bthechange CIC

30/03/2026

Too little support
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A new “key findings” paper published by HM Inspectorate of Prisons today (27 March 2026) says that prisoners awaiting trial or sentencing have poorer outcomes than those serving a sentence. The inspectorate says that despite the fact that people on remand now make up around a fifth of the prison population, too few jails have developed a strategy to manage these men and women, increasing their vulnerability and leaving many unable to access vital support.
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https://www.russellwebster.com/too-little-support-for-increasing-numbers-of-remand-prisoners/

30/03/2026

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bthechange CIC

27/03/2026

One in three homeless young people not assessed

Homelessness charity Centrepoint has warned some councils are not meeting their legal duty to assess young people facing homelessness and called for a formal review.

A report released by the charity today found more than a third of 16-24 year olds facing homelessness did not receive the assessment they are entitled to. This is similar to findings from the previous year.

Data was collected from a mix of FOI requests submitted to over 200 local authorities in the UK, as well as annual data surveys. The research also found that 123,934 young people across the UK faced homelessness between April 2024 and March 2025, a 6% increase from last year.

External consultants estimated an extra £325m would be required from the government to ensure young people are assessed accordingly.

Lisa Doyle, Centrepoint’s head of policy & public affairs, said: “Councils should be doing better and we urge the government to conduct a review to find out why so many young people are being turned away.”

Ms Doyle called for “some real urgency” so that more cases can be resolved early.

https://www.lgcplus.com/services/housing/one-in-three-homeless-young-people-not-assessed-27-03-2026/

27/03/2026

New investment in safe spaces for survivors of abuse
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Debra Richards, Director of Communications and Development at Cyfannol Women’s Aid said:

This funding will directly enhance the support available to individuals and families in Caerphilly, ensuring they can access the help they need in an environment that feels safe, welcoming and centred on their wellbeing. For many, stepping into the Hwb will mark the beginning of their journey to rebuilding their life after abuse. Thanks to this investment, we can offer a confidential and accessible space that provides the privacy, dignity and specialist support people need to move forward in a life free from abuse.
Jane Hutt, the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, said:

Having access to safe spaces can make a vital difference. It means someone fleeing abuse has somewhere secure to go, where they are supported and protected. This investment will strengthen services across Wales so more survivors can get help quickly and start to move forward with confidence.
The Live Fear Free helpline is available free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for anyone affected by domestic abuse or sexual violence on 0808 80 10 800.
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https://www.gov.wales/new-investment-safe-spaces-survivors-abuse

26/03/2026

WE NEED CHANGE!......

Richard Hunt died from smoke inhalation after a fire in his cell in Stocken prison in July 2025. An inquest is yet to take place, but a coroner’s prevention of future deaths report was sent to the prison’s governor, HMPPS and the CPFSI in October 2025, which expressed concerns that staff had ‘deliberately tamper[ed]’ with fire alarm control panels

Clare Dupree died in hospital, two days after a fire in her cell in Eastwood Park prison in December 2022. Her inquest, which concluded last week, was covered by the Guardian.

Christian Hinkley died from smoke inhalation after a fire in Swaleside prison in July 2019. A coroner’s prevention of future deaths report was sent to the then Prisons Minister, Victoria Atkins MP.
Kevin Delahunty died in hospital in March 2018, four days after suffering third-degree burns in a fire in Risley prison. His death was reported by BBC News.

Robert Majchrzak died from smoke inhalation in Wealstun prison in August 2013. His death was reported by the Guardian. A report of the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman’s investigation into his death can be found here.

A man died in hospital in August 2013 as a result of burns he suffered in a fire in his cell in Chelmsford prison 25 days before. A report of the Prisons and Probation Ombudman’s investigation into his death can be found here.

A man died from smoke inhalation after a fire in Holme House prison in November 2011. A report of the Prisons and Probation Ombudman’s investigation into his death can be found here.

A man died following a cell fire at Oakwood prison between August 2020 and August 2023. A report of the Prisons and Probation Ombudman’s investigation into the death of Carl Bennett at Oakwood prison in August 2023 refers to the death of another person in the preceding three years following a cell fire at the prison.

https://howardleague.org/news/more-than-60-prisons-await-vital-improvements-as-government-u-turns-on-fire-safety/

26/03/2026

Dozens of prisons in England and Wales that have been waiting for vital fire safety improvements – including seven jails where there have been fatal fires – are identified today (Tuesday 24 March) in documents uncovered by the Howard League for Penal Reform.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has known for almost 20 years that tens of thousands of people in prison are forced to occupy cells that do not meet lawful fire safety standards. Faced with a capacity crisis so acute that more than half of prisons are overcrowded, the government has reneged on a commitment to make all cells fire-safe by the end of 2027 or take them out of use. No new deadline has been set.

