Howard League Blog
Informal comments from the charity
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Our legal work with young people in prison – feedback from families
Our legal service works with children and young adults prison, supporting them with a wide spectrum of unmet legal need, from helping them find somewhere safe to live on release to challenging their conditions in prison. Read more
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This is membership week!
The Howard League for Penal Reform was founded a century and a half ago as a membership organisation and since the 1960s when we became a charity we have benefitted from having members. Read more
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The heatwave has been trying for all of us, but it has been unbearable for people in prison
The prison estate went into lockdown more than 140 days ago. For almost all of that time, most people in prison have been confined to their cells for more than 22 hours a day – often longer. Read more
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Children’s rights in prison still exist during Covid
Since the lockdown began, most children in prison have been in conditions of severe isolation, without family visits, face to face visits or therapy. Read more
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Young adults and the criminal justice system
On 17 July 2020, I wrote a letter to the Lord Chief Justice urging him to encourage a tailored approach to sentencing young adults (18–25 year olds) in the criminal courts. Read more
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Community Awards: nominate your work, we want to hear from you
One of the consequences of the lockdown is that I have missed visiting the fantastic projects run by voluntary groups, police and health agencies that help people turn away from conflict with the law. Read more
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Never forget Gareth Myatt
I can’t breathe, said the little boy as he was pinned down by G4S staff until he died. Read more
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The Howard League Community Awards – Women’s Category
The Howard League Community Awards are an opportunity to celebrate the work of organisations that are keeping women out of the criminal justice system and supporting women who come into contact with the police and the courts. Read more
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An opportunity to celebrate hard work and achievements
As a former recipient of a Howard League for Penal Reform Community Award, as both a runner-up and a winner, I was delighted to be asked to share my reflections on the last few months and of the awards themselves. Read more
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Change to the use of force in prisons is desperately needed
The consequences of state authorised use of force by officers in a coercive environment can be grave and vast. It led to the death of two children, Gareth Myatt and Adam Rickwood, in 2004. Read more
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Everything we do is focused on achieving less crime, safer communities, fewer people in prison. We need you to act now for penal reform.
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