UK High Court rules that ban on sending books to prisoners is unlawful

HarryT · 12-05-2014, 07:37 AM

Quote:

The (British) government's ban on sending books to prisoners in England and Wales is unlawful, the High Court has declared.

Under the current rules prisoners are prevented from receiving parcels unless they have "exceptional circumstances", such as a medical condition.

Mr Justice Collins said he could see "no good reason" to restrict access to books for prisoners.

The Prison Service said it was a surprising judgement, and would look at how it would deal with with the ruling.

Incentives scheme

The legal challenge was brought by Barbara Gordon-Jones, a life sentence prisoner at Send Jail in Surrey.

The book ban was introduced in November last year in England and Wales, as part of a scheme which limits what prisoners can receive in parcels.
...

Full story at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-30344867

The ban was introduced last year because apparently books are commonly used as a method of smuggling drugs into prisons.

doctorow · 12-05-2014, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

The ban was introduced last year because apparently books are commonly used as a method of smuggling drugs into prisons.

Instead of preventing drugs finding their way through books, they simply banned books. Crazy!

HarryT · 12-05-2014, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doctorow

Instead of preventing drugs finding their way through books, they simply banned books. Crazy!

Not so crazy when you consider that people were using techniques like impregnating the pages of books with LSD, which is extremely difficult to detect.

Apache · 12-05-2014, 08:55 AM

Allow only eBooks?
Apache

Mike L · 12-05-2014, 11:57 AM

Yes, there's been a similar ban is Scotland for the last couple of years. The court ruling does not affect that.

Here the ban only prohibits individuals from sending books to prisoners. Inmates can still purchase books on line or by mail order. Also, I believe many prisoners have access to prison libraries. I don't know if that's the same in England & Wales.

Mike

HarryT · 12-05-2014, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike L

Here the ban only prohibits individuals from sending books to prisoners. Inmates can still purchase books on line or by mail order. Also, I believe many prisoners have access to prison libraries. I don't know if that's the same in England & Wales.

Mike

Yes, I believe it's the same in England, Mike.

frahse · 12-15-2014, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Yes, I believe it's the same in England, Mike.

We have had a relative incarcerated, and he could get only get books that were sent by mail from a book selling company. They generally used one company that I don't remember now, but I always used Amazon and the used books had no problem getting through.

As for LSD, it can be smeared on anything but the dogs will pick it up without trouble. Not sure what it does to the dog.

I do know they run the dog through the mail room regularly.

speakingtohe · 12-15-2014, 05:53 PM

My father worked in a penitentiary in Canada for several years training people to cook. This was in the early 70's and he was often offered bribes to bring in ingredients etc. which I am pretty sure he never did. Not always the case though.

There were, even way back then some pretty sophisticated chemical operations going on on prison property and now 1/3 the maximum security prison population is working (pretty well for free AFAIK) outside the prison during the day I am sure LSD smuggled in books is old hat.

What I think I am trying to say is that there are far worse things happening in prisons than substance abuse/trafficking and far more ways to smuggle LSD in than books.

crich70 · 12-15-2014, 06:07 PM

I remember when they were talking about LSD being somehow smeared on the back of postage stamps. I imagine prisoners still get mail and that someone could possibly sneak such contraband in by impregnating it into the envelopes or something of the like. I mean whether it's the paper that a book is made of or paper used in an envelope it's still paper.

tubemonkey · 12-15-2014, 06:34 PM

Prisons Ban Bible

Quote:

Family and friends can no longer send Bibles to prisoners...

...but why?

Spoiler:

Apache · 12-15-2014, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Prisons Ban Bible

...but why?

Spoiler:

Your spoiler did not work for me.
Apache

eschwartz · 12-16-2014, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Prisons Ban Bible

...but why?

Spoiler:

Nor for me, though the quoted image filename is "handgun-hidden-in-bible" so I have to wonder...

CommonReader · 12-16-2014, 02:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Full story at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-30344867

The ban was introduced last year because apparently books are commonly used as a method of smuggling drugs into prisons.

This obviously assumes that the ban was based on more than some political posturing of the "we are tough on criminals" kind.

frahse · 01-17-2015, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Prisons Ban Bible

...but why?

Spoiler:

Heroin

Quote:

Police: Pair try to smuggle heroin-laced Bible into Hamilton Co. Jail
Experts estimate heroin stain could account for up to 30-40 hits to get high or if taken all at once could be letha

l

"Good dog. Good dog!"

Lin2412 · 01-20-2015, 05:24 AM

Quote:

"To me, books are an obvious way to help prisoners. We have a responsibility not just to punish people, but to rehabilitate them.

"Prison is the perfect time to read and to get inside the heads of other people. So that maybe, when you come out, you're more likely to think about other people rather than just yourself."

You go Tracy Chevalier.

12-05-2014, 11:57 AM	#5
Mike L Wizard Posts: 1,479 Karma: 3846231 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Edinburgh, Scotland Device: Kindle 3, Samsung Galaxy	Yes, there's been a similar ban is Scotland for the last couple of years. The court ruling does not affect that. Here the ban only prohibits individuals from sending books to prisoners. Inmates can still purchase books on line or by mail order. Also, I believe many prisoners have access to prison libraries. I don't know if that's the same in England & Wales. Mike Last edited by Mike L; 12-05-2014 at 12:01 PM.

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12-05-2014, 08:55 AM	#4
Apache Readaholic Posts: 5,269 Karma: 90000484 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: South Georgia Device: Surface Pro 6 / Galaxy Tab A 8"	Allow only eBooks? Apache

12-15-2014, 05:53 PM	#8
speakingtohe Wizard Posts: 4,812 Karma: 26912940 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: sony PRS-T1 and T3, Kobo Mini and Aura HD, Tablet	My father worked in a penitentiary in Canada for several years training people to cook. This was in the early 70's and he was often offered bribes to bring in ingredients etc. which I am pretty sure he never did. Not always the case though. There were, even way back then some pretty sophisticated chemical operations going on on prison property and now 1/3 the maximum security prison population is working (pretty well for free AFAIK) outside the prison during the day I am sure LSD smuggled in books is old hat. What I think I am trying to say is that there are far worse things happening in prisons than substance abuse/trafficking and far more ways to smuggle LSD in than books.

12-15-2014, 06:07 PM	#9
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,310 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	I remember when they were talking about LSD being somehow smeared on the back of postage stamps. I imagine prisoners still get mail and that someone could possibly sneak such contraband in by impregnating it into the envelopes or something of the like. I mean whether it's the paper that a book is made of or paper used in an envelope it's still paper.

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