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In this month's edition...
Covid-19 and prisons
As of 5th November 2020, England is under a national lockdown until the 2nd December 2020. In line with the new restrictions, social visits for adults in prison will be temporarily stopped. However, visits for compassionate reasons, visits to children in custody and official or legal visits will continue. People in prison will be able to see friends and family via secure video calls, with this technology now in place in over 100 prisons. Routine testing of frontline staff and people who arrive in prison from court on transfer from other prisons will be introduced to catch infections earlier, improve the ability to identify, contain and limit outbreaks where they occur. Read more here
Pregnancy and maternity in the community
Clinks and Birth Companions are seeking survey responses for vital research about the health needs of pregnant women, new mothers and babies in the community affected by the criminal justice system. The survey is open until the end of the year, and we are particularly looking for responses from volunteers and staff at voluntary organisations supporting women in the community. This work is being conducted as part of Clinks role in the VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance, a partnership between the Department of Health, NHS England and Public Health England and 21 national voluntary sector organisations and consortia. Take the survey here. Sign up for an online focus group session here
Sobriety tags come into force in Wales
The Ministry of Justice has announced that sobriety tags have come into force in Wales as of 21st October 2020. Sobriety tags monitor the wearer’s sweat every 30 minutes, and alert the probation service if alcohol is consumed. They are intended to monitor compliance with alcohol bans handed down by courts as part of community sentences. Sobriety tags will be backed up by targeted professional support, signposting people to services to address alcohol misuse. Referrals to treatment will continue to be made for those with more serious alcohol misuse issues who are in contact with the criminal justice system. This initiative is linked to reforms set out in the sentencing white paper to make community sentences more robust. Read more here
Covid-19 report launch
Over the course of the pandemic, Clinks has been collecting information about how voluntary organisations working in criminal justice have been affected by Covid-19, how they have adapted to the changing environment, and the challenges they have faced. We are launching an in-depth report based on this research [8th December, online, free]. Join to hear from voluntary organisations on how they’ve been impacted by the pandemic. We will also hear from speakers involved in the #nevermoreneeded campaign to place our findings in the context of the pandemic's impact on the wider voluntary sector including Rita Chadha, CEO of Small Charities Coalition, Debra Allcock Tyler, CEO of Directory of Social Change and Max Rutherford, Head of Policy, Association of Charitable Funders. Register for the event here
Health and justice network meeting
Clinks is holding the sixth in a series of health and justice network meetings [9th December, online, free]. These meetings discuss both the impact of Covid-19 on health and justice services and service users, as well as the day-to-day health issues their service users face and how their services address them. This meeting is for organisations that deliver health services to people in contact with the criminal justice system, including mental and physical health services, substance misuse services, pregnancy and maternity services, services for older people, and services relating to learning disabilities. Register for the event here
Health and street homelessness in North East and Yorkshire and the Humber
Public Health England is hosting a webinar to raise awareness, provide information and facilitate joint working between agencies in order to better meet the health and wellbeing needs of individuals experiencing street homelessness across the North East and Yorkshire and the Humber [2nd December, online, free]. This webinar is for any organisation involved in the commissioning, planning or provision of healthcare to individuals experiencing street homelessness. This will include clinical commissioning groups, local authority (public health teams and housing leads), primary care, criminal justice organisations and voluntary and community organisations and social enterprises. Speakers will include Olivia Butterworth, Lead on Homeless and Inclusion Health Covid-19 response NHS England and Improvement, and Jez Stannard, National Lead for Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Public Health England. Register here
Coronavirus in prisons: what’s happening across Europe?
