Alcohol and Reoffending – Who Cares?
2004
This briefing paper focuses on the high level of alcohol misuse and dependence within the prison population. In recent years a great deal of time and money has been spent developing drug policies and treatment. In comparison alcohol has been overlooked and largely forgotten about. This is despite the fact that alcohol related crime is a key issue for the government and that nearly two thirds of the 74,000 people in prison are hazardous drinkers.
All Party Parliamentary Penal Affairs Group: Crises in Criminal Justice 2004/2005
2006 ISBN: 0 946209 80 4
A report that focuses on the dominant theme of meetings held in 2004/2005 – both in terms of problems faced and various initiatives aimed at creating a more humane, effective and efficient system.
All Party Parliamentary Penal Affairs Group: Changes in Criminal Justice 2006/2007
2008 ISBN: 0 946209 85 5
A report that provides a clear indication of concerns – for the public in whose interest prisons exist, for prisoners, staff, and those responsible for various aspects of prison in England and Wales – together with the details of measures intended to improve their functioning.
All Party Parliamentary Penal Affairs Group: Too Many Prisoners 2008/2010
2010 ISBN: 0 946209 95 2
This report revives the title of the group’s first publication in 1980 Too Many Prisoners. At that time the prison population in England and Wales stood at 44,000, a level that the then Home Secretary described as “dangerously high”.
All Party Parliamentary Penal Affairs Group: Prison Overcrowding 2003
Prison overcrowding was the dominant theme of meetings of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Penal Affairs in 2002/2003. This report makes the case for radical action based on realistic plans.
Asylum-Seekers and Immigration Act Prisoners – The Practice of Detention
Rachel Ellis
1998 ISBN: 0 946209 42 1
This research report examines the practice of administrative detention and is based on research at all the main institutions holding detained asylum-seekers.
Barred Citizens: Volunteering and Active Partnership by Prisoners
Finola Farrant, Joe Levenson
2002 ISBN: 0 946209 56 1
PRT has conducted the first national survey of opportunities for volunteering and citizenship within the prison estate. Barred Citizens: Volunteering and Active Citizenship by Prisoners brings together the findings of this survey and documents good practice.
Barred from Voting: The Right to Vote for Sentenced Prisoners
2010
A briefing paper that provides an update on the Barred From Voting campaign, which is calling for sentenced prisoners to be given the right to vote.
Black Workers in the Prison Service
Robin Alfred
1991 Price: £2.95 ISBN: 0 946209 22 7
This report examines the recruitment of black workers to the Prison Service and their experiences in the system. It includes a detailed set of recommendations for action by the Prison Service to develop an anti-racist practice. See also Experiences of Minority Ethnic Employees in Prison.
Brighter Futures
2014
This briefing presents the case for more widespread provision of targeted support to divert women out of the criminal justice system where appropriate. It highlights the specific needs of women, profiles existing initiatives and partnerships that seek to deal more effectively with their offending, and provides links to other useful resources. It should be of interest to those with policy, funding, commissioning and service delivery responsibilities.
Care - a stepping stone to custody?
2011
Drawing on interviews with children with direct experience of care and of being in trouble, this report considers whether aspects of the care and justice system act as risk or protective factors, increasing the likelihood of, or mitigating against, offending by looked after children. Set in the context of current research, this report shines a light on a vulnerable yet neglected group of children in the youth justice system by placing the voice of looked-after children at the heart of the debate on care and crime. It sets out a blueprint for policy and practice change to put things right at long last.
Case for a Royal Commission on Crime & Punishment, A
Louis Blom-Cooper, Sean McConville
1997 ISBN: 0 946209 36 7
A pamphlet that argues that a Royal Commission on Crime and Punishment should be established to conduct a comprehensive review of crime and the responses to crime.
Changes in Criminal Justice
All-Party Parliamentary Group on Penal Affairs
2006 ISBN: 0 946209 80 4
This report focuses on the dominant theme of many of the meetings held in the previous two years by the All-Party Parliamentary Penal Affairs Group 2004/2005, Changes in Criminal Justice – both in terms of problems faced, and the various initiatives aimed at creating a more humane, effective and efficient system.
Children & Families of Prisoners: Recommendations for Government
2007 Parliamentary Briefing
Action for Prisoners’ Families, CLINKS, Prison Advice & Care Trust and the Prison Reform Trust working together to bring about positive change for children and families affected by imprisonment.
Children: Innocent Until Proven Guilty?
Penelope Gibbs, Simon Hickson
2009 Price: £10.00 ISBN: 0 946209 99 5 (You can download this report for free, if you'd like to make a donation you can do so here)
A report on the over-use of remand for under-18 year olds in England and Wales and how it can be addressed.
