Gay Prisoners to Marry Inside Some of Britain's Toughest Jails... as Long as They Pay for the Ceremonies Themselves
MAIL ONLINE: Gay prisoners will be allowed to tie the knot inside some of the country's toughest jails.

Top security lock-ups like will have to host civil partnership ceremonies, provided the inmates fund the nuptials themselves.

The green light for killers, rapists, drug dealers and terrorists to get hitched inside prison was given after a homosexual crook's mum wrote to inmate magazine Inside Time to get the go-ahead.

'My son is currently held as a Category A prisoner and has expressed a wish to "marry" (in a civil ceremony) another male Category A prisoner who is in the same jail,' the concerned woman wrote.

'I would like to know whether he would ever get permission for this and, if so, how quickly would he be able to arrange it from the prison? Are same sex civil ceremonies allowed in prison, particularly from Category A prisoners?' Read on and comment » | Sunday, March 18, 2012

Norway Prison System Luxurious?
Does Norway make prison inmates too comfortable with nice furniture, flat screen televisions, rock climbing walls, a recording studio and more? Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian discuss.

Open Prison – Greenland
Watch Journeyman Pictures video here

Iran Giving Out Condoms for Criminals to Rape Us, Say Jailed Activists

THE GUARDIAN: Smuggled letters allege authorities are using mass rape as a weapon inside Iran's most notorious prisons

Prison guards in Iran are giving condoms to criminals and encouraging them to systematically rape young opposition activists locked up with them, according to accounts from inside the country's jail system.

A series of dramatic letters written by prisoners and families of imprisoned activists allege that authorities are intentionally facilitating mass rape and using it as a form of punishment.

Mehdi Mahmoudian, an outspoken member of Iran's Participation Front, a reformist political party, is among those prisoners who have succeeded in smuggling out letters revealing the extent of rape inside some of the most notorious prisons. » | Saeed Kamali Dehghan | Friday, June 24, 2011

L'Alcatraz de Strauss-Kahn
LE POINT: Le Français est en détention à Rikers Island, la prison la plus grande au monde. Pour beaucoup, là-bas, c'est l'enfer sur Terre.

Tous les fans des séries télé policières qui se passent à New York la connaissent bien. Régulièrement, les détectives se rendent à la prison de Rikers Island pour y interroger un détenu. C'est là que DSK a été conduit lundi soir, après la décision du juge de le maintenir en détention. Pas tout à fait un hôtel 5-étoiles. À lire la littérature sur le sujet, c'est même l'enfer sur Terre. Cet énorme complexe pénitentiaire, le plus grand au monde dit-on, sur une île près de l'aéroport de La Guardia date des années 1930 et compte 10 prisons sur 168 hectares. En tout, il abrite près de 11 000 détenus, la plupart en attente d'un procès ou purgeant de courtes peines. À côté, Fleury-Mérogis, la plus grande prison européenne, est conçue pour 2 800 places.

Rikers est une vraie ville avec des coiffeurs, des terrains de sport, un centre de désintoxication, des chapelles, une centrale électrique, une imprimerie et même un lavage auto ! "C'est surpeuplé et la nourriture est infâme. Et le danger, c'est que les gens célèbres s'y font attaquer", explique à Reuters Gerald Lefcourt, un avocat. Continuez à lire et ajouter un commentaire » | Hélène Vissière | Mardi 17 Mai 2011

Dominique Strauss-Kahn Arrest: IMF Head Taken to Rikers Island Jail
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, a man accustomed to luxury hotel suites and first-class plane travel, will make his home for now at New York City's notorious Rikers Island jail.

Mr Strauss-Kahn will be transferred from a detention centre attached to the Manhattan Criminal Court to Rikers Island on Monday, a spokesman for the New York City Department of Correction said.

A judge earlier on Monday denied Strauss-Kahn bail on charges that he attempted to rape a hotel maid and set his next court date for Friday.

Defense lawyers said they were considering whether to appeal the bail ruling. Should the judge uphold his ruling, Mr Strauss-Kahn could be held at Rikers throughout any trial.

