Torment and Corruption in British Jails



Specialist "Tornado" teams were sent into HMP Swaleside, on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, after a disturbance at about 19:00 GMT on Thursday.

Meanwhile a prison spokeswoman said:

'The challenges in our prisons are longstanding and won’t be solved overnight but the justice secretary is committed to making sure our prisons are stable while we deliver wholesale reforms to the prison estate to help offenders turn their lives around and reduce reoffending.'
Meanwhile, a week ago rioting prisoners took over four wings of HMP Birmingham, setting fire to stairwells, destroying paper records and causing £2m in damage. It was the latest high-profile disturbance to break out in a jail, prompting Justice Secretary Liz Truss to warn that "long-standing" problems in the nation's prisons could take months to solve.

AN editorial in the Financial Times last Wednesday commenting on the state of British prison's being 'a national disgrace', quoted Fyodor Dostoyevsky as saying that 'the degree of civilisation in a society can be judged by entering its prisons'.

In 1971 or thereabouts, a prison officer in Brixton jail suggested to Stuart Christie then remanded in there of charges relating to the Angry Brigade, that he should write a comparative book about his experiences in Spanish and English prisons.  He was found not guilty when the case came to trial.  Later in his autobiography 'Granny made me an anarchist' Stuart Christie wrote:

'I discussed this with Miguel Garcia, my friend and former fellow prisoner, he agreed that it was the soullesness of British prisons that made them outstanding in the history of penology.  National characteristics come into it as well.  Cold cabbage, muddy fishcakes, soggy sponge lumpy custard and gnats' piss for tea would be considered a provocation diet in Spain.  The authorities offering it would be expecting a riot.  British prisoners have probably been conditioned by years of factory canteens, greasy spoon cafes and now Macdonalds. 

'But there was another striking difference between the two countries: British jails were run on a system of state socialism, where you get what your given ('Incentives' and 'earned privileges' are now the system).  Spanish jails in Franco'ws time were run along on much more humane lines inasmuch as there was some degree of choice involved.  You could work and earn more, or – and this is a punishment – not work and scrape by if you were prepared to do without things like fags and Serrano ham sandwiches.  You could have money sent in from outside and spend it in a fanteen or the prison restaurant.  Thus responsibility for the individual's quality of life in prison became his own, that of his family and his comrades.

'Like money everywhere, its circulation in jail leads to corruption, but it is also the one thing that eases tyranny.  Corruption certainly exists in English jails – albeit fitfully.  In Spain it was built into the system.  But for those who have illusions as to what can be achieved by the parliamentary system, a comparison of Spanish and English prisons would be interesting.'

As the prison spokeswoman said 'the challenges to our prisons are longstanding...'

  

Fatty Farnell Snubs 'Spoof Party'

in bid to keep up 'Standards' 

FATTY Farnell (still with his bad back but minus his hearing-aid), who became the leader of  Rochdale Council after overthrowing its previous occupant, Colin Lambert, in a brutal democratic coup within the local Labour Party after the local elections last May, last night presided over the Full Council meeting and denounced the newly formed Rochdale First Group as a 'Spoof Party',' and as having no credibility.  Both Councillor Farnell and his Conservative colleague, Ashley Dearnley, the leader of the Rochdale Tories, belittled Rochdale First whose membership consists of its leader Councillor Shefali Farooq Ahmed, and her husband Farooq Ahmed.  

 

Cheekily Mrs. Shefali Farooq had put down an amendment to Agenda Item 10 entitled 'Review of the Political Balance', which was seconded by the other Rochdale First Group member, Mr. Farooq himself.  Their amendment was lost, receiving all of two votes, after Fatty reminded councillors that Mr. Farooq had fallen foul of the law last January by 'threatening' his Labour Party colleague, Councillor Neil Emmot, in an altercation on Cheetham Street, Rochdale.  Mr. Farooq had allegedly called Mr. Emmot a 'queer little arse-licker' and told him to 'watch his back'.  Mr. Farooq, last night told Northern Voices that he was definitely going to appeal the public order conviction.   

Given Mr. Farooq's conviction, Fatty Farnell denounced Rochdale First Group's naughty demand to be allocated places on the 'Overview & Scrutiny Committee', the 'Employment & Equalities Committee' and the 'Standards Committee' in order to achieve political balance.  Given Mr Farooq's recent run-in with the law, Fatty said that the Rochdale First Group had never stood as such in a democratic 'election in this borough'. Fatty clearly regarded it as outrageous that, with Councillor Farooq Ahmed having a bit of a 'history', this newly formed party, led by Councillor Shefali Farooq Ahmed, should have the audacity to expect to be awarded a place on the Standards Committee.

