Howard League Blog
Informal comment from our Chief Executive, Andrea Coomber KC (Hon.), and other contributors.
-
Renting prison cells overseas
Broken promises. Embarrassing delays. Spiralling costs. A colossal planning failure that will hold the country back. Most of the headlines from the Conservative party conference have been about HS2, but these stinging criticisms better describe the mess that the government has got itself into with prison overcrowding.  Read more
-
Letters from prison: Lifting the lid on a system in crisis
On 14 September 2023, our Chief Executive, Andrea Coomber KC (Hon.), gave a lecture at the City Law School in London about the letters we receive from our members and people in prison.  Read more
-
What IMBs tell us about prisons today: summer update
For most people, summer offers a chance to wind down. Many of us will have entered September refreshed after spending time on holiday and with family. This is not the case for those in prison.  Read more
-
Know your rights: An animation on licence and recall
We hope the video below will be helpful for anyone wanting to know more about licence and recall. It will be accessible to young people in prisons on their in-cell laptops, and to practitioners and the public, who may be unfamiliar with much of the recall process.   Read more
-
A one-off podcast on remand
We commissioned a one-off podcast produced by Transform Justice to explore the issue of remand, aimed at lawyers and criminal practitioners working with children.  Read more
-
Dr Martin Wright: What’s wrong with criminal justice?
On 12 July 2023, we held a special event at City, University of London to celebrate the achievements of Dr Martin Wright, a former Director of the Howard League. Martin's speech at the event, titled 'What's wrong with criminal justice?' is reproduced with his permission.  Read more
-
What do IMBs tell us about prison today?
As part of the Howard League’s work to lift the lid on prisons, we look at Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) reports to identify recurring themes or emerging trends across the estate. Recent reports offer evidence of shortcomings around personal property, regimes, and healthcare.   Read more
-
HDC and solutions to prison overcrowding
The last 12 months have brought a population explosion in prisons in England and Wales. There are 5,060 more people in cells today than there were at this point last year. The crisis has become so extreme that police forces have been asked to make room for people who can no longer be kept in jails. And a long line of inspection reports has shown how overcrowding, combined with chronic staff shortages, has contributed to dire conditions behind bars.  Read more
-
Problems at Cookham Wood
As Cookham Wood receives an Urgent Notification, the Howard League questions whether young offender institutions are ever the right response to children in trouble with the law.   Read more
-
Racial disparities in youth justice – from policing to custody
It is only early April, but this year has already laid bare alarming trends in youth justice.  Read more
-
Join the Howard League
We are the world's oldest prison charity, bringing people together to advocate for change.
Join us and make your voice heard -
Support our work
We safeguard our independence and do not accept any funding from government.
Make a donation