Thursday 12 August 2004

By Amy Taylor, Clare Jerrom and Alex Dobson

MPs will launch investigation into the scandal of young
inmates

A parliamentary committee is set to launch an investigation into
the number of juveniles in prison.

The Joint Committee on Human Rights will look at the suicide of
14-year-old Adam Rickwood in Hassockfield secure training in County
Durham s part of its inquiry.

Source:- The Independent, Thursday, 12 August, page 4

Bullying and violent assaults ‘are worse than in
adult jails’

Bullying, violent assaults are even greater problems in young
offenders institutions than in adult jails according to a new
report from the Prison Reform Trust.

Three of the four worst institutions for serious assaults in the
whole of the prison estate are young offenders’ institutions
the analysis of Home Office figures show.

Source:- The Independent, Thursday, 12 August, page 5

Calls for child jail rethink after death of
14-year-old

Children charities have called for a review of the youth justice
system after the death of 14-year-old Adam Rickwood.

Yesterday charities including Barnardo’s and the
Children’s Society called for the government to undertake a
full review of the treatment of children in custody.

Source:- The Guardian, Thursday, 12 August, page 6

Cruelty at the nursery

The mistreatment of children in some private nurseries has been
revealed in a BBC TV programme.

Nurseries Undercover – The Real Story shows children as young
as 17 months being shouted at and others being dragged by their
arms.

The BBC found problems at three out of the four nurseries it looked
at.

Source:- Daily Mail, Thursday, 12 August, page 1

Ministers to tell parents how to do
better

Fathers must switch off their mobile phones when they play with
their children in new plans to be unveiled in a consultation paper
on youth next month.

The move will be part of new state-run parenting classes in how to
improve family life.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph, Thursday 12 August
2004

Widow, 81, died in cupboard

An 81-year-old widow died from hypothermia after becoming trapped
in an airing cupboard at her home in Oxford, while trying to fix a
leaking pipe.

Annie Mitchell got into the 3ft square cupboard to carry out the
repairs on the pipe and couldn’t get out when it burst, heard
Oxfordshire coroner before recording a verdict of accidental
death.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph, Thursday 12 August
2004

City where one in 50 adults injects drugs

Up to one in 50 adults are injecting street drugs in
England’s cities, reveal Home Office statistics.

Research of three metropolitan centres suggests within every GP
practice of 2,000 patients would include 18 patients who were
injecting illegal drugs.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph, Thursday 12 August
2004

Scottish newspapers

Overcrowded prison receives 1,200 a month

Chronic overcrowding at Scotland’s largest prison is severely
compromising safety standards among inmates, according to the chief
inspector of prisons.

Dr Andrew McLellan’s inspection report of Glasgow’s
Barlinnie prison found it to be “hugely overcrowded”
with the average daily population having risen by 150 prisoners
over the past year.

The chief inspector said the problem was affecting safety
standards, relationships between prisoners and staff as well as
offenders’ access to “useful” activities.

Source:- The Scotsman  Thursday 12 August

Council chief accused of racist remark in
café

Claims that one of Scotland’s most respected council leaders
made a racist comment to the owner of an Italian café are
being investigated by police.

Billy Petrie, convener of Argyll and Bute Council, is alleged to
have told Karl Giarchi to “go back home” after he was
barred from the premises.

The comments are alleged to have been made during an argument
between the two men after Petrie had called into Dino’s Radio
Café in Helensburgh.

Source:- The Scotsman  Thursday 12 August

Unemployed figure goes up for Scots

More than half of new UK jobless individuals live in Scotland,
according to the latest figures.

An Office for National Statistics report showed an unemployment
rate of 6.2 per cent in Scotland, a rise of 0.5 per cent or 15,000
people on the previous three month period.

Source:- Evening News  Wednesday 11 August

A Mo-ment of TV history

Eastenders’ storyline featuring Little Mo’s
wife-battering torment has been hailed as TV’s greatest
contribution to the campaign against domestic violence.

A study says the media has played a “ground-breaking”
role in raising public awareness of the issue, with the
soap’s storyline being the best example.

The research, by Glasgow Caledonian University media expert Emily
Seymour, warns the message is failing to get through to men and
boys with many shows still treating it as a “women’s
issue”. Day-time chat shows tend to have mainly a female
audience while men fail to engage emotionally with fictional
characters on peak-time dramas.

Source:- Daily Record  Thursday 12 August pages 22 and
23

Welsh newspapers

You spend 24 hours on a trolley

A patient who was forced to spend 24 hours on a hospital trolley
has challenged Welsh assembly health minister, Jane Hutt to
experience the same indignity.

Morag Redmond, 64, says she was left without anywhere to get
changed, a hot meal or a pillow and that the nearest toilet was out
of order while she waited for treatment at the University Hospital
of Wales in Cardiff.

Source South Wales Echo Wednesday 11 August page 1

Services still not making the grade

A new report from the Social Services Inspectorate for
Wales (SSIW), has found that services for vulnerable adults in
Cardiff have ‘uncertain prospects’.

In 2002 the authorities social services was found by the SSIW to
have no prospects for improvement but the latest report places the
department one category higher but goes on to make 16
recommendations for improvement.

Source South Wales Echo Wednesday 11 August page 6

We’ve hit rock bottom surgeon tells patients

A consultant at a west Wales hospital has written to
patients outlining his concerns about NHS cost-cutting.

Chris Overton, a consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology at
Withybush hospital in Haverfordwest claims that the hospital is at
“rock bottom over its ability to reduce bed capacity.”
He says that cost cutting measures are the behind the increasing
number of patients who have their planned surgery cancelled at the
last moment.

Source Western Mail Thursday 12 August page 1