Date: Sat, 16 Aug 1997 23:28:01 -0500
From: Michael Novick <mnovickttt-AT-pop.igc.apc.org>
Subject: AUT: Blair's UK Prison Labor Scheme (fwd)


>Return-Path: <owner-prisonact-list-AT-igc.org>
>Date: Sat, 16 Aug 1997 13:21:59 -0400 (EDT)
>From: Micah Timothy Holmquist <micahth-AT-umich.edu>
>Reply-To: prisonact-list-AT-igc.org
>Sender: owner-prisonact-list-AT-igc.org
>Subject: Blair's UK Prison Labor Scheme (fwd)
>To: prisonact-list-AT-igc.org
>X-Sender: micahth-AT-qix.rs.itd.umich.edu
>Organization: Prison Activist Resource Center
>
>------- start of forwarded message -------
>Path:
newbabylon.rs.itd.umich.edu!newsxfer2.itd.umich.edu!news.uoregon.edu!spring.
edu.tw!su-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!cpk-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.bbnplanet
.com!newsfeed.direct.ca!news.he.net!newshub.cts.com!alpha.sky.net!news.misso
uri.edu!pencil.math.missouri.edu!rich
>From: rich-AT-pencil.math.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
>Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive
>Subject: Blair's UK Prison Labor Scheme
>Followup-To: alt.activism.d
>Date: 13 Aug 1997 17:00:14 GMT
>Organization: PACH
>Lines: 91
>Approved: map-AT-pencil.math.missouri.edu
>Message-ID: <5ssp6u$18dg$1-AT-news.missouri.edu>
>NNTP-Posting-Host: pencil.math.missouri.edu
>Resent-From: rich
>Originator: rich-AT-pencil.math.missouri.edu
>Xref: newbabylon.rs.itd.umich.edu misc.activism.progressive:73506
>
>/** labr.global: 284.0 **/
>** Topic: Blair's UK Prison Labr Scheme **
>** Written  9:52 PM  Aug 11, 1997 by labornews in cdp:labr.global **
>From: Institute for Global Communications <labornews-AT-igc.apc.org>
>
>August 10 1997      The Times                      
>
>)          Prisons to offer telesales jobs          
>)      by Nicholas Rufford Home Affairs Editor        
>
>PRISONERS are to become telesales operators marketing products such as
>furniture, home security equipment and airline tickets to the public
>from their jail cells.
>
>Richard Tilt, director-general of the prison service, has given his
>blessing to a pilot scheme for a telesales centre at Styal prison near
>Manchester, where the female inmates have started telephone research
>for outside clients.  The scheme, the only one of its kind in Europe,
>is an experiment for strategic plans by the Home Office to create
>"factories within fences". Ministers believe that commercial work
>prepares prisoners for rehabilitation and helps offset the 420-a-week
>cost of keeping each inmate in prison. Similar schemes in America
>return hundreds of millions of dollars to state coffers. Prisoners,
>some on death row, take airline bookings and make everything from jeans
>to snow shoes.
>
>Styal prison houses 269 women, ranging from murderers to young
>offenders. Inmates follow a market research script to ask a series of
>questions on behalf of businesses which pay their 9-a-week wages.
>
>Although critics argue that dangerous prisoners would have direct
>contact with people who could become victims, the prison service says
>the 10 inmates taking part in the scheme are carefully vetted.
>
>A coded telephone system prevents them from knowing the number of the
>person they are calling.
>
>The Home Office said the scheme had the approval of Joyce Quin, the
>prisons minister. "What we are trying to do is to get as many prisoners
>as possible doing purposeful work," a spokesman said. "It is not like
>Prisoner: Cell Block H; the women are polite and professional."
>
>The prison service will not disclose clients' identities, because it
>fears the publicity could discourage commercial interest. However, it
>emerged this weekend that Manchester airport is considering using the
>service for airline bookings.
>
>Bill Murray, an adviser to the scheme, said:  "The women are fully
>trained and can do any type of telephone research, take any kind of
>booking or sell any type of product."
>
>Tilt, who inspected the 250,000 telesales centre at Styal before it was
>brought into commercial use, said 10 jails in England and Wales were
>being prepared as showpieces to expand the range of products and
>services provided from within prisons. "There is no reason why
>prisoners should not have to earn their keep like everyone else," he
>said.
>
>The Styal scheme, equipped with 12 desktop computers, was set up with
>100,000 from Prison Enterprise Services, a Home Office agency based in
>Croydon, south London, and 150,000 in grants from the European Union.
>
>Askham Grange prison, near York, already has conference rooms that are
>hired to commercial clients. Prisoners register visitors, serve
>refreshments and escort conference delegates.
>
>At Holloway, north London, the women inmates take in secretarial work
>and repay part of their wages to the prison in "rent". Other schemes
>have included one at Kirkham prison in Lancashire involving prisoners
>sewing jeans called Gaolers  slogan "Made with Conviction"  and cheese
>for pizzas at East Sutton Park in Kent.
>
>Last year one in six of the 60,000 prisoners in England and Wales was
>engaged in industrial or agricultural work. More than 1,000 are paid
>"enhanced wages" of up to 30 a week, compared with the usual 7 prison
>pay, and 120 earn full commercial wages on pre-release employment
>schemes.
>
>In total, the 135 prisons in England and Wales last year earned 34.5m
>from industrial sales and 34m from sales of agricultural and
>horticultural products, set against the 1.7 billion running cost of the
>prison system. Some of the money is paid in wages, some to victims of
>crime and some returned to the prisons.
>
>** End of text from cdp:labr.global **
>
>***************************************************************************
>This material came from PeaceNet, a non-profit progressive networking
>service.  For more information, send a message to peacenet-info-AT-igc.apc.org
>***************************************************************************
>
>------- end of forwarded message -------
>
>+-+ sent by the Prison Activist List <prisonact-list-AT-igc.org> +-+
>See the Prison Issues Desk webpage at <http://www.igc.org/prisons>.
>
>To unsubscribe, send email to <majordomo-AT-igc.org> with this text in the body:
>unsubscribe prisonact-list
>
>In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is
distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior
interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and
educational purposes only.
>
>
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is
distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior
interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and
educational purposes only.

Be PART of the solution -- People Against Racist Terror/ 
PO Box 1055/Culver City CA 90232-1055/310-288-5003/ 
Order our journal "Turning the Tide." mnovickttt-AT-igc.org

Free Mumia Abu Jamal! Free All POW's and Political Prisoners! Abolish the
Racist Death Penalty!



     --- from list aut-op-sy-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---