Growing instability in the US economy and financial markets could have serious consequences worldwide because of the central role of the US dollar and financial system, argues MICHAEL BURKE
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Pushing prisoners onto the streets
The government’s quick-fix solution to prison overcrowding is backfiring spectacularly, writes LUKE FLETCHER MS
A person leaving HM Prison Liverpool, September 10, 2024
Despite Andy Burnham’s declaration defending the continued partition of the island, all major international and internal trends are converging to make Irish reunification inevitable
The left needs a bold energy vision – because if it fails to provide one, others will shape the future in their own interests, argues ALAN SIMPSON
From Margate to Deal, mining memories are being kept alive. National co-ordinator for General Strike 100, HENRY FOWLER continued his nationwide tour of partner organisations in the Garden of England
Humans are part of the ‘animal kingdom’ – and of nature in general – but also distinct from it and labour (work) is part of what makes us unique, declared Engels. His insights 150 years ago into how our species came to be and how we differ from the rest of nature, are as important today as they were then, says the MARX MEMORIAL LIBRARY
Boxes of books, family photos and heirlooms, labour movement anniversaries, along with nostalgic memories of glorious childhood days on the Ayrshire coast still leave room for a wistful MATT KERR to hope for a better future
ON September 10, the British government introduced an early release scheme for prisoners in England and Wales, a measure designed to alleviate overcrowding in prisons.
The scheme’s lack of planning and co-ordination for post-release support has left many vulnerable individuals without housing or healthcare upon release.
Prison leavers are given little notice and are left to fend for themselves, with many pushed straight onto the streets. In desperation, some are reoffending or deliberately breaching their licence conditions to return to the relative security of prison.
The number of people sleeping rough after being released from prison has more than trebled in recent years. The Chief Inspector of Probation has stated that homelessness is the biggest driving factor in people reoffending or breaching their licence.
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Long-term underfunding and state neglect, while simultaneously probation services have been undermined, have intensified the prison crises, argues SOLOMON HUGHES
With the agitated debate now raging in the media about the early release schemes, Prison Officers Association general secretary STEVE GILLAN gives the view of those who work in the sector
