Statement Against Further Restrictions On Prisoners Mail - HMP The Mount
In a now deleted twitter post, Governor Paul Crossey at HMP The Mount has stated;
"[...From Monday 20th June, The Mount will only accept cards from Funky Pigeon & Moon Pig, and photographs from Freeprints. Any sent directly from family/friends will be put in stored property."
This is nothing but a direct attempt to further harm prisoners and their families and friends.
Prisoners still face great levels of isolation and are often stuck using expensive and limited phone servies to make contact with the outside.
In the letter attached to the statement they then added the inflammatory remark(s):
"HMP The Mount is committed towards providing a safe and secure environemnt for both the men in our care and the staff that work within.
We have become increasingly concerned with the threat presented by psychoactive substances.
Such substances represent a significant health, saftey and stability risk to to both the working and living environment" They conclude this letter "This will allow you to maintain postitive contact with your family, share important events while keeping all of us safe."
Not only is it sickening to pretend that a prison is anything close to an environment fit for life, but this statement has zero evidence to back it up.
Moonpig, Funky Pidegon & Freeprints are incredibly expensive and once again are just a barrier to access. This policy clearly demarks a handful of companies that the prison in favor of, rather than allowing cards in just from any 3rd party.
Letters, cards and photographs are important to prisoners as it means they have a connection to their families and freinds - this policy just further isolates them.
There are lots of statistics about drugs coming in by post but yet no statistics about how much drugs come in via the screws. The argument that it's a threat to staff safety doesnt hold water as drug soaked letters are not a direct threat to staff.
The prison, which intends to impliment this policy from June 20th, already has an anti-drug policy to protect staff from violence - this policy wont change that and just further cuts off prisoners. Prison mail is already delayed getting to prisoners and having to photocopy it will just make this worse.
We will oppose this and all further attacks on the already shattered rights of prisoners and their families and friends.
If this development concerns you, consider letting them know either at their address and or on their social media. Also, consider look at the mail policies for the prison(s) in your area.
HMP The Mount also included their phone number: 01442 836300 and here's the Governor's address:
Governor Paul Crossey
HMP The Mount
Molyneaux Avenue
Bovingdon
Hemel Hempstead
Hertfordshire
HP3 0NZ
They also have a email address: complaints_correspondencethemount@justice.gov.uk
AFBC
To read up more about prisioner solidarity and about June 11th, the day of solidarity with anarchist prisoners check out: www.organisemagazine.com/af-bc
ALL SCREWS ARE BASTARDS.
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