The Centre for Crime and Justice Studies is hosting a webinar exploring prison population changes across European states during the Covid-19 pandemic [3rd December, online, free]. The webinar will consider how prison populations changed in different European countries during the pandemic, what factors impacted these changes, what the implications are for managing the virus in prisons and handling or preventing future outbreaks, and what the implications are for reforms aimed at reducing the prison population in the future. Speakers will explore Covid-19 in prisons in England and Wales, Scotland, France, and Italy, and will include Matt Ford, Research Analyst at the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, and Emma Jardine, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at Howard League Scotland. Register for the event here
Clinks response: black people, racism, and human rights
Clinks submitted evidence to the Joint Human Rights Select Committee inquiry on black people, racism and human rights. Our response focuses on the institutional racism faced by black people in contact with the criminal justice system, the impact this has on their treatment and experiences in the justice system and the discriminatory outcomes that result. Clinks believes that criminal justice funding should prioritise black-led services in the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, in recognition of the structural and overt racism in the criminal justice system against black people and the disproportionate impact Covid-19 has on black communities and the organisations that work to support them. Read our written response here
Clinks response: life beyond Covid-19
Clinks submitted evidence to the House of Lords Covid-19 Committee inquiry on life beyond Covid-19. This focuses on the impact of – and recovery from – Covid-19 in the criminal justice system (CJS) and the voluntary sector that works alongside public services to support people in contact with the CJS and their families. It also focuses on the specific impact of Covid-19 on groups with protected characteristics including Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people, older people, and women. Clinks recommends involving voluntary sector providers in readiness assessments for easing lockdown in the CJS to ensure it has access to regular, published updates on coronavirus in prisons and probation services. To meet service users’ needs holistically, recovery planning for the CJS should adopt a properly resourced cross-departmental approach. Read more here
Safety in custody: quarterly update to June 2020
HM Prison and Probation Service has published Safety in custody statistics on deaths in prison custody to September 2020, and assaults and self-harm to June 2020. Self-harm trends in prisons differ considerably by gender. The number of incidents in male establishments decreased slightly, from 49,440 to 49,223 in the 12 months to June 2020. The number of incidents in the female estate increased by 6% in the previous 12 months. From March 2020 to the end of September 2020, 26 prisoners have died having tested positive for Covid-19 or where there was a clinical assessment that Covid-19 was a contributory factor in their deaths. These deaths occurred before July 2020. There were no additional such deaths between July 2020 and September 2020. Read more here
Exploring substance use in prisons
HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) has published a paper exploring substance use in prisons, drawing on interviews with staff and residents across five male prisons. The report finds that people take drugs to escape from the monotony of prison life and a lack of hope over their future. It describes the sense of hopelessness amongst prison staff in managing the impact of drugs, especially psychoactive substances. The report is critical of approaches that focus on limiting supply of drugs and punishing people for substance use. It instead calls for greater understanding why people take drugs and recommends that HMPPS provides leadership to develop a rehabilitative culture in prison, with greater provision of purposeful activity and access to psychosocial treatment. Read more here
Minority ethnic prisoners’ experiences of rehabilitation and release planning
HM Inspectorate of Prisons has published a report on the experiences of BAME people in prison, namely their rehabilitation and release planning. Highlighted concerns include the fact that BAME people in prison are less likely to be identified as having learning difficulties or mental health concerns on reception. BAME women feel less safe in custody, and report worse access to mental health support than non-BAME women. Recommendations call for the systemic collection of a wide range of data relating to activities, rehabilitative work and release planning, broken down by ethnicity, shared and discussed with prisoners, and among all agencies working in prisons. It also recommends that HM Prison and Probation Service supports the development of culturally sensitive services for BAME prisoners, designed to meet their specific needs and recognise the importance of identity. Read more here
Covid-19 second wave: urgent steps for the justice system
