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A report on the Second Eastern European Conference on National preventative mechanisms (NPM's) attended by Vice Chair Angela Clay

A visit from the Ukraine, following Angela’s visit mentioned above, will take place in the middle of June, in conjunction with the National Council.

PACT to run services for families at Nottingham Prison 20.2.10

Nick Hardwick

Article from BBC News Website

HMCIP

Independent Police complaints Commission is set to become the new inspector of prisoners for England and Wales.

Nick Hardwick is the preferred candidate to succeed Dame Anne Owers, who is retiring after eight years.

He was selected after a "rigorous and open selection process", a spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said.

Justice Secretary Jack Straw will consider a committee's views before making a recommendation to the Queen.

Conditions and treatment

Mr Hardwick, 52, is expected to appear before the Justice Committee of MPs for a pre-selection hearing later this year.

He was appointed as the first chairman of the IPCC in December 2002.

He was chief executive of the Refugee Council from 1995 to 2003. Before that he ran the homeless charity Centrepoint.

The post of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons was established by the 1982 Criminal Justice Act.

The inspector reports to the Justice Secretary on the treatment of prisoners and conditions in prisons in England and Wales.

The role also involves reporting to the Home Secretary on conditions and treatment in all places of immigration detention in the UK.

Recent Articles on Penal Affairs in the Press

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Rise in proportion of ethnic minorities in custody

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Tough on crime? Jail's not the answer

5.3.10

Merger plans for Suffolk jail

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4.3.10

Prison service "cannot cope with indefinite sentences"

Young people's rehab centre forced to close

3.3.10

The Human Rights Act does protect us

Prison is praised for major improvements

2.3.10

Youth prison have only 11 special needs experts

Youth jail education provider set to wield axe