Community Prisons for Women: A Comparative Study of Practice in England and the Netherlands
Stephanie Hayman
1996 Price: £4.95 ISBN: 0 946209 34 0 (You can download this report for free, if you'd like to make a donation you can do so here)
This PRT pamphlet explores the concept of community prison, and its relevance to women prisoners. It analyses whether shared-detention offers a successful way forward, and concludes emphatically that it cannot provide just and fair detention for women.
Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Bill
2007
A suggested set of amendments supported by JUSTICE, PRT, Liberty, and INQUEST for the House of Lords Report stage – deaths in custody 2007. It is designed to ensure that deaths in custody are not excluded from the ambit of the corporate manslaughter and corporate homicide bill.
Counting the Cost: The Social and Financial Consequences of Women's Imprisonment
2000
Prepared for the Committee on Women's Imprisonment by economist Toby Wolfe, this report looks at the social and financial consequences of imprisoning an ever-increasing number of women.
Creating a Sentencing Commission for England and Wales: An Opportunity to Address the Prison Crisis
Mike Hough, Jessica Jacobson
2008 Price: £10.00 ISBN: 0946209 88 X (You can download this report for free, if you'd like to make a donation you can do so here)
The Carter review of the use of imprisonment, published in 2007, proposed that a permanent sentencing commission be set up in England and Wales. The creation of a commission was seen as a means of improving the transparency, predictability and consistency of sentencing, and thus bringing the demand for imprisonment and the supply of prison places into closer alignment. This report presents the findings of a review of the policy options relating to a sentencing commission.
Criminal Damage: Why We Should Lock Up Fewer Children
2008
A PRT briefing published to mark the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the Youth Justice Board and to inform the Youth Crime Action Plan being prepared by the Department for Children. In 2007 PRT launched a new programme to reduce child and youth imprisonment, with the support of the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund. The first phase of the programme focused on reducing the number of under-18s in custody in England and Wales.
Criminal Treatment: The Imprisonment of Asylum Seekers
Jane Shackman
2002 ISBN: 0946209 59 6
This study was commissioned in 2001 at a time when a large and growing number of immigration detainees were held in prisons in England and Wales. A series of government initiatives have dramatically changed the picture. PRT has decided to publish the report to underline the reasons why this practice should never be repeated.
Crises in Criminal Justice All-Party Parliamentary Penal Affairs Group on Penal Affairs
2008 ISBN: 0 946209 85 5
This report focuses on the dominant theme of many of the meetings held in the previous two years by the All-Party Parliamentary Penal Affairs Group 2006/2007. It provides a clear indication of concerns – for the public in whose interest prisons exist, for prisoners, staff, and those responsible for various aspects of the prisons of England and Wales – together with details of an unprecedented raft of measures intended to improve their functioning.
Decision to Imprison, The: Sentencing and the Prison Population
Mike Hough, Jessica Jacobson, Andrew Millie
2003 ISBN 0 946209 66 9
This report addresses one of the central problems facing contemporary penal policy. Prisons are overcrowded, budgets are stretched to the limit. The study shows that sentences have become tougher, in response to legislation, guideline judgements and political and media pressure.
Deep Custody: segregation units and close supervision centres in England and Wales
2015
Segregation units and close supervision centres (CSCs) are complex places, where some of the prison's most challenging individuals are confined alongside some of its most vulnerable people, within a small, enclosed space. This study examines the use and functions of segregation units and CSCs across England and Wales. It is based on the views and experiences of prisoners housed in these unit and staff working there.
Doing Time: The Experiences and Needs of Older People in Prison
2008
This briefing paper aims to give older people in prison a voice. To develop more effective ways of working with older prisoners, an important first step is to hear directly from them.
Double Trouble: Black, Asian and minority ethnic offenders’ experiences of resettlement
2010
This report by Clinks and Prison Reform Trust sets out the findings of research into the resettlement needs and experiences of black, Asian and minority ethnic prisoners and ex-prisoners. Six research assistants were contracted to the project, four of whom were from a minority ethnic background and five of whom had served prison sentences.
Education in Prisons: A National Survey
Nick Flynn, David Price
1995 ISBN: 0 946209 32 4
A report that considers the role of prison education in challenging offending behaviour; it also considers what teaching methods should prison education employ and how important are arts activities and the learning of new vocational skills.
Experiences of Minority Ethnic Employees in Prisons
2006
A briefing paper on a PRT survey of black and minority ethnic prison staff.
Fair Access to Justice?
