@mrjamesob.bsky.social Sadly we don’t name and shame, instead we promote and reward.

Text: Prison extremism Sir, Calling Britain’s prison system an “incubator” of violence and extremism is no exaggeration and may in fact understate the problem (“Breeding Ground”, leading article, Mar 23). It is a system that too often releases individuals more dangerous than when they entered, more damaged and less equipped to reintegrate. Prisoners emerge not rehabilitated but neglected: battling addiction, facing homelessness and shut out of employment. This is not simply failure, it is a cycle that undermines public safety. What is most alarming is the apparent complacency at the top. Official reports speak of “significant achievements” while the system visibly deteriorates. Such language strains credibility. If the government is serious about reform, it must begin with accountability. David Lammy, the justice secretary, should ensure that those presiding over this decline are no longer shielded from its consequences. John Podmore Former governor of HMP Belmarsh, Brixton and Swaleside, and former prisons inspector; Painswick, Glos

Letter from @johnpodmore.bsky.social in Times today

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

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 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?

www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

“This barbaric practice should never have happened on one occasion, let alone across multiple prisons”

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

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.

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

“The system monitors you, but it does not support you. “www.theguardian.com/society/2026/mar/22/im-o...

Danger of prisoners who have nothing to lose | Letter Letter: Former prison governor John Podmore on the risk posed by those who have little stake in life in and outside jail

www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

@mrjamesob.bsky.social Imagine all the things you are discussing manifesting themselves in child and adult prisons

Is Charles Bronson on the verge of freedom? Why Britain's most notorious prisoner faces Catch-22 Bronson has been locked up for half a century - but a parole review will now decide if he should be freed from prison. It could also recommend a move to an open prison, or delay things and hold an or...

news.sky.com/story/is-cha...

@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.

‘Catastrophic’ MoJ leasing of jail with toxic gas set to cost more than £100m MPs criticise 10-year deal struck in ‘blind panic’ to rent Dartmoor prison, where high levels of radon had been detected

www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

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.

The Long View - Criminals on the Loose - BBC Sounds Jonathan Freedland takes the Long View of presidential candidates who have stood trial.

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/...

‘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

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...

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.

Mister Timpson goes to Westminster Can the businessman deliver radical reform for Britain’s failing prisons and probation service?

www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/law/la... - crunch time?? @arusbridger.bsky.social

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

www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

‘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.

Leaked report shows 10,000 gap in probation staff

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.

Well done Governor Colin Hussey and his team- may they be left in post to continue their work

“The prison service had failed to protect this jail from serious organised crime gang activity”

Is this a modern day Medomsley?

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.

A national scandal gaming no media traction www.gov.uk/government/n...

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

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!