lecture 3 - prisons perceptual crisis Flashcards
3 examples of evidence of crisis with the strangeways riot and woolf report
strangeways riot led to woolf report
- crisis of conditions
- crisis of injustice
- number crisis
what is the orthodox account of the prison crisis? definition
how many components
- crisis located specifically in prisons
- argues that 8 different components in the prison contribute to a crisis
what are the 8 different components that contribute to prison crisis (orthodox account)?
- high prison population
- overcrowding
- bad conditions (for both prisoners and staff)
- understaffing
- unrest among the staff
- poor security
- the toxic mix of prisoners
- riots and other breakdowns
example of what is the epitomy of the state of crisis?
riots and other breakdowns
what is the number crisis?
the high prison population
when was the strangeways riot?
1990
1-25 april
how many officers were injured in the strangeways riot?
147
how many prisoners injured in strangeways riot?
47
how many people died in the strangeways riot?
2
how much did the damage cost for the strangeways riot?
£60 million
what did the strangeways riot prompt? how many?
prompted 20 copycat or solidarity prison disturbances nationwide
when was the woolf report?
1991
why was the woolf report commissioned?
in the aftermath of the disturbances of the HMP strangeways
what did the woolf report commission to happen based off strangways riot? (3 things)
- determine the causes of the riot
- what was wrong with the prison system
- what should be done to prevent it happening again
how many recommendations did the woolf report recommend?
(central and supporting)
12 central recommendations
204 further supporting recommendations
what agenda was the woolf report claimed to be at the time it was written?
claimed at the time to be the most PROGRESSIVE penal reform agenda
- a blueprint for prison policy for the next 3 decades
what 3 relevant factors did the woolf report claim to be the causes of the strangeways riot
S
O
C
- issues around security and control
- problems with overcrowding
- insanitary physical conditions
statistic for chronic overcrowding in woolf report (how many men; how much space)
1647 men in spaces for 970
what are 3 examples of wholly unacceptable and inhumane conditions in the woolf report
- impoverished regime and unsanitary conditions
- shortage of clean clothes
- limited opportunity for work/ education/ time out of cell
how many staff were working on the day of the strangeways riot?
175 staff on duty (weekend shift)
what are 3 examples of staffing problems in woolf report?
- shortage of senior staff
- no redress (remedy) for perceived injustices
- arbitrary and oppressive behaviour, even mental and physical brutality
what in the woolf report didn’t support the orthodox account of crisis
- the toxic mix of prisoners refuted by woolf
what limitations/ criticisms of the orthodox account?
- the 7 positivistic explanations mean riots are inevitable?
- mindless or meaningful behaviour?
- reactive or active response?
overcrowding, inhumane prison conditions and lack of security and control significance contributed to prisoners…
sense of INJUSTICE
orthodox account of the prison crisis 3 recommendations to fix
(3 types of crisis)
- number crisis
- material crisis
- crisis of conditions
examplesof crisis of injustice for prisoners
- crisis of legitimacy, decency, and prisons moral performance
- prisoners rights agenda
what is the prisoners rights agenda?
- the right to be treated in a respectful and decent manner may be viewed as a basic human right, something that should be retained even upon imprisonment
what prison living conditions recommendations were called for:
minimum use of?
greater links between?
improved?
- minimum use of custody
- greater links between community and prison
- improved conditions/ humane containment
prisons should not hold more than how many people
400 people
how many prisoners did HMP berwyn have capacity for
2,167
what is used instead of KPIs to analyse accredited standards?
routine performance management
what did prisons drugs strategy 2019, HMPPS name was one of our biggest challenges facing our cjs today? and why
substance use
2015 saw an increase in legal highs (spice/ black mamba etc)
increase problems with illict use of prescription medications
why was there an increase in legal highs and why is this dangerous
- unpredictable, occasionally lethal, alternative to cannabis
- easier to get into prison
- harder to detect using conventional drugs testing methods
how was there an increasing problem with illicit use of prescription medications in prison?
-they were prescribed legitimately but traded amongst other prisoners either voluntarily or under duresss
what are the 3 main issues of legal highs? and what does this say about the state of our prisons?
