Latest news with #PrisonService
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Notorious serial killer turns 72 today with birthday wish unfulfilled
Robert Maudsley, the quadruple killer dubbed 'Hannibal the Cannibal', turns 72 today amid growing concerns about his health and in dispute with prison authorities Britain's longest serving prisoner is spending his most miserable birthday behind bars today - the 51st consecutive one alone in his cell. Robert Maudsley, the quadruple killer dubbed 'Hannibal the Cannibal', turned 72 amid growing concerns about his health following a hunger strike. It is his 51st consecutive birthday in prison. But it is his first in Whitemoor, Cambridgeshire after decades in Wakefield jail. He asked to move back to the glass cage where he was held in the jail dubbed 'Monster Mansion'. Maudsley has spent almost 47 years in a single cell. It now equates to more than 17,000 consecutive days in solitary confinement. His request to return to Wakefield has so far been denied, and it is difficult for his family to visit from his native Merseyside. He has told girlfriend, Londoner Loveinia MacKenney, 69, not to visit, though she sent him a card with £300 in cash for a present. Once identified as the most dangerous inmate in the country, Maudsley was moved from his perspex box in Wakefield jail after a row over his privileges, and went on hunger strike earlier this year. He was moved to Whitemoor on April 8. In recent correspondence with Loveinia, he outlined why he went on hunger strike earlier this year. He told how his Playstation and some of his 'perks' were taken away. He told her: "Sometimes Loveinia we do have to fight for what is right and we believe in." Said to have a high IQ, Maudsley had enjoyed reading and listening to classical music in Wakefield, where his previous crimes led to him being nicknamed 'Hannibal the Cannibal'. But his TV and radio were removed in the row with prison staff. Maudsley became the UK's longest serving prisoner after the death of Moors murderer Ian Brady, who served 51 years, in 2017. He was first locked up for manslaughter when he was 21 in 1974. On July 28, 1978, already serving life, Maudsley killed two fellow prisoners in Wakefield jail. He was said to have told a prison guard: 'There'll be two short on the roll call.' He had already killed a fellow patient in Broadmoor secure hospital, in 1974. The victim there was found with a plastic spoon blade in his ear. That led to Maudsley's nicknames, first 'Spoons', then Hannibal the Cannibal, amid claims that he had eaten his brain. Post mortem examination made clear that was not the case. But the nickname stuck. Special provision was made for him inside Wakefield. His 'glass cage' was compared to one used to house the fictional character Dr Hannibal Lecter, played by Anthony Hopkins. He was on screen for a matter of. minutes, but it won him an Oscar for the 1991 film 'Silence of the Lambs'. The Prison Service declined to comment on individual prisoners. In the past, they have stressed that no prisoners are kept in solitary confinement in the UK penal system.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Moment 'corrupt' prison officer tells inmate how to get away with using drugs
David Navarro, who has spent a decade in and out of custody, uncovers allegations of prison officer corruption in a new Channel 4 documentary - with a heavy focus on drug use behind bars Prisoners will go to extreme lengths to get their hands on certain items while behind bars, but a new documantary has lifted the lid on how 'corrupt' prison officers are partly to blame. Prison officers have been accused of corruption after shocking footage showed them turning a blind eye to drug use behind bars in a new TV documentary. UK Prisons Exposed: Sex, Drugs and Corruption, which is available to stream on Channel 4, follows ex-inmate David Navarro inside UK prisons where he delves deeper into bribery behind bars and shared how inmates get their hands on booze and drugs — and even how they have sex with guards. In the documentary David, who has spent a decade in and out of custody, speaks to both inmates and guards to get both perspectives. During exclusive interviews he uncovers allegations of prison officer corruption, sex and drugs, with shocking videos filmed by prisoners. In one video, taken on a phone which a prisoner had smuggled into his cell, an officer confronted a prisoner as he stands outside their door - confronted with the stench of marijuana. And when the convict pushes back - asking the officer openly what his room smells like - he is met with an extraordinary response as he is told to open his window so it isn't as obvious. In the shocking footage the officer says: "What the f*** is in that? I don't wanna know." The prisoner responds: "Why, what does it smell like?", to which he replies: "F***ing weed." When the inmate says: "Weed? It smells like weed?" he says: "Yeah, hence why I told you, open your f***ing window." In a brazen show of shamelessness, the prisoner then asks "What's that on the table?" The officer says: "Well, there you go." Ex-prisoner David Navarro, who presents the show, said that the footage 'suggests that prison staff at every level could be part of the problem', reports MailOnline. A Prison Service spokesperson said: "While the vast majority of most prison staff are honest, we are catching more of the small minority who break the rules through our Counter-Corruption Unit and stronger vetting. Where officers fall below our high standards, we do not hesitate to take robust action." The documentary also features shocking footage which is secretly filmed by inmates in their cells showing stashes of weed along with mobile phones, bottles of Ciroc vodka, Courvoisier brandy, Wray & Nephew rum and boxes of Krispy Kreme doughnuts, plus KFC, Nando's, McDonald's and Chinese takeaways boxes. UK Prisons Exposed - Sex, Drugs & Corruption: UNTOLD, streams on Channel 4 from Wednesday, June 25.
