Howard League Blog
Informal comment from our Chief Executive, Andrea Coomber KC (Hon.), and other contributors.
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It’s time for a grown-up debate about prison overcrowding
Today’s edition of The Times reports that the Secretary of State for Justice, Alex Chalk, has warned the Prime Minister that the prison system could run out of space this month. For several years now, it has been obvious to any informed observers that the government was heading towards the precipice of a prison overcrowding crisis. … Read more
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Our one-size-fits-all approach to prison is failing women and girls
More than 15 years since the damning Corston Report, the picture for women in prison is worse than ever. Despite the report calling for a radical change in approach, today there are 3,651 women in prison in England and Wales — a 10% increase on the previous year, and there are more than twice as … Read more
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Special investigation into abuse at Medomsley detention centre
Today the Howard League is sharing a video and open letter from Richard Tucker, who has been appointed by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) as the Senior Investigator for Operation Deerness, an independent special investigation into abuse that took place at Medomsley detention centre. Read more
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What IMBs tell us about prisons today: New Year update
The new year is often seen as an opportunity for new beginnings. Many of us will have made resolutions, looking forward to positive change in 2024. And no public service is in more urgent need of positive change than the prison system; Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) reports from the last four months of 2023 show … Read more
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Helping young adults to understand their legal rights while on remand
This week, prisons across the country will be receiving a guide published by the Howard League to help young adults understand their legal rights if they are remanded in custody. The colourful 36-page guide, which was developed in workshops with young adults in prison, is aimed at 18- to 25-year-olds, but it may also be … Read more
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Christmas in prison
No one knows what it is like to spend the holiday period in prison better than those who have experienced it. We asked three men who have spent Christmas inside to describe what they remember. Read more
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The 2023 Howard League Lecture, held in memory of Lord Parmoor
Outgoing Prison Governors’ Association President Andrea Albutt gave this year’s Howard League Lecture, reflecting on government prison policy since 2010 and its impact on those living and working in jails. Read more
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We will keep fighting for the release of people serving IPP sentences
Ten years ago, the Howard League published a research briefing which revealed the devastating impact that the sentence of imprisonment for public protection (IPP) was having on people living and working in prison. Read more
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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
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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
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