Super Jail Coming Near You?

There may be a super-prison built in London to hold more than 2000 prisoners. The idea was put across by the Ministry of Justice. This would replace 6 prisons around the area and would apparently save £63million a year. Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said: “We have to bring down the cost of our prison system. But I never want the courts to be in a position where they cannot send a criminal to prison because there is no place available.”

HS&Co are experienced criminal defence solicitors, specialising in the whole range of offences including sex crimes, child pornography crimes, computer and social networking crimes.

Visit our website www.hsandco.co or call us now 0844 2640 999.

Follow us on Twitter: @hsandco

Like us on Facebook: HS&Co Facebook

Sex, drugs & panting visits

So 34 year old Lee Chapman escapes from Hollesley Bay Colony Prison, commits 6 burglaries and gets 2 more years at Ipswich Crown Court. Not so unusual perhaps? But the reason given in his mitigation is that there was far too much sex, drugs and use of mobiles in this chilled out prison! So unsettled was Lee at the sight of 3 unofficial female visitors outside his cell, he just shinned down a drainpipe before waiting for a bus to escape back into East Anglian normality.

Our staff have visited this prison many times without noticing any unusual conduct, apart from the time when the staff kindly looked after two canines waiting at the gate for the return of their legal master.

Visit our website www.hsandco.co or call us now 0844 2640 999.

Follow us on Twitter: @hsandco

Like us on Facebook: HS&Co Facebook

Many a slip between Finger and Gaol

Craig Evans was sent to prison for 18 months for apparently inadvertently sending a sexy text to two girls aged 13 and 14. He intended the text to go to his lover but accidently sent the text to his whole phone book, including his family. We feel it is somewhat unfair for him to go to prison for causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity for what appears to be a slip of the digit. His case has gone to the Court of Appeal in London to try and overturn his conviction. HS&Co are experts at defending and appealing sex cases. In Your Defence.

Jail Assault Increases

Last year there were 15,457 assaults in prisons, an increase of 7% over 2010. Prison officers were the victims in 1 in 6 assaults. 200 incidents plus resulted in hospital treatment, 50 involving stabbings and 163 involving broken bones. There were also 137 sexual assaults in prisons last year.

Also, how many assaults go unreported for obvious reasons? HSandCo: In Your Defence.

Wrong Place at the Wrong Time?

A 22-year-old man, Perry Atherton, was sentenced to 3 years in prison for Violent Disorder in May 2012 after Nottingham’s 2011 riots. He was supposedly running from the rioters rather than the police so he is planning to challenge his conviction in the European Court of Human Rights. The argument is that the conviction breached his human rights as he maintains he had been in the vicinity for innocent reasons. He also has no previous convictions. During his trial, Atherton said he only ran from police because others had been chased towards him. HS&Co have experience in representation in the European Court of Human Rights.

Corruption by Public Officials

Two prison officers were allegedly paid thousands of pounds by journalists for information. One prison officer is suspected of receiving £35,000 while another is thought to have received around £14,000. Detectives have analysed stories potentially linked to the payments and are said to believe there are “reasonable grounds” to believe offences have been committed. Meanwhile, as the Leveson Inquiry enters its final week, Operation Weeting (investigating phone hacking) has arrested fifteen former and current journalists and six people (including Rebekah Brooks and her husband Charlie) have been charged. Forty-one people have been arrested under Operation Elveden (the investigation into payments to officials) and detectives have made seven arrests under Operation Tuleta (looking into allegations of computer hacking and privacy infringement). HS&Co was recently informed that there were a certain number of prison officers in most prisons who might be susceptible to being rewarded by inmates for information on other prisoners. This is particularly in the context of finding out about sex offenders who were masquerading as ‘normal’ prisoners, now that the special wings have been removed. HS&Co represent on all types of sex offences.

Closing a Loophole in Child Abuse Cases

Those who physically abuse children or vulnerable adults can, as of this week, face up to ten years in prison. The loophole will be closed by extending the offence ‘causing or allowing the death of a child or vulnerable adult’ to ‘causing or allowing serious physical harm’ e.g. brain damage or broken bones.

Murderer escapes prison

John Massey, a convicted murderer, was on the run after escaping from Pentonville prison in North London on Wednesday by constructing a makeshift rope out of bedding, to scale the walls of the Victorian-built jail. He was them arrested in Faversham, Kent after spending two days in hiding.

Violent Young Offenders

There is a new special unit in Hindley youth prison, Europe’s largest youth prison, to deal with the most violent and disruptive offenders. This wing in the prison has specially trained staff to deal with the sometimes extreme behaviour. The idea is to take the most disruptive teenagers out of the sprawling main wings of the prison where they can cause the most trouble. There is also easy access to mental health treatment and drug and alcohol services. Many more of these special units are now planned in other youth prisons across England and Whales.

Young Offenders

HS&Co act for a lot of young people arrested & prosecuted for a variety of offences, throughout Wales and England. Less than 10% of the population are 18-25 years old, yet account for more than a third of the prison sentences each year, a third of those starting community sentences and a third of the probation service case load. 3 out of 4 of these young adults leaving prison are reconvicted within a year.

'Innocent But In Prison.'

A justice campaigner has warned that there are dozens of innocent people behind bars for crimes they did not commit. Innocence Network UK was investigating 100 potentially unfair convictions, says Dr Michael Naughton, who is a member of this group. He spoke out after Sam Hallam was freed after spending 7 years in prison for the murder of trainee chef Essayas Kassahun in London. Dr Naughton told BBC Radio 4 that the Criminal Cases Review Commission refused to look into some genuine cases when some other "factually guilty" people get off on technicalities. HS&Co are often asked to review potential miscarriages of justice. However, we would only do so on a private fee basis. Ideally, we would prefer to act for suspects from the very beginning of cases to be most effective. We have an exemplary record of achievement at the investigation stage, often getting cases dropped or avoiding a court case.