Open prison - open door?

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10 years 7 months

Posts: 2,748

Ford open jail: worst prison for fugitive inmates with 90 missing

Nearly 90 prisoners have absconded from Ford open prison, new figures have disclosed, making it the jail with the worst record for fugitive inmates.
The 500-prisoner jail, near Arundel, Sussex, has seen a number of high-profile absconds in the last month amid growing public concern about the problem in the wake of the case of Michael “Skull Cracker” Wheatley...

...Open prisons are used as a halfway house for inmates nearing the end of their sentences. Inmates are not locked in and many are freed on “temporary licence” over a day or a weekend in a bid to adjust them to life in the community...

...Other prisoners who have fled open jails this year include:
• David Blood, an armed robber, absconded from Ford open prison on Thursday and police warned he poses a threat to the public. It is thought to be the second time the 48-year-old has fled from an open prison. It is understood he previously went missing from Sudbury jail in Derbyshire in 2012.
• Robert Donovan, a convicted murderer, went on the run from Ford four years ago but his fugitive status only became known this week. Police had never warned the public about the 57-year-old, who was convicted of stabbing a West End theatre stage manager to death.
• Kevin Brown, 54, who was serving a life sentence imposed at the Old Bailey in 2007 for conspiracy to rob and firearms offences, walked out of Ford in April.
• Arnold Pickering, 44, a convicted murderer from Manchester, went on the run from Kennet Prison in Liverpool last month along with a second inmate Thomas Moffett, 51, from Blackburn. Pickering had absconded three times previously. Both were later detained.
Information released by the Ministry of Justice in 2011 showed the worrying extent of how absconders were fleeing from open jails.
Although it is unknown how many have since been recaptured, the 100 who had fled between 2004 and 2011 included two murderers serving life sentences and a woman serving five years for manslaughter.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/10898005/Ford-open-jail-worst-prison-for-fugitive-inmates-with-90-missing.html

It does seem that there appears to be an awful lot of the sort of people you wouldn't expect to be serving time in such places...in such places.
Convicted murderers who are repeated escapees, lifers, the kind of people who, having escaped, are described as a danger to the public. And with an already overcrowded prisons system being told to take more inmates, is there something rotten at the core of the ministry for prisons and those who make decisions?

Original post

Member for

17 years 10 months

Posts: 3,778

Well I did some work years back in a prison, unless you have seen it with your own eyes, listened to it, smelt and tasted the place no one can ever imagine what it is like.
Now the problem is with absconding is that they give the worst ones the opportunity to do so.
CONTROVERSY NOW.
They let out hardened criminals but sex offenders, the lowest % of re offending are not entitled to home leave as it is perceived that an uproar would occur within the press etc, so a high level murderer/armed robber would be afforded home leave but not a family man who had some images of fully clothed 15, 16, 17 year old (classed as children of course)
I am not saying that sex offenders should be allowed out I am merely pointing out who is allowed home leave and who is not.
I cannot see any good reason to be allowed out before your earliest release date,
The government should act by having halfway houses for the high risk who upon reaching a date and time must be released (unless on IPP indeterminate sentences) A majority of sex offenders have to go to these for at least one month. to ad insult to injury, the one in Basildon Essex overlooks a school !!! Can you believe that?
And just one thing, a lot of prisoners are not bothered about being put away time after time, it gives them a few months away from home without responsibility, I could go on for hours about this subject including.
How drugs get into jails
How mobile phones get into jails
Corruption by inmates and staff ( I did send in a very long report of which I was told to destroy or be seen as causing trouble for on high)
The moving of inmates between prisons when the inspectorate is visiting ( move baddies who will spill the beans out and replace with Mr nice guys)

Because of the way prisons are run by the ministry with all the rhetoric and kerfuffle clouding the truth, and I tell you know its going get worse before it gets better, 2 and 3 sharing a cell made for one, 13 foot by 7 foot, a garden shed for 3 is just a hornets nest of stingass waiting to kick off.

Anyway, my 4 pence worth said.

Member for

11 years 5 months

Posts: 11,141

Nothing you have said above surprises me in the least, TA. And your 4 penn'orth was well said!! Not enough people are aware of the failures and inconsistencies of the system.:mad:

Member for

17 years 10 months

Posts: 3,778

Charlie, thank you for your kind words, its very frustrating.

Member for

13 years 9 months

Posts: 8,306

Having dealt with the crap of the Earth we are talking about, they should remain IN PRISON, where they cannot escape. The North Sea Camp not far from me, is one such halfway home, and I have been to burglaries that one or two of these scum have committed, and the thing that winds me up are the P.C. Brigade who will possibly say that the day release is a good thing, however, try telling the woman, whoe's house they have burgled. 9 out of 10 burglaries I have attended, has caused the occupants to sell their house and move elsewhere.The effect of being burgled is very traumatic to all those who lived there.
What's the old saying, "If you cant do the time, don't do the crime". They know what they are doing when they commit these sorts of crime, and if I had MY way, I would take away every privilage they now have, and make them do their full time without any chance of parole.Prison is just that, they crossed the line, they should lose every freedom they had on the outside, no excuses.They should be treated like they are as they are in that prison in Arizona, work on a chain gang from dawn till dusk, no T.V. zilch. The Warden stated he has NEVER had anyone go back there for a second time, and that's how it should be over here.And as for three sharing the Cell made for just one, well folks, don't that bring tears to your eyes?.NOT.
Jim.
Lincoln .7

Member for

17 years 10 months

Posts: 3,778

Yes Jim, the should not get home leave, also if you re offend, IE commit another crime, (not breach a condition) they should have double the sentence, do it a third time treble the sentence.
You have to have probation hostels as to let someone out after two or three years away is madness to let them fend for themselves, the convict will say they are ok, but its a big stress point as most think they are being looked at and everyone knows they have just come out of prison.

The biggest problem in re offending is that the courts can only send them down for what the guidelines say instead of being able to be an unlimited time unless they are considered dangerous and then the judge can impose a indeterminate sentence for public protection, (IPP) which meens they have to be assessed before release and not at halfway point.