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Prisons - in brief (12)

01 August 2006

UK: Islamaphopbic frenzy at HMP Woodhill: On 17 November 2006 Woodhill prison officers stormed into Friday prayers held by Muslim inmates at the jail, attacked two Muslim prisoners and deliberately served ham to Muslim inmates. About 30 prison officers stormed Friday prayers and attacked one Muslim prisoner following a dispute over the searching of a Qu'ran. A stand-off ensued between prison officers and 60 inmates until the situation was brought under control by the Imam. Farid Hilali was assaulted by staff when he refused to be transferred to another prison on the basis that he had social and urgent legal visits pending. His solicitors have reported the assaults to the police. Earlier in the day, staff continued to feed sandwiches contaminated with ham to Muslim inmates after the contamination was drawn to their attention.

UK: Foreign nationals in prison trebles: In the last decade the number of foreign nationals in prisons in England and Wales has trebled. In April 2006, there were 10,000 - 13% of the prison population as a whole - and one in five of the female population. A thematic report by HM Prisons Inspectorate revealed there to be no proper support for foreign nationals while in prison and no coherent and timely planning for what happens to them afterwards. Few prisons have effective foreign national prisoner strategies. Most prisons do not even know how many foreign nationals they hold. Foreign nationals were identified by the Inspectorate as having a recognisable cluster of specific needs - language, family links and immigration. Over 80% of comments from foreign national prisoners referred to staff intolerance of language or cultural difference. Staff meanwhile complained of consistently poor communication with the Immigration and Nationality Department criminal casework team, to ensure swift action regarding foreign nationals at the end of their sentence. The end result was a prison population all too often unsure whether it faced removal or deportation, and often left in detention long after sentence expiry. Ann Owers Foreign National Prisoners: a thematic review, 3.11.06.