Pause a moment for Sarah…
Written by: Tippa Naphtali
The 18th January 2010 marked 7 years since the death of Sarah Campbell, who took her own life after critical failings in the duty of care owed to her by the officers and staff of Styal Prison, Cheshire.
Her mother, Pauline Campbell, took to an unflinching journey of protest and quest for justice and reforms, which saw her arrested at several demonstrations outside women’s prisons. Sadly, 5 years later, Pauline also took her own life still torn with a mother’s grief from the loss of her only child.
Pauline had been a tireless campaigner against deaths of women in custody since the tragic death of her daughter, and she was awarded the Emma Humphreys Memorial Prize in October 2005. The prize is awarded each year to a woman or group who has, through their actions, writing or campaigning; raised awareness of violence against women and children.
Pauline was committed not just to campaigning but also to helping INQUEST’s work in supporting bereaved families. She was one of a number of bereaved parents who turned their own personal loss into a collective response to injustice and state neglect.
United Families Social Network Launched
Announced via update from Ken Fero and the Sean Rigg family
Following the gathering of affected families in London 2009, all the families involved decided to pursue new strategies and have met as a group to take action forward into 2010.
If you are a family or friend of someone that has died in custody and would like to get involved send an email to blackarchive@mac.com
History of UFFC:
In a church in Piccadilly last week, a small group of families and friends of those who have died in police custody gathered at a press conference, supported by the Bishop of Southwark, to speak about their experiences and to launch a new leaflet for the United Families and Friends Campaign.
The United Families and Friends Campaign (UFFC), a coalition of those affected by deaths in police, prison and psychiatric custody, supports others in similar situations. Established in 1997 initially as a network of Black families, over recent years the group has expanded and now includes the families and friends of White people who have also died in custody.
PM Custody death response rejected
Statement from 4WardEver UK
3rd October 2009
The United Families & Friends Campaign and 4WardEver UK reject the Prime Ministers response to a previous petition against custody deaths on the Number10 e-petition website. We challenge the Prime Minister once again to address the issues raised.
Petition: Access Here >
Available until 31st March 2010 (target 2000 signatures)
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4WardEver UK decided to launch a separate and international appeal demanding a change in the policies and practices that continue to see people dying and abused in the so-called care of the state.
The United Families & Friends Campaign is a coalition of families and friends of those that have died in the custody of police and prison officers as well as those who are killed in secure psychiatric hospitals.
Between 1969 and 1999 over one thousand people died in police custody in England. Not one police officer has ever been convicted for any of these deaths. The film INJUSTICE depicts how Brian Douglas, Joy Gardner, Shiji Lapite and Ibrahima Sey met violent deaths at the hands of the police and documents a five year period when their families came together to fight for the truth.
See original petition on the No10 Website >
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Many thanks for your continued support.
The 4WardEver UK Team
Moves under way to support women, not imprison them
originally published:
30th September 2009
Two-and-a-half years after Baroness Corston’s blueprint for overhauling the women’s prison system proposed that non-violent female offenders be sent to support centres instead of being locked up, the government has begun a series of meetings aimed at improving community-based help for these vulnerable women.
Justice minister Maria Eagle, last week met with magistrates, health workers, Crown Prosecution Office staff and prison officials in Birmingham at the first of 10 planned sessions on how to improve support for offenders who have a history of addiction and abuse and who are often caring for young children. Eagle said the events, dubbed Women in Focus, are the next step in ministers’ efforts to implement Corston’s recommendations.
While some campaigners are impatient about the pace of change, Corston, who is now chairing a new all-party parliamentary group aimed at pushing through her reform agenda, says she is “very encouraged” by the move. “The vision that I had was going to be at least five years if not 10,” she says . “It’s going in the right direction. I wouldn’t want to say, ‘Oh, yes, it’s all implemented.’ It couldn’t have been – it’s only two years.”
