The Abolitionist No 21 (1986)

Introduction / Commentary by John Moore

Published in 1986, number 21 opens with an editorial critiquing a Government White Paper’s proposals for longer prison sentences.  Mellissa Benn and Chris Tchaikovsky review the Prior report on prison discipline, Joes Sim provides a critical account of the fourth Annual Report of the Chief Inspector of Prisons - Watching the Prison Wheels Grind, and Mick Ryan and Tony Ward review David Garland’s recently published Punishment and Welfare. Lee Bridges and Liz Fekete argue that by co-opting ‘victims’ the government (with help from Labour councils and Left Realist criminologists) was redefining racism as individual victimisation as a strategy to draw attention away from institutional racism. It is a powerful and well argued critique that my short summary can’t do justice to. The next article is a round table discussion chaired by Melissa Benn on Feminist Criminology, contributors were Frances Heidonsohn, Susan Edwards and WIP founder Chris Tchaikovsky.  In the final article Alison Young highlights some problematic aspects of feminist theories on rape. The edition finishes with two book reviews.

The Women in Prison (WIP) section included a news page as well as reports from various women’s prisons and a number of letters. There is an article by Susan Rossiter on two women who had killed violent abusers and the way they, and other similar cases, are dealt with by the criminal justice system. Finally there is details of two (more) women who have died in prison.

PROP’s Prison Briefing focuses exclusively on the then ongoing industrial action being undertaken by prison guards. It is a very nuanced analysis well worth a read.

The Inquest bulletin starts with a report that a decision had been taken to take no action against officers involved in the killing of Cynthia Jarrett (her death had been the spark to the Tottenham Uprising). David Leadbetter and Gary Rowlands write about the death in police custody of John Mikkelson; there is details about a campaign being set up to demand a Fatal Accident Enquiry into the death of Willie McRae in Inverness-shire. Tony Ward critically reviews the requirement for disciplinary charges to be proved beyond reasonable doubt and reviews the book The Law and Practice on Coroners’ Inquests. There is details of further deaths in prison and an update on Inquest’s funding after the abolition of the GLC.