The Howard League can reveal that, in the autumn of 2025, more than 60 prisons were waiting for work to improve fire safety. They included Stocken, Eastwood Park, Swaleside, Risley, Wealstun, Chelmsford and Holme House, all of which have seen fatal fires in the last 15 years.
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https://howardleague.org/news/more-than-60-prisons-await-vital-improvements-as-government-u-turns-on-fire-safety/



More than 40 prisons were waiting for the installation of in-cell automatic fire detection (AFD) equipment, which alerts staff to fires immediately. They included Eastwood Park, where Clare Dupree was fatally injured in a fire in December 2022.
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https://howardleague.org/news/more-than-60-prisons-await-vital-improvements-as-government-u-turns-on-fire-safety/

Dozens of prisons in England and Wales that have been waiting for vital fire safety improvements – including seven jails where there have been fatal fires – are identified in documents uncovered by the Howard League for Penal Reform.

26/03/2026

HANDCUFFED IN HOSPITAL
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Beatrice spent just over a year in prison in 2023/24.
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Despite having been sentenced for a non-violent crime, she was taken to HMP Bronzefield – a category A women’s prison that houses offenders who pose the highest threat to the public – while awaiting transfer to an open prison, a minimum-security facility focusing on resettlement and rehabilitation.
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It was while she was in Bronzefield that she had to attend a hospital appointment for an intimate examination. Under that prison’s es**rt policy, she was handcuffed for the appointment – a measure that would not have been automatically used had she already been moved to an open prison.
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“I was handcuffed to two female officers and es**rted through the hospital,” Beatrice told openDemocracy. “It was very degrading and humiliating. It was the first time I had been out of the prison, and everyone was staring at me, thinking, what has she done?”
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Once in the examination room, the officers fitted Beatrice with handcuffs attached to a metre-long chain so they could stand behind the modesty curtain while she was examined. “Before I took my leggings down, the officers said they had to attach a long handcuff,” she said. “It was very clumsy; it took them ages to do it. I was feeling very humiliated.
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“You are stripped of your dignity in prison, but this is a hospital and I am pulling my leggings down and I am attached to a stranger. I felt like the doctor was embarrassed, and therefore everything was very rushed.”
https://www.womeninprison.org.uk/news/open-democracy-use-of-force-in-womens-prisons-doubles/

26/03/2026

HANDCUFFED IN HOSPITAL

Beatrice spent just over a year in prison in 2023/24.

Despite having been sentenced for a non-violent crime, she was taken to HMP Bronzefield – a category A women’s prison that houses offenders who pose the highest threat to the public – while awaiting transfer to an open prison, a minimum-security facility focusing on resettlement and rehabilitation.
It was while she was in Bronzefield that she had to attend a hospital appointment for an intimate examination. Under that prison’s es**rt policy, she was handcuffed for the appointment – a measure that would not have been automatically used had she already been moved to an open prison.

“I was handcuffed to two female officers and es**rted through the hospital,” Beatrice told openDemocracy. “It was very degrading and humiliating. It was the first time I had been out of the prison, and everyone was staring at me, thinking, what has she done?”

Once in the examination room, the officers fitted Beatrice with handcuffs attached to a metre-long chain so they could stand behind the modesty curtain while she was examined. “Before I took my leggings down, the officers said they had to attach a long handcuff,” she said. “It was very clumsy; it took them ages to do it. I was feeling very humiliated.

“You are stripped of your dignity in prison, but this is a hospital and I am pulling my leggings down and I am attached to a stranger. I felt like the doctor was embarrassed, and therefore everything was very rushed.”
https://www.womeninprison.org.uk/news/open-democracy-use-of-force-in-womens-prisons-doubles/

26/03/2026

Restrained, handcuffed and in pain: Use of force in women’s prisons doubles
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Written by Nic Murray and Sian Norris
Published: 25th March 2026
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Experts demand answers as we reveal prison staff increasingly use force to deal with mental health.
Women in English prisons are being increasingly handcuffed, restrained or subjected to “pain-inducing techniques” by staff, including while pregnant or during hospital examinations, openDemocracy can reveal.

Prison guards’ use of force against women more than doubled in three years, rising from 3,268 incidents in 2021/22 to 6,932 in 2024/25, according to data we obtained from His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) under Freedom of Information laws. The government says such measures should be used only as “a last resort”.

Instances where a woman was physically restrained, which could include her being held face down to the floor, rose by 70% over that time period, while handcuff usage rose by 264%, from 502 occasions to 1,826.

https://www.womeninprison.org.uk/news/open-democracy-use-of-force-in-womens-prisons-doubles/