POST IN SUNDAY TIMES RE DEATHS IN CUSTODY ARTICLE
As an Independent Custody Visitor on the Bexley panel I can confirm grave concerns about the standards of care in custody.
Basic entitlements are not provided routinely.
Detainees are often left without food and drink, cold, with cell lights undimmed during the night, without their normal medication, uncertain as to what is happening to them or what time it is, and with no access to wash, shower, read, write or exercise.
Additionally, they are subject at times to dangerous restraint techniques or strip searches carried out without warning and without the police seeking first to achieve cooperation through non coercive means.
It is also routine to handcuff on arrest, mainly in the rear position which is painful, humiliating and largely unnecessary.
We know that such use of aggressive tactics has led to death through excited delirium.
Juveniles as young as 11 are detained in adult cells.
A black man was held recently, not having eaten or drunk, for nearly the full 24 hour period and without having been told where the police had taken his baby. Unsurprisingly he was highly agitated about which the police appeared unconcerned.
Another black man was in tears about his situation.
Those with mental health issues or emotionally vulnerable are not handled sensitively.
There are often detainees who cannot understand English, and are confused and fearful and have not had their entitlements explained.
Deaths will continue to occur in custody, shaming our society, until measures are introduced to ensure proper standards are maintained, PACE regulations are followed and non confrontational arrest and restraint procedures are used as the first option.
http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/National/article1370748.ece
Basic entitlements are not provided routinely.
Detainees are often left without food and drink, cold, with cell lights undimmed during the night, without their normal medication, uncertain as to what is happening to them or what time it is, and with no access to wash, shower, read, write or exercise.
Additionally, they are subject at times to dangerous restraint techniques or strip searches carried out without warning and without the police seeking first to achieve cooperation through non coercive means.
It is also routine to handcuff on arrest, mainly in the rear position which is painful, humiliating and largely unnecessary.
We know that such use of aggressive tactics has led to death through excited delirium.
Juveniles as young as 11 are detained in adult cells.
A black man was held recently, not having eaten or drunk, for nearly the full 24 hour period and without having been told where the police had taken his baby. Unsurprisingly he was highly agitated about which the police appeared unconcerned.
Another black man was in tears about his situation.
Those with mental health issues or emotionally vulnerable are not handled sensitively.
There are often detainees who cannot understand English, and are confused and fearful and have not had their entitlements explained.
Deaths will continue to occur in custody, shaming our society, until measures are introduced to ensure proper standards are maintained, PACE regulations are followed and non confrontational arrest and restraint procedures are used as the first option.
http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/National/article1370748.ece
posted by Bishop Jonathan Blake | 11:01 AM
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