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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/nov/21/locking-people-up-indefinitely-adds-to-prison-problems
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| Locking people up indefinitely adds to prison problems Locking people up indefinitely adds to prison problems | |
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| In your article (High court sends 10,000 prison officers back to work after justice secretary acts, 16 November), the head of the National Offender Management Service, Michael Spurr, was reported as saying that prisoners were not being unlocked, creating a dangerous situation. | In your article (High court sends 10,000 prison officers back to work after justice secretary acts, 16 November), the head of the National Offender Management Service, Michael Spurr, was reported as saying that prisoners were not being unlocked, creating a dangerous situation. |
| Prisoners not being unlocked is nothing new. In its 2014 report on HMP Isis, to take one example, the prison inspectorate had to recommend that prisoners be able to spend “a reasonable amount of time” out of their cells. Its 2016 report found that this had not been achieved and noted that 40% of prisoners were locked up during the core day (as well as from early evening till the morning) and that the regime had been “punitively restricted for several years”. | Prisoners not being unlocked is nothing new. In its 2014 report on HMP Isis, to take one example, the prison inspectorate had to recommend that prisoners be able to spend “a reasonable amount of time” out of their cells. Its 2016 report found that this had not been achieved and noted that 40% of prisoners were locked up during the core day (as well as from early evening till the morning) and that the regime had been “punitively restricted for several years”. |
| The cause is not one day of action by prison officers, but staffing cuts imposed by the coalition government, and the failure of the current administration to address the increasingly dangerous situation across the prison system. Liz DuthieLondon | The cause is not one day of action by prison officers, but staffing cuts imposed by the coalition government, and the failure of the current administration to address the increasingly dangerous situation across the prison system. Liz DuthieLondon |
| • Michael Gove, in his Longford lecture (Report, theguardian.com, 18 November), complained about the state of our prisons caused by lack of funding. Can it be that he has forgotten that he was, until recently, the justice secretary; that he seemed ideally placed to deal with the scandalous conditions in the prisons, including the suicide rate of inmates; and that he deserted his responsibility there in order to join Farage/Johnson bandwagon? | • Michael Gove, in his Longford lecture (Report, theguardian.com, 18 November), complained about the state of our prisons caused by lack of funding. Can it be that he has forgotten that he was, until recently, the justice secretary; that he seemed ideally placed to deal with the scandalous conditions in the prisons, including the suicide rate of inmates; and that he deserted his responsibility there in order to join Farage/Johnson bandwagon? |
| Had he continued with the vital work on the prisons he would still be respected. As it is, he and the three Brexit ministers should be forced to face the impossible task they have set themselves, and the ignominy that awaits them when it is acknowledged that they cannot both have the European cake and eat it.David HindmarshCambridge | Had he continued with the vital work on the prisons he would still be respected. As it is, he and the three Brexit ministers should be forced to face the impossible task they have set themselves, and the ignominy that awaits them when it is acknowledged that they cannot both have the European cake and eat it.David HindmarshCambridge |
| • Your editorial (Taking control of prisons starts by freeing those held for too long, 18 November) is spot-on. Prisoners not having release dates benefits nobody, causes problems for their eventual rehabilitation into society, and is costing the taxpayer needless expense. | • Your editorial (Taking control of prisons starts by freeing those held for too long, 18 November) is spot-on. Prisoners not having release dates benefits nobody, causes problems for their eventual rehabilitation into society, and is costing the taxpayer needless expense. |
| We need to keep up the pressure to stop indefinite detention for immigration purposes too. People are detained without any time limit, more and more are being detained for years. The UK is one of the few countries in the world that does not have a time limit on depriving people of their freedom, and we should be ashamed of this. Detention like this also achieves no purpose, wastes lives, and wastes money.Suzanne FletcherEaglescliffe, Stockton-on-Tees | We need to keep up the pressure to stop indefinite detention for immigration purposes too. People are detained without any time limit, more and more are being detained for years. The UK is one of the few countries in the world that does not have a time limit on depriving people of their freedom, and we should be ashamed of this. Detention like this also achieves no purpose, wastes lives, and wastes money.Suzanne FletcherEaglescliffe, Stockton-on-Tees |
| • Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com | • Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com |
| • Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters | • Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters |