Post 14 - Devious In & Devious Out - How Does Society Measure the Real Cost?

What a year this has been, so much has occurred in such a short time.  Twelve months since I launched my website (see post 2) at the Law Society for England & Wales with two prominent figures in their respective area of the law as speakers I felt that day would turn out to be a turning point for all those people who are incarcerated and therefore disenfranchised and vulnerable to those who wield power and control over them in their daily existence within UK institutions.  

Peter Cadman and Flo Krause two people I am proud to know personally and call my friends, (who humbled me with the fact that they were prepared to stand on a podium and endorse my vision) gave wonderful and passionate speeches. They talked of the need for 'Transparency' by those agencies tasked with managing UK institutions where human beings are incarcerated, 'Acessibility' to those insitutions via public comment and media, 'Accountability' of those who hold power and influence over the lives of those incarcerated and that such power and influence is wielded with 'Humility'. Peter pointed out it is cheaper to pay for private education at Eton College for a year than send someone to prison, a bizarre and disturbing fact about where our priorities lie as a society. 

Many significant personalities related to the lives of those incarcerated have encountered major life changes, Michael Gove has rightly been sacked as in my view he was simply a devious opportunist and not favoured by the 22 committee who I as with many others believe are the real power within UK conservative politics. A barrister of great integrity Flo Krause 'hung up her wig' and ended her career and her life passion in Law, as has Juliet Lyons who resigned from the Prison Reform Trust. Also Erwin James someone I have known personally for many decades and someone I consider a friend has published his wonderfully brave and moving book "Redeemable - A Memoir of Darkness and Hope" all about his life journey from a horrendous start in life to the integrated, happy and respected man I lunched with in London recently who in addition to his many achievements and being an author of several books and Guardian newspaper columnist he is also now the editor in chief of Inside Time.

What of us? Well one of our staff attempted to blackmail our company director with deleting the website content unless he paid him a significant amount of money, as he thought he was the only one with access to the content management system (clearly the sharpest tool in the box) so no surprise the guy was sacked, thereafter we discovered he actually had not done the amount of work he had been billing or claiming for anyway, we chose not to prosecute him as he was on a probation licence and his girlfriend had recently had a newborn baby.  We were subjected to a campaign of abusive and threatening text messages and involved the police who identified the parties involved and subsequently interviewed one of them and are monitoring events (this saga resulted in the installation of 24hr cctv). We have had meetings and discussions with serveral parties who are commentators or interested parties to Criminal Justice Reform who wanted to involve themselves with us in joint ventures utilising us and we have met many people this past year.  Many of those were well intentioned characters such as Alex Cavendish who is amongst many things a very bright man.

Another, a prominent academic in his field (who yes actually lectures at a university) invited me to a meeting at his campus, and as the day progressed he degenerated into a paranoid, aggressive, dysfunctional excessive drinker (who I hope has sought help) confronting people in the street for looking at him! There was the one who it transpired was a solicitor of meagre integrity and moral values who appears to collude with his client in covering up their crimes. Another was introduced to me as a recently released fraudster (nothing against that if reformed, but I fear he may not be) who was still peddling the same fictitious life history/story that was part of his presentation to victims of his crimes! Needless to say left him swiftly in the dust as little he said was actually true, and now he is gradually grooming identified parties within the Association of Prison Lawyers, barrister bloggers and others he has since identified that he feels may contribute something to his prison refom plans (that others will fund I am sure as he won't/can't as potless), apparently now he is a reformer (as oppose to reformed). He actually stated he was charging people to give them advice regarding what to expect if they were sentenced to a term of imprisonment (charlatan) talk about exploitation! Sadly there are many who see prisons and the plight of people incarcerated as an opportunity to make money by fleecing grants and donors or to create an existence which feeds their pathological need to be perceived as an authority or a prominent personality within the field. Blatantly achieved by grooming and ingratiating themselves with those they perceive as the current acceptable critics who have the ears of the decision makers, or in fact anyone they think may be of use to their devious strategy. 

It would be an interesting study to correlate and monitor how many 'prison commentators/reformers' were inside for fraud, an offence which has NO offending behaviour programmes to address the devious thinking involved in calculated crimes such as aquisitive fraud yet they are among the highest repeat offenders, whereas those sentenced to life and are on licence for their natural lives post release are the lowest.  It is also often the case in prison that it is the fraudsters who have worked their way into 'key' positions within establishments, usually by grooming and desensitising staff, it is also interesting to see that behaviour continue post release as they are invariably not on licence for long, and where they are on it at all they are quickly perceived by a probation officer under pressure of work as a low priority.  Yet in reality how much do they cost overall, what is the true cost if they are now outside involved in the Prison Industrial Complex which is awash with money (13bn is the cost of the CJS alone at the last count)?