Mr Strauss-Kahn will probably be held in isolation with 24-hour watch, in large part for his own protection from inmates who might seek fame by attacking someone famous, according to people familiar with the jail operations who would not speak on the record.

A complex of 10 jails on a 415-acre (168-hectare) island near LaGuardia airport, Rikers is well-known to watchers of television and film crime dramas as the place where criminal suspects are sent pending trial or to serve short jail sentences. The island can be reached via bridge from the borough of Queens. » | Monday, May 16, 2011

My comment on this:

Whilst the man has got a dubious pedigree when it comes to women, and I am certainly not making any excuses for him – if he has done what is alleged he has done, it is utterly inexcusable – but one cannot help but have a nagging doubt that he might have been set up. After all, DSK had one hell of a lot to lose, and the chambermaid had a hell of a lot to gain.

It has been said she was a black single mother of one, and possibly two children. It has also been said that she recognised him. If she recognised him, she also knew how wealthy he was. She might have have just seen her exit from poverty before her very eyes. For now, one thing is for certain: whatever happens, she can make big bucks out of this sordid story. She'll be able to milk it for all it's worth. She'll gain notoriety/ celebrity, and pots of gold. He, meanwhile, will languish in the slammer. What a sad, sad end to an illustrious career. Whatever the man is or has done, it's a sad ending. But don't get me wrong, if he really has done what is alleged of him, he will deserve all he gets. But before I finish, how likely is it really that a mega-rich Frenchman, notorious as the French are for being a tad superior, to have thrown himself at a humble, lowly black chambermaid, when he had all the money in the world to have been able to buy himself the most expensive hussy in town, and all the secrecy and discretion that would have brought with it? We should all slow down before we rush to judgement. Let the facts unfold. Time will tell whether he has been set-up, or not. Time will tell whether he’s a dirty old man. – © Mark

This comment appears as a response to someone else's comment here

Jewish-American Contractor Alan Gross Sentenced to 15 years in Cuba Jail
HAARETZ: Court said prosecutors proved case that Gross was working on a subversive program, paid for by the U.S., that aimed to bring down Cuba's revolutionary system.

HAVANA - A Cuban court yesterday found U.S. contractor Alan Gross guilty of crimes against the state and sentenced him to 15 years in prison, a verdict that is sure to have sweeping repercussions for already-sour relations between Washington and Havana.

The court said prosecutors had proved their case that Gross, 61, was working on a subversive program, paid for by the United States, that aimed to bring down Cuba's revolutionary system. Prosecutors had sought a 20-year sentence.

The Maryland native was arrested in December 2009 while on a USAID backed democracy-building project. The U.S. government and Gross's family say he was working to improve Internet access for the island's Jewish community and should be released. >>> The Associated Press | Sunday, March 13, 2011

Dubai Jails Indian Pair for 'Sexy Texts'
BBC: Steamy text messages have resulted in a three-month jail sentence for a Indian man and an Indian woman in Dubai.

Judges ruled that they had planned to "commit sin", a reference to an extramarital affair - which is illegal in the United Arab Emirates.

The unnamed pair, aged 47 and 42, were working as cabin crew for Dubai's Emirates airline.

Their "sexy texts" first surfaced last year, in a divorce lawsuit by the woman's estranged husband. Crimes of passion >>> | Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Benedict Brogan: Should We Bang Up Some Bankers?
THE TELEGRAPH: Gillian Tett, the FT whizz whose book Fool’s Gold is the best explanation so far of the financial crisis, has a fascinating piece today which considers why we have not seen some of the bankers responsible for the mess put behind bars. She points out that in the wake of the Savings & Loan scandal in the US, 1,852 S&L officials were prosecuted and 1,072 of them served time. A further 2,558 bankers were also sent to prison.

So far there is no sign of a campaign of retributive justice on the same scale to deal with those who led the system to collapse. Is that a good thing? Locking up the casino boys may satisfy public hunger for revenge, but it does nothing to repair global finance.

