By Geof Jarvis | Fundraising and Communications Manager
Updated GlobalGiving Report
1 October to 31 December 2017
Author: Geof Jarvis; Fundraising and Communications Manager, PAS
Delivery of Outreach Clinics for Women and Disabled Prisoners
Since our last report, your kind donations have continued to help us to expand our outreach services for women and the disabled in prison across England and Wales.
Our Services for Women Prisoners
Over the course of the last three months – October, November and December 2017 – PAS continued to deliver Outreach Clinics in women’s prisons, providing 11 clinics in six prisons during this period: HMPs Bronzefield in Surrey, Downview in Surrey, Eastwood Park in Gloucestershire, New Hall in West Yorkshire, Styal in Cheshire and Send in Surrey. Over the three month period, we helped 82 women face-to-face through Outreach Clinics alone.
In addition, we received a total of 61 letters and phone calls from women prisoners – from those prisons listed above, and from the remaining women’s prisons: HMPs Askham Grange in North Yorkshire, Drake Hall in Staffordshire, East Sutton Park in Kent, Foston Hall in Derbyshire, Low Newton in County Durham and Peterborough in Cambridgeshire.
Working with Disabled Prisoners
Over the last three months, your support has helped support our Community Care Caseworkers to deliver five Outreach Clinics in two prisons: HMPs Pentonville and Thameside (both in London). During clinics, our Caseworkers held 46 face-to-face meetings with individual, disabled prisoners. Your grant also helped Caseworkers to respond to a total of 51 telephone calls and letter enquiries from disabled prisoners during this three month window.
PAS helps prisoners with disabilities to obtain the auxiliary aids that they require, for example, crutches, wheelchairs, etc. We assist prisoners to gain access to prison workshops and to education classes. Our caseworkers can request that such classes be moved to the ground floor if disabled access to upper floors is not possible. We also work to ensure extended library book loans for dyslexic prisoners and the provision of large print books for visually impaired prisoners.
Case Study 1: Prisoner granted Resettlement Overnight Release (ROR)
PAS received a request for help from prisoner A, a woman who was at risk of being released homeless three weeks hence. Her application for Resettlement Overnight Release (ROR) to see her four children and sort out accommodation for her upcoming release had been refused by the prison. Without accommodation, she could not be reunited with her children upon release.
The prisoner’s concern to be with her children and resume her role as their sole carer was acute as one of her daughters was undergoing tests for a terminal illness.
PAS’ Caseworker wrote to the prison challenging the legality of its policy to deny ROR in the last 28 days of sentence, and their failure to consider the rights, and best interests, of the children. Within 24 hours of PAS’ intervention, the prison reversed its decision and granted ROR to the prisoner.
Case Study 2: Prisoner with Mental Health Difficulties before Parole Board
Prisoner B, serving a life sentence, had been in prison for 12 years beyond her tariff (minimum custodial period) and was applying to the Parole Board to be transferred to an open prison. She had a history of suffering from severe anxiety prior to Parole Board hearings but had worked very hard at addressing her mental health difficulties over the last two years.
By attending one-to-one psychology appointments on a regular basis, she had become better able to manage her stress levels. Having established a relationship with her, it was possible to provide her with support and reassurance throughout the process, particularly leading up to the hearing. PAS represented her at the hearing and helped her satisfy the panel that she could be safely managed in an open setting. As a result, she has now been transferred to an open prison.
Case Study 3: Better Treatment for Terminally Ill Disabled Prisoner
Our Community Care Caseworker recently assisted disabled, terminally ill prisoner, C, who was serving a short sentence. Although he was a Category C (lower security classification) prisoner, he was being held in a Category B (higher security) prison - as it was deemed better suited to meet his health needs. Even so, the care he received was woefully inadequate.
He was placed upstairs and therefore could not leave his cell or even go outside for fresh air. He also required a special diet to avoid potentially choking, but the food provided was not appropriate for his condition. Our Caseworker sent a pre-action letter to Government Solicitors. This resulted in him being moved to a Category C prison. She then made categorisation representations which got him de-categorised to Category D (lowest security). However, the prison refused to transfer him, claiming that his medical needs needed him to be on medical hold. We eventually resolved this through correspondence and he is now finally in a Category D (open conditions) prison, with suitable medical facilities.
In Conclusion
Prisoners’ Advice Service remains most grateful to GlobalGIving for helping to support our work with female and disabled prisoners in England and Wales.
Without the assistance of charitable organisations such as your own, the work that we do with vulnerable prisoners would be severely curtailed.
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