2012
Fair Access to Justice? prepared by Jenny Talbot for frontline staff in the criminal justice system and the NHS, explains how people with a learning disability who have to appear in court as a victim or witness are given extra support or 'special measures' to help them understand and cope with the process.
Fair Response, A: Developing Responses to Racist Incidents That Earn the Confidence of Black and Minority Ethnic Prisoners
Kimmett Edgar
2010
A briefing on the changes that black and minority ethnic prisoners, consulted by PRT, would like to see in the systems prisons use to respond to racist incidents.
Fatally Flawed: has the state learned lessons from the deaths of children and young people in prison?
2012
This report by INQUEST and the Prison Reform Trust considers the 169 children and young people who died in prison between 2003- 2011, and asks whether the state can learn lessons from their deaths. It includes an in-depth analysis of the circumstances of 98 of those who died, finding that many were known to have been vulnerable prior to their imprisonment, their lives characterised by mental health need or self-harm, problems with drug or alcohol use, disruption and loss. Yet often these children and young people were not assessed as being at risk of harm once in prison. It seeks to illuminate the immediate and broader circumstances of these tragic deaths by drawing together the learning from official inquests and investigations, something which is not routinely done by the state, and putting forward clear recommendations for change. It is hoped that by setting out what needs to be done, this report will mark a turning point in the way the state responds to some of the most troubled and troubling children and young people in our society.
Forgotten Prisoners – The Plight of Foreign National Prisoners in England and Wales
2004
This briefing looks at the startling increase over the last decade in the number of foreign national prisoners and highlights their conditions and inconsistent treatment.
Going the Distance: Developing Effective Policy and Practice with Foreign National Prisoners
Hindpal Singh Bhui
2004 Price: £7.50 ISBN: 0 946209 70 7 (You can download this report for free, if you'd like to make a donation you can do so here)
A report on foreign national prisoners, immigration detainees, and asylum seekers that draws on published evidence and original research in seven prisons, as well as the author’s extensive first-hand experience of working with foreign national prisoners.
‘Good and Useful Life, A': Constructive Prison Regimes
1995 ISBN: 0 946209 30 8
This booklet includes contributions from both inside and outside the prison system, including chapters on prison industries and regimes for young offenders.
Growing Old in Prison: A Scoping Study on Older Prisoners
Ken Howse
2003 ISBN: 946209 63 4
This scoping study gathers together available information on the growth in the older prison population. Its aim is to decide, firstly, whether it raises issues of policy or practice that require further analysis or consideration, and secondly, how any unresolved issues might be best explored in subsequent research.
Hard Act to Follow: Prisons and the Human Rights Act
Joe Levenson
2000 ISBN: 0 94620 949 9
A report that provides an up-to-date guide to the Human Rights Act 2000, looking at how it could affect the Prison Service’s policies and practices. The report will be invaluable to prison staff, probation officers, members of boards of visitors, lawyers, students of penal policy, and prisoners.
‘Have You Got a Minute?’ The Changing Role of Boards of Visitors
Anne Worrall
Based on interviews and questionnaires with board members, this pamphlet presents a detailed and challenging account of how boards operate in practice.
1994 ISBN: 0 946209 28 6
Having Their Say: The Work of Prisoner Councils
Enver Solomon, Kimmett Edgar
2004 Price: £8.50 ISBN: 0 946209 68 5 (You can download this report for free, if you'd like to make a donation you can do so here)
This is the first in-depth study of consultative forums for prisoners, known as prisoner councils. Using results form a survey of prisons in England and Wales, as well as interviews with prisoners and staff, it highlights examples of good practice where prisoner councils have improved communication between management and prisoners. Having Their Say calls for a cultural change in the Prison Service's approach to prisoner representation.
HIV, Aids and Prisons
1988 Price: £ISBN: 0 946209 12 X
This report details the dilemmas HIV and AIDS cause in prisons and recommends positive steps that can be taken to reduce the risk while inside, and on release from prison.
HIV and Hepatitis in UK Prisons: Addressing Prisoners' Healthcare Needs
PRT and the National AIDS Trust
2006 Price: £7.50 ISBN: 0 946209 79 0 (You can download this report for free, if you'd like to make a donation you can do so here)
Prisons are breeding grounds for blood-borne viruses because they hold, in overcrowded and adverse conditions, a population with previous experience of high-risk behaviour. This report, the first of its kind, draws on the findings of a survey of healthcare managers in prisons in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Implementing Woolf: The Prison System One Year On – Findings from a Questionnaire
1992 ISBN: 0 946209 20 0
The results of a survey PRT carried out in every prison in England and Wales, one year after the publication of the Woolf report, to discover the extent to which Woolf's recommendations had been put into practice. (See also The Woolf Report and Strangeways – Ten Years On.)
