Prison is all about rehabilitation right?........
So, my Scottish friend....she spent 5 1/2 years inside. She did every course available and more. She earned level 3 plus qualifications in Counselling, PTLLS, Advice and Guidance, Media etc...... alongside all the mundane level 1 and 2 courses that OMU demands you do..She had a full time job, a car, a new relationship and family in Southern England. Indeed, a perfect example of rehabilitation in its best form!
So, you might think, she is set up for her release on licence...
Well, 3 months later she is still languishing in homeless accommodation in Scotland. Despite request after request being sent into the probation service in Sussex, absolutely nothing has changed. And it's not for the want of trying. Scottish probation, to be fair, has tried its hardest. But for some reason, unknown to anybody except those involved in Sussex, they are being incredibly vindictive, awkward, prohibitive, difficult and obstructive. ( I am being tame with my choice of vocabulary here!)
The new privatised Community Rehabilitation Company refuses to respond to e-mails and phone calls. It changes the boundaries as it feels fit. It refuses to put anything in writing, refuses to answer questions. And now the KSS CRC has decided they need to go to someone high up in the NPS (National Probation Service) in order to decide if they can take on the case of this incredibly low risk, one time offender who was completely rehabilitated. You would think in these times of "payment by results" they would jump at the chance of a guaranteed success story!
Scottish Probation are bewildered. They quote an example of an incredibly high risk repeat offender released into their care recently. He needed to be with family in Liverpool. The request was sent one day, approved straight away and he was off to Liverpool within 48 hours. So why, you might ask, is this lady still sitting homeless, jobless, friendless and familyless in Scotland?
The only conclusion that seems probable is one of discrimination. You see, her new partner is female. Ok, Ok, I know that is irrelevant..... but is it? There is no reason at all for not allowing her to move back to England. Nothing in her past or in her behaviour. So this leads to the assumption that somebody seems to have a homophobic issue....
Until they put something in writing this poor lady is stuck. She has a serious heart operation booked in London in 10 days time. She needs to be down in the area next Wednesday for pre op appointments. The CRC are still refusing to respond, and they need to give her permission to stay at the local address supplied to them months ago. Her GP has now stated grave concerns at her risk of stroke or heart attack. Her stress levels are such that he has prescribed Diazepam.
Two different legal teams are now involved. They too have not managed to get any response in writing. Appealing decisions that are verbal or invisible is impossible. And it seems that the CRC know this.There seems to be nowhere to go for help. The very people who are given the job of caring for ex offenders are seemingly unable to do their job. All it takes is a controlling and manipulative probation officer and somebody's life can be completely destroyed. Another example of the 'wonderful' British justice system.......
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