We have lost two eminent supporters

We have lost two eminent supporters recently.  Lord Lyell and Lord McIntosh both died last week.
Nicholas Lyell had been the MP for Bedford, John Howard’s home town.  As a barrister, a QC and an MP he was knowledgeable about our issues and generally supportive of many of our concerns.  I remember him speaking at one [...]

September 1, 2010  Tags:   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Making real savings

So Nick Clegg says he is going to bring in “a new approach to penal reform” which will end “mass criminalisation of young people” and Labour’s “build and fill ‘em approach to prisons”. He told the Guardian at the weekend that: “I’ll be doing this with Ken Clarke in the weeks ahead.” Good [...]

June 7, 2010  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Children and young people, Government policy, Uncategorized  2 Comments

Elections and the age of criminal responsibility

I like elections.  It is a time when people talk about politics and government and all sorts of important things.
I had a long conversation on Tuesday with Sir David Hare who was writing a piece for the Guardian on prisons.  He has not quoted me, but he has used some of the points I made [...]

April 8, 2010  Tags: ,   Posted in: Children and young people  No Comments

A few random comments before Easter

I am off to visit family in Norfolk for Easter but thought I would post a few random comments before I leave.
Driving home a couple of days ago I was indulging in my usual irritating habit of cruising radio stations when I was captivated by a woman journalist talking on Absolute radio.  Normally I flick [...]

April 1, 2010  Tags: , ,   Posted in: Government policy, Prisons, anti-social behaviour  One Comment

First past the post and excessive use of prison

I am about to change my mind. For years I have been a supporter of first past the post voting systems, mainly because of the constituency link. But the evidence, particularly from my professional life, is pushing me toward the conclusion that that very pillar of our democratic system is contributing towards an excessive use [...]

January 26, 2010  Tags:   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Challenges of international talks

The Howard League for Penal Reform was one of the very first non-governmental organisations to secure consultative status with the United Nations, way back in 1947, partly because we had been an active player with its precursor, the League of Nations.  So it is interesting to watch the challenges being faced by nation states and [...]

December 17, 2009  Tags: , ,   Posted in: International, Uncategorized  No Comments

The consequences of a political stampede on anti-social behaviour

The Guardian has a front page story today based on an ICM poll of voting intentions that the Conservative lead is down to 9 points over Labour. So the outcome of the general election is looking a lot less certain than in recent months. We could have a hung parliament, or a slim Labour lead [...]

December 15, 2009  Tags: , ,   Posted in: Government policy, Sentencing, Women in custody, anti-social behaviour  2 Comments

Keir Starmer lecture on the role of the modern prosecutor

The Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC, gave a lecture for the Howard League last night discussing issues about the role of the prosecutors in dealing with young people. There were plenty of references to his defence of the Human Rights Act and consequent media attention, but I was really pleased to see that [...]

October 23, 2009  Tags: ,   Posted in: Children and young people, Headline grabbing, Howard League, Uncategorized  2 Comments

Public services funding

There are several stories in the press this morning that caught my attention.
The front page of the Guardian says there is to be a decade of pain for public services.  This will hit the prisons and other parts of the criminal justice system.  And so it should because they are poor value for money .  [...]

July 24, 2009  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Government policy, Police, Prisons, Sentencing  No Comments