Indefinitely Maybe? How the Indeterminate Sentence for Public Protection is Unjust and Unsustainable
2007
This briefing examines how IPPs, and other risk-based sentences, are now the chief drivers of the prison population’s continuing growth. It also considers the situation for those caught up in the uncertainty of this sentence. (See also IPP Prisoners Booklet.)
Information Book for Prisoners with a Disability
2009
A booklet that gives information about prison life for prisoners with a disability and where prisoners with a disability can get help.
Inside Out: release on temporary licence and its role in promoting effective resettlement and rehabilitation
2015
This briefing highlights the importance of ROTL for reducing reoffending and calls for a review of the government’s changes to the scheme to ensure fairness and proportionality.
Into the Breach: the enforcement of statutory orders in the youth justice system
2011
This research report, commissioned from NCB, is the first piece of primary research into children who breach statutory orders. It features an analysis of existing data and learning from qualitative research with children, practitioners and magistrates. Some of the findings chime with common sense, but some are surprising - in some areas, for instance, every single ASBO given to 10 and 11 year olds was breached.
IPP Prisoners' Booklet
2008
Information for prisoners given an IPP sentence (Indeterminate Sentence for Public Protection). (See also Indefinitely Maybe?)
Job Well Done, A: Recognising Excellences and Innovation in the UK Prison Service
2004 PRT and the Butler Trust
The report of a conference held for all those concerned with the need for culture change in the UK Prison Service, including policy makers, prison managers and practitioners, criminal justice and voluntary sector agencies working with offenders, victim groups, staff associations and Butler Trust award winners. The conference examined the Prison Service’s experience of performance recognition and sustaining good practice.
Just Visiting? A Review of the Role of Prison Visitors' Centres
Nancy Loucks
2002 ISBN: 0 946209 58 8
In 2002 Prison Reform Trust, working in partnership with the Federation of Prisoners' Families Support Groups (now APF) completed a research study of prison visitors' centres funded by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. The research, carried out by Dr Nancy Loucks, highlighted examples of good practice, looked at the funding of individual visitors' centres, and examined why some prisons have a visitors centres and the benefits they gain from it.
Justice for Women: The Need for Reform
2000 ISBN: 0 946209 48 0
This groundbreaking report presents the findings of the Committee on Women's Imprisonment, chaired by Professor Dorothy Wedderburn, set up in 1998, and commissioned by PRT amid concern about the rapid increase in the number of women prisoners. Justice for Women makes radical recommendations for the reform of the criminal justice system with regard to women.
Keeping in Touch: The Case for Family Support Work in Prison
Nancy Loucks
2005 Price: £7.50 ISBN: 0 946209 65 0 (You can download this report for free, if you'd like to make a donation you can do so here)
This report reviews the extent and nature of the work of family contact development officers in Scottish prisons and looks at the benefits for prisoners' families, prisoners, and the prisons themselves. It examines the difficulties posed by overcrowding, funding shortfalls, and limited support. It presents a clear case for the introduction of these officers in prisons in England and Wales and draws on research in Scotland that suggests that these posts work well if and when they are adequately resourced and properly integrated as an important part of the regime.
Lacking Conviction: The Rise of the Women's Remand Population
Kimmett Edgar
2004 Price:£9.50 ISBN: 0946209 69 3 (You can download this report for free, if you'd like to make a donation you can do so here)
In 10 years the number of women in prison has risen sharply from an average daily population of 1,811 to over 4,500 today. Remand numbers have grown at the fastest rate. Lacking Conviction reveals a widespread misuse of custody and examines its impact on some of the most vulnerable women in society. The report sets out a sensible agenda for changes in policy and practice within and outside the criminal justice system.
Last Resort: exploring the reduction in child imprisonment 2008-11
2011
The number of children imprisoned in England and Wales has fallen from about 3000 in the first half of 2008 to around 2000 three years later. This significant fall has happened in parallel with a rise in the adult prison population, and despite any major legislative changes. The reduction in youth custody has occurred without an increase in youth crime. In Last resort? Exploring the reduction in child imprisonment 2008-11 Rob Allen analyses why this has happened.
Lost Generation, A: The Experiences of Young People in Prison
Enver Solomon
2004 Price £7.50 ISBN: 0 946209 77 4 (You can download this report for free, if you'd like to make a donation you can do so here)
This report focuses on a group of prisoners, 18–20 year olds, whose needs have been overlooked and neglected. It shows that many are experiencing impoverished regimes and the majority are returning to crime on release. It calls on the government to honour its manifesto pledge and provide the investment to prevent 18–20 year olds becoming a 'lost generation'.