There were some old school rules inside whilst doing your bird which applied in almost all cases. Rules such as a northener in a southern jail AVOID, a southerner in a northern jail AVOID, someone who has been in lots of jails in a short period AVOID, drug user/dealer AVOID, those who gossip AVOID, those who seek influencial positions in the nick AVOID, Sexual groomers AVOID, there are many more but those listed were the mainstay of a peaceful life inside for most people. Either way I have a serious illness to deal with and as such am no longer able to continue in the vein that I once could (not for the time being anyway) and so I will observe from afar the machinations, floundering and manouverings of those devious characters and see if in fact I am sadly once again proved right in my judgment of their motives. I hope not...

Post 11 - Is The Concept of Corruption Corrupt?

Most of us when we hear the word corruption think of 'backhanders', something given or promised in order to improperly influence a person's conduct or decision, usually a gift or money. However we would be wrong if we thought that is all it's about. Corruption is a very strange phenomenon in many ways, not in the sense that is exists but more in that when identified, quite often rather than being exposed others are sucked in by definition of the fact they do not expose or disclose, that by omission and virtue of their knowledge they too are corrupted;  Many would say to be corrupt you do not have to receive a personal 'gain'. Some would say systems and processes are corrupt not people, that people are merely human and therefore frail and vulnerable to an existing circumstance, ie there is no such thing as the 'Rotten Apple' syndrome, but if so what of morality and personal responsibilities, free will and choice? 

"The One Bad Apple Theory"

One of the problems with the rotten apple theory is for that theory to be true there must only be single parties independent of each other who are all about themselves, so greed and personal gain. However for an individual person to be considered corrupt there clearly has to be a manipulation or divergence of what is proper or correct, in other words exploitation to gain. That said we are then confronted with those within processes, systems or organisations who are deemed corrupt, are they rotten apples or is it worse the tree is infected, or even worse than that is the whole orchard diseased, and if so does that mean the surrounding soil is contaminated, and if so what of the farmer tending the soil, are they then corrupt? It does seem that there appears to be some dissent regarding levels of corruption, the implication being there are different types and that some are acceptable?  

Detectives who fabricate evidence and logs to give the impression to a jury and the courts that fingerprints and items which came into their possession 4 months after a crime was committed were found at the scene of the crime 4 months earlier? Involves more than one party, collusion possibly systemic at the time as the police called it 'dressing the cake', so is that corruption? My personal view is yes, and a divisional commander of the metropolitan police agreed and apologised in person to the criminal in the presence of the solicitor, however only after 6 years of 'chasing' by letter, after CIB1 and CIB2 had been disbanded, and after the offending police officers had retired and after the criminal agreed in writing they would not seek an appeal. Some may even say in addition to the act the conditions in which the apology was offered and came about were also corrupt? In such circumstances the detectives can retire and go on to lead a productive life, earning a living with his CV intact and portray a facade of decency to any and all who enquire, despite the fact they are as much criminal as the people they have imprisoned throughout their careers. "Shocked by the extent of corruption within its ranks, Scotland Yard set up a new anti-corruption unit in the early 1990s. Its members had to operate in conditions of unprecedented secrecy and they became known as the 'Ghost Squad'. Bent Detectives really did believe they were untouchable: they stole cash and property, fitted-up innocent people and sold secret information to cripple court cases. Many of them are now in jail or awaiting trial but the battle against corruption is not over.  Only now can the story of the 'Ghost Squad' be revealed. Award-winning BBC home affairs correspondent Graeme McLagan had followed the investigation since the beginning. He has interviewed undercover officers and many of the corrupt officers they have exposed".

"No Way, Not Us"

What about the prison officer who accepts cash/goods/benefits to smuggle items into prisons or make life easier for a prisoner inside their prison? What about the same prison officer committing the same acts but out of fear of threat to himself or his family but chooses not to report events?  What about their peers who are aware but say or do nothing?  The Prison Officer who leaves the service and in preparation for when he does takes copies of the OASys software, internal prison service training and guidance manuals, confidential material relating to prisoners. People within administration or management positions who manipulate and adjust schedules or worse 'lose' paperwork in order to delay proceedings to benefit their friends? The person in power over a vulnerable person in their care who knowingly writes a false report for example a social worker or probation officer with a theory 'adjust' the history of their client to fit their errant theories and when discovered are simply removed from the case, is this corruption?  The manager of those persons who simply sign off a report giving the impression they have read and agree with the report but the reality is they read nothing they are simply protecting one of their own.

The taxi driver who agrees to take you somewhere for cash in his pocket as oppose to on the meter, or the Maitre D' who accepts money to seat you at a good table or 'bump' another when the restaurant is full, both deprive their employer of income? What about the people who make these requests of those in a position to assist who then succumb; Is this corruption? The professor who uses research from their students or interns to further themselves, their research or publish, all without any accreditation or recognition to the contributors. Many would say this is life, it is part and parcel of the world we live in, where is the line? Who draws the line and just because you drew it does that give you the right to cross it or redefine it at will, and if you do and are discovered, what then?

