REGARDING your editorial (LET, October 15), on the HM Chief Inspector of Prisons' report on Preston Jail and your fulsome support of remand prisoners' rights, the report is very critical of prison officers' conduct.
If their failures are as bad as alleged, what are the official prison visitors doing, not to have noted the fact - and the Probation Service and the multitude of associations who have prisoners' interests at heart?
The warders are an easy target to denigrate. Blame for the conditions of this prison should be laid where it rightly belongs - at the Home Office.
First, there is an evident lack of suitable training for prison staff to ensure correct procedures are adhered to.
Second, there are the poor facilities at Preston Jail, plus overcrowding and the failure to fully implement previous recommendations.
The Home Office expect this old, inadequate prison to accept prisoners on remand with mental and psychological problems, plus drug abusers.
One matter which is never highlighted is the number of prisoners prevented from committing suicide.
JOHN EDDLESTON, Brownhill Road, Blackburn.
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article