Skip Navigation | HOME | UK Indymedia | Editorial Guidelines | Mission Statement | About Us | Contact | Help | Support Us

West Country Features | UK Features | West Country Newswire | UK Newswire |

Pauline Campbell nicked at Eastwood Park Prison/YOI/mother & baby unit

Guido | 23.10.2006 08:59 | Repression | Social Struggles

At the gates of Eastwood Park Prison two rather embarrassed Policemen are gently trying to persuade retired School Teacher Pauline Campbell to unblock the road and allow a prison van to enter the establishment. Pauline is arguing that a recent fatality here suggests that Eastwood Park is not a safe place for women to be held and that the van should take its prisoners elsewhere. The Constables seem decidedly uncomfortable with the situation and summon a sergeant for advice. They knew about this demo in advance; Pauline staged an identical protest here last year following another apparent self-inflicted death. I can almost imagine them drawing lots back at the station to see who would answer the inevitable call. Eventually after 15 minutes of being bombarded with prison related facts and figures they lose patience a drag Pauline away to a waiting transport. This is the thirteenth time she has arrested since the death of her 18 year old daughter Sarah in Style Prison in 2003. However she is rarely charged with any offence. Most prisons are nervous about the prospect of giving Pauline a courtroom platform and the potential PR disaster it could bring.

.
.

.
.

.
.

..
..

.
.

.
.

.
.


Eastwood Park is being targeted today because of the death of 28 year old Lisa Anne Woodhall on October 8th. Despite being identified as being at risk of self harm she was found hanging in her cell. One month prior to this tragedy the Home Office released a report on this prison. This followed an unannounced inspection of it in March of this year. Amongst other things the report said that ‘there had been no coordinated learning from previous deaths in custody’. This conclusion has turned out to be sadly prophetic.

Pauline suspects that like so many others Lisa should not have been in prison to begin with. “Nine out of ten female prisoners are being held for non-violent crimes. Most women prisoners are suffering some kind of mental illness or disorder. There is something inherently cruel about sending sick people to places of punishment; prisons are fast becoming social dustbins”. She also has plenty to say about the Home Secretary. “Overall crime has fallen 44% in the last decade, is stable this year and murder is down. Yet John Reid has announced plans for 8,000 extra prison places at a cost of £800m – a sure case of mistaken priorities. Wouldn’t it be better to spend the money on mental health and drug and alcohol treatment facilities?”

The Home Office has recently made the highly unusual move of admitting liability for the death of Pauline’s teenage daughter. For failing in their duty of care and for violating her human rights. There still has been no apology. If they were hoping that this would placate her bereaved mother they were sorely mistaken. She is more determined than ever to see an end to the present system endured by women prisoners. One of the more upsetting facts is that teenagers, mothers with infants and adult criminals are housed in the same establishments, unlike their male counterparts. “People need to remember that prisons were designed and built by men for men. For menstruating women to be slopping out in the 21st century is a scandal”.

While at the gates of Eastwood Park we meet three activists who are here to visit a friend being held within. Her crime? She had broken into Fairford Airbase during the invasion of Iraq and occupied the runway in protest at its use by American bombers. She is serving 28 days for refusing to pay her fine. Her detention will cost the taxpayer at least £100.00 for every day she is here. Money well spent?






N.B. Pauline and her supporters will be attending the United Friends and Families demo this Saturday. Assemble 12.30pm Trafalgar Square for a silent march down Whitehall followed by a noisy protest outside Downing st. All welcome Please ware black, bring banners but no placards.

Guido
- e-mail: guidoreports@riseup.net

Download this article in pdf format >>

Email this article to someone >>

Submit an addition or make a quick comment on this article >>

Comments

Hide the following 2 comments

support from u.s.a.

24.10.2006 23:38

Pauline Campbell has my support and my respect for the work she does to safeguard the lives of incarcerated women.

I live in Albany, New York, U.S.A., where I work to change and improve conditions within U.S. prisons (State and Federal). Our plight is common, whether we are in the UK or USA -- all over our world incarcerated men and women need help and attention.

