Prisoners in the regions should get personal mobile phones to prevent the shocking rate of inmate suicides.
'Let prisoners have free phones to cut down shocking inmate suicide rate' declares HMP Prisons OmbudsmanMr Usher believes the inmate suicide rate is more than sym[yptom of a broken prison system but sad indictment of the society we live in. Last year the sister of murder suspect Jai Singh phoned the prisonOmbudsman Usher said:"Understanding the emotions that lead to suicide and self-harm is a complex task.
He added:"Prisoners feeling part of and connected to a world beyond the prison walls may feel like a counter-intuitive aspiration for our criminal justice system. After all, a court has determined that in order to protect the public, an individual should lose their liberty. But loss of liberty is not the same as isolation."
Mr Usher was appointed Prisons and Probation Ombudsman in March 2023 and after visiting HMPs and speaking to inmates across the country, he pinpointed the phone system is out of date and incredible expensive. "The actual cost of a call is negligible. My argument is that telecom providers could provide unlimited minutes to the prison service in the same way they do to most of the public, without impacting profit. Prisoners could be placed on monthly contracts which they pay for themselves. Then the decision regarding the number of minutes each prisoner is allowed, would rest, where it should, with the prison Governor.
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
HMP Lancaster Farms report shows overcrowding in prisons and a rise in violenceA new report into HMP Lancaster Farms has found spikes in the levels of violence, prisoner debt and substance misuse.
Read more »
Overcrowded prisons will let 'several thousands' of prisoners out earlier, new Justice Secretary...The emergency measures are expected to allow convicts to be automatically released after serving 40 per cent of their sentence, rather than the current 50 per cent.
Read more »
Overcrowded prisons will let 'several thousands' of prisoners out earlier, new Justice Secretary...The emergency measures are expected to allow convicts to be automatically released after serving 40 per cent of their sentence, rather than the current 50 per cent.
Read more »
Former HMP Wymott prison guard turned police officer jailed after secret relationship with murderer uncoveredA HMP Wymott prison guard who was in an undisclosed relationship with a man serving a life sentence for murder has been jailed.
Read more »
HMP Lowdham Grange: Prison taken over by government 'is in crisis'The government confirmed it had permanently taken over the Category B jail in May.
Read more »
HMP Winchester prison officers warned after drinking in pub on breakA formal complaint of unprofessional conduct seen by Metro.co.uk alleges they were ‘returning to duty after consuming alcohol’
Read more »