Making Amends: Restorative Youth Justice in Northern Ireland
2009 £10.00 ISBN: 0 946209 97 9 (You can download this report for free, if you'd like to make a donation you can do so here)
A report that explores the experience and impact of youth conferencing in Northern Ireland, and looks at the potential benefits of introducing a similar model to the youth justice system in England and Wales.
Measure of Success, A: An Analysis of the Prison Service's Performance Against its Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) 2003–2004
Enver Solomon
The basis of this briefing was the Prison Service's own published performance targets, which showed that at the end of August 2004, 82 of our 139 prisons were overcrowded.
Mitigation: The Role of Personal Factors in Sentencing
Jessica Jacobson, Mike Hough
2007 Price: £12.00 ISBN: 0 946209 82 0 (You can download this report for free, if you'd like to make a donation you can do so here)
This report is concerned with personal mitigation: factors that reduce the severity of a sentence, and relate to the offender rather than the offence. The study involved observation of sentences passed in the crown court, and interviews with judges and recorders.
No One Knows: Offenders with Learning Difficulties and Learning Disabilities
Nancy Loucks
2007
A briefing paper that highlights the fact that, even without agreed estimates of prevalence, many offenders have learning difficulties or learning disabilities that interfere with their ability to cope with the criminal justice system.
No One Knows: Offenders with Learning Difficulties and Learning Disabilities
2008 Download PDF in both English and Welsh
Wales briefing paper.
No One Knows: Identifying and Supporting Prisoners with Learning Difficulties and Learning Disabilities: The Views of the Prison Staff in England and Wales
Nancy Loucks with Jenny Talbot
2007 Price: £10.00 ISBN 0 946209 80 4 (You can download this report for free, if you'd like to make a donation you can do so here)
What is clear from this research is that people with learning difficulties and learning disabilities are not routinely identified prior to arriving in prison and once in prison face a number of difficulties. This report contains a set of policy and practice recommendations for radical reform.
No One Knows: Identifying and Supporting Prisoners with Learning Difficulties and Learning Disabilities: The Views of the Prison Staff in Northern Ireland
Nancy Loucks with Jenny Talbot
2008 Price: £10.00 ISBN: 0 946209 87 1 (You can download this report for free, if you'd like to make a donation you can do so here)
What is clear from this research is that people with learning difficulties and learning disabilities are not routinely identified prior to arriving in prison and once in prison face a number of difficulties. This report contains a set of policy and practice recommendations for radical reform.
No One Knows: Identifying and Supporting Prisoners with Learning Difficulties and Learning Disabilities: The Views of the Prison Staff in Scotland
Nancy Loucks with Jenny Talbot
2007 Price: £10.00 ISBN: 0946209 81 2 (You can download this report for free, if you'd like to make a donation you can do so here)
What is clear from this research is that people with learning difficulties and learning disabilities are not routinely identified prior to arriving in prison and once in prison face a number of difficulties. This report contains a set of policy and practice recommendations for radical reform.
No One Knows: Police Responses to Suspects with Learning Disabilities and Learning Difficulties: A Review of Policy and Practice
Jessica Jacobson
2008 Price: £10 ISBN: 0 946209 84 7 (You can download this report for free, if you'd like to make a donation you can do so here)
This report examines how, according to the policy framework, the police should respond to suspects with learning disabilities and learning difficulties, and how the police do respond, in practice.
No One Knows: Prisoners’ Voices: No One Knows Report and Final Recommendations
Jenny Talbot
2008 Price: £20.00 ISBN: 0 946209 89 7 (You can download this report for free, if you'd like to make a donation you can do so here)
Experiences of the criminal justice system by prisoners with learning disabilities and difficulties
No One Knows: Vulnerable Defendants in the Criminal Courts: A Review of Provision for Adults and Children
Jessica Jacobson with Jenny Talbot
2009 ISBN: 0 946209 96 0 (You can download this report for free, if you'd like to make a donation you can do so here)
A report on the treatment of vulnerable defendants within the criminal courts of England and Wales. Part I is concerned with vulnerable adult defendants and particularly those with learning disabilities; Part II is about child defendants – that is defendants aged between 10 and 17. The report assesses existing provision for those two groups of vulnerable defendants, and identifies gaps in provision. In addition, the report presents a number of far reaching recommendations.
