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News

ARCHER'S APPEARANCE AT HOWARD LEAGUE CONFERENCE
Lord Archer is to speak at the Howard League's annual conference on Thursday.
The Observer 14/09/03 http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,6903,1041775,00.html

DRUG MULES IN WOMEN'S PRISONS
The BBC World Service run a story on the number of Jamaican women in British prisons.
BBC News Online 13/09/03 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3097882.stm

STAFF MEMBER ARRESTED AT EXETER
A member of staff at Exeter prison has been arrested on suspicion of smuggling drugs into the prison.
BBC News Online 12/09/03 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/3123191.stm

CHILDREN IN PRISON IGNORED BY GREEN PAPER
An article by The Children's Society highlights the failure of the children at risk green paper to address the issues for children in prison.
BBC News Online 12/09/03 http://society.guardian.co.uk/children/comment/0,1074,1040194,00.html

REPORT CRITICAL OF RISLEY
A critical report into Risley prison has been published, highlighting failures in integrating sex offenders with other prisoners.
Ananova 12/09/03 http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_818349.html
BBC News Online 12/09/03 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/3102038.stm

SCOTTISH PRISON AT RECORD HIGH
Imprisonment in Scotland is at record levels, according to new statistics.
BBC News Online 11/09/03 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/3099608.stm
Times 12/09/03 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/printFriendly/0,,1-2-813304,00.html

ELMLEY "STRUGGLING TO IMPROVE"
Elmley prison, on the Isle of Sheppey, is struggling to improve, according to a new report.
BBC News Online 11/09/03 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/3099054.stm

NACRO REPORT INTO CHILD IMPRISONMENT
Advance coverage of a report to be published on Monday (see below).
Community Care 11/09/03 http://www.communitycare.co.uk/articles/article.asp?liarticleid=42122

REMAND CONDITIONS 'A DISGRACE'
The Prison Reform Trust have launched a new campaign calling for better conditions for the 50,000 prisoners who are remanded each year.
BBC News Online 11/09/03 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3098832.stm
Guardian 11/09/03 http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1039517,00.html

PRISONS FAIL TO HELP 66% OF DRUG ADDICTED PRISONERS
Figures collated by Simon Hughes MP have shown the failure of the Prison Service in helping prisoners with drug use problems.
Telegraph 08/09/03 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=%2Fnews%2F

Voluntary Sector

FAMILIES' CHARITY CRITICISES GREEN PAPER
Action for Prisoners' Families criticise the government's Green Paper on children at risk for ignoring the families and children of prisoners. http://www.actionpf.org.uk/pr080903.html

PRT LAUNCH CAMPAIGN ON REMAND
Prison Reform Trust have launched a new campaign to improve conditions for remand prisoners. (See news coverage above) The new campaign website is at http://www.innocentuntilprovenguilty.com/

Parliament

NB: Written answers to questions provided during recess have now been published. They are included here dated 1 September 2003.

PQ: Prison Eduation
Simon Hughes MP - Commcons Hansard Col 753W - 01/09/03 - Link

PQ: Funding for Suicide Reduction
Paul Marsden MP - Commons Hansard Col 963W - 01/09/03 - Link

PQ: Funding for Prison Education (Greater London prisons)
Tom Cox MP - Commons Hansard Col 963W - 01/09/03 - Link

PQ: Secondment of Prison Officers to Northern Ireland
Nigel Dodds MP - Commons Hansard Col 964W - 01/09/03 - Link

PQ: Percentage Change in Prison Population since 1997
Nigel Dodds MP - Commons Hansard Col 964W - 01/09/03 - Link

PQ: Transfer of Prisoners from England and Wales to Northern Ireland
Nigel Dodds MP - Commons Hansard Col 964W - 01/09/03 - Link

PQ: Prison Places
Dominic Grieve MP - Commons Hansard Col 964W - 01/09/03 - Link

PQ: Prison Allocation from Bedfordshire Courts
Andrew Selous MP - Commons Hansard Col 966W - 01/09/03 - Link

