(not satire – it’s the UK today!)
Well, this is as shocking as it looks.
The Howard League for Penal Reform has famously been campaigning for the improvement of criminal justice policy in the UK for over 140 years.
But now the Cameron/Clegg government has effectively banned the charity from visiting privatised prisons Birmingham and Oakwood, which are now run by G4S:
The author of the shocking letter – Ian Blakeman – was appointed head of the National Offender Management Service by the Cameron/Clegg government because of his enthusiastic support for the coalition’s policy of privatising prisons.
And Blakeman makes it clear in his letter to Francis Crook – the CEO of the Howard League – that it is her criticisms of privatised prisons which is the reason for the ban.
To be clear, it was G4S itself which invited the Howard League to visit their prisons, and they have made it clear they are still willing to allow the charity to visit:
.
So the question is – is the Cameron government doing this because it’s hoping to keep privatisation off the agenda and out of the news in the run up to the election, knowing how unpopular the policy is with voters?
If so, we’d better make sure we keep it in the news.
.
So please comment. And share:
Pride's Purge 
Reblogged this on aspiblog and commented:
Tom Pride exposes a particularly nasty example of the Cameron government being unable to face reality…
LikeLike
Pingback: Cameron government refuses Howard League permission to visit private prisons | Alternative News Network
The USA and private prisons where judges get paid for everyone they send to prison so the company can claim their money
” it’s just business. ”
As someone would say
LikeLike
http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/jun/20/g4s-chief-mass-police-privatisation
LAW AND ORDER WITH A BUSINESS MODEL
LikeLike
Don’t want to worry you but I saw a few job adverts for G4s. It was for firearms trainers in Afghanistan. The pay was rather good I remember
also G4s fire services. Though I would not have much confidence in them as in a training video the fire got a little out of hand
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on Beastrabban’s Weblog and commented:
This is another example of Cameron’s government refusing access to its critics, because it fears public outcry at the results. Johnny Void has blogged about the way the DWP has similarly refused to release the names of the firms participating in the workfare programme. There government blatantly admits that it will not do so, because public pressure will force those companies to withdraw and the scheme collapse.
It’s clear they fear exactly the same here, and have the same lack of shame in almost admitting it outright.
Bobchewie in his comment mentions the US, where private prisons and the judges in their pay get paid according to how many prisoners they have. This is exactly right. It’s covered in Michael Moore’s documentary, ‘Capitalism: A Love Story’. That includes the cases of troubled teenagers, who were guilty only of minor offences, if that, who were sent to adult prisons. Why? The judge overseeing their case was on the payroll of the local private prison corporation.
That’s the real, grim face of the private, for-profit prison system, brought to the UK by Cameron.
LikeLike
From the same “logic” that means today we see private prisons…
…tomorrow police forces should put out to tender to the likes of G4 who could provide a “more cost effective service”
…”cost effective” meaning the lions share creamed off for rich investors and under payed employees providing a substandard service…
….likewise the same “logic” that is used to justify the existence of private prisons could also be used for the minimization of the armed forces with the likes of Blackwater contracted to fight bargain wars.
LikeLike
Tory candidate suspended over vote-winning allegations – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32005848
OH DEAR TORY PLOTS WITH FAR RIGHT EDL
LikeLike
David Vapourium 9 hours ago
Robert Chewter Why is it that you the Anti
UKIP brigade are always anti Christian as
well?
@Tom Pride just thought you might like that comment from a Ukrapper
LikeLike
What a wanker! Date: Sat, 21 Mar 2015 20:21:33 +0000 To: barbara1926@live.co.uk
LikeLike
Reblogged this on Britain Isn't Eating.
LikeLike
http://www.exaronews.com/articles/5530/how-mps-voted-on-move-to-change-official-secrets-act-over-csa
MPs who voted on the amendment of official secrets act.
To remove it’s use in barring reporting csa cases
LikeLike
The whole thing is a joke that I don’t find very funny at all.
LikeLike
Reblogged this on sdbast.
LikeLike
Attempting to abdicate responsibility, whilst at the same time preventing proper oversight and accountability of the Privatised “services” is the standard operating procedure of this “Government”.
If they are not removed from office this May, that will be the end of Britain as a civilised country, for a while. It may well result in extreme violence, the like of which this country has never seen – make the civil war look like a re-enactment version of itself.
I can’t see it ending well and for most of us with children, it is a chilling prospect.
LikeLike