Una Padel Award winners (11/12/07)
An innovative on line networking website for prisoners' families and friends and a befriender of detainees in Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre have been named the first winners of the Una Padel Award, in memory of the former director of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies at King's College, London.
Prison Chat UK (PCUK), a national charity run by volunteers providing an online networking website including discussion forums and chat areas for prisoners' families and friends, is the winner in the organisation category of the award.
The online service provides information, advice and support as well as facilitating a unique social network for prisoners' families and friends to give each other mutual support. It is run by volunteers who have experienced the imprisonment of a friend or relative. Prison Chat UK was set up two years ago by Lorna Smith while her husband was on remand. Since then it has attracted 795 members and over 100,500 messages have been posted on the websites forums.
Mrs Gillian Butler, Chair of Yarl's Wood Befrienders, a charity providing friendship and support to detainees at Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre in Bedfordshire, is the winner in the individual category award. Gillian's main role as a befriender is to visit detainees on a regular basis, and assist them through friendship and support during their time in detention. Through her work she has been able to secure the release of a number of detainees.
The award was set up in memory of CCJS' former Director, Una Padel, who was a tireless campaigner for social justice and penal reform. It was launched this year to recognise the outstanding and vital contribution made by organisations and individuals working for those causes.
For further information or to arrange interviews with the award winners contact us on 020 7848 1688.
Notes to Editors
- The awards will be given out at the Annual Event of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies which is being held at King's College,London on Tuesday 11th December at 6pm.
- The Centre for Crime and Justice Studies is an independent charity based at King's College London. It was established in 1931 and aims to inform and educate about all aspects of crime and the criminal justice system from an objective standpoint. It encourages and facilitates healthy debate and understanding of the complex nature of issues concerning crime.
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