Gillian Tett argues: “But if there is no retribution against financiers, it will be difficult to force a real change in behaviour. After all, no amount of twiddling with Basel rules or pious statements about bonuses will ever scare a financier as much as the thought of jail. Moreover, without some retribution it will also be hard to persuade voters that finance is really being reformed, or has any credibility or moral authority. That is bad for politicians and regulators. However, it is also bad for bankers too.” She reckons we should keep an eye out for signs of legal cases against bankers. And presumably prison sentences too? [Source: The Telegraph] Comment here | Benedict Brogan | Friday, September 04, 2009

Vegan Prisoners Win Right to Buy Ethical Cosmetics and Food in Jail
MAIL ONLINE: Vegan prisoners have won the right to have ethically-sourced cosmetics including nail polish, lip balm and cellulite oil in jail.

They will also be able to tuck into a variety of nuts after prison bosses allowed them to order directly from two new 'eco outlets'.

Vegans, who refuse to eat meat or dairy products, had been pressing for at least one Brazil nut a day in their rations to boost their immune systems.

It is the latest in a series of rulings to protect convicts' rights and ensure equality among different faiths and comes months after similar concessions for pagans.

Prison bosses were told in May to let pagan inmates collect and keep twigs in their cells to use as wands during their rituals.

Strict vegans will refuse to eat any food, wear any clothes or use any product that involves the use of animals.

This means normal sun-screen, prison-issue boots and canteen food are all against their beliefs.

From today, the estimated 500 vegan prisoners in UK prisons, will be able to order products from Holland and Barrett - which sells a wide variety of nuts.

They will also be allowed to buy a range of ethical products, including make-up, shower gels, lib [sic] balm, cellulite oil and facial scrubs from Honesty Cosmetics.

Orders can also be placed with the firm Lavera which supplies cruelty-free sun cream, aftersun, self-tanning lotion and anti-ageing creams. >>> | Monday, August 24, 2009

British Mother and Her Lover Jailed for Two Months for Adultery in Dubai
MAIL Online: The British mother of two accused of cheating on her estranged husband in Dubai has been jailed for two months.

Sally Antia, 44, was arrested for breaching the emirate's strict morality laws on May 2 this year after her husband Vincent informed police that he believed she was having an affair.

She pleaded guilty to adultery. Her lover Mark Hawkins, who had previously denied the allegation, was also jailed for two months.

Their sentences will be backdated from the date of their arrest on May 2 this year.

Mr Hawkins appeared nervous ahead of the sentencing yesterday and refused to divulge details of the affair.

During an interview with Sky News he continually asked: 'Have you seen Sally? How is Sally?'

He said there were 'quite a few other Britons' in the jail in Dubai with the pair, and admitted he found the situation 'hard, extremely difficult to deal with'.

'It is extremely difficult to get information on what is happening in the outside world, the officers only speak Arabic.

'Making phone calls to anyone is also difficult, and when you do, you are only allowed a few minutes a day.'

But he admitted that not knowing what would happen to him or Ms Antia was the worst, saying: 'I just hope at least something will happen (in court tomorrow), so that I can finally know what is going to happen to me.'

Vincent Antia was accused of informing on his wife to improve his chances of winning custody of their children. >>> | Tuesday, June 02, 2009

Women in Somali City Must Cover Up or Go to Jail
CNN: Women in Somalia's third-largest city, Baidoa, have been ordered to wear Islamic dress starting this week or face jail time, according to a resident and Somali media reports.

The order -- issued last week by Al-Shabaab, the radical Islamist militia that controls the city -- also warns business owners to close their shops during daily prayers, or they will be temporarily shut down, a local journalist said.

The militia has ordered women to cover their bodies and heads from view, according to a resident of Baidoa who did not want to be identified for security reasons. The clothing must be black, red or white, and women in the impoverished city are concerned that they will not be able to purchase clothing that conforms to the order, the resident said.

He said women would be jailed if they violated the order after it goes into effect Tuesday. Somalia's Shabelle Media, quoting an Al-Shabaab spokesman, said they would spend 12 hours in jail. >>> CNN's Ben Brumfield and journalist Mohamed Amiin Adow contributed to this report | Monday, April 20, 2009

Nigerian Bill Defines Gay Roommates as "Married," Inflicts Prison Penalty
Anti-gay Anglican leader Peter Akinola. Photo courtesy of TDGE Boston

EDGE Boston: Under a proposed new law in Nigeria, same-sex marriage would consist of gays simply living together--and would be punishable by three years in prison.