- health implications and death
- safety issues - increase in violence - undermines prison security
- recidivism - lowers prisoners chance of rehabilitation
what are the government doing about the drugs problem in prisons?
- from harm to hope: 10 year drugs plan to cut crime and save lives
- all prisons must have ZERO TOLERANCE approach to drugs, make treatment available, prevent reoffending
what day did prisons go into lockdown for covid
march 23 2020
what impact did lockdown have on prisons functioning
- in cell for at leas 23 hours everyday
- staff shortages due to self-isolation and changes to regime
- reductions in food, prisoners only having 1 pre-packed meal a day
- no face-to-face visits
- all ROTLs cancelled
- cancellation of early release schemes
- overcrowding and spread of virus
how did covid impact prisoners already released on early release schemes
no resettlement provision
what is procedural justice theory
concerns the fairness and transparency of the processes by which decisions are made
- if people feel they are treated in a procedurally fair and just way, starting from first contact, they will view those in authority as more legitimate and respect them more
what is woolfs promotion of need for justice and better balance with security
procedural justice
- give reasons for decisions
-grievance procedures - remove disciplinary function from BOV
woolfs introduction of contract of legitimate expectations to be treated decently
when was IEP?
not an absolute right to be?
commitment of decent prison conditons was?
- IEP 1995
- not an absolute right to be treated humanely
- the commitment of decent prison conditions was predicted upon prisoners acting with responsibility
what does the incentives and earned privileges (IEP) scheme encourage prisoners to do?
- responsible behaviour
- effort and achievement in work and other constructive activities
- encourage sentenced prisoners to engage in sentence planning and benefit from activities designed to reduce re-offending
- create more disciplined, better-controlled and safer environment
what is IEP?
- prisoner behaviour linked to different levels of material privileges - earned through good behaviour and removed if acceptable standards not maintained
- each prisoner set a status within prison based on behaviour
- given status of an entry prisoner initially - this chnages
3 main types of IEP
- basic
- standard
- enhanced
- (given entry status on arrival)
what did woolf call for in prisons
what type of prison system?
better what relationships?
improvenet in quality of?
- more humane, secure and just prisons system
- better prisoner-staff relationships
- improvement in quality of prison surroundings
IEP and justice criticisms
watered down?
privileges have to be earned..
scheme more about restoring?
- watered down justice?
- privileges have to be earned not an inalienable right
- scheme more about restoring authority rather than justice
what did strangeways riot throw a spotlight on for the families of prisoners
how prisoners families were treated
treated as forgotten victims
whatdid woolf call for for prisoners families to retain links
- better prospects for prisoners to maintain their links with families and community
- through more visits and home leave
- through being located in community prisons as near to homes as possible
what is the farmer review?
whatis the golden thread vital in helping?
continuing need to include families in all aspects of prisoners progression
- ‘golden thread’ vital in helping prevent reoffending and reducing intergenerational crime
criticisms of IEP for prisoner and staff relationships
- power to move prisoners up and down these levels is in hands of prison staff
- issues of fairness disparity, legitimacy and discrimination
who came up with notion of moral performance of prisons
liebling 2004
development with family imply meaningful…
allows what to develop
(liebling)
term selected to imply meaningful contact which allows relationships to develop
what relational and quality of life issues does lieblings notion of moral performance bring that are important to the construction and reproduction of legitimacy
- safety
-dignity
-humanity - respect
- opportunities for personal development
- all important to construction and reproduction of legitimacy
how many people in overcrowded jails without having been convicted
how much was this up the previous year
(ministry of justice)
15,523
up 16 percent
how many people spent 5 years waiting to face a jury (all male)
at least 150 men
how much % of black men spent 5 years waiting to face a jury
33%
impact of austerity cuts on courts
govt closed half of all courts between 2010-2019
number of prisoners held without trial up by what amount due to coronavirus court delays
almost a third
what review did inspectors urge for for probation service
urge independent review into struggling PS
how was the PS struggling?
-chronic staff shortages
- unmanageable workloads
- consistently weak in protecting the public
what is lord woolfs report hailed to be (quotation)
‘blueprint for the restoration of decency and justice into jails, where conditions had been intolerable’
