Monthly News Bulletin
Email Bulletin October 2011
WHAT HAVE WE BEEN UP TO?
My Story - expert roundtable and upcoming publication launch
The My Story project has worked with young people who have been found responsible for serious crimes and helped them to publish their experiences of trauma and violence. On Thursday 6 October, Research Director, Roger Grimshaw introduced the research to an expert roundtable hosted by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation. The event was convened to discuss how the problems of traumatised young people could be acknowledged, understood and addressed. The launch of the publication is due to take place on 10 November for an invited audience of practitioners, policy makers, and organisations advocating on behalf of young people.
Reform sector strategy roundtable
On Thursday 27 October the Centre held a roundtable meeting to discuss socio-economic explanations for prison numbers with those campaigning for prison reduction as part of the Reform Sector Strategies project. Research associate, Helen Mills introduced her draft paper Reducing the numbers in custody: looking beyond criminal justice solutions, the final in the reform sector strategies series, which will be available to download next month.
Sharing ideas with the Open University
As part of the collaborative work they are undertaking, CCJS and the Open University held an `ideas exchange' at the Open University's base in Camden at the end of September. As well as highlighting the range of work at both institutions, it was an opportunity to identify future areas of collaboration, in terms of research, scrutiny of policy, and public engagement.
OTHER STUFF
Hackney community - Their views on `The Riots'
Helen Mills attended a panel event in Hackney where members of the community shared experiences and perspectives on the riots, particularly police relations, media coverage, and emerging evidence about sentencing.
Welcome, and thank you! Would your students be interested in the monthly bulletin?
A special welcome to all the students at Swansea University who have signed up in the last month and thank you to Dr Stephen Case for promoting our free bulletin. If you are a lecturer, please mention our bulletin to your students and also our free online resources which can be found here.
Justice for Farepak Victims
An e-petition in favour of bringing about justice for the victims of the Farepak collapse has been launched. You can read the Centre's publication on Farepak here.
COMING UP...
Susie Orbach to give our 21st Eve Saville Memorial Lecture- on November 16 from 6:15pm- Book your place - space is now limited!
Susie Orbach; A writer, psychoanalyst, activist and co-founder of the Women's Therapy Centre (1981) and Women's Therapy Centre Institute, will be speaking on: `Recession, riots, social change: Can psychotherapy contribute to a policy response?' For more details of this event, click here and to register your interest in attending this event please email
The Una Padel Award 2011 - Deadline for nominations is 5pm, Friday 11 November 2011
The Centre has launched the fourth year of the Award in memory of Una Padel. It is an opportunity to ensure that Una's dedication, work and commitment continue to encourage and inspire practitioners in the field. To find out more visit the website. Read about Una Padel in her obituary by Rod Morgan.
The deadline for nominations is 5pm, Friday 11 November 2011. As well as inviting you to make a nomination for the Award, we would be very grateful if you or your organisation could, through your networks, help to disseminate information about the award. You may have a newsletter/magazine to distribute or if you have a website then a few words and link to our pages would be good. If you can help in any way, please contact
and we will make sure your support gets a mention on our website with a link to your organisation where applicable.
2012 Annual Event - Tuesday 17 January from 6.30 - put the date in your diary now
We will be debating whether there has been an evolution or revolution in criminal justice since the election of the Coalition government. The confirmed speakers Frances Crook, Director of the Howard League; Professor Simon Hallsworth, London Metropolitan University; Helen Shaw, Co-director, Inquest; Professor Lee Bridges, University of Warwick; Richard Garside, Director Centre for Crime and Justice Studies. To register email:
TAKE A LOOK AT THIS...
Gary Mansfield former prisoner for possession of class A drugs, now artist from Barking
The astounding work from one of our twitter followers, click here to follow us on Twitter
The United Nation's 2011 Global Report on Homicide rates
Follow this link to download the full report
Understanding the England riots from different perspectives
Research undertaken by the Guardian and London School of Economics into the causes of the riots by those who partook in them. The Guardian (10/10/11)
Forced labour and UK immigration policy: Status Matters?
Paper investigating the links between immigration status and migrant's vulnerability to forced labour.
This month on family Interventions - officials to visit 100,000 problem families daily
The post summer riots fall out continues. The government plans to see more than 100,000 `problem' families face daily visits from government officials. The Daily Telegraph (17/10/11). Take a look at this speech by Eric Pickles, on the Action on Problem Families website.
Also see David Gregg's study of the efficacy of Family Intervention Projects on the Centre's website: Little evidence of success for family intervention projects. Meanwhile here is Iain Duncan Smith's take on the matter in The Guardian, (21/10/11)
Hillsborough Victory?