Bad Headlines 

Councillor Duckworth raised the recent problem of 'bad headlines' for Rochdale and the need of the Council to promoted the good news about 'our town' such as the town's medieval bridges still encased in concrete beneath the town centre; Rochdale's splendid Town Hall which many would regard as something 'to die for'; the proposed statue to commemorate our Gracie, but not Turner Brother asbestos factory or since November 2012, Cyril Smith.  





'Heritage at Risk' 

Questioned about the peril to four conservation areas in Rochdale identified as 'at risk' by English Heritage, Councillor Biant, Portfolio Holder for Public Health & Regulation, was not able to say what kind of risks were at stake as she had not yet read the report which would be published by English Heritage in the Autumn of 2014.  The areas identified as 'at risk' included Rochdale Town Centre, Middleton Town Centre, Wardle and Castleton (South) Conservation Areas. 

Turner Brothers' Site Awaits Advice from Lawyers

There were no questions on the controversial former asbestos factory Turners Bros., as though Building Control had had talks with 'interested parties', including the owners of the site, which has been the subject of concern for years owing to persistent vandalism and arson, the Council is still waiting for further legal advice.  In this case it is the Health & Safety Executive that is the 'lead enforcement authority on this site with regards to asbestos removal – and not the Council'. 

Blue Plaques for Gracie Fields

Plans are continuing to build a statue to commemorate Gracie Fields who was a celebrated singer in the last century and who was born on Molesworth Street, Rochdale.  She came from a poor background to become a famous film star and distinguished singer.  The Council aims to put up eight blue plaques to pinpoint key locations in her life as part of a heritage trail.   One hopes they have more luck with this venture than they did when they put up a blue plaque for Cyril Smith in 2011.  

High Court Planning Decision

A Judicial Review is took place at the High Court, London on the 12th, February, at which SAVE Britain’s Heritage challenged Gateshead Council over plans to demolish 300 houses in Saltwell and Bensham in a blatant continuation of the destructive Pathfinder policy.

SAVE is challenging Gateshead Council over retrospective planning permission that they granted themselves last summer for the demolition of 115 houses two years previously without the requisite documents, and for permission to demolish a further 180 houses, some of which are still occupied. In order to secure retrospective planning permission, the Environmental Impact Assessment dictates that ‘exceptional circumstances’ must be proved.

In addition Richard Harwood QC has argued that Gateshead council failed to consider the views of English Heritage, is in breach of regulations and the EIA directive. Gateshead consulted English Heritage after it had decided to grant planning permission and did not consider EH’s reply. EH indicated that the information provided by Gateshead on the significance of the housing to be demolished was inadequate in planning policy and EIA terms and that the housing in question has heritage significance. Gateshead Council also failed to take into consideration conservation advice from their own officers.

Despite Judicial Review proceedings being underway the Council proceeded to commence demolition last November, following which SAVE secured an injunction, that it was necessary to renew following more demolition activity on one of the streets. The Council said they were making the buildings sound following the storm and blamed SAVE for being unable to do so.

1,240 houses in the area were to have been demolished under Pathfinder, which sought to address alleged ‘market failure’ in housing in certain parts of Northern cities. The housing targeted has been predominantly Victorian and Edwardian terraced housing. The issue was not one of vacancy or of uninhabitable homes – prior to the announcement of these schemes, occupation levels were normal, homes were perfectly habitable and the cost of repairs and updating would be modest. The claim of market failure was essentially that house prices were lower than elsewhere. Of the 1,240 earmarked for demolition only 115 have been demolished.

The houses in question are handsome rows of terraced houses built on a hill with an attractive vista opening out towards Newcastle. The repetitive terraces create an atmosphere of order and calm. The area is low-rise and of a human scale. The entire area is made up these houses, most of them ‘Tyneside flats’ and have two main entrances leading to two separate flats. Some residents in non-threatened areas have chosen to knock them through two-into-one. The area, apart from the condemned terraces, are fully occupied and popular homes.

The area of 115 demolished homes is beside Saltwell Road. Residents say that businesses have suffered following the loss of 115 houses. Many shops on Saltwell Road are now boarded up due to the blight. The blight is ongoing on the two other blocks of housing that the council has earmarked for demolition.

SAVE's position is clear: refurbished, the terraces still standing would make handsome homes, as can be found in the rest of the area. This would be in line with the government's line on empty homes and in line with the advice from the Ambassador of Empty Homes, native of Gateshead George Clarke, who clearly states in his 12 recommendation to the government:
'Refurbishing and upgrading existing homes should always be the first and preferred option rather than demolition.'

Planning permission was granted in August 2013. SAVE requested a public inquiry but it was refused, despite the fact that an application of similar scale for the Welsh Streets was ‘called in’ in Liverpool at the same time.

SAVE Britain’s Heritage is standing shoulder to shoulder with the Saltwell and Bensham Residents’Association.