If as many believe corruption just 'is' and some say it appears NOMS do because they refuse FOI's on the subject and don't seem to want to invest in real systems which will catch corrupt or violent staff, what is the answer?  They don't want to bring in enhanced recruitment processes which include tools such as Psychometric testing, when one would say you can never have too much information, in particular about someone who was volunteering to hold power and control over vulnerable people.

"Your In, Sorry Your Out"

There are psychological factors at play in all areas or incarceration, and whether research showed a drop or not in corruption or violence, the fact that a person was wearing a camera system being monitored externally and was synchronised with a GPS system with 'live' systems at all times whilst they were inside their respective institution; in my humble view would certainly have very obvious effects on their demeanour and outcomes regarding spurious allegations, complaints etc.  So the question remains why NOMS are not entertaining the idea as a realistic proposal and possible solution, and is the fact that they are not doing so, in itself corrupt?  A ten year telephone contract negotiated in the midst of a recession was not corrupt, staff stealing food is not corrupt, staff receiving benefits such as sailing trips or beneficial loan rates is not corrupt, free hanging baskets of plants from prison gardens is not corrupt, the list goes on and on to the extent you have to wonder about motivation.  You cannot be involved with this sector and not know or have heard about what happens.  So how can so many, so called respectable people and organisations, carry on day in day out making the same noises, taking home their salaries, quaffing copious amounts of wine and food, pontificating over dinner lunch or at an event, when the truth is they all appear to be a sham.  By definition then where does the corruption begin? Where does it lead? Is it in fact corrupt as it appears to be the 'norm' and no one seems to want to stand up and take it on?

Why is that?

www.boltsandbars.co.uk

NOMS the Corruption Prevention Unit
corruptionpreventionunit@noms.gsi.gov.uk

01527 551229.

Post 10 - Weapon of Choice the SIR not the SLR

If you read the previous Post 9, you are now aware if you weren't before that there are various means of 'punishment' within an institution, either the brutal uncompromising kind of Con on Con or the official process of adjudications or the often used 'unofficial' punishments from the uniforms such as the 'ghosting' described in Post 9.  All have an unquantified cost in human and financial terms, and in financial terms it is another 'blackhole' (see Blog Post 3) within the billions wasted in the UK Criminal Justice System.

Ghosting is a phrase used in UK institutions to describe an unscheduled transfer of an inmate usually claimed to be for security reasons as most decisions taken in UK Institutions under the 'umbrella' of security are rarely scrutinised too closely by the powers that be.  The uniforms simply claim actions of that nature were taken for the "good order and discipline of the establishment", a catch all used frequently to disguise actions of instrumental aggression against people in the care of the State, usually no right of appeal and certainly not in a timely manner because they are now usually hundreds of miles away in another part of the country. 

"MUFTI"

'Ghostings' typically occur in the early hours when everyone is asleep and the jail is still locked down, if they don't expect resistance there will be three screws in uniform and a junior manager at the door, however if they expect trouble then the 'Mufti' (Minimum Use of Force Tactical Intervention) are called in to do the job, and believe me they do it quickly, efficiently and violently to the extent that now all 'security' cell removals are supposed to be filmed.The Mufti squad since conception have been symptomatic with prisoner injuries, the Howard League for Penal Reform at the outset of Mufti Squads wrote letters requesting enquiries for topical issues exposing staff brutality or prisoner injuries through the use of Mufti squads, yet it is still in use today 25 years later, and not much has changed. Following a 'ghosting' the Con arrives elsewhere with a black mark against his name and can take months if not years for the 'stain' imposed on his record sheet and his reputation to be restored. Despite the fact that more often than not there will have been no breach of prison discipline rules nor will they have been through any 'official' recognised disciplinary process to warrant removal and transfer commonly away from their family and thereby punishing visitors in the process. However that is the overt obvious stuff, what about the ability to inflict 'punishment' without the Con being aware until sometimes years later?  Sounds unlikely, well it happens, and it happens a lot. 

Many staff are ex-military and as such used to handling the SLR however they no longer need such an antiquated weapon as things are far more sophisticated now with the advent of the 'SIR'. This is a Security Information Report, probably designed with good intentions, but unwittingly has become the weapon of choice for those with an interest in a campaign of 'Instrumental Aggression', and it is available to anyone who understands the workings of a prison or worse the Parole Board.  What is it?  Well it is what's written on the tin, a report written following "intelligence" received or known, considered to be significant to the security of the establishment. 

Quite literally a form is filled out detailing the relevant information, and on the face of it you would think it is logical to have such an instrument available as it allows others unfamiliar with the individual or situation concerned to read a file, read any SIR's contained therein and form a view.  But there are obvious flaws which open this process to abuse, the ability to be manipulated and thereby impotent as a tool for which it is designed.  However despite knowing this the prison service continue with this process and subsequently the prisons are full of Cons who have SIR's entered daily on their files without their knowledge.  Information comes in from all areas, yes censorship of incoming and outgoing mail (officially 5% random unless targeted by security) in the post room, and yes monitoring of telephone conversations or recordings of conversations, albeit they are generally supposed to be random unless targeted, (yes you guessed it targeted by security on the basis of information received ergo SIR).  But there is a far more sinister side to this and I am sure you are ahead of me, because there are too many (for the process not to be flawed), examples where SIR's are submitted as a result of spurious allegations from other less principled Cons, or calculated allegations by competitors in the drug distribution game, or by debtors trying to avoid payment, spiteful or malicious Cons who get perverse entertainment from causing another misery or difficulty, peer envy etc, the implications of which are obvious.

