21st Century for Women and Liberties
Where the US presidential candidates stand (which glosses over the fact that McCain is a hawk): Every remaining Republican candidate wants to overturn Roe vs. Wade
[Later edit: Romney out, so I feel a bit relieved, except that I want the Republican nomination campaign to drag out so they can't steal a march on the Democrats with Presidential campaigning. Go Huckabee.]
Afghan death sentence on Journalist
'Mr Kambaksh has at least two more courts in which to appeal and the sentence would have to be approved by President Karzai to be carried out.
'He is a student at Balkh University and a journalist for Jahan-e Naw (New World).
'He was arrested in 2007 after downloading material relating to the role of women in Islamic societies.'
UK - At least 5 recent cases in which "financial abuse" of disabled people living independently exploded into terminal violence.
UK Stop and Search 'the more controversial plans surround an extension to the use of routine stop and search where, in some circumstances, officers can stop people without grounds for suspicion.'
UK jailing mothers
There are just over 80,000 prisoners in UK jails, 4,300 of whom are women. Around a third of women prisoners have children under five. Some children are adopted, others are cared for by their father or another relative and some will be placed in care until their mother is released, or sometimes longer.
But children of jailed mothers more likely to be convicted of a crime and to serve time on probation than other children. They are also three times more likely to display antisocial behaviour and suffer mental health problems in later life.
Titan jails less likely - good.
Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers warned in her annual report the system was at breaking point.
She attacked the Titan plans, saying a building programme should not supersede re-offending schemes, reform of women's jails, probation and mental health.
She says disaster from overcrowding has only been staved off because of expensive emergency measures and the crisis in prison numbers had been "predicated and predictable".
...While Ms Owers' report praises work in healthcare, education and managing offenders, she said these gains were at risk because of the overcrowding across England and Wales.
She said figures showed there had been 40% more self-inflicted deaths over the year - particularly at the critical stage of reception.
The government's use of police cells to house some prisoners was undermining work to cut suicides, she said.
Also reported in the Independent -
"On the horizon loom the Titans - 2,500-strong prison complexes, flying in the face of our, and others' evidence, that smaller prisons work better than larger ones," she says. "They may be more efficient, but at the cost of being less effective."
She also raises fears over suggestions by Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, that prison ships and "unsuitable" converted army barracks could be used to hold inmates.
And she protests over the 3 per cent efficiency savings which mean that from April many inmates will be locked in their cells, with no opportunity for exercise or meeting other prisoners, between Friday nights and Monday mornings. She says the strategy is "fraught with risk in relation to order and control". Further funding cuts are expected in each of the next two years.
[Later edit: Romney out, so I feel a bit relieved, except that I want the Republican nomination campaign to drag out so they can't steal a march on the Democrats with Presidential campaigning. Go Huckabee.]
Afghan death sentence on Journalist
'Mr Kambaksh has at least two more courts in which to appeal and the sentence would have to be approved by President Karzai to be carried out.
'He is a student at Balkh University and a journalist for Jahan-e Naw (New World).
'He was arrested in 2007 after downloading material relating to the role of women in Islamic societies.'
UK - At least 5 recent cases in which "financial abuse" of disabled people living independently exploded into terminal violence.
UK Stop and Search 'the more controversial plans surround an extension to the use of routine stop and search where, in some circumstances, officers can stop people without grounds for suspicion.'
UK jailing mothers
There are just over 80,000 prisoners in UK jails, 4,300 of whom are women. Around a third of women prisoners have children under five. Some children are adopted, others are cared for by their father or another relative and some will be placed in care until their mother is released, or sometimes longer.
But children of jailed mothers more likely to be convicted of a crime and to serve time on probation than other children. They are also three times more likely to display antisocial behaviour and suffer mental health problems in later life.
Titan jails less likely - good.
Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers warned in her annual report the system was at breaking point.
She attacked the Titan plans, saying a building programme should not supersede re-offending schemes, reform of women's jails, probation and mental health.
She says disaster from overcrowding has only been staved off because of expensive emergency measures and the crisis in prison numbers had been "predicated and predictable".
...While Ms Owers' report praises work in healthcare, education and managing offenders, she said these gains were at risk because of the overcrowding across England and Wales.
She said figures showed there had been 40% more self-inflicted deaths over the year - particularly at the critical stage of reception.
The government's use of police cells to house some prisoners was undermining work to cut suicides, she said.
Also reported in the Independent -
"On the horizon loom the Titans - 2,500-strong prison complexes, flying in the face of our, and others' evidence, that smaller prisons work better than larger ones," she says. "They may be more efficient, but at the cost of being less effective."
She also raises fears over suggestions by Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, that prison ships and "unsuitable" converted army barracks could be used to hold inmates.
And she protests over the 3 per cent efficiency savings which mean that from April many inmates will be locked in their cells, with no opportunity for exercise or meeting other prisoners, between Friday nights and Monday mornings. She says the strategy is "fraught with risk in relation to order and control". Further funding cuts are expected in each of the next two years.