Prison report finds fault with exercise and work regimes
Saturday 20th November 2010, 2:29PM GMT.
PRISONERS have been limited to just 30 minutes exercise a day in some parts of Les Nicolles, according to an external report into Guernsey’s treatment of prisoners.
The first report by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment highlighted numerous shortfalls in many aspects of island policy.
Three inspectors visited the prison in March, as well as several other island establishments.
Their report stated that changes needed to be made in many areas.
One concern was the lack of outside exercise for prisoners on J-Wing, who spend most of their days locked in their cells.
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Cell work out =
Press ups : Sit ups (various): Core Stabilty (various) : Chin ups : Dips : Jumps : Squats (various) : Lunges : Running thrusts : Squat thrusts : Burpees : Calf raises : Flexibilty :
Yoga : Meditation. Fitness sorted !
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Oh dear, the prisoners can’t get enough exercise, poor things. It’s like a bloody hotel in there.
It would make much more sense for the elderly who go to old people homes to go to prison.
1) It’s free
2) Free education
3) 24/7 CCTV incase they fall out of bed
4) Use of computers
5) Use of the internet
6) Use of mobile telephones
7) Family can visit at particular times of the day
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Your missing the point. Prison means loss of liberty. They still have to be treated humanly. This is a modern society, we cant mistreat people. A lot of inmates are first offenders and just being there is traumatic enough, and hopefully they would not like to return.I suppose you would have them hanging on the walls with chains, fed bread and water, and beaten daily. Mmm maybe that would not be so bad for some of them! Difficult one eh, but we have to be sensible. With regards to you suggesting old people would be better off there, well i’m glad i’m not your grandad.
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Erm. Why is that “Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment”?? 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week is exactly the right amount of daily exercise time according to the NHS, the National Institute of Clinical Excellence and the world’s leading authority on physical activity – the American College of Sports Medicine.
Perhaps the more relevant story would be why the rest of Guernsey DOESN’T feel the need to get their 30 minutes of exercise each day….
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Geoff, they should be treated inhumanely. They’ve committed crimes which shouldn’t be tolerated.
Bring back the death penalty I say!
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Oh dear, Oh dear! Does this mean the dirtbags won’t want to go back to prison again?
How sad! No more recidivists, and a dearth of crime. Re-open the old gloomy jail and turn the new one into flats for DECENT people, eh? Ah but yes, eh?
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It makes me laugh they commit crime go to prison and get treated like bloody royalty (re Mr G comment) no wander they keep offending if this is what they get inside. They should be made to suffer.next they will be asking for a medal for the crime they have done
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@Mr G: you’d fit in well with the communists.
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These are NOT my words but copied from a freinds blog who lives in the USA, hence the somewhat bizarre wording at times and it is in NO way directed to sound detrimental to local nursing homes ….
———————————————–
Here’s the way it should be:
Let’s put the seniors in jail and the criminals in nursing homes.
This would correct two things in one motion:
Seniors would have access to showers, hobbies and walks. They would receive unlimited free prescriptions, dental and medical treatment, wheel chairs, etc. They would receive money instead of having to pay it out. They would have constant video monitoring, so they would be helped instantly if they fell or needed assistance.
Bedding would be washed twice a week and all clothing would be ironed and returned to them. A guard would check on them every 20 minutes. All meals and snacks would be brought to them. They would have family visits in a suite built for that purpose.
They would have access to a library, weight/fitness room, spiritual counseling, a pool and education and free admission to in-house concerts by nationally recognized entertainment artists.
Simple clothing (shoes, slippers, pj’s) and legal aid would be free, upon request. There would be private, secure rooms provided for all with an outdoor exercise yard complete with gardens. Each senior would have a P.C., T.V., phone and radio in their room at no cost. They would receive daily phone calls. There would be a Board of directors to hear any complaints and the ACLU would fight for their rights and protection.
The guards would have a code of conduct to be strictly adhered to, with attorneys available,
at no charge to protect the seniors and their families from abuse or neglect.
As for the criminals:
They would receive cold food. They would be left alone and unsupervised. They would receive showers once a week. They would live in tiny rooms, for which they would have to pay $5,000 per month. They would have no hope of ever getting out.
“Sounds like justice to me!”
———————————————–
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Mr G – I’m pleased they treated you so well on your last visit to prison.
I assume you’ve seen the inside of a prison as you write with the appearance of some authority on the subject.
I’m not sure I’d like to be banged up for 23 hours a day with some guy I’ve never met before let alone have to sit there whilst he sh*ts next to me. The subsequent aroma you found pleasurable?
I quite like my liberty but you clearly didn’t miss yours? You had use of a mobile phone? There is only one place you could have put that to smuggle it in. I bet that brought a tear to your eye.
Internet – really? You must have been the governors pet to have been only con with that benefit. Well done.
I’m always enthralled by ‘prison is like a hotel’ comments – such people clearly have low expectations of their holiday accommodation.
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coco – can you please explain how being locked up and denied your liberty is being treated like royalty?
If it’s that good why don’t you go earn yourself a spell inside?
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Interesting blog @Toady. May I comment?
1.Showers. Entitlement is one per week. Hobbies? Walks – around a yard.
2. Bedding washed twice a week? No, one sheet and one pillow case washed per week. Clothing ironed and returned – do you want to wear underpants that someone else wore yesterday?
3. PC TC Phone and Radio at no cost? Rubbish – NO PC, no phone a radio if you buy it and a TV is an earned privilege that you may rent.
