@mrjamesob.bsky.social Sadly we don’t name and shame, instead we promote and reward.
John Podmore
@johnpodmore.bsky.social
Former Governor HMP Belmarsh, Brixton & Swaleside. International consultant on prison corruption
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio... “if it’s this difficult for a musician signed to a major record label to restart their career after prison, what hope is there for the other 99.9% of the population?”
The Trials of Pa Salieu review – what hope is there for life after prison?
Sure, this might well be a PR exercise for the rapper after being jailed in 2022 for his part in a mass brawl. But it’s also a vital indictment of the appalling probation system
theguardian.com
www.theguardian.com/society/2026... “This barbaric practice should never have happened on one occasion, let alone across multiple prisons”
The UK scandal of women handcuffed while in labour: ‘I was so shocked when the restraints weren’t removed’
Pregnant women prisoners in England are being handcuffed to prison officers – often male – during intimate vaginal examinations and long, agonising births. Will this dehumanising treatment be stopped?
theguardian.com
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre... previous pledges to improve the way that mothers are treated have not been honoured. Earlier this month the Guardian reported scandalous details of women being shackled to guards while giving birth.
The Guardian view on prisons: sentencing reform has not eased the sense of crisis | Editorial
Editorial: The increased use of tags makes sense if done right. But years of accumulated problems include a depleted probation workforce
theguardian.com
“The system monitors you, but it does not support you. “https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/mar/22/im-out-of-prison-but-ive-been-given-no-support-to-rebuild-my-life?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
I’m out of prison, but I’ve been given no support to rebuild my life | Letter
Letter: A former prisoner says that unless the government offers meaningful housing and employment help to those leaving prison, they will end up back there
theguardian.com
@mrjamesob.bsky.social Imagine all the things you are discussing manifesting themselves in child and adult prisons
@mrjamesob.bsky.social Tina Brown- the wife of the late great Harold Evans - journalism royalty
Stepped down tonight after 18 great years as a trustee of @longfordtrust.bsky.social since its inception. Proud to have been with a charity helping people not writing pamphlets.
@mrjamesob.bsky.social Maya Angelou said: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel," Finally people are feeling uncomfortable with Trump.
The decisions may not have benefited the tax payers but the decision makers did well in terms of gongs and promotions.
It is clear that a significant factor in court delays is the collapse of the prison and probation service be it in the failure to get prisoners to court or to produce probation reports for sentencing - as ever, no accountability @thecriminalbar.bsky.social @joannahs.bsky.social
@mrjamesob.bsky.social People with ADHD etc are sadly easier to arrest-they are ‘low hanging fruit’ - their behaviour is seen as irritating & frustrating- rarely dangerous except to themselves. They are part of the large cohort of people imprisoned because we are ‘mad at’ rather than frightened of.
A bit late in posting the latest Long View. Prisoners on the loose now - and in the 1860s. Featuring Prof Helen Johnston and @johnpodmore.bsky.social www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
The Long View - Criminals on the Loose - BBC Sounds
Jonathan Freedland takes the Long View of presidential candidates who have stood trial.
bbc.co.uk
The inquest found that neglect had contributed to her death – an extremely rare conclusion which can only be used where there has been a gross failure to provide basic medical attention and this has caused a person’s death. www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
‘There is a gap where Alex should be’: the young woman who lost her life in a neglectful prison system
An inquest has found a Cheshire prison guilty of neglect after Alex Davies, 25, was found dead inside a segregation cell after a lifetime of mental health struggles
theguardian.com
ECHR: to the best of my research the UK “loses” (i.e. has a violation ruling) roughly 5-20 cases a year in past decades, but more recently this is down to nearer 1–5 cases a year. Happy to be contradicted.
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Prisoners must get the chance to rehabilitate themselves in jail | Letter
Letter: Former prison governor John Podmore says real opportunities for change need to be created for those incarcerated or Labour’s prison reform will just be a sticking plaster
theguardian.com
‘Nothing to see here’ say the prison service and ministers- I beg to disagree. We have a £1 billion illicit drug economy in our prisons and some people are doing very well out of it.
Corruption in prisons goes far beyond the sensational headlines about female officers and illicit affairs. It has seeped into the very core of the system, reaching the highest levels of leadership. This isn’t just misconduct—it’s rot at the top.
The Times and Sunday Times@thetimes.com · last yr.🔺 EXCLUSIVE: Bobby Cunningham was head of security at Britain’s most notorious jail. Today, an investigation reveals he was also linked to organised crime. Read the full story below below
Well done Governor Colin Hussey and his team- may they be left in post to continue their work
HMI Prisons@hmiprisonsnews.bsky.social · last yr.HMP/YOI Lincoln: performing better than other reception prisons. Read the inspection report: hmiprisons.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk?post_type=hm... And the press notice: hmiprisons.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk?post_type=ne... See the healthy prison scores:
“The prison service had failed to protect this jail from serious organised crime gang activity”
HMI Prisons@hmiprisonsnews.bsky.social · last yr.HMP Onley: destabilised by drone ingress and inadequate security. Read the inspection report: hmiprisons.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk?post_type=hm... And the press notice: hmiprisons.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk?post_type=ne... See the healthy prison scores:
A national scandal gaming no media traction www.gov.uk/government/n...
Urgent notification issued for Oakhill STC after inspectors find profound and systemic failures
In response to the serious risk of harm to children, Ofsted, CQC and HMI Prisons have issued an urgent notification about Oakhill STC to the Secretary of State for Justice, Rt Hon Shabana Mahmood MP.
gov.uk
The PFI contract awarded in 2004 to G4S for Oakhill runs until June 2029, with an overall contract value of c £450 million over 25 years / £18m per year c £170k per child per year. This is not about resources, overcrowding or crumbling Victorian buildings- leadership & management, pure &simple
Prison Reform Trust@prtuk.bsky.social · last yr.Ofsted, CQC and @hmiprisonsnews.bsky.social have issued an urgent notification to the Secretary of State for Justice about Oakhill Secure Training Centre, the second in less than four years. Read the full letter from Sir Martyn Oliver at assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/688a40...
BREAKING HUGE WIN! 🚨 New York just announced that phone calls will soon be FREE in New York prisons, bringing around $13 million in relief annually to incarcerated people and their families. The new policy is expected to go into effect on August 1st. Spread the news!
