For the 15th event in the Howard League Spotlights series, we are going to look at a controversial feature of the criminal justice system: the use of force in prison.
At a time when assaults behind bars are on the rise, and while prisons are recording incidents of self-harm at a rate of one every seven minutes, the government is exploring new methods of force to be made available to staff.
The chemical irritant PAVA spray has been introduced into three prisons in England holding children. Elsewhere, the Secretary of State for Justice, David Lammy, has committed £15million to new measures, which include training up to 500 officers to use Tasers and rolling out thousands of body armour vests.
All this comes in spite of longstanding concerns about disproportionate use of force against Black and Muslim people.
What are the recent trends in the use of force? Who is on the receiving end? And what does the future hold? Join us and take part in the discussion as we dissect this topic with a panel of experts.
This online event will be hosted by our Chief Executive, Andrea Coomber KC (Hon.). The panel will include:
- Khatuna Tsintsadze, Co-director of the Zahid Mubarek Trust.
- Mike, who has lived experience of the criminal justice system.
- Gemma Abbott, Legal Director at the Howard League for Penal Reform.
This free event will be held on Wednesday 25 March 2026, from 1pm to 2.15pm, online via Zoom webinar.
For anyone who cannot make it, this event will be recorded and made available on our YouTube channel.
About the Howard League Spotlights series
Howard League Spotlights is a series of events aimed at lifting the lid on prisons and finding more effective ways to reduce crime. Each event focuses on a particular theme and brings together experts to approach the issue from different perspectives.
Spotlights events are free of charge, but if you would like to support our work, please consider becoming a Howard League member.
Recordings of all Spotlights events can be viewed here.
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