Legal Advice for Women Prisoners

Women Prisoners:

Since our last report, your donations have supported us to continue delivering our long-established outreach clinic at HMP Send, and our newer clinics at HMPs New Hall, Bronzefield, and Styal. However, HMP Holloway was closed by the Government at the end of June which saw the end to our clinic there.  In July 2016 we opened an advice clinic in HMP Downview.  In total, in recent months we conducted 11 clinics in 5 women’s prisons which 111 prisoners attended.

Case Study: We helped a vulnerable female prisoner to secure specialist legal representation

Our Caseworker met a particularly vulnerable female prisoner at a recent outreach clinic. During their consultation, the prisoner disclosed that she had been trafficked to the UK as a young teenager, and since then had been been the victim of domestic and sexual abuse. She is a single mother of three children whom she has not seen since she entered custody. Despite this, the government are seeking to deport her on completion of her sentence. Our Caseworker has taken on her case on a pro bono basis, and secured her specialist legal representation for her trafficking and immigration matters. She has sent us two thank you letters since we took on her case and said: “I would like to take this opportunity to show my appreciation for supporting me in this matter. I am very, very grateful”. “Thank you so much for securing me a legal representative. It means a lot and your support is much appreciated.”

Disabled Prisoners:

Your generosity has helped support our Community Care Caseworkers to deliver 14 outreach advice clinics in 6 prisons in recent months: HMP Pentonville, HMP Thameside, HMP Wandsworth, HMP Leyhill, HMP Eastwood Park and HMP Lewes. At these clinics, our Caseworkers have held 143 face-to-face meetings with prisoners. Your support has also helped to support them to deal with hundreds of telephone and letter enquiries, and to work on a number of ongoing cases advising disabled prisoners. We are now into our second year of running clinics at HMP Leyhill (where there are a sizeable group of prisoners who are disabled and / or experiencing age-related healthcare complications). We have also started outreach work in HMP Erlestoke (in Wiltshire). One of our Caseworkers gave a presentation to a group of older / disabled prisoners there and she has been asked back to do one-to-one sessions.

Case Study: PAS helps a disabled prisoner to transfer to a suitable prison

Our Caseworker met a disabled prisoner at an outreach clinic. This prisoner has multiple physical and mental health issues including anxiety, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression and severe Cervical Spondylosis leading to chronic pain and lack of mobility. She was incarcerated in a completely unsuitable prison cell. Our Caseworker helped her to secure a transfer to a modern prison facility with a modified cell suitable for her needs. She is now eligible for parole, her mental health is much improved and her physical condition is stable. She has commented on our help as follows “PAS supported me all through my sentence and presently has been phenomenal, excellent and immeasurable. I will forever be grateful and sing of PAS services everywhere now and in the future. No matter what.”

Other News:

PAS Annual Lecture
This year’s Lecture (pictured above) was given by our Patron Edward Fitzgerald QC on 3^rd November. The title was “Life without Parole”. 100 guests attended. This thought-provoking speech was followed by a lively Q & A session. The event was kindly hosted by Herbert Smith Freehills; we are most grateful for their support.

PAS Pub Quiz
PAS participated in the Great Legal Quiz competition organised by the London Legal Support Trust as part of National Pro Bono Week. The PAS Pub Quiz was held in the Rugby Tavern in Holborn on 9th November.  About 40 people attended (8 teams of 5). Congratulations to the team from Doughty Street Chambers who came first on the night!  All the money (£655 plus Gift Aid) raised will support our vital legal advice work with prisoners.

Continuing expansion of remote letters clinics
Blackrock’s Legal Department have kindly offered their staff time to set up a further remote legal letters clinic. These remote clinics help us respond to the increasing number of letters we receive from prisoners in need of assistance. Blackrock join our other 6 pro-bono corporate partners: Herbert Smith Freehills, Latham & Watkins, Mayer Brown, Reed Smith, Shearman & Sterling and Simmons & Simmons. We also have remote letters clinics at Kent University, Sunderland University and Essex University. To assist in the running of these clinics, we have appointed Jane Finnis as our Partnerships Manager as a pilot project (subject to funding). Jane previously provided maternity cover as our Women Prisoners’ Caseworker. Jane will shortly be training a new batch of volunteers at Reed Smith and Mayer Brown. She recently attended the opening of a new purpose built facility for the Law Clinic at Kent University. We are enormously grateful to the 7 corporates and 3 universities which are kindly supporting our work in this way.

Thank you all for your generous support of our work with prisoners through your donations via Global Giving.