JOE CHAPMAN

It is big business, and members of organised gangs are apparently applying for jobs within prisons, in order to increase business.

There must be a full psychological assessment to consider pro criminal behaviour/attitudes, any contact with associates, substance misuse, accommodation, employability, or education issues.

If the test for dangerousness has not been properly applied, then awarding this sentence is totally unjust.

This month we published full inspections on HMP Kirklevington Grange and HMP Kirkham. Kirkham had the highest positive mandatory drug test rate in the open estate at 25%. We also published an inspection of Oakhill Secure Training Centre, undertaken jointly with Ofsted, and two independent reviews of progress (IRPs) - one on HMYOI Wetherby and the other on HMP Five Wells. On HMYOI Wetherby’s IRP, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, Charlie Taylor, said: “An independent review of the placement of girls had been announced by ministers during the week of our visit, which would help national leaders in developing a longer-term strategy for the very small number of girls in custody.” BRIGHT SPOT: at Kirklevington Grange prisoners ate their evening meals together in the large dining hall, reinforcing a friendly community atmosphere in the prison. The dining hall had been improved with new furniture, recipe books for prisoners, current newspapers, and a wash-up area where each person was expected to wash their own crockery and cutlery. HMP Five Wells IRP: self-harm had increased and was the highest of all similar prisons. Not enough was being done to address violence or bullying and the impact of the integration of prisoners convicted of sexual offences was a cause of anxiety for some prisoners.

📰 As we approach the new year, let's take a look back at some of the key headlines in our December roundup.

Read our reports here: hmiprisons.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/our-reports/

Cat D prisons are already being packed with prisoners who are unsuitable.for open conditions just to make the numbers fit.

The real reason for wanting more use of Open prisons is to further reduce staffing levels, it’s all smoke screens !!!!

Make more use of open prisons, former minister David Gauke says As he reviews sentencing policy, David Gauke points to Spain where reforms have cut prison numbers.

So, David Gauke goes to Spain, hits the vino, and comes up with yet another hair brained idea😜

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Money and mental health Practical information for managing your money and mental health.

Courtesy of @jengba.bsky.social

Poor mental health can make earning and managing money harder.

Here, you can find out more about organising your finances, claiming benefits when you have a mental health problem.

www.mind.org.uk/information-...

Wishing you all a happy Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year. It’s going to be a difficult and demanding time for many, and not joyous at all. So those who have loving families, good friendship and good health should be very grateful.

Nominate a charity - Movement for Good Nominate a charity for a Movement for Good award now.

Please consider nomjnating our wonderfuk charity @talkingforward.bsky.social for this £1000 prize 🙌🏻

We do wonderful things and it would help us to do more wonderful things ✨

movementforgood.com/index.php?cn...

This is an excellent initiative, which should be extended across the UK. It is disappointing that we are still discussing this almost 3 decades after I was involved in the campaign for alternatives to custody for women in 1995.

The Howard League | Christmas in prison We asked three men who have spent Christmas inside to describe what they remember.

I ran family days, carol concerts,and the annual children’s Christmas party for prisoners and their families, in a prison therapeutic community.

Prisoners would reflect on their victims, and the families who had their festive period destroyed by their actions.

howardleague.org/blog/christm...

The government are definitely working at the wrong end of a major problem in our prisons. A review of sentencing policies and dealing with the backlog through the court process is a priority. Throwing money towards building new prison spaces is a complete waste.

@pga-prisons.bsky.social
Please push HMPPS to advertise the role of “Prison Officer” in a more honest way … retainment of staff will not be helped by the current approach. It is not accurate or realistic!

Ex Prisoners and even serving prisoners should absolutely be actively involved with the training of new Prison Officers, letting ministers become so involved in the running of our prison service has been the worse thing we could have possibly allowed.

www.facebook.com/share/p/18a9...

Evidence in a new Prison Reform Trust report calls for a “Back to Basics” initiative, echoing my opinions and those of all former prison staff and prisoners.

STOP INCREASING OUR PRISON POPULATION!

If there is no direct risk to the public, a community alternative is the most sensible option.

A handy survival blog … hopefully one that most people will never need.

One of the most difficult aspect of a prison officers role was to develop a prisoners trust and confidence, but then having to conduct a strip search, particularly on people who had suffered abuse in their lives.

Never an easy task but part of the job description .

A great guide for those entering the prison system. Centred on not just the practical aspects of prison life but most importantly developing a positive attitude in what can be the most toxic, tough environment.

Thank you, I was fortunate/privileged to have been allowed to form good solid relationships with prisoners and their families, and was never compromised.

Treating people with fairness and respect despite their crimes was always something I strived to do. Your experience is so familiar to me.

Yes David, exactly that.The prison service moved from person centred models of treatment to a “ one size fits all” approach.

My foundation was in Transactional Analysis and Psychodrama, but my focus was always on what life outside will look like for those facing release.

Having worked for many years in a prison therapeutic, in groups and individual therapy. Much of the science was fundamentally flawed, and the push for accredited coursework, with a classroom mentality destroyed a valuable facility and hence the therapy is no longer voluntary.

Hope used to exist for many prisoners, through the development of good relationships with prison staff, and the belief that they can turn their lives around. Not developed through prison programmes, but by interaction with good role models daily.

Good prison officers are key to positive change.

People being released from prison need to know that they have a place back in society. Hope is developed through good rehabilitation and currently prisons are struggling to provide sufficient motivation. The divide between prisoners and their custodians has never been wider than it is today.

Ex prison officer Sally Jameson became the MP for Doncaster Central, and is now an unpaid ministerial aide in the Ministry of Justice.

No doubt she will continue to campaign for sensible reforms. I hope she is not forced into silence to further her career, as so many have been in the past.

Please watch this video by Rainbow Collective.

Suspicious Pot Noodle led to downfall of prison gang jailed for 25 years Corrupt prison officer Victoria Sked's suspect snack led to the unravelling of a huge prison drug smuggling conspiracy

Further to my last post …Now this IS DEFINITELY who a prison place should be awarded to !

No place in the Prison Service for corrupt officers….

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news...

A girl waits to go to court. She was passenger in a car carrying drugs, under duress, she wrongly said she knew they were there (her response was recorded) She is advised to plead guilty for a lesser sentence!

Will it be proportionate, or will she take up another valuable prison space?

We are building ourselves into a bigger crisis, and cannot possibly employ enough prison officers to cope with the extra demand.

Please help grow the BlueSky community of UK based criminal lawyers by Reposting this.

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Mark my words, the latest announcement about the plan to increase prison spaces will waste billions.

A few years ago the POA called for a reduction in prison numbers of around 15000, today we are set to increase it by that many over the next 5 years.

How can it possibly work ?

I was NEVER fully professional or restricted by boundaries … just supported when doing right for the people in my charge ….