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Posts Tagged ‘Close Supervision Centre CSC’

Demo against the Close Supervision Centres – Letter from Kevan Thakrar (UK)

Friday, November 4th, 2016

The Close Supervision Centre (CSC) system is the English version of American supermax prison conditions, indefinite solitary confinement within the most oppressive and brutal environment found in this country, which can appropriately be called torture camps. Psychological warfare is used upon its victims on a constant basis, with frequent physical attacks supplementing the arbitrary punishment. As only around 50 prisoners fall victim to the CSC at any one time its existence is largely unknown even amongst the general prison population, so it is not surprising that the wider public are so poorly informed that almost no-one protests that taxes are being spent to torment vulnerable captives who are also British citizens.
 
Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of prisons (HMIP) is tasked with the role of reporting on all places of detention within the country, with a decreasing level of funding for the prison system whilst prisoner numbers continue to rise it is inevitable that more and more failings and inadequacies will be identified by them. Considering the CSC is the violation of international and European law, as well as being morally reprehensible for both its design and implementation, you would expect HMIP to dedicate its times exposing the secretive system with the goal of achieving its abolition but at least securing desperately needed reforms. When the entire prison system can be seen to be declining in the level of treatment it provides, it is obvious that those already at the harsh end will suffer the most. HMIP chooses to pretend that the CSC does not exist rather than tackle the deplorable, less attention is paid to the worst part of the prison system than any other which is simply inexcusable. (more…)

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Two letters from Kevan Thakrar, imprisoned within the CSC Units (UK)

Sunday, July 17th, 2016

UPDATE – Demo: Thursday 21st July 2016, between 12.30pm and 2.30pm – Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, Rose Court, Southwark Bridge, London SE1 9HS, UK

From a comrade of ABC Brighton:

25th May 2016

Having just read George Jackson’s ‘Soledad brothers. Two things have struck me, this book was written in 1960’s America during the black rights movement detailed the racism found in their prisons then but could quite easily depict the current state of English prisons today. Cowardly white prisoners colluding with the prison officers in order to subject the minorities to a worse quality of life than they face, rather than seeing their fellow prisoner as an ally in attempting to improve life for all, is a growing problem in England although those with Islamic beliefs are the main targets rather than the Blacks. The expansion of Nazi gangs which is facilitated by prison service personnel at all levels, with random unprovoked attacks on minorities being the result is successfully dividing the prison population, causing a distraction from the serious deterioration in conditions within prisons which are creeping behind the racists.

The book covers much wider ground, looking at capitalism and imperialism as the route causes for the exploitation of humans by America but it is within prisons where these effects are magnified. The fact that this conservative government are oppressing the masses today, demonizing immigrants and Muslims whilst dropping bombs all over the middle east is no different to the American government in the 60’s implementing Jim Crow, warring with Vietcong and misleading the public with propaganda. (more…)

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21 July – London demo against the brutal Close Supervision Centres – Letter by Kevan Thakrar (UK)

Tuesday, May 31st, 2016

From a comrade of ABC Brighton:

A secret world exists within the high security prison estate in England, known as the Close Supervision Centre (CSC) system. The dehumanisation of CSC prisoners begins at a very early stage, in the official justification for the creation of the CSC system, which focuses on the need to contain a new breed of unmanageable and unpredictable risks. It continues with the creation of classificatory categories of ‘dangerousness’ which objectify prisoners and make more of the category and less of the human in them, and it is reinforced by the tightly controlled and highly regulated routines.

In addition to isolation and extremely restricted movements, prisoners’ in-cell belongings are carefully regulated and subjected to relentless scrutiny and inspection. (more…)

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Letters from Kevan Thakrar from the isolation units of England (UK)

Monday, April 18th, 2016

From a comrade of ABC Brighton:

March 17

A secret world exists within the high security prison estate in England, known as the Close Supervision Centre (CSC) system. It is notorious amongst the few who know of it, a place only the most unfortunate men ever see. Reports of serious mistreatment and torture are routine from the victims detained within the CSC, but almost nothing is ever done about the biggest demonstration of inhumanity to take place in this country.