PQ: Absconding Prisoners
Michael Jack MP - Commons Hansard Col 966W - 01/09/03 - Link

PQ: Commissioner for Correctional Services
Kevin McNamara MP - Commons Hansard Col 970W - 01/09/03 - Link

PQ: Breaches of Home Detention Curfew
Vincent Cable MP - Commons Hansard Col 981W -01/09/03 - Link

PQ: Juvenile Detentions (West Midlands and Coventry)
Jim Cunningham MP - Commons Hansard Col 984W - 01/09/03 - Link

PQ: Kirkham & Wealstun Prison Absconds
Michael Jack MP - Commons Hansard Col 984W - 01/09/03 - Link

PQ: Parole
Claire Curtis-Thomas MP - Commons Hansard Col 991W - 01/09/03 - Link

PQ: Prison Officer Numbers
Keith Bradley MP - Commons Hansard Col 993W - 01/09/03 - Link

PQ: Prison Overcrowding
Mark Oaten MP - Commons Hansard Col 994W - 01/09/03 - Link

PQ: Prison Service Recruitment & Retention
Simon Hughes MP - Commons Hansard Col 994W - 01/09/03 - Link

PQ: Cost of Imprisonment
Mark Oaten MP - Commons Hansard Col 995W - 01/09/03 - Link

PQ: Risk Assessments for Category D Prisons
Michael Jack MP - Commons Hansard Col 995W - 01/09/03 - Link

PQ: Length of time unlawfully at large
Simon Hughes MP - Commons Hansard Col 996W - 01/09/03 - Link

PQ: Absconds from Day Release
Mark Oaten MP - Commons Hansard Col 996W - 01/09/03 - Link

PQ: Length of time on Remand
Simon Hughes MP - Commons Hansard Col 998W - 01/09/03 - Link

PQ: Women Prisoners
Simon Hughes MP - Commons Hansard Col 1001W - 01/09/03 - Link

PQ: Girls in Prison
Rudi Vis MP - Commons Hansard Col 1002W - 01/09/03 - Link

PQ: Children transferred to Prison from LASU/STC
Rudi Vis MP - Commons Hansard Col 1003W - 01/09/03 - Link

PQ: Assaults on Juvenile Prisoners
Rudi Vis MP - Commons Hansard Col 1004W - 01/09/03 - Link

PQ: Arrangements for Strip-Searching Girls
Rudi Vis MP - Commons Hansard Col 1004W - 01/09/03 - Link

PQ: ADHD among Young Prisoners
Paul Burstow MP - Commons Hansard Col 1005W - 01/09/03 - Link

PQ: Prison Population
Lord Lester of Herne Hill - Lords Hansard Col WA24 - 08/09/03 - Link

PQ: Racist Incidents in Prison
Lord Dholakia - Lords Hansard Col WA28 - 08/09/03 - Link

PQ: Heroin Users in Prison
Lord Chadlington - Lords Hansard Col WA35 - 08/09/03 - Link

PQ: Recidivism among 18-20 year-old offenders (includes statement on HM YOI Thorn Cross)
Lord Chadlington - Lords Hansard Col WA36 - 08/09/03 - Link

Prison Population

The population of prisons in England and Wales on Friday 5th September 2003 was as follows:
This Week 73,328 - - Last Week 73,193 - - Last Year 71,900 - - Annual Change +1,428

The population of prisons in Northern Ireland on Friday 5th September 2003 was as follows:
This Week 1,127 - - Last Week 1,130 - - Last Year 1,024 - - Annual Change +103

The population statistics for Scotland are not published online by the Scottish Prison Service but the average population at any one time is around 6,500.

Next Week

Nacro will launch the latest of a series of reports into child imprisonment on Monday. 'Counting the cost: reducing child imprisonment' has come from the organisation's Carlile Committee.

The Annual Conference of the Howard League for Penal Reform takes place at New College, Oxford. Lord Archer of Weston-Super-Mare is among the speakers. www.howardleague.org
 

Other items of new have been moved to the news archive pages, click here to go to them.

 
Prisons
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