However the worst abuse of this system of information gathering, and far more frightening is occasions of false and fabricated SIR's deliberately compiled by a member of staff in full knowledge of all the implications of such an act on the sentence of the Con as these documents are read by the Governor or brought to their attention when considering HDC, or the IEP status of a Con within their establishment.  Even More worrying is the Parole Board specifically request a report from the security department with particular note to how many SIR's if any, have been compiled regarding the person whose case they are considering either for progression or release.  In the case of Lifers appearing in person before a Parole Board Oral Hearing there is quite often discussion regarding entries and it may possibly be the first time the Con had knowledge of any such event, yet they are having to defend against unknown accusers in relation to unknown allegations, which again is a huge flaw in our delivery of Justice.  But many pre-tariff reviews are conducted on the papers only so how do you defend against something you are unaware of, it's a ludicrous and abusive process and one in which the parole board are misled on many occasions.

"Agree or else"

Information needs to be gathered within institutions, information and intelligence should however be gathered relating to anyone who is involved in questionable activities, including staff. As with all systems which involve a human element, it lies with the person inputting the data to maintain their own personal integrity and not be party to any deviation from the professional standards required and to be mindful of the implications for the Con and his family (who are also victims of the offending behaviour).  

This is why without a secure whistleblower telephone process within institutions and NOMS for staff and Cons alike prison reform is doomed to fail, because peer pressure is enormous and the stigma and marginalisation a whistleblower faces is for many a terrifying prospect.

To knowingly compile false reports of any nature in any capacity as a member of NOMS (be it prison officer, case worker, probation officer etc) in our view should be a criminal offence.  In many ways the Parole Board involves the judiciary, and some may say compiling false reports which are laid before them is tantamount to perverting the course of justice.  But from the number of reports we get, plus personal knowledge of this practice we know spurious reporting costs hundreds of millions of pounds and are yet another unquantifiable black hole within NOMS expenditure.

If you know of anyone who has been subjected to this abuse, or someone who perpetrates this abuse on those in their care, visit our website and post on the relevant institution message board and we will bring it to the attention of the appropriate body on your behalf.

Post 9 - Do The Real Lunatics Run the Asylums? You Decide.

This was a week quite literally hundreds of thousands of people were waiting for.  It could have been a week marked in history for decades to come, as one where finally something was to be done to halt the irrepressible decline of UK institutional life.  Institutions where it seems by any recognised form of scientific/mathematical scale far too many vulnerable people die.  Every year for the last 3 decades, scores of people in the care of the UK Government have perceived no other alternative than to take their own life, according to the 'death rates' and suicide statistics collated by Inquest who are a respected and worthwhile organisation which provides data on this rather taboo subject.

Well despite my personal hopes, the reality of the much awaited, and thereafter much commented upon speech was in line with my expectations, and sadly in my view, all the important issues, the challenging, uncomfortable problems connected with prison reform were avoided, or worse simply ignored!  We all held our breath with the exception of the 'acceptable critics' (who were privy in advance) for the forthcoming announcement by David Cameron, the first 'exclusively' prison reform speech from a sitting British Prime Minister in twenty years.  To my embarrassment on occasion I admonished some tweeters for 'trashing' Cameron before the speech was made, I accused others of pre-judgement, well how stupid am I?  Now I too feel this latest announcement was something of a sham,  I feel it was made for underlying political maneuverings related to long term objectives regarding the privatisation and commercialisation of the Criminal Justice System, the in/out European referendum issue and long term conservative party leadership positioning. There is nothing in it which will bring about reductions in Mental Health abuse, nothing to save the lives of the vulnerable or suicidal, nothing in practical terms which will change anything, much less bring about "wholesale prison reform" as it was announced it is intended to do.

Now obviously this is just my view, I am not an expert and nor am I an educated man, but I'm not a fool either, having spent 19 years in prison.  During that time I read many books and worked in two prison libraries, I read mainly about Psychology, Human Behaviour, Business and Law, I also took a few exams and wrote some Tutor Marked Assessments (TMA's) for other Cons who were studying with the Open University (in exchange for bits and pieces), but that was my lot really. I was all about trying to resist falling victim to institutionalisation and desensitisation, remaining sane and help others to do the same if I could.  One thing everyone inside doing a long stretch learns is the dynamic of a prison landing, just like politics in the workplace, the same applies in prisons if not more so. A 'political' mistake inside can cost you enormously, it can get you slashed across the face (known as a mars bar = scar) or worse Jugged, a term used to describe a jug of boiling water thrown in your face, and if they really want to damage you the jug is filled with sugar which apparently makes it far harder for plastic surgeons to repair as it peels your skin from your face (go figure).  Prisoner on Prisoner punishments are usually brutal, uncompromising and executed with military precision, though that is changing with the huge influx of NPS (New Psychoactive Substances) blamed by Nick Hardwick the outgoing Inspector of Prisons for the upsurge in prison violence and hospital transfers of the last 2 years.  However there are other more subtle punishments which can be inflicted upon you, punishments which originate from a uniform but are not conducted through the normal adjudication system in place for breaking prison rules and the maintenance of good order and discipline within the institution.  