In order to excuse this torture chamber, the dehumanization of CSC prisoners begins at a very early stage of official justifications for the creation of the CSC system, which focus on the need to contain a new breed of unmanageable and unpredictable risks. It continues with the creation of classificatory categories of ‘dangerousness’ which objectify prisoners and make more of the category and less of the human in them, and it is reinforced by the tightly controlled and highly regulated routines in CSC’s, treating prisoners as highly dangerous creatures, capable of superhuman acts of violence – not quite human and in need of the extreme oppression the CSC provides.

When it comes to the ‘worst of the worst’, isolation is wrongly seen as a necessity but insufficient measure by prison management. In addition to isolation and extremely restricted movements, prisoner in-cell provisions and their belongings are carefully regulated and subjected to relentless scrutiny and inspection. (more…)

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'Why allow it to continue?' & other writings by Kevan Thakrar, CSC prisoner (UK)

Saturday, January 30th, 2016

Since my arrival at Wakefields Close Supervision Centre (CSC), I have experienced something unlike any other prison in the pure extent of the blatant racism which is encouraged by prison officers. Benefits and bonuses are given to racist prisoners, whilst others are kept in total isolation from each other and there is little action which can be taken against the culprits.

For several weeks now the racist Islamaphobic prisoner Nathan Livesy from Manchester has been the main perpetrator of these attacks. Currently undergoing an assessment for his suitability for selection onto the CSC system following slashing another prisoners face at HMP Manchester, and expulsion from Ashworth High security hospital due to his predatory behaviour, Livesy is looking for any way possible to please his captors. He has taken to squirting urine and spitting out of the window onto the ethnic minorities which the officers deliberately place in the exercise cage directly adjacent to his cell, as well as continuously abusing them whilst the officers stand by laughing. Having made open threats to “kill the first Muslim” he sees, Livesy believes he will be returned to normal location in order to carry out his plan.
(more…)

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An Appeal For Support of Kevan Thakrar – Written by John Bowden (UK)

Tuesday, January 19th, 2016

Investigating division and conflict amongst the poorest and most oppressed as a means of control has always been a favoured strategy of the ruling class and within it’s prisons (the laboratories of oppression) where the most disempowered experience naked repression the weapon of divide and conquer is sometimes used with murderous effect.

Within the British prison system there exist prisons within prisons, places of concentrated repression where “troublemakers” and those who fight back are sent to be broken, and where those who inflict the repression encourage prisoners to take the rage created by that repression out on each other, thereby generating an unending cycle of violence, which is used to justify the use of even greater repression. (more…)

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Letter From Kevan Thakrar – Protest Outside Manchester Crown Court On May 22 (UK)

Saturday, April 11th, 2015

Letter from social prisoner Kevan Thakrar, from a comrade of ABC Brighton:

06/04/15

Thank you to everyone who turned out to demonstrate in my support in London outside Prison Service headquarters on February 16th and to all those who helped create the banners, flyers and advertised the event.

Since then there have been significant developments. Firstly, the attempt to have me sectioned under the Mental Health Act failed. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is not something which a person can be sectioned for, so the psychiatrist refused to do the dirty work of the Close Supervision Centre Management Committee (CSCMC) and refer me to hospital.

Transfer to HMP Full Sutton segregation unit turned out to be their next attack. Greeted by a full riot squad on arrival, my treatment was never going to be good, but even I was shocked at the audacity of these discriminators who stormed my cell while I was praying, to assault me and provoke a reaction: Fortunately I did not fall into their trap; however this has only led to me being subjected to a continued and increasing level of harassment. (more…)

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Solidarity Demo for Kevan Thakrar outside HM Prison Service HQ (UK)

Tuesday, February 17th, 2015

Above: A speaker from FRFI (Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism!) at the protest at HM Prison Service HQ against continued solitary confinement of Kevin Thakrar since he was acquitted of attacking prison officers in 2010.

