HUMANIST SOCIETY OF WEST YORKSHIRE
Affiliated to the British Humanist Association

NEWSLETTER (104) JANUARY, 2008

January meeting “What Muslims Want” DVD of a Channel 4 Dispatches programme

This is a power point projector presentation so you will not have to squint at a small monitor screen.  It lasts about 50 minutes and so leaves time for discussion.  It is not all doom and gloom - an unscheduled interruption to the interview of a hard-liner brought in a breath of fresh air.  So come to Swarthmore on Tuesday 8th January at 7.30 (coffee from 7.00)

December meeting report:- “First Offender to Old Lag  - Inevitable?  Angie Petit

Not quite a full house this time, some twenty members present.  The speaker explained that she had started as a Prison Officer, working only in men’s prisons, and is now Governor 3, ie two ranks below the Governor and had the particular responsibility of monitoring the progress of the prison against its targets.  The total prison population has doubled in the last fifteen years; the consequent overcrowding along with the aim of making annual savings has led to tensions.  As well as protecting the public and rehabilitating the offender prison is a punishment and deterrent, so conditions are necessarily austere.  However making them too austere carries risks; a scheme of no prisoner contact was tried at Pentonville and the result was a high proportion of mental breakdown.
Studies have shown that some strategies do show more success in reducing re-offending.  Cognitive behaviour therapy can change beliefs and encourage the prisoner to thinking in a more positive constructive way.  Role play is one method, this also improves the prisoner’s self esteem.  35% of such prisoners do not re-offend after 3 years.  Careful assessment of what works takes time.  The latest research compares the actual re-offending rate with the average; this shows short-term sentences are 1.5% worse than the overall rate whereas sentences of 4 years or over are 13% better.  Such research is now carried out by the new Dept of Justice.  More education courses have been brought in to improve employability.
60% of prisoners have a hard drug problem and 80% have mental illness.  Treatment is carried out by NHS staff, although prison officers must have some empathy with such problems any actual treatment is under the local primary care trust.
Re-settlement on release requires somewhere to live and getting a job.  The new Social Exclusion Task Force is trying to address the high risk factors in re-settling after sentence.  Maintaining links with the family is very important and help is given in learning how to manage money to avoid debt.
20% of offenders commit 80% of crimes so attention on repeat offenders is prioritised.  Various agencies and voluntary groups are involved, the prison staff should be fair to all(not racially biased) and encouraging, but getting staff to change from the attitudes of the past is very difficult.  Prison must be made survivable.  The prison has to answer to the coroner for any suicides.   Prisoners out on licence who are then recalled are at the greatest risk, but remand prisoners are also high risk.
The aim is to manage risk, to avoid it is impossible in the prison environment; two in a cell carries some risk.  With the increased gang culture on the streets gangs in prison pose a risk, so they are separated into different prisons.  Convicted prisoners are allowed four family visits a month.

Peter Wilson died in December, his funeral ceremony was taken by Brian Layfield

12th Feb.; “Scientific Standards- Does Religion Measure Up?”  Gerry Hannant
11th March; “The Law -  Fit for Purpose?” John Wilson, solicitor