Showing posts with label Alex Cavendish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alex Cavendish. Show all posts
Alex Cavendish venting his apprehensions about prison reform prior to the election of Theresa May as Tory Party leader and British Prime Minister. Alex Cavendish blogs @ Prison UK: An Insider's View.

So Where Now For Prison Reform?

Alex Cavendish explores the psychological effects of imprisonment. Alex Cavendish is a former prisoner who blogs @ Prison UK: An Insider's View.

Readers of this blog often ask me about what my experience of imprisonment means to me as an ex-prisoner.

A Journey Into The Depths Of The Night

Preparing For Prison

Alex Cavendish shines light on what lies behind claims for compensation in UK prisons. Alex Cavendish is an ex-prisoner who blogs at Prison UK: An Insider's View.

It seems that you can always rely on those ‘terrible tabloid twins’ – The Sun and the Daily Mail – to tell their readers half a story. This weekend their latest prison-related smear campaign focused on prisoners putting in compensation claims for civil losses, such as missing or damaged items of property, or for personal injuries suffered while in custody.

Prison: a Compensation Culture?

Alex Cavendish expresses little surprise at  the under achievements of UK Justice Secretary Michael Gove. A former prisoner, Alex Cavendish blogs @ Prison UK: An Insider's View.

One of the very first lessons any prisoner needs to learn is that imprisonment is all about managing disappointments.

Gove As Reformer: Hope Abandoned?

Alex Cavendish writes about drug  use in UK prisons. Alex Cavendish blogs @ Prison UK: An Insider's View. 

Back in July 2014 I started blogging on the subject of so-called ‘legal highs’ in prison (read post here). Since then, the issue has come to dominate media coverage of our increasingly dysfunctional prison system.

High As A Kite - Behind Bars

From Prison UK: An Insider's View, former prisoner Alex Cavendish looks at the crisis in the UK prison system for long denied by "No Crisis Chris" Grayling.

It’s official. Our prisons are failing and deep in crisis. It must be true because even the Prime Minister, David Cameron, has now said so.

Prisons: The Elephant In The Room

Alex Cavendish looks at the obesity problem in British prisons and suggests a means to tackle it. Alex Cavendish is a former prisoner. His writings on the prison system can be found on Prison UK: An Insider's View.

Oh Lordy, it’s The Fat Lags!

From Prison UK: An Insider's View, Alex Cavendish conducts an interview with Nick Hardwick, a HM Inspector of Prisons.

  • As he comes to the end of his five-year term of office as HM Inspector of Prisons, Nick Hardwick kindly agreed to be interviewed by Alex Cavendish for the Prison UK blog. Here is what he had to say about the challenges the Inspectorate has faced since 2010, what he himself has learned about our prison system and some advice he’d like to pass on to his successor, Peter Clarke.

An Interview with Nick Hardwick, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons

Alex Cavendish @ Prison UK: An Insider's View looks at the strategy of censorship utilised by prison authorities in Britain.

The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) is so accident-prone that sometimes it’s difficult to distinguish between a cock-up and a conspiracy. In my previous blog post (here) I flagged up a seemingly unlawful bid by the grey suits down at the MOJ HQ in Petty France to prohibit prisoners’ families and friends from updating social media accounts such as Facebook or Twitter on behalf of those serving custodial sentences.

Social Media: MOJ Mistake Or A Climbdown?

Campaigning former Prisoner Alex Cavendish tackles the issue of social media being frowned upon by prison authorities. Alex Cavendish blogs @ Prison UK: An Insider's View.
Off limits to prisoners

Say No To Gove's Gag

In the same vein as last night's piece on prisoners at Christmas TPQ runs the thoughts of another former prisoner. Alex Cavendish blogs @ Prison UK: An Insider's View.

Last year I blogged about Christmases spent in prison, as well as the one I had at home on temporary release (ROTL). This year – which will be my second at home since my release in 2014 – I have been thinking about all the aspects of prison life at this time of year that I really won’t be missing.

What I Won’t Be Missing This Christmas

Alex Cavendish sees the red top ratcheting up to have a go at prisoners getting home leave. Alex Cavendish is a former prisoner who blogs @ Prison UK : An Insider's View.

Christmas Starts Earlier Each Year

Alex Cavendish shares his views on capital punishment. Alex Cavendish is a former prisoner who blogs @ Prison UK: An Insider's View.

As far back as I can recall I have been opposed to the idea of the death penalty.

Sharing A Cell With A Murderer

Alex Cavendish surveys the role of prisons in cinema history. Alex Cavendish is a former prisoner who blogs @ Prison UK: An Insider's View.

Ask people to name famous prison films and the betting is that most of them will feature the US prison system in all its grim aspects.

Behind the Silver Screen: British Prison Films

Alex Cavendish with seasonal memories from prison. Alex Cavendish blogs @ Prison UK: An Insider's View.
 
 
Now that we are into autumn, I have been reflecting on the impact of the seasons on life inside our prisons. I went into jail in the winter months and experienced a few springs and a couple of summers in closed conditions, as well as one glorious spring and a summer in a Cat-D (open prison).

Prison Reflections: The End Of Summer

Alex Cavendish argues that post imprisonment does not equate with freedom.Alex Cavendish is a former prisoner who blogs @ Prison UK: An Insider's View.
 

For those who haven’t any personal experience of our criminal justice system it might be imagined that the day an ex-prisoner walks out of the jail gate they are free. In fact, as almost every former con will confirm, that is the moment that the real consequences of imprisonment start to kick in – and these are many and varied.

Branded: The Mark Of Cain

Alex Cavendish reflects on ways to reform the prison system. Alex Cavendish blogs @ Prison UK: An Insider's View.

Recently, I’ve been thinking more about how British prisons could be reformed in ways that might actually do more good than harm to prisoners, to staff, to victims of crime and to our communities in general. At present, ‘prison reform’ – at least as far as successive governments seem to be concerned – is actually a weaselly code for further cutting of costs regardless of the harms that result. Reimagining the prison is something entirely different, although reducing costs could still be one of the positive outcomes.

Reimagining Our Prisons

Alex Cavendish with a compassionate look at the fate of a London city trader who was sent down for a "lump". Alex Cavendish blogs @ Prison UK: An Insider's View. 
 
 
One of the first questions any newly convicted prisoner gets asked on his or her arrival on a prison wing is “How long are you doing?” Once he gets through Reception – and perhaps a first night unit – one of the UK’s latest intake of cons, disgraced former City trader Tom Hayes, is going to be answering that question a fair few times. No doubt he will get used to telling fellow inmates that he has just been sent down for 14 years. That, as Ben, one of my witty mates from my own time inside would say, is “a real lump” of a sentence.

City Trader Tom Hayes: Getting A ‘Lump’