"I'm sure John Howard would see progress in some aspects, but I think he'd be a bit disappointed to see some of the conditions that people are facing right now."
As we approach our 160th anniversary, BBC News explore our history and John Howard’s legacy: https://ow.ly/bW7b50YMHA3
Why are so many people coming to harm in prison? And what can be done to make prisons safer?
Join us online on Thursday 30 April for the next event in our Howard League Spotlights series, on safety in custody: howardleague.org/events/howard-league-spo...
"There is no ‘equivalence of care’. Like so many things in the prison system, there is a massive disconnect between what is meant to happen, and what actually happens."
Our Chief Executive discusses the lack of adequate healthcare in prisons in Inside Time: https://ow.ly/P6Re50YMHs2
“We know that at least 11 people have died in cell fires since the government accepted its responsibility to install automatic fire detection equipment. How many more lives will be lost?”
We have named the prisons in England and Wales awaiting fire safety work: https://ow.ly/nzZu50YMGUe
WATCH: **Howard League Spotlights: The use of force in prison**
Click to view our panel event, looking at the use of force behind bars, which is now up on our website and YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P16f1nXlmYc
Why are so many people coming to harm in prison? And what can be done to make prisons safer?
Join us online on Thursday 30 April for the next event in our Howard League Spotlights series, on safety in custody: howardleague.org/events/howard-league-spo...
"[The prison] has been empty since July 2024 after high levels of radon, a toxic gas that occurs naturally in soil and rocks and can cause lung cancer, were recorded..."
www.thetimes.com/uk/royal-family/article/...
Why are so many people coming to harm in prison? And what can be done to make prisons safer?
Join us online on Thursday 30 April for the next event in our Howard League Spotlights series, on safety in custody: howardleague.org/events/howard-league-spo...
What is changing under the Sentencing Act 2026? And when?
Our blogpost summarises this important legislation, highlighting the key changes and how they will be implemented: howardleague.org/blog/what-is-changing-un...
"[The prison] has been empty since July 2024 after high levels of radon, a toxic gas that occurs naturally in soil and rocks and can cause lung cancer, were recorded..."
www.thetimes.com/uk/royal-family/article/...
Dame Anne Owers appointed Chair of the Howard League for Penal Reform
The Howard League for Penal Reform is delighted to announce the appointment of Dame Anne Owers as its new Chair.
Dame Anne's vast leadership experience and understanding of the criminal justice system make her the perfect candidate to lead the board at this critical time.
https://ow.ly/St7U50YKjjG
The Ministry of Justice has revealed that 179 releases in error from prison custody were recorded in England and Wales between April 2025 and March 2026.
www.gov.uk/government/publications/...
Special accommodation cells were in 'poor condition', said the report. Picture from HM Inspectorate of Prisons.
"When almost half of people held at Manchester prison are unemployed and spending more than 21 hours a day locked in their cells, is it any wonder that rates of drug use and violence are sky-high?"
Our Chief Executive, Andrea Coomber KC (Hon.), on Sky News:
https://ow.ly/Oyrq50YJN1W
"The Howard League for Penal Reform has named prisons in England and Wales awaiting fire safety work, including seven jails where there have been fatal fires."
Inside Time: insidetime.org/newsround/howard-league-...
"[The prison] has been empty since July 2024 after high levels of radon, a toxic gas that occurs naturally in soil and rocks and can cause lung cancer, were recorded..."
www.thetimes.com/uk/royal-family/article/...
“It is a sign of the intense pressure the prison system is under when a jail that was effectively put in special measures 15 months ago is still unable to protect people living and working there from harm."
howardleague.org/news/manchester-prison-d...
Why are so many people coming to harm in prison? And what can be done to make prisons safer?
Join us online on Thursday 30 April for the next event in our Howard League Spotlights series, on safety in custody: howardleague.org/events/howard-league-spo...
What is changing under the Sentencing Act 2026? And when?
Our blogpost summarises this important legislation, highlighting the key changes and how they will be implemented: howardleague.org/blog/what-is-changing-un...
"The Howard League for Penal Reform has named prisons in England and Wales awaiting fire safety work, including seven jails where there have been fatal fires."
Inside Time: insidetime.org/newsround/howard-league-...
"While the details of this merger remain to be seen, we are concerned about its potential impact on accountability and oversight in the criminal justice system as a whole."
insidetime.org/newsround/if-they-scrap-...
Thomas Ruggiero died in Swaleside prison in 2024. Kent Online reports that at least 90% of the officers working there were new in post and still in their probationary period.
www.kentonline.co.uk/sheerness/news/inmates-m...
WATCH: **Howard League Spotlights: The use of force in prison**
Click to view our panel event, looking at the use of force behind bars, which is now up on our website and YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P16f1nXlmYc
Why are so many people coming to harm in prison? And what can be done to make prisons safer?
Join us online on Thursday 30 April for the next event in our Howard League Spotlights series, on safety in custody: howardleague.org/events/howard-league-spo...
Why are so many people coming to harm in prison? And what can be done to make prisons safer?
Join us online on Thursday 30 April for the next event in our Howard League Spotlights series, on safety in custody: howardleague.org/events/howard-league-spo...
What is changing under the Sentencing Act 2026? And when?
Our blogpost summarises this important legislation, highlighting the key changes and how they will be implemented: howardleague.org/blog/what-is-changing-un...
Thomas Ruggiero died in Swaleside prison in 2024. Kent Online reports that at least 90% of the officers working there were new in post and still in their probationary period.
www.kentonline.co.uk/sheerness/news/inmates-m...
"Prison guards and inmates sue Ministry of Justice over cancer-inducing radon gas"
The Observer: observer.co.uk/news/national/article/pr...
"The Howard League for Penal Reform has named prisons in England and Wales awaiting fire safety work, including seven jails where there have been fatal fires."
Inside Time: insidetime.org/newsround/howard-league-...
"How the Ministry of Justice knowingly exposed hundreds to cancer-causing gas in Dartmoor prison"
An investigation by the Independent: www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/radon-...
"While the details of this merger remain to be seen, we are concerned about its potential impact on accountability and oversight in the criminal justice system as a whole."
insidetime.org/newsround/if-they-scrap-...