My website is: www.StopPrisonAbuse.org
My name is Rosalind Burbank Joseph
email:  rburbank@localnet.com

My husband welcomes correspondence and questions.
His contact information is:

Donnell Joseph
No. 01534-112
US Penitentiary
PO Box 26030
Beaumont, TX
77720-6030
USA

If I did not live so far away, I would join Pauline Campbell in her protests. I hope the eyes of those closer will heed her actions and message and demand change and justice. I hope that all who read this will read the love behind the words and act upon this love.



Rosalind Burbank Joseph
mail e-mail: rburbank@localnet.com
- Homepage: http://www.StopPrisonAbuse.org


Grieving mother nicked again: January 2007

21.01.2008 13:19

Pauline Campbell was again "nicked at Eastwood Park Prison" on 24 January 2007. See:
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/09/382185.html
and made to stand criminal trial on 26 September 2007. See:
 http://www.guardian.co.uk/prisons/story/0,,2175532,00.html
 http://www.doughtystreet.co.uk/news/news_detail.cfm?iNewsID=221

Activist


Publish

Publish your news

Do you need help with publishing?

Kollektives

Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World

Other UK IMCs
Bristol/South West
London
Northern Indymedia
Scotland

Server Appeal

West Country Topics

Analysis
Animal Liberation
Anti-militarism
Anti-racism
Bio-technology
Climate Chaos
Culture
Ecology
Education
Free Spaces
Gender
Globalisation
Health
Indymedia
Migration
Repression
Social Struggles
Technology
Workers' Movements
Zapatista

West Country Actions 2007

West Country Actions 2006

April 2006 No Borders Days of Action
Art and Activism Caravan 2006
Climate Camp 2006
French CPE uprising 2006
G8 Russia 2006
Lebanon War 2006
March 18 Anti War Protest
Mayday 2006
Oaxaca Uprising
Refugee Week 2006
Rossport Solidarity
Transnational Day of Action Against Migration Controls
WSF 2006

West Country Actions 2005

DSEi 2005
G8 2005
WTO Hong Kong 2005

West Country Actions 2004

European Social Forum
FBI Server Seizure
May Day 2004
Venezuela

West Country Actions 2003

Bush 2003
DSEi 2003
Evian G8
May Day 2003
No War F15
Saloniki Prisoner Support
Thessaloniki EU
WSIS 2003

Languages

english

IMCs


www.indymedia.org

Projects
print
radio
satellite tv
video

Africa

Europe
antwerpen
armenia
athens
austria
barcelona
belarus
belgium
belgrade
brussels
bulgaria
calabria
croatia
cyprus
emilia-romagna
estrecho / madiaq
galiza
germany
grenoble
hungary
ireland
istanbul
italy
la plana
liege
liguria
lille
linksunten
lombardia
madrid
malta
marseille
nantes
napoli
netherlands
northern england
nottingham imc
paris/île-de-france
patras
piemonte
poland
portugal
roma
romania
russia
sardegna
scotland
sverige
switzerland
torun
toscana
ukraine
united kingdom
valencia

Latin America
argentina
bolivia
chiapas
chile
chile sur
cmi brasil
cmi sucre
colombia
ecuador
mexico
peru
puerto rico
qollasuyu
rosario
santiago
tijuana
uruguay
valparaiso
venezuela

Oceania
aotearoa
brisbane
burma
darwin
jakarta
manila
melbourne
perth
qc
sydney

South Asia
india


United States
arizona
arkansas
asheville
atlanta
Austin
binghamton
boston
buffalo
chicago
cleveland
colorado
columbus
dc
hawaii
houston
hudson mohawk
kansas city
la
madison
maine
miami
michigan
milwaukee
minneapolis/st. paul
new hampshire
new jersey
new mexico
new orleans
north carolina
north texas
nyc
oklahoma
philadelphia
pittsburgh
portland
richmond
rochester
rogue valley
saint louis
san diego
san francisco
san francisco bay area
santa barbara
santa cruz, ca
sarasota
seattle
tampa bay
united states
urbana-champaign
vermont
western mass
worcester

West Asia
Armenia
Beirut
Israel
Palestine

Topics
biotech

Process
fbi/legal updates
mailing lists
process & imc docs
tech