Relatives of the 96 Liverpool fans, who died in one of the worst football disasters in this country, are a step closer to justice. The PM puts his foot in it, quoting the following about the relatives of the Hillsborough victims: `They are like blind men, in a dark room, looking for a black cat, that isn't there'. The Daily Mirror, (25/10/11)
IN THE NEWS...
Police warned about rising risk of false confessions
Study shows that police need to be more careful concerning false confessions as one in five offenders may have pleaded guilty to a crime they did not commit. The Observer (09/10/11)
Youth jobless total set to pass 1 million
New figures being released this week show that more than one million young people are unemployed. The Independent, (10/10/11).
Heroin use among young people in decline for first time in 30 years
The total number of drug users entering rehab for crack cocaine or heroin has dropped by 10,000 since 2009. The drop was particularly sharp in 18-24 year olds. The Guardian, (07/10/11)
Coroner verdicts may have led to underestimate of suicides
Changes in how coroner's record unnatural or unexpected deaths may make it hard to judge the effectiveness of suicide prevention strategies.
Wall Street clash: 1000 arrested in `greed and corruption' demo
Aletho News. For more see The Times (03/10/11) and The Independent (03/10/11).
I want to scrap the Human Rights Act, but Clegg won't let me, says the PM
The Daily Mail, (03/10/11)
Birmingham Jail doors close on public sector status as G4S moves in
The Winson Green Prison is the first to be transferred to the private sector. The Financial Times (03/10/11)
Police to get power to impose curfews
Police will inherit power to order people to remove their masks, under a move designed to prevent a repetition of the summer riots. The Independent (14/10/11) also see `Bid to give police stronger curfew powers'. The Guardian (14/10/1)
Government plans a new league table - OF STUDENTS!!
Pupils face being given a national ranking from first to 90,000th to help universities in selecting the most elite students. Independent (14/10/11)
Torture of suspects in detention centres
UN report findings reveal that Taliban suspects have been subjected to forms of torture such as `beatings and electric shocks' in Afghan run detention centres. For more see The Independent (11/10/2011).
Border agency `flouting child detention pledge'
Up to 2,000 children each year could be detained at UK borders despite government promises to end child detention. The Guardian (17/10/11).
Rise of child sex gangs prompts major investigation
A two year investigation is being launched to pin down the full extent of sexual exploitation, predatory grooming and abuse of children by gangs. The Independent (14/10/11)
North and South life expectancy gap widens
Between the north and south of Britain, the life expectancy gap has `widened further'. The Guardian (20/10/11).
Legal aid cut will worsen court ordeal for domestic abuse victims
Legal aid cuts implemented by government plans, will lead to an increasing number of victims of domestic abuse, including children, to be cross-examined in court by their alleged assailants. The Guardian, (24/10/11)
`Women may get right to know if a boyfriend has history of violence'
A consultation started by the Home Secretary is investigating whether women should be informed if a male partner has a history of violence or domestic abuse. The Independent, (26/10/11)
Alarm at private police operating beyond the law
MP's are to investigate the legal loophole in private police contracts after an investigation undertaken by the Independent. The Independent, (24/10/11)
`Police to get new body to oversee standards'
A royal college of policing is to be established as part of government plans to improve the performance and public reputation of police forces The Daily Telegraph, (24/10/11)
Legislation on covert police needs beefing up, say lawyers
Lawyers have called for fundamental reforms of legislation that covers police covert operations. The Guardian, (21/10/11)
Clarke faces fresh clash with May over youth knife crime sentences
Clarke has publicly criticised a move to extend a proposed mandatory six month prison sentence for carrying a knife to under 18s. The Guardian, (26/10/11)
Clarke to replace indefinite prison terms with longer fixed sentences for violence
The Justice Secretary is planning to abolish the indeterminate sentence for public protection (IPP) for dangerous, violent or sex offenders within 48 hours and replace it with longer fixed term sentences. Politics Home website
Tougher sentencing will put pressure on prisons
The jail population could soar towards 95,000 in six years Whitehall officials forecast as the Coalition appears to be taking a tougher stance in its approach to criminal justice. The Independent, (28/10/11)
COMMENT...
Leave law to the judges
In a comment piece Lord Irvine criticises right wing papers and politicians for attacking the Human Rights Act. The Guardian, (12/10/11)
Will Self - urgent need to reform the prison system
BBC Radio 4
CARTOONS OF THE MONTH
Occupying Wall Street
The Times, (17/10/11)
The Tory rebels do not phase PM...
The Daily Telegraph, (25/10/11)
QUOTE(S) OF THE MONTH
`...the Manichaean belief in the unbridgeable rift between sanctity and evil that shadows so much of our thinking about prison should play no part in its actual administration, any more than should a belief in ghost'.
Will Self, BBC Points of View.
`He is no longer in the office because he could not tell the difference between a secretary of state and a travel agent'.
Bruce Anderson, The Financial Times, (17/10/11)
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