News round-up: Prison gang wars on the rise

Prison gangs on the rise

Seeking solitary: prison gang wars force fearful inmates to plead for segregation
Jail watchdogs have warned that an influx of rival gang members from Britain’s inner cities has fuelled a new wave of fear and violence at the five maximum security prisons.
Read more on this story in The Guardian today

Background checks will not force sex offenders to hide, Smith says
The home secretary, Jacqui Smith, yesterday insisted that new powers for parents to check for criminal backgrounds of those who care for their children will not drive convicted sex offenders underground.
Read more on this story in The Guardian today

Youths ‘resent’ police
Police officers are breeding resentment among youths through heavy-handed tactics, the Children’s Commissioner for England has said.
Read more on this story in The Times today

Care home costs are set to double
The cost of long-term care is expected to double over the next 20 years, meaning that many people will struggle to fund their retirement, according to a new study
Read more on this story in The Times today

Doctors ‘intimidated’
The Government and medical regulators are failing to defend paediatricians against attacks from parents and the press, according to an expert.
Read more on this story in The Times today

Lie detectors slash council’s benefits bill
Lie detector tests that analyse voice changes in telephone conversations are being used to catch benefit cheats. One local authority has saved more than £336,000 during a pilot scheme, according to a report published today.
Read more on this story in The Times today

Cannabis users to face fixed penalty
Tens of thousands of people caught with a single joint of cannabis will get an unofficial criminal record that could blight their future employment prospects under new police proposals, The Daily Telegraph can reveal.
Read more on this story in The Daily Telegraph today

Tories: ‘Lost generation’ rely on benefits
A “lost generation” of young people stuck in a cycle of unemployment and benefits dependency is exposed in a damning dossier on youth poverty released on Monday.
Read more this story in Daily Telegraph today