JURIST Supported by the University of Pittsburgh
PAPER CHASE NEWSBURSTDigest RSS feedFull RSS feed
Serious law. Primary sources. Global perspective.


Tuesday, November 16, 2004

Scottish prisoners sue over prison conditions
Jeannie Shawl at 9:59 AM ET

[JURIST] A group of five prisoners who were held in special segregation units in Scottish jails is suing the Scottish Prison Service. The segregation units are used to hold prisoners that cause problems within the mainstream jail. The group's lawyer will argue in a hearing Tuesday that being kept in the segregation units, where the prisoners are kept in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day, violates the prisoners' human rights. The group will also argue that the prison service was aware of the problems caused by segregation units but failed to act. In an interview with BBC Radio Scotland, lawyer Tony Kelly said that removing a prisoner from the mainstream prison to segregation units "represents a gross detriment." Kelly said that "the prisoner is locked in a cell by himself, in some cases slopping out, for 23 hours a day. When he does get out for one hour, he's in a concrete pen within the segregation unit that is very small and hung over by a wire mesh." Justice spokesman for the Scottish National Party Kenny MacAskill has said that although prisoners forfeit their liberty, "they are still entitled to be treated with some dignity and some respect," and questioned the treatment of prisoners. BBC News has more.






Link |  | print | subscribe | RSS feeds | latest newscast | Facebook page

For more legal news check the Paper Chase Archive...


LATEST LEGAL NEWS

 Hungary prosecutors charge accused Nazi with war crimes
1:19 PM ET, June 18

 ICC grants Kenya VP's request to skip parts of upcoming trial
12:23 PM ET, June 18

 Libya senior judge assassinated outside courthouse
9:29 AM ET, June 18

 click for more...

Get JURIST legal news delivered daily to your e-mail!

LATEST FORUM

Is Egypt's Stance on the Blue Nile Dam Legally Justified?
DOMESTIC
Zeray Yihdego
University of Aberdeen School of Law

ABOUT

Paper Chase is JURIST's real-time legal news service, powered by a team of 30 law student reporters and editors led by law professor Bernard Hibbitts at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. As an educational service, Paper Chase is dedicated to presenting important legal news and materials rapidly, objectively and intelligibly in an accessible, ad-free format.

CONTACT

Paper Chase welcomes comments, tips and URLs from readers. E-mail us at JURIST@jurist.org