Ombudsman for Prisoners (From Accountability and Prisons, P 165-174, 1986, Mike Maguire et al, eds. - See NCJ-100462)

• NCJ Number: 100470
• Author(s): P Birkinshow
• Date Published: 1986
• Length: 7 pages
• Sale Source: Methuen, Inc
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

The United Kingdom should establish an ombudsman with responsibility only for prisoner complaints and with the power to challenge Prison Department policies, rules, and standing orders.

Abstract

The Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (PCA) currently is responsible for investigating complaints against Federal agencies, including the Home Office and its Prison Department. Prisoners' complaints, however, are a small part of the PCA workload. The PCA has refused to challenge Prison Department rules, to question the Home Office's refusal to give reasons for rejecting inmate petitions, or to censure the inconsistent application of censorship criteria for inmate letters. The creation of an ombudsman responsible for prisoner grievances would be the centerpiece of reform in inmate grievance procedures. Inmates would have direct access to the ombudsman, and correspondence between inmates and the ombudsman would be uncensored by prison authorities. The ombudsman should have power to visit prisons unannounced, to interview inmates, to conduct investigations independently, and to have access to all papers and persons relevant to an investigation. 15 notes.