Change is possible
Once again we have an announcement from the UK government, over a weekend or bank holiday, with regards to our prisons. This heading and sub-heading coming from Bloomberg politics. 'U.K.’s Johnson Unveils $3 Billion Jail Plan to Ease Overcrowding' U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he plans to spend as much as 2.5 billion pounds … Continue reading Wrong answer.
As you can see by the image I have included below, I am still, eagerly I must say, awaiting delivery of my copy of this excellent collection of poems and drawings by parents and children affected by imprisonment in the UK and abroad which has been edited by Lucy Baldwin & Ben Raikes. I'm fortunate, … Continue reading SEEN & HEARD
By David Breakspear Part two of a three-part series CW: graphic mentions of sexual harassment, voyeurism, and physical and mental abuse In the first instalment of this story I chronicled the sworn Affidavit of Corey Donaldson, a former immigrant inmate at a low security prison in Georgia at McRae C.I. Corey provided evidence of industrial-scale … Continue reading CORE CIVIC CAUGHT CONDUCTING SEX-BASED EXPERIMENTS UPON IMMIGRANTS WITH A SECOND IMMIGRANT WITNESS COMING FORWARD — The Norwich Radical
Allow your mind to visualise prison, if you can - even if for only the briefest of moments - as a chess board. You have two opposing sides, made up of many: labels? titles? names and so on, or even pieces? Within one arena, all going in different directions. Some more restricted than others, confined … Continue reading Gary Kasparov the learner driver!
The process begins. The laws of this upside-down kingdom reveal the arena. Predator? Prey? Violence rules! Okay?
‘Bird’ just went plural with Kendra Houseman and Dave Breakspear. Dave appeared on our very first episode of Bird ‘Mental Health Behind Bars | Can Lessons be learnt?’ and Kendra came into our lives at episode 3 ‘UK Street Gangs | A Look Inside’. The links to both these podcasts are available at the end … Continue reading 3 Little birds!
Michael Spurr, announced last year that there will be no more public bidding on contracts to build new prisons. Therefore, with an extensive building programme planned, any new prison will be maintained and managed by the private sector. As well as any existing public prison, that may be put out to tender. It has always … Continue reading Facts, fears and fables…part 5
One to one... They meet, maybe across a table. A soulless room, wet with tears, thick with pain. STOP!!! Please!.... Just listen, before you fail me. For a poem is not just sound it is silence as well. We fail to listen to understand whilst providing rapid response. The empathetic listening ear, changes ways of … Continue reading Listen!
Self-inflicted deaths are over five times more likely in prison than in the general population. Ministry of Justice (2018) Another statistic I would like you to take on board is that out of the 325 deaths in prison, in the year up to September 2018, 87 were self-inflicted, over a quarter. However, let's look at … Continue reading Lend an ear?
Journey of a reformed man 