Art in prison: the charity using the arts to improve relationships

The organisation was started in the early 1990s by two women, Antonia Rubinstein and Polly Freeman, who were studying theatre. They began running community workshops and events using various art techniques  They arranged workshops with the former Young Offenders Institute Glen Parva and went on to work in adult prisons… SafeGround is a charity working to help those in prison build and maintain relationships through the use of theatre and art. ...

The persistent problem of women being released homeless from prison

Today Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons published a routine inspection of HMP Bronzefield, a privately-run (by Sodexo) prison for female adults and young offenders on the outskirts of Ashford in Surrey. The inspection report paints a mixed picture: a better than average response to the challenges of COVID restrictions and… Work with offenders on a problem that won’t go away...

Prisoners are building eco-homes across the South-West

In a project that was initially funded by Devon and Cornwall’s PCC, Alison Hernandez, prisoners are now building environmentally-friendly eco-pod homes and getting paid to do so. Devon and Cornwall’s OPCC initially provided around £100,000 funding for a pilot of the programme which is now looking at expanding across the… Prisoners are now building eco-homes across the South-West in a bid to boost their skillset at the same time as tackling the housing crisis. ...

The cost of longer prison sentences

As regular readers will know, the government recently passed the Police, Crime, Sentencing, Courts Act 2022, a massive piece of legislation containing measures addressing issues across the criminal justice system. One of the measures in the Act of particular interest to criminal justice professionals (and people serving substantial prison sentences)… Work with offenders on the Ministry of Justice’s impact assessment...

Director of Prison Reform Trust on prison capacity and longer sentences

Statistics collected at the end of March 2020 show that around 48 per cent of the sentenced population were serving more than four years. At the same time, ONS estimates of crime levels, excluding fraud and computer misuse, have dropped signifcantly since 1997. Commentators on both sides of the 'does… Worth with Offenders talks to Peter Dawson on the link between longer prison sentences and offending ...

MPs say “spend to save” on women in the criminal justice system

In a typically forthright report, the Public Accounts Committee of the House of Commons says it is clear that implementing the 2018 Female Offender Strategy: “has been a relatively low priority for the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and was so even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.” It is a long-standing… Work with offenders on a Public Accounts Committee report...

Magistrates’ powers of imprisonment doubled to free up Crown Courts

Starting from yesterday’s Bank Holiday (2 May), the Government has controversially doubled the powers of Magistrates when passing a sentence of imprisonment. Historically, Magistrates have only been empowered to issue a maximum of six months in prison for a single offence. If Magistrates felt this sentence did not reflect the… Work with offenders on a controversial new Government measure...

Charity to provide essential services to prison leavers released on Friday

The new initiative will provide essential support services to leavers from two prisons in Yorkshire who are released on a Friday and who otherwise would face a lack in support across their first weekend in the community.  The charity has formed partnerships for the project with BME service provider Touchstone,… St Giles’ Trust, along with their project partners, has been awarded £456,558.30 for the initiative from the Ministry of Justice through the Prison Leavers Project. ...

Terrorism in prisons

The Ministry of Justice has published a report on Terrorism in Prison by Jonathan Hall QC, the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation and its own response to the report. Mr Hall starts by reminding us that prisons are not cut off from the rest of the world or from each… Work with offenders on the report by Jonathan Hall and the Government’s response...

Court capacity 'an endemic issue'

The Justice Committee has called on the Government to do more to tackle the lengthy backlog facing the court system in a new report.   The Committee, chaired by Sir Bob Neill,  warns that while innovations in the court system are welcome it will require strategic planning and long-term resourcing… Work with offenders on this week’s Justice Committee report...