Memo to the Ministry of Justice

Memo to the Ministry of Justice

Memorandum

From: Jailhouselawyer

To: Ministry of Justice press office

Re: Prisoner bloggers

Please study the images below and see if you can tell the difference?



Elbow

I would like to take this opportunity to point out that there is a discrepancy between this version as understood by Prisoner Ben, the Governor of H.M. Prison Shepton Mallet, and Director General of NOMS, Phil Wheatley, and indeed the Treasury Solicitor:

"As you may recall last Wednesday I told you that I had spoken to the policy lead who had given the Head of Operations here the original policy line on your use of a blog which has resulted in the Head of Performance stopping this letter after discussing it with me. On the advice we had at the time from the policy lead that was the appropriate action. I have since spoken at length with the policy leads on both PSO 4411 and 4470. I am now advised that their original advice is withdrawn and you may send material out for your blog".

And your version by Peter Huntingford sent to Viking FM:

A Prison Service spokesperson said:

"Prisoners cannot personally contribute to websites. They are not allowed to access the internet, except in exceptional circumstances and under strict supervision.

"We are unable to prevent third parties from publishing information on other people's behalf , but prison rules state that a prisoner may not ask another person to make a communication on their behalf which they would not be allowed to make themselves.

"It is a criminal offence to bring a mobile phone into prison. We are committed to enforcing this, and to finding and disrupting any phones which are smuggled in. The seizures we make demonstrate our commitment, as well as the effectiveness of prison security and intelligence work.

"We have a range of new technology to bolster prisons' ability to find mobile phones and SIM cards, including body scanning chairs, in line with the recommendations of the Blakey report.

"In addition, the Government has strengthened the law around this, meaning that someone convicted of bringing in a mobile phone or its components to a prison now faces up to two years in jail."

In the light of these mixed messages emanating from the same department, is it possible that you just stick to one version?

UPDATE: @ 16.56

Please see below clarification, further to our discussion this morning.

Many thanks

Pete

A Prison Service spokesperson said:

"Prisoners cannot personally contribute to websites. They are not allowed to access the internet, except in exceptional circumstances and under strict supervision.

"We are unable to prevent third parties from publishing information on other people's behalf."

Erm...? I thought the whole point of clarification was to make things clearer? Shortening the original message does not address the issue of mixed messages.

Marks out of 10/0. Could do a lot better...