Prolonged isolation of Kevan Thakrar in UK prisons is torture protest

The demo took place 16 February at HM Prison Service HQ in London, and it was attended by over a dozen people, different individuals and groups who were there to support Kevan and show solidarity about his case. Brighton Anarchist Black Cross, Jengba, Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism!, Payday Men’s Network and others. (more…)

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16 Feb: Solidarity day for Kevan Thakrar – Prisoner of CSC regime (UK)

Tuesday, February 10th, 2015

Kevan Thakrar is a social prisoner wrongly convicted for murder. There was no DNA, forensics, ballistics, or cell-phone siting placing Kevan at or anywhere near the scene. False multiple hearsay and two questionable identifications were enough to wrongly convict and sentence to life with a 35 year tariff. From a comrade of ABC Brighton:

Despite being found not guilty of attacking three prison officers, but instead that he acted in self-defence after months of racial, physical and psychological abuse (a ruling that goes against prison officers is VERY unusual in a court) Kevan Thakrar continues to be held in the prison services ‘Close Supervision Centres’ more than five years later.

The CSCs are places of extremely restrictive solitary confinement where he, and his family visiting him, have suffered constant harassment. Kevan’s solicitor recently arranged for an independent psychologist to make a report on Kevan. Kevan has suffered with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), as a direct result of the way he’s been treated by prison guards, since before he was placed in the CSCs. The independent psychologist’s report concluded that as Kevan has displayed no violent behaviour since being in the CSCs, and because solitary confinement and the regime in these units only makes PTSD worse, Kevan should be moved back into the mainstream prison population. (more…)

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'Close Supervision Centres – A Modern Form Of Torture' by Sean Dunohoe (UK)

Tuesday, February 10th, 2015

From a comrade of ABC Brighton:

There has for some time been serious concerns about the treatment of prisoners held in the so called ‘Close Supervision Centre’ (CSC) at Woodhill prison in Milton Keynes, and once again the segregation and isolation of what the prison system labels as “difficult” prisoners in a control unit environment has lead to serious abuses of human rights and unlawful behaviour on the part of those “supervising” the CSC. That unlawful behaviour now threatens the physical safety and even lives of prisoners held in the CSC. An incident recently engineered by staff operating the Woodhill prison CSC where a mentally ill prisoner was encouraged to attack another prisoner in what is a supposedly “closely supervised” environment indicates that a “divide and rule” strategy is now being officially applied in the CSC that threatens the lives of these prisoners considered especially “difficult” and “challenging” by the CSC staff.

Douglas Gary Vinter is a prisoner serving a natural life sentence, which means he is unlikely to ever be released. His “difficult” behaviour, which usually took the form of smashing up his cell in impotent rage and despair, led to his being “selected” for the Woodhill CSC, despite a judicial review ruling that his prolonged segregation was unlawful because it was contributing to his deteriorating mental condition.

Lee Newell, also serving a natural life sentence, was “selected” for the Woodhill CSC because of his constant complaints about the behaviour of prison staff, who, he claimed, had targeted him for bullying and intimidation. Both prisoners after experiencing a CSC regime of solitary confinement, psychological abuse and the ever present threat of organised staff violence, repeatedly requested transfers on the grounds that their mental health was seriously deteriorating; their requests were denied by the “multi disciplinary management team” operating the Woodhill CSC. (more…)

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Campaign In Support Of Kevan Thakrar – Letter by John Bowden

Friday, January 23rd, 2015

From a comrade of ABC Brighton:

The abuse of psychiatry in pathologizing and punishing “difficult” prisoners has a long and disturbing history in the British prison system and is probably the worst example of human rights abuse suffered by some prisoners labelled “challenging” and “unmanageable”.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, especially, the role of prison system-hired psychiatrists in assisting in the suppression of rebellious prisoners became an established one and often an unlawful one too such as when administering tranquillizing drugs by force purely to assist guards in subduing “troublemakers”. The practice became known as the “liquid cosh”. For particularly determined prisoner “troublemakers” the spectre of maximum-security psychiatric hospitals such as Broadmoor and Rampton could quite easily become a reality and often did when psychiatrists were recruited to apply the necessary pathological labels and facilitate the “nutting-off”, or sectioning under the mental health act, of sane but “difficult” prisoners, Rampton, especially, acquired a notorious reputation for it’s brutal and inhuman treatment of prisoners, administered by prison officer “nurses” and punitive-minded psychiatrists, and was considered amongst long-term prisoners as the worst and most deadly weapon of all in the prison system’s armourer of control and punishment. (more…)

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CSC Operational Manager Claire Hodson and her role in the death of Zaheed Mubarek (UK)

Wednesday, September 4th, 2013

The woman who has been in charge of the torture units within English prisons for the last few years is CSC Operational Manager Claire Hodson.

Claire did not start her career within prison management, but at the bottom as a prison officer working at Feltham young offenders prison. It was whilst working with these young, vulnerable children that she first began her experiments in psychological warfare with the aim of inducing prisoner on prisoner violence.

She did not always have the name Hodson, but was known by the young prisoners at Feltham as Officer Bigger. It may be due to this change in name that the public have missed her rise through the prison service as it is unlikely she would have been forgotten otherwise. (more…)

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New letter about the Close Supervision Centres by Kevan Thakrar (UK)

Tuesday, September 3rd, 2013

From ABC Brighton:

When I first arrived on the Close Supervision Centre (CSC) back in March 2010, only three units existed holding a maximum capacity of 26 prisoners, plus designated cells within the segregation units of most high security prisons providing back-up to these.

These three units were:

HMP Woodhill CSC – Assessment centre holding up to 10 prisoners.
HMP Whitemoor – Selected CSC prisoners unit, holding up to 10 prisoners.
HMP Wakefield – Extreme risk CSC unit, holding up to 6 prisoners.

Most people would say that three CSC units are three too many, especially when the cost of each place on there is over five times a place in a maximum security main location, the brutality inflicted upon the prisoners within them exceeds all other prison environments in the UK, and they cause the majority of their residents to develop major mental illness requiring treatment within the secure hospitals of Broadmoor, Rampton or Ashworth under the Mental Health Act. (more…)

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PDF: Close Supervision Centres in the UK #2 – A Brief Follow Up

Saturday, August 3rd, 2013

After publishing Close Supervision Centres – Torture Units in the UK in April 2012, we received correspondence from people that had been held in CSCs or who had known family or friends who are or have been. A year on and conditions in the CSCs are no better. This is a brief follow up to serve as an accompanying publication to the original, keeping information coming out about what is going on…

With letters from inside the CSC system and articles and responses from people that have been struggling against this ugly regime, this follow up publication updates news of the continuing struggle and provides up to date addresses to contact the contributors.

Download here: CSC#2 A Brief Follow Up

ABC Bristol

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'Prisons – Most Unlawful Places On Earth' by John Bowden (UK)

Tuesday, May 28th, 2013

The governments Legal Aid and Punishment Act 2012 which came into effect in April 2013 represents one of the Tories [Conservative Party – ruling right-wing political party in UK] most serious and vicious attacks on the poorest and most disadvantaged groups in terms of their relationship with an increasingly more repressive state, removing as it does the right to publicly funded legal redress for the already most powerless in society.

The Act also targets prison litigation, which right-wing Justice Minister Chris Grayling claims is “unnecessary and frivolous”. In fact, the Act attacks what were previously legally enforceable basic rights for people in prison and now creates a total legal vacuum as far as those rights are concerned whilst encouraging the prison authorities to do exactly as it pleases with those in it’s custody. Andrew Neilson of the Howard League for Penal Reform has warned that “without prisoners being able to access legal aid we may see a collapse in justice in the very place where it should be paramount – within prison walls”. (more…)

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