Out of Trouble: Making Amends: Restorative Youth Justice in Northern Ireland
Jessica Jacobson, Penelope Gibbs
2009 ISBN: 0 946209 97 9 (You can download this report for free, if you'd like to make a donation you can do so here)
This report, commissioned as part of PRT’s strategy to reduce child and youth imprisonment in the UK, explores the experience and impact of youth conferencing in Northern Ireland and looks at the potential benefits of introducing a similar model to the youth justice system in England and Wales.
Out of Trouble: Reducing Child Imprisonment in England and Wales – Lessons from Abroad
Enver Soloman, Rob Allen
2009 Price: £10.00 ISBN: 0 946209 98 9 (You can download this report for free, if you'd like to make a donation you can do so here)
This report, commissioned as part of PRT’s strategy to reduce child and youth imprisonment in the UK, focuses specifically on international examples of policy and practice used in countries that have relatively low numbers of children in custody or those that have been developed and implemented in countries in order to reduce child imprisonment.
Prison Overcrowding: The Inside Story
Joe Levenson
2002 ISBN: 0 946209 61 8 Photocopy only available
This major report is the most comprehensive study of prison overcrowding and its effects to have been published since the Woolf report in 1991. Over 100 boards of visitors, the independent watchdogs which monitor prisons and safeguard the rights of prisoners, took part in a study carried out be the Prison Reform Trust and the National Advisory Council of Boards of Visitors. The majority of boards of visitors expressed concern at prison numbers and said that prison overcrowding was adversely affecting the prison they monitored.
Prison Rules: A Working Guide, The Millenium Edition
Nancy Loucks
2000 ISBN: 0 946209 46 4
This book is the most up-to-date and thorough guide to the rules and regulations by which our prisons are run. Totally re-written to take account of the 1999 Prison Rules and all recent developments in the courts, it is an invaluable reference work. Each prison rule is cited in full with the relevant prison service orders and prison service instructions.
Prisoner Funder Directory 2010, The
The Hardman Trust and the Prisoner Funder Forum
2010
This directory provides the first comprehensive means of identifying the supplementary funding support that is available to individual offenders and ex-offenders for purposes connected with rehabilitation. Further it provides some useful information on money matters for those serving custodial sentences. This is a guide primarily for offenders and those in support roles, although many of the organisations included will also provide support for a wider group of applicants, which may include the families of prisoners and ex-offenders. NEW
Prisoners’ Information Book: Male Prisoners and Young Offenders
The Ministry of Justice and PRT
2008 ISBN: 0 946209 86 3
A handbook that tells male prisoners, including young offenders aged 18 or over, the main things they need to know about being in prison such as prison rules and ways of doing things and prisoners’ rights.
Prisoners’ Pension Rights
2006
A response by the Prison Reform Trust to the white paper ‘Security in retirement: towards a new pensions system’, published by the Department for Work and Pensions in 2006
Private Punishment: Who Profits?
2005
A briefing paper that assesses the impact, and raises questions about the benefits
of privately financed, designed, built, and operated prisons. It also examines the record of the private companies involved and considers the government’s future plans under the National Offender Management Service for extending the private sector’s role.
PRT Annual Lecture 1996 ‘Restoring Relationships: The Purpose of Prisons’
Dr George Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury
1996 ISBN: 0 946209 35 9
In his powerful and significant contribution, Dr Carey argues that prisons must aim to rehabilitate, and must attempt to restore relationships between offenders, their families, and society in general.
PRT Annual Lecture 1997 ‘Justice for the Young’
Lord Bingham of Cornhill, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
1997 Price: £4.95 ISBN: 0 946209 37 5
The Lord Chief Justice provides an authoritative account of developments in law and practice regarding the treatment of young offenders.
PRT Annual Lecture 1998 ‘Making Prisons Work’
Rt Hon Jack Straw MP, Home Secretary
1998 Price: £5.95 ISBN: 0 946209 44 8
Making Prisons Work focuses on current challenges faced by the Prison Service and the prospects for additional programmes after the Comprehensive Spending Review.
PRT Annual Lecture 1999 ‘Principles for Practical Drugs Policies: The Case for a Slow Fix’
Mark Kleiman
1999 ISBN: 0 946209 47 2
In this pamphlet, which reproduces the 1999 PRT Annual Lecture, Professor Mark Kleiman outlines what will, and what will not, work to reduce the harm caused by drugs misuse.
PRT Annual Lecture 2007 ‘Criminal Justice – Building Responsibility’
Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury
2007
A transcript of Dr Williams' speech for the PRT Annual Lecture 2007.
Public Say: Stop Locking Up So Many Women
Sinead Hanks
2007
A briefing paper on a Smartjustice survey.
