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E-Bulletin
February 2010
News
- Take Action 2010
We will shortly be launching our Take Action 2010 campaign, aiming to put our vision of ‘less crime, safer communities, fewer people in prison’ at the top of the general election agenda. In the meantime, keep up to date with these monthly e-bulletins, bookmark our Delicious pages for a survey of criminal justice news, follow us on Twitter, join us on Facebook, watch us on our Youtube channel and read our Director’s blog.
- Crime and Security Bill
The Howard League has produced a briefing on the Crime and Security Bill currently going through the Houses of Parliament. The briefing outlines all our objections to the legislation and is being sent out to all interested MPs and Peers.
- Howard League launches essay competition
We have launched the first ever Howard League essay competition for undergraduate students. Judged by Eric Allison, prisons correspondent for The Guardian, the winning essay will be published in our newspaper The Howard.
- Former armed service personnel in prison inquiry
Our inquiry into veterans in prison, chaired by Sir John Nutting QC, is currently running the first stage of oral consultation sessions with key stakeholders. On 6 January, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence, Kevan Jones, and Minister of State, Ministry of Justice, Maria Eagle, made a joint statement in the House of Commons on the numbers of veterans in prison that can be read here.
- Bargain book sale
We are currently running a bargain book sale on some of our recent reports and other publications.
- U R Boss evaluation
The Howard League for Penal Reform is pleased to announce that it has appointed De Montfort University to evaluate U R Boss. The team is based at the university's Centre for Social Action and is lead by Dr Jennie Fleming. More information can be found here.
- Lost Daughters petition
Have you signed the petition to the Prime Minister supporting our Lost Daughters campaign on women in the penal system? Please take five minutes to sign the petition on the Number 10 website.
- ROCK coalition
The Howard League is part of a coalition calling on the government to make the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) part of UK law. The coalition is called Rights of the Child UK (ROCK). We are supporting the Children’s Rights Bill, which is expected to be debated in the House of Lords in early March 2010. You can lend your support by writing to the Children’s Minister, Ed Balls, asking him to support the Bill and help make the UNCRC a reality for children in the UK.
- Are you a member of the Howard League?
The best way you can support us is by becoming a member. Members receive a welcome pack, the Howard Journal of Criminal Justice, a copy of our newspaper the Howard, priority information and booking on our seminars, lectures and social events. Members also have access to the members’ section on our website where you can find membership action ideas, news and downloadable publications.
Howard League in the media
- Prison ship policy shock splits Tories, The Observer
- Our prisons are in crisis, but there is a get-out-of-jail free-card, writes Mary Riddell in the Daily Telegraph
- Mobile phone use can seriously damage your liberty, Assistant Director Andrew Neilson writes in LabourList
- Youth prison ordered not to use its own discipline system, Children and Young People Now
- Ofsted slammed by Howard League chief after ‘uncritical’ Medway report, Community Care
Forthcoming events and publications
- Howard League Director Frances Crook will be on the panel of Any Questions on Friday 5 February at 8pm on BBC Radio 4.
- On Saturday 27th February, the Howard League for Penal Reform Bristol committee is doing a sponsored walk to HMP Eastwood Park. The walk will be 15 miles long, starting from University and finishing up at the prison in Gloucester. You can sponsor the students online here
- Howard League students have many more exciting events coming up across the country- too many to put in the e-bulletin. To find out where your nearest event is, check out our student events calendar
Community Programmes Awards 2010
The annual award for the country's most successful community programmes is open for nominations. These awards encourage public and government support for successful community sentences; as well as fostering good practice. The awards are a wonderful opportunity to highlight all the outstanding work going on around the country to make our neighbourhoods safer. Community sentences are proven to reduce reoffending and allow people to make amends for what they have done and live law abiding lives.
The awards were launched at the Magistrates' Association AGM in November and for the first time we have introduced award categories which include: children and young people; adults; women; education, training and employment; and unpaid work. We are pleased to announce that the adult category is sponsored by the Probation Association.
Further information, full criteria list and an entry guide can be found by visiting http://www.howardleague.org/community-programmes-award/
The Howard League needs your support! Become a member or make a donation.
If you have queries about any of the above or anything else, or would like to be excluded from further communications of this kind or have someone added, please contact Sophie Willett, Press Officer: Sophie.Willett@howardleague.org
The Howard League online