But before I expand and you accuse me of paranoia or conspiracy theories let me tell you a little bit more about me. Having been released from prison I then spent my professional life working in Criminal Justice having founded my own company, which developed into a reputable entity in the field.  This brought my staff and I into contact either in person or on the telephone with people who were in the most part detained (although some were in the community on licence) by the UK Government in one form or another.  I have quite literally interviewed thousands of people who have been through the criminal justice system. Young offenders, adult male and female prisoners (the large majority were serving Life Sentences), patients in secure units and in some circumstances people serving the remainder of their sentence on licence in the community.  In the process I had cause to document their situation as it was at that given time, generally with a view to assisting in the preparation of their case to be put before the relevant administrative or judicial bodies.  One thing which was a common denominator with almost everyone I interviewed, and either almost everyone I interviewed suffered from a Paranoid Personality Disorder or they have hit on one of the major causes for many of the practical problems within UK Institutions.  They have all complained about issues related to members of staff and the apparent chaotic daily life within an Institution.  To the extent I cannot believe it has not been the same for any Criminal Lawyer who has conducted more than 5 interviews with people who have experienced detention.

Now normally one prefers to go with the 'cock up theory' or simple incompetence, however when you hear similar accounts from a huge number of people spread across the nation with no connection, relaying roughly the same details of certain daily events then you have to consider that these events are orchestrated or part of a deliberate strategy to thwart the smooth management of these places.  My view is they are in the main orchestrated events.

The reason I can say this with a certain amount of authority is obviously the interviews I have conducted, "but they're Cons" you might say, "of course they'll lie", well OK, but what about the fact that during my own 19 years inside I have also personally witnessed many events which today fill me with shame as I did not intervene or take steps to report events, I was a coward.  Then finally post release in the course of my professional life I employed ex-prison service staff (governor grade through the ranks) and I have mixed socially with people who have held front line and lower management roles in prisons and they have confirmed it to me.  So I know it is a fact these events are deliberate strategies to thwart the smooth running of establishments, so the question is by who and for what purpose?

Well for the next few days I am going to post actual events on this blog and you can decide for yourself were they deliberate strategies, is it hyperbole as one twitterati stated (although he is a serving prison officer), decide for yourselves.  Here is one example.

I was a cleaner on the old D wing (lifer wing) of Wormwood Scrubs, a huge Victorian jail, the wings were huge and the landings extremely long and poorly lit back then.  Notorious for violence, in those days 'the Scrubs' was an ominous and sinister environment in which to 'do your bird'.

Employment for Cons was scarce, I was fortunate enough to have a job as a wing cleaner, and one day three of us were left out cleaning on the ground floor, the rest of the wing were banged up, as in those days it was quite literally 23 hours behind your door, with the exception of Sunday if you went to church. Prison wings are eerie places when everyone is locked down, and depending on the time of day they can be deafening in their silence.  My cell was on the 3's, (D wing had 4 landings) and I had nipped up to hide some biscuits I'd been given by one of the other cons who had taken them from the screws tea room as he was their 'teaboy', when I heard voices outside on the landing.  Unbeknown to me the screws had told the other 2 cleaners to stay in the cleaning store so I was the only one on the landings and they had clearly overlooked me.  There were five screws huddled and whispering together talking, no not talking, planning how they were going to inflict violence on a fellow Con.  They were whispering just outside to the left of my door not realising I was in there as oppose to downstairs cleaning, they discussed unlocking the door of their target and four of them agreed to wait outside whilst the fifth one (I will refer to him as 'L') went in and provoked the Con into an argument, they agreed at that point 'L' would shout for help whilst simultaneously attacking the Con.  The others would then rush in and assist 'L' in beating the Con up at which point they agreed they would take him down into the segregation unit housed in the cellars.  I waited in my cell silent as they initiated their plan, once the violence started and screams and shouts came from the cell the whole wing erupted with the banging and kicking of steel doors and shouting abuse through the door jams.  The Con had no chance.

They brought him out onto the landing, his face was bloodied where his nose and left eye was bleeding and he was struggling to stand, he still had soap on his face, so clearly they had gone in on him as he was washing his face in his bucket.  Two of them were holding him up underarm and two others had him by the wrists, the fifth 'L' was snarling and swearing, at him prodding him and holding his chin up as screws appeared from everywhere storming up the metal stairs and along metal gangways to 'support' their colleagues. 

