Prisons - in brief (5)
01 September 2000
UK: Peoples' Tribunal into deaths in custody launched: The United Families and Friends Campaign (UFFC), a coalition of black families and campaigners demanding an end to deaths in police custody, in prisons and in psychiatric wards, has launched a tribunal to investigate the causes of the fatalities. The People's Tribunal into Deaths in Custody will "examine the circumstances leading to deaths in custody and the actions taken by statutory bodies, including the police, the Prison Service, the Police Complaints Authority, the Crown Prosecution Service and National Health Service Mental Health Trusts." The tribunal will be chaired by Ian Macdonald QC. It will call for submissions from bereaved families and organisations which would like to make suggestions to prevent future deaths. The tribunal can be contacted at: People's Tribunal into Deaths in Custody, Tribunal Office, Suite 4, 63 The Broadway, Stratford, London E15 4BQ.
UK: Jailed mothers at record high: An investigation by the Observer newspaper has revealed that "the number of mothers in the British prison system has reached an all-time high, more than doubling in the past 10 years." The inquiry found that of 3,524 women held in prison at the end of August, two-thirds were mothers and more than 1,000 were pregnant or had young children. The actual figure, according to Frances Crook of the Howard League, may well be higher as many women do not notify the authorities about their children fearing that they may be taken into care. Currently there are four prison "mother and baby" units in prisons across the country with 72 places; they are restricted to children under 18 months. Two new units are being built, although the placing of young children in prison units is controversial. Critics have argued that more mothers should receive suspended sentences to avoid splitting them from their babies and a Prison Service report last year described the number of mothers imprisoned as an "enormous concern". Observer 10.9.00; Guardian 5.9.00.
UK: Asian Women Prisoners' Support Group launched: The Asian Women's Prisoners's Support Group, along with the Asian Women Unite organisation, held their first public meeting in London at the end of July. The rally was addressed by Bibi Sarkaria who was released from Cookhamwood prison earlier in the day; she described her experiences in challenging the racism of the prison authorities in different prisons over a period of ten years. The meeting also heard accounts from Patricia Manning (sister of Alton, see Statewatch vol 10 no 3/4), Zoora Shah's daughter Naseem (see Statewatch vol 10 no 2) and from a representative of the Free Saptal Ram campaign (see Statewatch vol 9 no 5). The Group has identified a number of issues around which they will work. These include publishing a Newsletter to build up contacts and network among prisoners; protest actions; investigating the high number of suicides among women prisoners and publicising black prisoners' issues. The Group also hopes to set up a hotline for prisoners to contact. Asian Women Prisoners' Support Group, c/o Londec, Instrument House, 205-17 Kings Cross Road, London WC1X 9DB.