By Adrian Gannon | Fundraising and Communications Director
Women prisoners
Since our last report, your donations have supported us to continue delivering our longer-established outreach advice clinics at Send women's prison and our newer clinics at New Hall, Eastwood Park, Bronzefield, and Styal women's prisons. We have also just opened an advice clinic in HMP Downview women's prison. We have helped 108 women prisoners through 15 clinics in the last three months, and hundreds more through telephone calls, letters and casework.
Case study: Enabling a female prisoner to leave prison on licence conditions:
A female prisoner who was serving six years had been released on licence in 2013. She had set up a business and was doing well. Unfortunately she was arrested in January 2016 on suspicion of matters that were later dropped (and she was not charged with any offence). Although she was bailed by the police, she was recalled to prison. She contacted us from prison asking for help in getting her re-released on licence. We took on her case and made representations to the Parole Board on her behalf. We argued that, since she had not been found guilty, or even charged, of any offence, she should not be imprisoned again. The Parole Board agreed that she should be re-released on licence and she came out of prison in May 2016.
Disabled prisoners
During this reporting period, your donations have supported our Community Care Caseworker to deliver outreach clinics within 4 prisons: Pentonville, Thameside, Wandsworth and Leyhill, giving advice to prisoners in person. You have also supported our Caseworker to deal with hundreds of telephone and letter enquiries, and to work on a number of ongoing cases advising disabled prisoners.
Case study: Pursuing a prisoner’s claim for damages after degrading treatment
We have recently settled a claim for damages on behalf of a prisoner who had been handcuffed during intimate medical procedures while in hospital for a period of some weeks. Furthermore, prison staff had been present during all of his consultations with consultants at the hospital. We argued that the former constituted inhuman and degrading treatment under Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights and the latter a breach of the prisoner's right to privacy during consultations under Article 8, the right to respect for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence. This prisoner had approached us through our telephone advice line.
Other News
PAS steps up to London Legal Walk challenge
In May, staff members and volunteers (pictured above) took part in the 10k London Legal Walk, to help raise funds for vital legal services in London and the South East. Some 10,000 people took part in the walk overall, and collectively covered the same distance as one person walking the Earth’s circumference twice! We raised £1,291 towards our work with prisoners through this sponsored walk.
PAS 25th anniversary event and panel discussion
In May, we celebrated our 25th anniversary by holding a thought-provoking panel discussion entitled: ‘Discrimination undisclosed: transgender, traveller and older prisoners’. The evening was attended by about 75 guests, who heard contributions from speakers from:
The discussion was chaired by a QC from Matrix Chambers and took place at the offices of Linklaters LLP, whom we thank very much for their generous support.
Dinner for young lawyers
In March, we spoke about our work at a dinner for the ‘Legal Upstarts’ young lawyers’ group, who kindly raised funds for PAS through the event. We thank the organisers, everyone who attended, and Farrers law firm for their generous support of our work through this event.
Training in universities and corporate law firms
In March, a PAS solicitor delivered a lecture at Kent University on the rights of transgender prisoners. Kent is one of three universities that are operating remote letters clinics for us, drafting replies to prisoners’ queries. The other two universities are Essex and Sunderland. We are grateful for their support - which increases our capacity, while providing the law students with valuable legal work experience.
In recent months, we have also provided training on prison law to volunteers at law firms Latham & Watkins, Reed Smith and Shearman & Sterling. These three new corporate pro bono partners join our existing partners: Simmons & Simmons, Herbert Smith Freehills and Mayer Brown. All six firms are operating remote letters clinics for us (similar to the academic project described above). This significantly increases our capacity to respond to prisoners’ written enquiries to us. We are grateful for their support.
Thank you all for your generous support of our work with prisoners through your donations via Global Giving.
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