The Abolitionist No 22 (1986)

Introduction / Commentary by John Moore

This edition’s editorial ‘A screwed-up war” critiqued the ongoing criminalisation of certain drugs and was followed up by an article on The Richmond Fellowship’s therapeutic community model of drug rehabilitation; Melissa Benn’s interviews of three working from drug agencies and a poem on temptation. In other articles Chris Tchaikovsky attacks the Home Office’s decision to introduce male guards into Holloway prison; a 74 year old peace campaigner’s diary of her imprisonment in Ridley and Styal; a brilliant carton by Andrzy Janusazak; an important theoretical essay by Mick Ryan and Tony Ward on Left Realism; Pru Stevenson’s account of a visit to Barnet Hospital’s Crisis Intervention Scheme; some letters, book reviews and a moving obituary of his mother, Jean, by the film maker and journalist Nick Davies.

The Inquest Bulletin focused on the cases of Anthony Lemard and John Mikkelson (see also no. 21). There is also short summary of the recently published Death and Disorder by its author, Tony Ward.

The Women in Prison (WIP) section has a selection of news from women’s prisons and an account of the death of a baby born to a Holloway prisoner by Chris Tchaikovsky. This is hard reading and in light of the recent experience of pregnant women prisoners frustrating to know that the issues were clear nearly 40 years ago.  It is hard to conclude anything other than the prison authorities just don’t care. The authors of a GLC report Breaking the Silence, Alina Mama, Maria Mars and Pru Stevenson are interviewed by Melissa Benn and Ginger LeGrand and Judi Ward write about Durham prison’s notorious H wing. Finally there is news of a new campaign being launched by WIP - Women in Special Hospitals (WISH).

PROP’s prison briefing is again a single article, this time focusing on a recent Prison Reform Trust (PRT) report on some riots/uprisings that had occurred in April and May 1986 during the prison guards industrial action. The article seeks to update PROP’s analysis of the industrial action (see number 21).