Something insane happened, and to this day I don't know why I did it but I opened my door wide and stepped out into my doorway my eyes met with the Con and immediately screws rushed me and forced me back into my cell violently pushing me to the floor and banging my door up.  I have never forgotten that event and it was many many years ago.  The next morning at 5am my cell door was thrown open and 3 screws stood there menacingly, and one said "pack your kit, your leaving us" and when I asked where I was going he responded with "just think yourself lucky your being allowed to leave on your feet and not in a box, now fucking hurry up"... Within an hour I was being driven to HMP Onley which in those days was the exchange point where all Cons in transit went to be processed for transfer, I spent 5 hours there and later that night arrived in another Victorian hell hole...all FACT.

Life went on until many years later I read a ''News of The World' newspaper article which published the names of some screws who had been convicted from the Scrubs for violence, one of them was 'L', I confess to a wry smile when I read his name, as I can still see him with his peak hat on, fat belly, pony tail, earrings and Dog breath explaining the wing rules in his threatening bullying manner...so it's true, every dog does have it's day.

Now why is that anecdote relevant to Messrs Cameron and Gove and their "Wholesale Prison Reform" plans?  Well because in the view of many who have lived the experience for many years it is the culture within the 'old school' elements of the POA that have to be overcome before any initiative to reform or even improve the reality of life inside can be fundamentally successful.  There are some very good professional staff working within UK institutions, but there are also some not so good and they are dragging the rest down and will ultimately cost them all potentially their livelihoods unless they wake up and smell the coffee.

More soon, so keep checking...In the meantime check out the website, it's FREE to use and FREE to advertise, its organic so suggest content, or a document or a link and we will add it for you.  Get involved life is not a dress rehearsal.  Please comment by clicking on 'comments' below, your feedback is of interest to us and your opinion matters.

Post 4 - Consequences of Shaking The Trees

As some of you may be aware a few weeks ago we started our own blog as we thought it right that we start to link social media with our website as we are new to the whole Internet/social media promotion game.  We were doing OK on twitter @boltsandbars and we were starting to get the hang of the whole tweeting thing (we learnt very quickly that capital letters = shouting not passion) and seemed to be picking up followers fairly quickly, so clearly some of the tweeters found our comments of interest.  As a result we engaged in talks with direct messaging etc, all tools of the twitter world and during one such chat with a follower he suggested we contact 'Jim Brown' (not his real name I am reliably informed) on twitter and see if he can assist us in progressing our objectives in relation to our website by way of an article or an interview, so we did.

'Jim Brown' also has a blog called probation matters where he reports on all manner of matters probation related.  We spoke, exchanged mobile numbers and arranged to meet, in a Northern Hotel lobby, all very MI5 ish.  We talked for 3 hours or so on mostly Criminal Justice System related subjects with a bit of privatisation of probation services within the UK thrown in.  Following our meeting, (the next day in fact) 'Jim' posted his blog which contained some references to our company, our purpose and our website referring to us as the 'New Kids on the Block' - and then life changed.

We received a text from 'Jim' that someone had posted an anonymous entry on his blog which contained offensive and abusive comments and remarks regarding one of the Bolts & Bars team, and 'Jim' informed us he had deleted the post and also now applied moderation.  Then the games began.

That night one of us received three abusive telephone calls from an unknown number, and thereafter abusive/threatening/intimidating text messages on a frequent and regular basis which continue to this day.  Another member of our team has had his house (where he lives with his partner) broken into and items stolen, and then on a second occasion broken into but nothing taken. Then recently two known offenders turned up at the company registered office intimidating our director and demanding the residential address of team members. 

Now of course we are not suggesting for a second these events are connected or have anything to do with 'Jim' personally, for you could not meet a nicer man.    Some have suggested events are connected with ex-employees (since dismissed) or victims/extended victims disgruntled that we employ ex-offenders, or even potential jilted admirers.  Whoever it is , it's getting 'old' and is creating anxiety and distress for colleagues, friends and family and we are saddened and dissapointed that people cannot see the good in what we are trying to do and support us as oppose to attempt to hinder us at every turn.

So what do we do? We have read the entries on 'Jim Brown's blog, and of course all the negative views expressed therein regarding our company, ex-offenders, 'carpetbaggers' etc, but there are also entries from other probation people who encourage debate, welcome positive constructive comment, change and debate, so therein lies the problem which as we see it is twofold.

One is, who is our ominous, threatening, intimidating and boring observer?  

Two, how do we engage in any meaningful way with those who apparently have contempt for us as a whole (ex-offenders) and contribute in any way to making the situation more accessible for those who find themselves without reasonable access to the law and thus justice by virtue of their circumstances in being incarcerated by the UK, many of whom are not criminals but are asylum seekers, migrants, children, or Mental Health patients?

The answer to one is fairly simple, and we can only say hopefully this will cease as it is causing much anxiety and distress to those in receipt and also our colleagues, friends and family.  

