Since December 2025, a number of changes were made to Rule 19 of the Parole Board Rules that affected the rights of people in prison to have an oral hearing. What were the changes? The first ...

In January, Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor published a report praising reading initiatives within some prisons. He referred to the “strong reading culture” generated within these, and ...

I am now more than 10 years into my life sentence. I have been to four prisons, and New Hall is my fourth. I have been here for just over a year now. I know and understand that things change from ...

I read an article in your pages (‘My hostel is like a prison’, Nov 2025) which stated that in European countries there are no probation officers or licence conditions. Prisoners are simply released ...

For three quarters of a century, you graced the world so well In the end you fought the good fight, I imagine it was hell I ...

When I was younger, I kept my hair long to be cool, Now I’m older more for warmth in wintertime. When I was younger, I played the fool, Now I’m older embarrassment is almost a crime. When I was ...

Addiction, it’s just a mere word. You cannot fathom, the hurt, the curse, the cramps, the sickness, the pains all this down ...

My name’s Barry Brown I come from the streets, born straight into a life of crime So is it any wonder jail was on the cards and I’d end up doing time My father was a villain, my mother was ...

The ups, downs, challenges and triumphs of a prison leaver’s journey ‘In you go, in you go… don’t be shy!’ Stan ‘Dandy Liver’ McComb hesitated, right foot on the prison sweatbox step, left hand ...

In each column we bring you the profile of a different member of our therapy animal team and explain how they help in “Unleashing the Healing Power of Animals”. Most of the animals on our team are ...

The power of The Family and Friends Request Show One of the hardest things about prison isn’t the walls, the routines, or even the time itself. It’s the distance. The quiet gap that opens up ...

In a competition for readers, we asked you to tell us about someone who has helped you in prison. Winning entries described ...