Irish Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Post
Ireland's prisons are reaching breaking point
OVERCROWDING in Irish prisons is spiralling out of control, in what experts are calling a national 'crisis'. With facilities operating at nearly 120% capacity, over 400 inmates are currently sleeping on floors. This mirrors a broader trend across Europe, where the prison population grew by almost 4% in 2023 alone. Tougher sentencing laws and years of underinvestment in prison infrastructure have all added to the problems facing the prison service today. While the government has announced plans to build 1,500 additional spaces, insiders and unions warn that construction delays and rising inmate numbers mean this alone won't solve the problem. 'The system is beyond stretched. Staff shouldn't be working in these conditions,' said Irish Prison Officers Association President Tony Power, who has called for urgent investment in current facilities. Rehabilitation services are also suffering. Nearly 2,000 inmates are waiting for access to psychological care, addiction treatment, education, and vocational training. The Director General of the Irish Prison Service, Caron McCaffrey, acknowledged that some prisoners are released before receiving essential support and urged for a coordinated government response to boost in-prison services. In an effort to manage numbers, the Prison Service has expanded its temporary release programme for non-violent offenders. While controversial, officials argue it is a necessary safety measure. Critics, however, view it as a short-term fix that fails to address systemic problems. Professor Tom O'Malley SC, a leading authority on sentencing law, suggests that courts could consider reduced sentences as a form of judicial accountability - a practice already used in Britain during the COVID pandemic. Prisons are facing new and complex security threats as well. Criminals are using high-tech drones to smuggle drugs and phones into Irish prisons, taking advantage of a lack of aerial surveillance due to aviation regulations. Other European nations are also grappling with similar problems. French prisons reached record high in population figures this year, with thousands sleeping on the floor. In contrast, Spain has adopted a more rehabilitative model with promising results - 80% of released prisoners there do not reoffend. The Irish Penal Reform Trust has urged the government to treat imprisonment as a last resort, advocating instead for alternatives like community service and supervised release. With violence and deaths in custody rising, experts warn that the system is drifting away from its purpose to correct and rehabilitate people for a productive life in a peaceful society. See More: Caron McCaffrey, Irish Prison Service, Overcrowding, Prison
Daily Mirror
14-06-2025
- Daily Mirror
Prisoners taught bushcraft skills worthy of I'm a Celebrity
Courses in wild skills, bushcraft and survival techniques cover how to make shelters, forage for food, tie knots and use a compass for inmates at HMP Isis in South East London Prisoners are being taught survival skills worthy of the I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! jungle, but one key element has been banned. Courses in wild skills, bushcraft and survival techniques cover how to make shelters, forage for food, tie knots and use a compass. But one key component of the bushcraft toolkit is outlawed: knives. The Bear Grylls and Ray Mears-style sessions are held at HMP Isis in South East London, which holds 622 inmates and has been plagued with weapons and gangs. The class would be great preparation for stars going into the Aussie jungle on I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!, hosted by Ant and Dec. A source said: 'These sessions raised a few eyebrows – we are in Thamesmead, not Tasmania. But anything which helps these men turn their back on crime is a positive.' The course was singled out for praise by a team from an Independent Monitoring Board, which visits prisons to make sure they are being run properly. Its report said: 'Soft skills training for prisoners was part of a number of initiatives and training.' Inmates can sign up for other courses run with a further education college including motorbike repairs, waste management and broadcasting. It comes as prisoners at another jail are bussed out to the coast for sea-fishing exercises, casting lines from the shore. A Prison Service spokesman said: 'These activities are part of a rehabilitation programme, ultimately making our communities safer.'
