Howard League Blog
Informal comment from our Chief Executive, Andrea Coomber KC (Hon.), and other contributors.
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Sentencing young adults
Back in January, the Howard League launched a briefing paper based on more than a year of work with judges and young people. The publication, Sentencing Principles for Young Adults, sets out how the sentencing of young people, typically aged between 18 and 25, could be improved. Read more
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Reunifying probation is a bold and sensible step
I warmly welcome the plan to reunify probation into a national public service and the aim of promoting confidence in community sentences to replace prison terms of under a year that are known to be counter-productive. Read more
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Notes from Geneva
We submitted evidence to the United Nations Committee Against Torture, setting out how the UK fails to live up to its obligations under the Convention, and I was invited to go to Geneva to give a briefing to the Committee before it grilled our government representatives. Read more
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Giving evidence to the United Nations
I am going to Geneva to give oral evidence to the Committee against Torture on how the UK government fails to uphold its obligations. The Howard League submitted written evidence to the committee to inform its questioning of the government on Tuesday. Read more
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Children in prison
In 2002 the Howard League for Penal Reform went to court to fight for children in prison to have the same right to be protected under the Children Act 1989 as children in the community. Read more
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Notes from a visit to the National Probation Service in Wales
Thank you to everyone in the National Probation Service (NPS) in Wales for meeting me and showing me round last week. I got some really interesting insights into the changes taking place and the immense challenges staff face. Read more
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It’s better to come out of prison with a job than a sleeping bag
Despite Brexit, there has been a flurry of reports and statements indicating that government is moving towards abolishing short prison sentences and intends to try to sort out community sentences. My concern is that, because of Brexit (sorry to mention it twice in the first paragraph), there will be no reforming legislation to make these changes. Read more
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Ofsted’s new inspection regime is better, but still needs work
In the last couple of weeks, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse has published its report on abuse of children in penal custody and former prison officers have been convicted of violently assaulting boys in Medomsley detention centre. Children in custody have nowhere to run to if they are being abused, assaulted, violated or mistreated. Read more
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Medomsley
The convictions of five former staff for assaulting boys in Medomsley detention centre comes after the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse found more than 1,000 allegations of sexual abuse of children in jails. The history of incarcerating children and young people is littered with sexual abuse and violence. Read more
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The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse: Here’s what should happen next
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) has published its findings on how children in jails have been victims of sexual abuse. It found more than 1,000 allegations of abuse and says that there are too many children in custody, particularly too many remanded to custody, and this is putting them at risk. Read more
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