Two is somewhat more complicated.  You see we spent many years in small boxes circa 10ft x 6ft engaging in self analysis, introspection, education, reading, growing, developing and engaging with thoughts and feelings we had not until that point encountered with the exception of many years before when we were very young. We do have opinions about the system that many of us lived in and of course some of us are motivated to engage in a pro-social and positive manner to get involved as it is fair to say, the CJS is facing difficulties and you can never have too much information from which to make informed decisions.  Some would say the perspective of service users would be a very valuable tool indeed.  We are not hear to 'beat up' or bemoan the probation service, or anyone else for that matter, we are simply trying to shed light on certain areas of public life of which the public are unaware.  Our main area for concern is the fact that there are quite literally tens of thousands of people who are unable to share/voice their concerns and fears for their friends/family members/loved ones in a focused manner to bring attention to trends or patterns of behaviour emerging within institutions nationwide.

If NOMS or HMP, or the Immigration Service for example supported our project and gave us access to those incarcerated as they do with other unnamed charities, dot.orgs, publications or private companies then they may not have the amount of discontent, violence, suicide and levels of complaints which they currently encounter which indirectly costs tens of millions of pounds a year to the treasury.  They would be able to monitor, thus note from the posts of those visiting, or corresponding with others incarcerated or detained what is going on, what their concerns are, 'temperature feel' the environment and react BEFORE matters have escalated or deteriorated.  Surely it would be a vital tool?

In so doing that would thus improve circumstances for everyone incarcerated by the UK government, but also for the Staff working in those places, less friction, less complaints, less sick time off, less malcontent, less despair and anguish as everyone will feel they are being heard.  Instead of weeks or months to resolve a complaint, someone in authority has had it brought to their attention by a site observer within hours, thereby saving millions in man hours and paperwork throughout several different establishments and systems.  The site could even be incorporated into the 'virtual campus' loop, and monitored internally by individual establishments?  The possibilities are endless.

I guess what we are saying is if somehow we have shaken the trees and unwittingly upset someone somewhere, it was unintentional, and we are not here to lambast or criticise generally.  We are here to help in a constructive and pro-social way as we believe that just because someone is incarcerated (and remember not all are convicted criminals, some are migrants, children, MH patients) then they deserve to encounter decent standards of care by those responsible for their care, and in our view 'care' encompasses a multitude of ingredients.  When you take away the ability for someone to manage their life and that of their families etc for themselves, in doing that we then have a responsibility to them and society as a whole to ensure when they are returned into life outside the walls that they are able and that 'life' is viable for them.

You may not all agree, but hopefully someone out there does and will assist, support and promote our initiative.  We are extremely fortunate in that some shares in the company bolts & bars are in the process of being sold as the deposit for the purchase of those funds was a huge benefit in bringing us to the point we currently find ourselves in, however as we all know money is tight in the current climate.  We do not claim to be a charity and then receive from trusts directly linked to the charity, we do not request donations or ask people to subscribe to us as a charity, we operate as a ltd company for that reason - to be completely transparent and open about who we are and what we are.  We will donate 15% of our net profit to charities, we still seek charities who are OK with working with and accepting donations from people who have been in prison, oddly they are hard to find despite the number of organisations, charities and dot.orgs making millions on the back of people who are incarcerated.  Many of them have provided invaluable tools over the years such as Insidetime and the Prison Reform Trust who produce fabulous material such as the Bromley Report , but there are many others who some might say have not really affected any real change over the last 30 years, but that is a question for other people to answer, suffice to say if they had, there may not be so many of them today.  Bolts and Bars are here for real change, to bring IT and all it can offer into the field of public life, namely our institutions which fail so regularly and cost so much and appear to have no real oversight in relation to the failures other than a few departments who publish reports/studies and white papers which are in general then ignored and left on the shelf to be brought out at the next crisis meeting, as crisis management seems to have been the norm for two decades within certain elements of the Criminal Justice system, NOMS, Border and Immigration and the MH arm of the NHS.

People (human beings who are still members of society here or abroad and who will one day return to live in those societies), regardless of who they are or where they are detained or what they have done, in any civilised society should be entitled to have their voice heard, our site provides that platform, that is why we are here.

Go to our website and see what difference you can make to the world of those less fortunate than us.

Post 3 - The Fraud of Justice - or Good Practice - You Decide

There was a very lively discussion with several 'twitterati' Saturday 17 September (in case you want to track back and read the discussions) generally centred around Probation "Good Practice".  So rather than repeat views and comment I thought I would simply give you a question and allow you to form a view and hopefully expand the debate.

Someone is charged with Murder, the case is fully investigated by the authorities, it results in charges being brought and court proceedings begin.  The evidence is supplied to all parties and is thoroughly examined in an open court by experts on both sides.  The decision is made by a jury of 12 having heard all the evidence tested before them in court, they decide guilty and the Judge passes sentence after a full examination of the evidence has taken place.

Cost for process circa £250,000.

