The Abolitionist No. 16 (1984)

Introduction / Commentary by John Moore

The lead article is this edition, by Mick Ryan and Joe Sim, “Decoding Leon Brittan” built on number 15’s editorial with further analysis of the policies of the Home Secretary, Leon Brittan. This analysis is continued by Peter Simpson, of NAPO Members Action Group, and highlights the contradictions inherent in Leon Brittan’s attempts to reduce the overall prison population whilst advocating longer sentences.

Pat Carlen’s “Justice - Too Important to be Left to the Judiciary” critiques penal reformers for their almost exclusive focus on prisons and argued for a need ‘to focus our gaze upon the sentencing antics’ of the courts.  She argues for a movement away from the “Right to Punish” towards a power to intervene. In response to proposals (for yet another) Criminal Justice Act, Martin Wright proposes a “Non-Criminal Justice Bill”. In his article he lists a total of 37 ‘reforms’.  These make an interesting read, whilst some are obviously reformist reforms, other are abolitionist reforms. (PROP’s response to these proposals on page viii should be read alongside Wright’s article.) Also in this edition was Jill Box-Grainger’s interview with a Magistrate; a report on the establishment of Families Outside in Glasgow a support group for prisoners’ family members;  Norman MacLellan’s account of “Remand in Scotland”; an obituary of RAP sponsor, David Markham; and a number of book and film reviews.

The edition includes inserts from Women in Prison (WIP), PROP and Inquest. 

WIP reported on a number of prisons, a copy of the GLC Women’s Committee response to the Police Bill and a short article by Pat Carlen on how women are judged by the criminal Justice System. 

PROP’s prison briefing focused on the need for change in medical services inside prison. This includes details of the treatment of a number of pregnant girls and women in Styal. It also includes PROP’s critical response to Martin Wright’s reform proposals.

The Inquest bulletin saw critical accounts of the inquest into the death of James Daley and the inspection report on Ashford following the death of Jim Heather-Hayes. It also included summaries of Inquest’s responses to the Police Bill and Home Office proposals to the Coroners and their courts.