Prisoners Must Earn Right To TV And Perks

Prisoners will be made to earn perks such as televisions in their cells and the ability to wear their own clothes under new Government plans.

Violent and sexually explicit 18-rated films will also be banned from jails in England and Wales under changes to the Incentives and Earned Privileges (IEP) scheme.
The current scheme allows inmates to get privileges - such as a television set in their cell and full gym access - for avoiding bad behaviour.
But the Government wants inmates to take part in work and education programmes to earn the perks instead.
Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said: "It is not right that some prisoners appear to be spending hours languishing in their cells and watching daytime television, while the rest of the country goes out to work.
"For too long there has been an expectation that privileges are an automatic right, given as a reward for staying out of trouble. This cannot continue.
"There will be a new entry level for all prisoners in the first two weeks of sentence where perks, including private cash, will be restricted.
"All male prisoners will be made to wear prison uniform while on entry level. Regulations for women prisoners are under review.
"All prisoners could find themselves working a longer day and will not be allowed to watch television when they should be working."
The changes will also see subscription channels removed from private prisons and inmates will have to earn the right to wear their own clothes.
At the end of the two-week entry level period, inmates who have not co-operated with the regime will drop to basic level while those who do will progress to standard.
The scheme allows prisoners to work up specific levels of privileges through good behaviour and, in turn, lose perks if they do not reach the appropriate standards.
Mr Grayling added: "Only by tackling bad behaviour and taking part in education or work programmes as well as addressing any alcohol or drug issues can we cut reoffending."
Ben Gunn, who served 32 years for murder, dismissed the idea that prisoners live a pampered life as "absurd" and warned the changes could lead to riots.
He told Sky News: "They will be harmful, expensive, they will possibly increase suicide rates and possibly prison disturbances and they won't reduce crime one bit.
"The privileges that Mr Grayling wants to remove are ones that prisoners have earned by complying with certain behavioural standards. They complied with a deal.
"Now Mr Grayling is waking up and on a political whim, coming into their cells and taking them away.
"That is deeply deeply unfair and that will be felt as unjust by prisoners and when prisoners feel unjustly dealt with, many responses can follow from that - not all of them pleasant."
Frances Crook, from the penal reform group the Howard League, said reports had shown prisons struggled to offer "purposeful activity" and warned more red tape was not the answer.
Juliet Lyon from the Prison Reform Trust added: "It's important not to confuse toughness with effectiveness. Harsh words may catch headlines but will do nothing to reduce unacceptably high reoffending rates.
"The review should be a chance to ensure that people sentenced to custody are enabled to take responsibility and lead a law-abiding life on release."
But Max Chambers, head of crime and justice at centre-right think tank Policy Exchange, insisted the overhaul was the right move.
He said: "Rather than the state acting like a bad parent by handing out cash, TVs and games consoles which have not been properly earned, we need a new regime that instead rewards prisoners' effort and encourages them to work.
"Gym privileges and in-cell perks really matter to prisoners. So it's right that we do everything we can to gear the new system around real behaviour change, rather than just thinking about what will keep prisoners docile and compliant."