Pussy Riot singer joins opposition to UK prison book ban

[uhnope]

Source: BBC

Pussy Riot member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova has given her support to a campaign against the UK government's ban on sending books to prisoners.

Ms Tolokonnikova, who spent 16 months in jail for protesting against Russian president Vladimir Putin, is one of 10 prominent former prisoners to write about the importance of books in jail.

"Books make up your entire world when you are a prisoner," she said.

Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said the ban helped keep prisons drug-free.

Under the law, introduced in November, prisoners are prevented from receiving parcels, including books, unless they have "exceptional circumstances", such as a medical condition.

Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-27125740

[LeftishBrit]

1. k&r

[Kelvin Mace]

2. Have these people lost their minds?

You are taking away BOOKS from prisoners?

[dipsydoodle]

4. No.

Just stopping them receiving books and parcels from outside the prison.

Prisoners have access to the library 5 days a week 09:00 - 11:30, 14:00 - 16:30 and 18:00 - 19:30. That's for the Scrubs - probably the same at other prisons. http://www.insidetime.org/info-regimes2.asp?nameofprison=HMP_WORMWOOD_SCRUBS

Chances of this having any effect on UK law are nil.

[oldandhappy]

3. holy moly

Books are a lot cheaper than shrinks. Get with the program U.K. Give books to the prisoners for free and they might get some great new ideas and get out of jail and contribute to your economy. Keep them isolated from fresh thinking and see what you get. Another corner office guy decision.

[Nihil]

10. We have something called a "library" where they can get books for free and have done for years.

I realise you might not have those things with you but rest assured, there are plenty of books,
ideas and fresh thinking being provided to prisoners over here.

The thing that is being stopped is the illicit supply of hard drugs.

[rocktivity]

5. Do UK prisons have libraries?

Maybe the books could be sent there.


rocktivity

[dipsydoodle]

6. Yes

As far as I'm aware they all do.

[Helen Borg]

7. Why no books?

What the hell?

[LeftishBrit]

9. It's not just books; it's clamping down on allowing inmates to receive any sort of parcels because

that might be used as a means of smuggling drugs into prisons. This was always a concern; but recently it has become so draconian that even book parcels are banned.

[Nihil]

11. There was no "might" involved and this ban will help more prisoners than it harms.

The fraction of the prison population that is prepared to do anything to keep their
drug trade going is pretty small compared to the fraction that is victimised every
day into "assisting" the pushers. This will help protect the majority - the non-violent
ones.

[Ash_F]

8. Watch them get thrown under the bus by the media

..once they start criticizing western prisons.

Good for them.