The law would extend new powers to the police to crack down on anyone thought to be gay, reported the BBC in an article posted online Mar. 11.

Advocates of the country’s gay and lesbian population stood against the bill, with the Queer Alliance of Nigeria’s Rashidi Williams addressing a government committee with plea not to enhance the nation’s existing anti-gay legislation with a law that would essentially make it a crime for gays to share living space by defining the sharing of housing as "gay marriage."

Existing law in the Christian part of the country penalizes gays with 14 years in prison, while in Muslim areas gays face being stoned to death for their sexuality. >>> By Kilian Melloy | Thursday, March 12, 2009

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Controversial Therapy Aims to ‘Cure’ Terrorists
FOX NEWS: A controversial therapy program has been initiated to "cure" extremist Muslim inmates of their political beliefs, the U.K.'s Sunday Mail reported.

Psychologists in the prison service will use techniques similar to those used to “de-program” members of religious cults, the Mail reported. The experimental treatments are being developed by a special extremism unit, set up by the Ministry of Justice.

The therapy is part of a strategy to combat Islamic extremism in Britain's jails where Muslim prisoners are serving time for terrorist offenses, the paper reported. The Ministry fears that if they are left alone, their violent, jihadist interpretation of Islam will spread. >>> | October 20, 2008

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Muslim Inmates Offered Fresh Bedding and Clothing after Sniffer Dog Searches
MIRROR: Muslim inmates are being offered fresh bedding and clothing after sniffer dog searches - because the animals are considered unclean in Islam.

They are allowed to request replacements if the animals' saliva touches garments and linen.

Ministry of Justice spokeswoman Rosemary Hanna explained: "We are aware that if dog saliva comes into contact with the clothing or religious artefacts of a Muslim, it renders these items defiled. As such a prisoner must be allowed to change clothing if this occurs.

"Also, bedding should be changed where the prisoner feels that it has been defiled."

The practice follows a complaint from an illegal immigrant awaiting deportation at Dover prison in Kent but is now in place nationwide.

Prisoners' Korans will also be protected from sniffer dogs. Ms Hanna added: "They should not be allowed to touch holy books and artefacts. Muslim Inmates Offered Fresh Bedding and Clothing after Sniffer Dog Searches By Allison Martin | October 9, 2008

DAILY EXPRESS:
Muslim Inmates Get New Clothes if Dog Sniffs Cell >>> | October 9, 2008

BBC:
Staff ‘Fears’ over Muslim Inmates: A prison inspection report has detailed the "fear" felt by staff at Whitemoor high security jail in Cambridgeshire at the radicalisation of Muslim prisoners.

The Chief Inspector of Prisons said the findings highlight a growing "disaffection and distance" between Muslim inmates and the prison system.

Anne Owers said the growing situation "urgently" needed addressing.

The National Offender Management Service said work to improve prisoner and staff relations was "a priority".

Ms Owers said the Prison Service "needs to equip staff better to deal with the growing number of Muslim prisoners".

The report says a fundamental problem at HMP Whitemoor is the relationship between staff and the 120 Muslim inmates - almost a third of the total number of prisoners.

According to inspectors, officers tended to treat Muslim prisoners as extremists and potential security risks, even though only eight of them had been convicted of terrorist offences.

Officers expressed a "fear" that increasing numbers of prisoners were converting to Islam and being radicalised.

Prison officers said Muslim prison gangs are trying to force other inmates to sign up to Islamic radicalism.

Inspectors were told that extremists at HMP Whitemoor were pushing a "strict and extreme" interpretation of Islamic practice.

Ms Owers said: "There was a perception among officers that some Muslim prisoners operated as a gang and put pressures on non-Muslim prisoners to convert, and on other Muslim prisoners to conform to a strict and extreme interpretation of Islamic practice." >>> | October 10, 2008

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