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The prospect of a former president of Brazil facing a long prison sentence highlights the discrepancy in access to justice between privileged and ordinary Brazilians, writes Omar Phoenix Khan
In this report Abigail Amey, Zoe Ellis and Will McMahon summarise the views of those who attended two events held at HMP Grendon, in June 2014, and HMP Barlinnie, in October 2014, as to how far UK prisons follow the European Prison Rules as recommended by the Council of Europe.
On 10 March, JM Moore wrote an article on the Reclaim Justice Network website titled 'Reframing the "Prison Works" debate. For whom and in what ways does prison work?'
Moore writes that prison fails to deter, rehabilitate, or incapacitate, so poses the question: what does it work for?
He argues there are six ways that prison does 'work':
A letter published today in The Daily Telegraph criticises government plans to build the largest children's prison in Europe, describing it as 'bad for children, bad for justice and bad for the taxpayer'. The Centre's director, Richard Garside, is among the many signatories which also include Liberty, the NSPCC, Howard League, Inquest and others.
According to Ministry of Justice figures released last Thursday, there has been a 69% rise in suicides in penal institutions in the 12 months ending in March 2014. The Guardian reports on the 30% rise in serious assaults (1,661) and 3 murders over the same period. The Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said 'there was no simple explanation for the increase'.
Back in November 2012, in his first major speech as Justice Secretary, Chris Grayling said that 'we have to focus on making the prison system cheaper not smaller'.
Anne Owers, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, spoke following the Centre’s AGM in December 2005 on ‘The State of Prisons in England and Wales’.
