and corporate impunity: Is accountability possible?
On 19 June we're holding a one day event with the University of Liverpool bringing together people from a range of organisations to discuss how to hold state and corporate institutions to account.
TAKE A LOOK AT THIS!
Prison: What is it good for?
JM Moore writing on the Reclaim Justice Network argues that prison works to maintain an unjust society and deflect attention from wider harms. Read more here.
Prison Service Journal
The latest issue on working with people with personality disorder is now available.
Shedding light on domestic violence
The British Journal of Criminology has published a special online issue which brings together selected domestic violence research published in the journal. Hurry, its only free to download until May 2015!
IN THE NEWS
Rise of the machines?
Sodexo plans to replace probation officers with electronic kiosks, reports The Guardian.
Downplaying the prison crisis
A Justice Committee report released this month warned Chris Grayling against downplaying the link between staffing cuts and declining prison safety. A Committee report released shortly afterwards raised concerns over Grayling's handling of the process for appointing a new Chief Inspector of Prisons.
Losing control?
A report from the Chief Inspector of Prisons has found high levels of violence at Guys Marsh prison
Smoking ban
The High Court has ruled that the ban on smoking in public places should apply to prisons.
NUMBERS OF THE MONTH
509 The number of people (an average of 22 per year) from Black and Minority Ethnic, refugee and migrant communities who have died between 1991-2014 in suspicious circumstances in which the police, prison authorities or immigration detention officers have been implicated, according to a new report Dying for Justice from the Institute of Race Relations.
£1,500 - The upper limit on the new 'criminal courts charge' which come into force in April. This is an 'administrative' charge to be applied following every single conviction, breach or failed appeal, as outlined in Frances Crook's recent blog post 'Bringing back debtors prisons'
£156.9m - The value of the contract signed by the Ministry of Justice with Lend Lease to commence full construction works of a new prison in Wrexham.
50% The target reduction in the US prison population by 2025 by the #cut50 initiative.
QUOTES OF THE MONTH
'Justice is a long term endeavour, not a quick fix'
David Ford, Minister of Justice for Northern Ireland, speaking at our 'Criminal Justice since 2010' conference on 23 March 2015.
'In an age of permanent emergencies, more than ever we have become narrow utilitarians dedicated to fixing, not reinventing the here and now... The choice we have is not between reasonable proposals and an unreasonable utopianism. Utopian thinking does not undermine or discount real reforms. Indeed, it is almost the opposite: practical reforms depend on utopian dreaming'
Jacoby, R. (2005) Picture Imperfect New York: Columbia University Press (thanks to Joe Sim for that one!)
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This bulletin was compiled and edited by Matt Ford and Rebecca Roberts. We are always keen to hear from our readers. For comments and feedback email matt.ford@crimeandjustice.org.uk.