Punishing Disadvantage - a profile of children in custody
Jessica Jacobson, Bina Bhardwa, Tracy Gyateng, Gillian Hunter, Mike Hough
2010 ISBN: 0 946209 92 8 (You can download this report for free, if you'd like to make a donation you can do so here)
In England and Wales in 2010 there are over 2000 children in custody at any one time. Over a quarter have not been convicted. Half of those convicted are sentenced for nonviolent crimes. Children who commit crimes are sometimes depicted as callous monsters. This study uncovers the real circumstances and backgrounds of children in custody. It analyses the nature of the crimes they have committed and assesses the disadvantages they face in terms of family and home life, mental health and education. The results mirror those of 1984, and beg the question: why are we still condemning the most socially excluded and deprived children to imprisonment?
Recycling Offenders Through Prison
2005
A briefing paper that looks at the startling increase over the previous five years in the number of adult offenders recalled to custody.
Reducing Crime – Changing Lives
Rt Hon David Blunkett MP, Home Secretary
2004
The government’s plans for transforming the management of offenders.
Reforming Women's Justice: Final report of the Women's Justice Taskforce
Women's Justice Taskforce
2011 ISBN: 0 946209 86 3
The final report of the independent Women's Justice Taskforce taking a fresh look at an old problem this time focussing on the economics, structure and accountability of women’s justice.
Restricted Access: Legal Information for Remand Prisoners
Diana Ruthven, Elizabeth Seward
2002 ISBN: 0 946209 35 9
The poor conditions in which remand prisoners are held, and the length of time they are detained, have been a major focus of PRT's work for over a decade.
Seen and Heard: supporting vulnerable children in the youth justice system
Jenny Talbot
2010 Price: £15 ISBN: 978 0946209901 3 (You can download this report for free, if you'd like to make a donation you can do so here)
The publication of this report comes at a time of uncertainty for public sector services. It attempts to address the particular support needs of certain children who offend; that is, children with impairments and difficulties, who are often vulnerable and frequently disadvantaged.
Strangeways – Ten Years On
2000 ISBN: 0 946209 50 2
On 11 April 2000, PRT convened a conference in Manchester to consider the continuing implications of the riot at Strangeways prison, which took place on 1 April 1990. This report of the conference contains the full texts of the two plenary speeches, from Martin Narey, director general of the Prison Service, and Rod Morgan, an assessor to the Woolf enquiry. Brief notes of the workshops are included.
There When You Need Them Most: pacts First Night in Custody Services
Jessica Jacobson, Kimmett Edgar with Nancy Loucks
2007 Price: £10.00 ISBN: 0 946209 83 9 (You can download this report for free, if you'd like to make a donation you can do so here)
This report describes some of the steps that can be taken to resolve urgent concerns about the first night services provided by the Prison Advice and Care Trust (pact) to people when they first arrive in HMP Exeter, HMP Holloway, and HMP Wandsworth. The report reviews what it is like to enter prison; which problems causes prisoners the greatest worry; and what is done in different local prisons to meet the needs of new prisoners.
Time to Learn: Prisoners' Views on Prison Education
Julia Braggins, Jenny Talbot
2003 ISBN: 0 946209 67 7
In the past five years prison education has moved up the political and social agenda. However, despite this focus, very little independent research has been done on prisoners' own views of their education needs. This report sets out to fill this gap. The researchers interviewed a diverse cross-section of prisoners – both in and not in education – exploring their experiences and giving a voice to their ideas on how to develop prison education to reflect their needs.
Time is Money - financial responsibility after prison
Chris Bath, Kimmett Edgar
2010 Price: £15.00 ISBN: 978 0 946209 91 0 (You can download this report for free, if you'd like to make a donation you can do so here)
This report explores the impact of the criminal justice system on banking, credit, debt, savings, financial capability, benefits, and insurance. The role of advice and the practical implications of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act are also considered. The key findings inform practical, cost effective recommendations to achieve financial inclusion for people in prison, former offenders and their families, improve resettlement and reduce reoffending.
Titan Prisons: A Gigantic Mistake
2008
A briefing paper that discusses Lord Carter’s review on prisons of 2007 which announced it had accepted the proposal to build up to three giant Titan prisons, each holding up to 2,500 prisoners.