The same someone goes to jail for say 20 years.  Throughout that time he is examined by experts, encounters psychological examination, psychiatric assessment, he is monitored closely for years by those trained in such matters.  His letters are examined, his phone calls are listened to, his visitors monitored, searched and vetted.  Copious and numerous reports are written about him during that time, until he is considered ready to be considered for release.

The Parole Board of experts are supplied with hundreds of papers in a dossier to be examined and digested by them, the same dossier is supplied to the prisoner and his lawyer in order for him to prepare and submit his representations and comment on the dossier.  Both parties can call upon experts and witnesses to take part in an oral hearing where all the material is examined and questions can be asked of witnesses and the prisoner, victims can comment in writing or appear in person to make their personal statement.  The Parole Board panel is chaired by a Judge, and following a full examination of the evidence the panel takes a view on risk to the public and the Judge orders release.

Cost for term in prison to release circa £1.2million.

In the community on license and an allegation is made (not always) and then RECALLED on the recommendation of a probation officer.  Done without any thought to the human cost to friends, families, work colleagues, the existence painstakingly built up sometimes over years.  No examination of the evidence in court, without any testing of the evidence, often without sight of the evidence against him, always without the benefit of representations to the courts or the home office before the recall, and NO Judicial input whatsoever, no expert evaluation simply arbitrary imprisonment, the Guantanamo syndrome if you like.  You stand suspected, not charged, not remanded, no simply accused therefore we imprison you? Done in our name by bureaucrats in Probation and NOMS and often with complete disregard to the protocols in place for such a decision to be made. 

Financial and Human Cost to the taxpayer unlimited!

This is arrogance of the highest order by practitioners drunk on power.  Is this process right, Humane and Just in the world we live in today?  How can it be that a probation officer (could be 24 years old) makes a decision which costs us millions of pounds every single year, year in and year out, with no accountability, no transparency?

The core values of our website, are to allow access to Justice for everyone (Accessibility), to create transparent systems and processes where we incarcerate anyone, patient, child, woman or man (Transparency), ensure compliance with the statutory instruments and the integrity of practitioners and those tasked with the care of those who are voiceless in our society (Accountability) and try to ensure that those tasked with the care and responsibility for the voiceless wield their power with human compassion and integrity (Humility).

Go to our website and join us, make a difference and bring real change to a system which costs the tax payer (us) tens of millions year in year out, and do it in a pro-social way.

Post 2 - Author The Solicitors Journal about us on 20th August 2015.

Launched at the Law Society this week, Bolts&Bars is a new access to justice tool on behalf of the 'voiceless'. Designed as a one-stop-shop for those interested in the incarcerated - not necessarily by court order - including immigrants, children, the elderly, and those with mental health conditions, it aims to provide valuable information about the UK's detention centres and offer a transparent forum for the imprisoned to share their experiences.

'Some people deserve to be in prison for their crimes but they still deserve to be heard,' said Bolts&Bars founder. 'But there is no excuse for young children, mentally ill people, or migrants not to be able to access the law.'

One prominent supporter of the project is notable barrister Flo Krause, who successfully acted for former prisoner John Hirst in his high-profile and contentious action against the blanket ban on prisoner voting, which left David Cameron feeling 'physically ill'.

Providing specific examples from two decades of practising prison law, Krause said: 'To be truly voiceless, somebody is not only unheard but unseen. People are put away into institutions and become voiceless. The institutions subsume them. They disappear behind walls and under the weight of rules and regulations. There is no one to witness their plight and no one to record the dramas that go on behind those thick walls.'

Also speaking at the launch, Russell-Cooke partner Peter Cadman observed that even in the 'good-old days of legal aid' there was an element of abandonment of clients by solicitors after conviction. Now, with funding squeezed ever tighter, the ability for firms to provide aftercare to clients is nearly impossible.

'The timing of this venture is excellent,' he added. 'We are at a time when the public purse is not paying lawyers to assist and represent, and at a time when the cost of keeping a prisoner in prison is so astronomic that the balance between the spend and the save is just wrong.'

Cadman said he hopes the project will help offenders navigate the penal system and calm the 'ripple effect' that impacts on a prisoner's family and friends by providing them the information needed to cope with an incarcerated loved one.

Although the Howard League has benefitted greatly from this silliest of seasons, the same cannot be said for Bolts&Bars. The event, which took place within the Law Society's 'magnificent' Common Room, far from reached the venue's attendance capacity. Barring a couple of legal journalists and invested supporters it was empty, despite 'hundreds' of emails declaring an interest in the launch.

The Bolts&Bars team clearly face an uphill battle. If you cannot get lawyers into a room to discuss our rotten prison estate, what hope have you of opening up various important issues to the wider public who are predisposed to thinking prisoners should forfeit their rights upon incarceration. Maybe, as SJ's Kevin Poulter has suggested, solicitors should reflect on the ways they support access to justice, perhaps by giving consideration to the work of Bolts&Bars.  Go to their website

John van der Luit-Drummond is deputy editor for Solicitors Journal

john.vanderluit@solicitorsjournal.co.uk | @JvdLD