4. Visiting suite? A big room filled with chairs and tables where you get to see your wife and kids once or twice a month for an hour or two whilst being watched and overheard. Awesome.
So – why aren’t ‘seniors’ queuing up at the gates of every gaol in the land?
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@Hello
You will see that I said it was NOT my words and was based in the USA.
On a personal note I have no experience in prison affairs locally or otherwise but would welcome the need for prisioners anywhere to pay for their upkeep
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@Paul I have pride unlike some (that is why I would not like a spell in prison)and yes they are treated like bloody royalty, they even get to hold the keys to the door-I can remember a article in the press where a investigation was going on about the prison officers leaving the prison and letting some inmates run the place. Unless of course the press was printing garble
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coco and the rest of the “hang em high” zealots,
I have had cause to visit people who have been doing time at Les Nicolles and let me tell you it is a god awful place!
The phsycological effects were described to me as “a nightmare”.
I would suggest that anyone who calls it a hotel has never been there.
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@Kevin -well they should not have committed a crime and they would not be in there…as for the phsycological effects -well need I say more- what about there victims
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In the UK you can get locked up for not having a television licence then get bu****ed and beaten in the showers everyday for up to 6 months.
Can that happen here or who cares anyway as criminals should have no rights ?
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Coco – you really don’t seem to grasp the principle that having your liberty taken away is the punishment and that prison is not supposed to inflict further physical or mental punishment.
You break the law and you do your time.
I think for most of us that loss of liberty and separation from friends and family is deterrent enough.
Prisons are full to bursting with some 50% of prisoners having mental health issues, dyslexia, low educational standards. They really are the bottom rung of society. With proper investment prison can be a positive and life changing experience for many but simply locking them up for 23 hours without regard for physical or mental well being serves neither them nor wider society.
It is clear from your inane ‘royalty’ comments that you have never seen the inside of a prison and really have no idea what you are waffling on about so maybe keep your bitterness and self loathing to yourself?
Andy – Everybody should probably care but it’s all behind closed doors so unless you have worked in the system, volunteered in the system or been incarcerated you can’t have much of idea as to what it is like to be locked up. Comments above such as ‘treated like royalty’ and ‘it’s like a hotel’ simply prove the ignorance that exists in some sections of society. Should prisoners have rights? Well they’ve lost the right to liberty and I’m not sure there is a need to remove further rights.
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coco
you can get sent to prison here for practically anything. the punishment must fit the crime. I agree totally that not enough is done for victims but since when have two wrongs made a right?
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Isn’t prison also about rehabilitation as well as punishment?
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To Hello…So you think that having a low education standard, Dyslexia and mental health problems puts you on the bottom rung of society.
More like people with an attitude like yours are on the bottom rung! Have you heard yourself, how mindless can you get!
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Geoff
I suppose it’s how you read Hello’s post. But I read it as the people being detained with all the difficulties are on the bottom rung of life’s ladder.
This would be an opportunity to help/support them to overcome these difficulties so they will have more of a “chance” on their release.
I think if you take the time to read it again you might have a different view? Or stick to yours as you are fully entitled to it even it is wrong!
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Geoff – I think you need to read the context in which the comment was made. I am referring to prisoners being regarded as the bottom rung of society. I have given freely of my time to volunteer in prisons to help those with educational and mental health and emotional issues many whom see themselves as outsiders and outcasts.
No need to apologise Geoff.
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“The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons”: Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821 – 1881).
Our prison should be an opportunity for those who have offended to turn their lives around; whether that is through learning a new skill, getting away from addiction, obtaining treatment for mental ill health, doing offence-focused work to avoid re-offending, or getting fit through a proper exercise regime.
Any notion of reverting back to Nineteenth Century-style prisons where people were physically abused or worked to death doing totally pointless tasks is complete nonsense. All those who argue for more harsh prison environments obviously wish to go back to a less civilized age. The deprivation of one’s liberty should never ever be underestimated.
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Your quite right, could be read bothe ways. No offence inteneded if as you interpret the post is correct.
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I agree totally with the report,people are so ignorant and narrow minded of the facts on human rights and torture,as a member of AI i will be emailing them about yet another guernsey disgrace
Hold our heads in shame.
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The only people that should hang there heads in shame should be the ones that have commited a crime.The one that have not are the people who are paying for these scum bags that are in prison.
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Yet another narrow minded view from coco
Have you heard of human rights ?
I suggest you join AI NOW
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Outstanding post post, Chris.
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….so good I said it twice! :-)
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Unfortunately there will always be people who can see this from only one view point. They did something bad, they must be punished, they must not be shown mercy, they deserve everything they get.
I have nothing but the upmost respect for you Hello giving your time and skills freely to help.
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“The number of former servicemen in prison or on probation or parole is now more than double the total British deployment in Afghanistan, according to a new survey. An estimated 20,000 veterans are in the criminal justice system, with 8,500 behind bars, almost one in 10 of the prison population.
The proportion of those in prison who are veterans has risen by more than 30% in the last five years.”
The Guardian 09.09.2009
All scumbags eh Coco??? You really are far too self opinionated & without any basis for your arguments aren’t you? There are many kinds of people who find themselves in prison and by no means are they all dreadful people.
Paul – In the 19th Century christian organisations championed prison reform. Now the christian ‘right’ seems to be all about retribution. Can you explain why?
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Watch this Coco http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/video/2009/sep/24/armed-forces-criminal-justice
Scum bag? You’re a more valuable human being than him?
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