Too Little Too Late: An Independent Review of Unmet Mental Health Need in Prison
Kimmett Edgar, Dora Rickford
2009 Price: £10.00 ISBN: 0946209 90 1 (You can download this report for free, if you'd like to make a donation you can do so here)
Independent Monitoring Boards perform a vital function in prisons, monitoring fairness and respect for people in custody. Appointed by the Secretary of State for Justice, they provide an independent perspective on the treatment of prisoners and the conditions in prisons. The National Council of Independent Monitoring Boards recently analysed annual reports and identified prisoners’ unmet mental health needs as a foremost concern of boards across England and Wales. This report draws on the views of the chair of each board and sets them in the context of current research and policy.
Troubled Inside: Responding to the Mental Health Needs of Children and Young People in Prison
Finola Farrant
2001 Price: £9.00 ISBN: 0 946209 54 5 (You can download this report for free, if you'd like to make a donation you can do so here)
This report aims to prompt a response to the unmet mental health needs of children and young people in the criminal justice system. It draws together current research and practice and sets out an agenda for change. Recommendations include an end to the imprisonment of children, improved assessment of mental health problems, early intervention to prevent young people with a mental illness entering prison, and a reduction in the use of remand.
Troubled Inside: Responding to the Mental Health Needs of Men in Prison
Dora Rickford, Kimmett Edgar
2005 Price: £12.00 ISBN: 0 946209 73 1 (You can download this report for free, if you'd like to make a donation you can do so here)
This report examines why men who have serious mental health problems end up in prison. It shows how the early warning system of court diversion and liaison schemes has broken down. It explores the lack of mental health care for the majority of prisoners, who have less serious, but nonetheless debilitating, mental health problems. Particular topics include: self-harm and suicide, dual diagnosis, learning disabilities, deafness, the elderly, prisoners holding foreign nationality, and black and minority ethnic prisoners. It concludes with comprehensive recommendations about how to improve policy and practice.
Troubled Inside: Responding to the Mental Health Needs of Women in Prison
Dora Rickford
2003 Price: £9.00 ISBN: 0 946209 64 2 (You can download this report for free, if you'd like to make a donation you can do so here)
This report reveals the extent of the mental health needs of women in prison. It exposes the gap between improved policy and still bleak practice. It offers a set of detailed recommendations and a ten-point action plan that, if implemented, would ensure that the needs of mentally ill women inside the prison system are met.
Unlocking Value: How We All Benefit from Investing in Alternatives to Prison for Women Offenders
The New Economics Foundation
2008 ISBN: 978 1 904882 411
This report from nef (the new economics foundation) highlights how a criminal justice system focused on short–term cost control and narrow re–offending targets is letting women offenders down and costing more in the longer term. Using Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis, nef has examined the costs and long–term benefits associated with the work of two centres providing an alternative to prison in Glasgow and Worcester.
Visiting and Keeping in Touch
The Prison Service and PRT
2002 ISBN: 946209 57 X
Keeping in touch with the outside world is very important for prisoners and this book provides some basic information on how they can do so.
Vulnerable Defendants in the Criminal Courts: A Review of Provision for Adults and Children
Jessica Jacobson with Jenny Talbot
2009 Price: £10 ISBN: 0 946209 96 0 (You can download a PDF of this report free, if you'd like to make a donation you can do so here)
A report on the treatment of vulnerable defendants within the criminal courts of England and Wales. The report is in two parts: Part I is concerned with vulnerable adult defendants, and particularly those with learning disabilities; Part II is about child defendants – that is, defendants aged between 10 and 17. NEW
Woolf Report, The: A Decade of Change?
2001 ISBN: 0 946209 51 0
The Rt Hon Lord Woolf, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
This is the full transcript of the lecture delivered by the Rt. Hon. Lord Woolf, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, on 31 January 2001 at the Law Society in London. In it he addresses each of the 12 original recommendations and concludes that though some progress has been made, there is still much to be done. He pays particular attention to the problem of overcrowding. The question-and-answer session which followed Lord Woolf’s address is also included. (See also Implementing Woolf.)
Woolf Report, The – A Summary of the Main Findings and Recommendations of the Inquiry into Prison Disturbances
1991 ISBN: 0 946209 19 7
This booklet summarises Lord Justice Woolf's main recommendations in an easy-to-read format. In its second edition, the PRT Woolf summary is essential reading for everyone with an interest in penal policy. (See also Implementing Woolf.)
Young Parents: From Custody to Community
Joanne Sherlock
2004 Price: £25 ISBN:0 946209 71 5
This guide and resource pack, includes a DVD with films giving personal testimonies of parent’s and children's experience of imprisonment and community penalties. It is the result of a three year project looking at the needs of young parents who offend and profiling good practice in work with young mothers and fathers, both in the community and in custody, along with a comprehensive policy overview.
You can order hardcopies of Prison Reform Trust publications here