A general view of a separation cell in the Dumyat Wing at Cornton Vale prison in Stirling
by Bethany Rielly
THE government’s “cruel” and “extreme” policy of locking up detained children for 23 hours a day is the result of ministers’ “incompetent failure” to control coronavirus, Labour said today.
Under measures intended to contain the spread of Covid-19, youth detention facilities have been allowed to keep children as young as 12 in their cells for all but 40 minutes a day.
The practice has been described by United Nations torture expert Nils Melzer as “inhumane.”
The announcement of a Women’s Justice Board should be cautiously welcomed, writes SABINA PRICE, but we need to see a recognition that our prison system is in crisis and disproportionately punishes some of the most vulnerable people in society
Working in a high-risk sector, prison officers’ calls for proper PPE must be heeded – and the POA will be fighting to ensure effective protection at work is delivered, writes MARK FAIRHURST