Nacro has published a policy briefing on the second wave of Covid-19 and urgent steps to be taken by the criminal justice system. It finds that prisons continue to deliver a limited regime, with most people locked in their cells for up to 23 hours a day for the past seven months. Although the briefing acknowledges that swift action and strong communication with staff and people in prison has helped save lives, recent outbreaks in several prisons shows that danger is far from over, and restrictions severely impact the mental health and wellbeing of people in prison. The briefing recommends reinstating the early release scheme with a wider remit, avoiding recall as far as possible, and reinstating additional accommodation funding for prison leavers. Read more here
Inside guide to pregnancy, birth and motherhood in prison
Birth Companions has published a new guide to pregnancy, birth and motherhood in prison. Developed in partnership with women who have lived experience, it covers a range of topics including making decisions about a pregnancy; accessing support; applying to prison Mother and Baby Units; and separation from a baby. The guide is useful for pregnant women and mothers, their family members and support networks, and the professionals working with them both before and during a prison sentence. Read more here
Improving the outcomes of local prison leavers
The Ministry of Justice is launching a Local Leadership and Integration (Grant) Fund worth £7.1m available to local public and voluntary sector organisations. The grant has been designed to empower, fund and support local leaders and agencies to propose innovative new ways of working together towards shared outcomes that improve the lives of prison leavers. There will be two rounds of funding, the first beginning in January 2021. The maximum bid being awarded is set at £1 million. If you are interested in finding out more, sign up to a webinar session for further details of the fund here
The global majority fund
Comic Relief is partnering with the National Emergencies Trust, Barclays and The Clothworkers' Foundation to launch The Global Majority Fund, dedicated to further Covid-19 response work with communities experiencing racial inequality. There is approximately £2.1 million available to make and manage grants for 10-15 investments between £150,000 - £250,000 for up to 18 months. Eligible organisations must be led and managed by the communities they serve – meaning at least 51% of the senior management team and trustees are from the communities the organisation represents. The fund is seeking organisations willing to act as intermediary technical partners to distribute rapid funding to a diverse range of locally-led and focused organisations across the UK. The deadline to apply is noon on the 30th November 2020. Read more here
Pregnancy and maternity in the community
Zahra Wynne, Health and Justice Policy and Development Officer outlines the collaborative project between Clinks and Birth Companions to understand the needs of pregnant women, new mothers and babies in the community affected by the criminal justice system. With approximately 600 pregnancies and 100 births occurring annually in prison, there have recently been positive policy developments addressing the needs of pregnant women and recent mothers in prison. However, little is known about the needs of pregnant women and recent mothers who are serving community sentences or under probation supervision. You will find details of how to get involved with the work that Clinks and Birth Companions are doing, as part of the Health and Wellbeing Alliance, and how this work will be used to influence decision-makers in both health and justice policy. Read more here
Future sentencing policy – entrenching inequality
Lauren Nickolls, Policy Officer, highlights that the government’s recent proposals for sentencing reform uphold and reinforce a criminal justice system that disproportionately targets, criminalises, and mistreats black and Muslim people and that their implementation will further entrench the inequalities in the system. Black people are already more likely to be sentenced to prison and to receive longer custodial sentences. Policies aimed at increasing the amount of time spent in prison will exacerbate this. Muslim people in prison are often seen through a lens of risk, radicalisation and terrorism which leads them to be treated with greater suspicion. With these stereotypes going unchallenged, proposals to introduce powers that prevent release of people suspected (not convicted) of terrorism, risk being targeted at Muslim people. Read more here
Alternatives to custody and ‘tougher’ community sentences
Will Downs, Policy Officer, looks at the provision for community sentences set out in A Smarter Approach to Sentencing, the government’s recent proposals for sentencing reform. The paper proposes changes to the availability and delivery of community sentences, giving more people the opportunity to address the underlying causes of their convictions in the community, rather than in prison. However, there is a real risk that the potential positive impacts of measures such as problem-solving courts will be far outweighed by measures to make community sentences ‘tougher’. Without appropriate support in the community, stricter curfews and increased tagging are likely to lead to more people breaching the terms of their licence and returning to a prison system that is underfunded and overcrowded. Read more here
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About Clinks Health and justice bulletin
This regular bulletin provides Clinks members with the latest news for voluntary organisations involved in the health and care of people in the criminal justice system. It currently has 2,428 subscribers.
To submit content, or have comments or ideas about how this ebulletin could be improved, please email zahra.wynne@clinks.org
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