The Independent
13-06-2025
- The Independent
Hydebank governor ‘incredibly humbled and deeply honoured' by OBE
The governor of Hydebank Wood Secure College and Women's Prison has said he was 'incredibly humbled and deeply honoured' to learn he was to be made an OBE for public service. Richard Taylor said he had to credit all the staff of the south Belfast facility for turning it around after a highly critical inspection report in 2013. Justice Minister Naomi Long has now described it as a 'model of excellence'. 'I was totally shocked to be honest, it's not something I ever would have expected,' he told the PA news agency. 'My first reaction was I was incredibly humbled and deeply honoured by the letter. 'It is recognition for the work that every colleague has done here, it's not just for me, it's for every officer, every member of staff and every individual who has contributed to Hydebank Wood, and I hope that that is seen by everyone.' Mr Taylor said he started his career 37 years ago as a prison officer at the then recently opened Maghaberry Prison in Co Antrim, before moving into training and then management. He said when he joined the Northern Ireland Prison Service during the Troubles, the ethos was security, whereas now it is focused on the regime, ensuring inmates have purposeful activity. He said the focus on education is behind the drop in numbers of young offenders, explaining the Hydebank population has changed from around 30-40 females and more than 200 young males to around 130 females and 50 young males. 'When people have purposeful activity and education to take part in, it leads to a very healthy and successful prison environment,' he said. 'People who are locked up for long periods of time behind doors with nothing to entertain their day, that will result in behaviour problems. 'We centred learning and skills at the heart of all that we did, and that was looking at what people's skills were through assessment on committal and then getting them involved in a full education programme. 'It has built a good agenda in terms of respect as well. Over the years we had long conversations about calling people students instead of offenders, but in reality we call them by their first names and they call us by our first names. 'It is about making people responsible young adults, giving them an opportunity to get an education and a job on release, and I believe that is one of the main factors for the young men especially for why our numbers have been reducing, year on year on year, and we don't get that revolving door of people coming back in.' He added: 'In Hydebank we have a very predictable regime and that was part of the transformation process that has happened over the last decade, and I am just one of a number of many people who have been involved in it. 'The recognition, while deeply personal to me, is probably in truth a testament to the collective dedication of everybody who has been involved in Hydebank, and that includes our partner agency, the Probation Board Northern Ireland and the South Eastern Health Trust who we work very closely with.' Mr Taylor said he has been governor at Hydebank for nine out of the last 12 years, having spent three years at Magilligan in the north west from 2018 to 2021. He initially came to the prison in 2013 after a critical inspection report. 'I was sent to Hydebank just after that to lead a taskforce for change, and we created that model for the college environment which was the first secure college in the UK and Ireland,' he said. 'Since that we have built on that, and our last inspection last year was an extremely successful inspection which is a powerful validation of the efforts of everyone who was involved in it.' He said part of the success at Hydebank was changing the culture, adding it gives him 'immense pride' to see the progress after a long and challenging road.
