Are you OK with cookies?

We use small files called ‘cookies’ on nationalpreventivemechanism.org.uk. Some are essential to make the site work, some help us to understand how we can improve your experience, and some are set by third parties. You can choose to turn off the non-essential cookies. Which cookies are you happy for us to use?

Skip to content

NPM Bulletin – September 2024

Published:

Welcome

Welcome to the September edition of the UK NPM bulletin. After a well-deserved Summer break, the NPM Central Team are back in action preparing the 2023-24 Annual Report; liaising with government and other stakeholders on issues of concern; and working on the next NPM business plan.

In August, we wished Serife Suleyman a warm farewell as her secondment with the NPM came to an end. Her contribution to the development of the upcoming recommendations database cannot be understated, and we hope you will join us in thanking Serife for her efforts over the past year. We are currently recruiting for a full-time Support Officer as the recommendations database project enters the procurement phase, with the goal of selecting a service provider end of Q3 2024.

As always, we invite you to please cascade this bulletin to your staff and volunteers so that they can remain up-to-date on the latest NPM news. If you have received a forwarded copy of this bulletin and would like to be added to the subscription list, please reply to this email requesting to subscribe.

Thank you for reading.

Sam Gluckstein, Head of UK NPM


The UK NPM is hiring!

The NPM Central Team is currently seeking a full-time Support Officer to join our team. The post holder will play a crucial role in the day-to-day functions of the UK NPM, working with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders. Please circulate this post within your networks and help us find an excellent new addition to our team!


Blog: incoming NPM Chair Sherry Ralph reflects on protecting and promoting the rights of all

Sherry Ralph was appointed to a three-year term as UK NPM Chair on 2 September 2024. To read Sherry’s reflections on the role and the importance of the UK NPM, see the latest NPM blog.

Image of Sherry Ralph speaking at NPM Annual Conference 2024.

Scottish prisons no longer holding under-18s

The Scottish Government announced on 2 September that there will no longer be any children in prisons in Scotland, with all under-18s detained at YOI Polmont now relocated to secure care settings. This is an issue that has been of great concern to NPM bodies, particularly HMIPS, who have been campaigning to end the imprisonment of children for several years. Learn more on the Scottish Government website.


Joint human rights report raises concerns

A joint SHRC and UK NPM report entitled Review… Recommend… Repeat… An assessment of where human rights have stalled in places of detention examined actions taken to resolve concerns around two absolute rights – the right to life and the right to protection from inhuman and degrading treatment – in places where people are deprived of their liberty in Scotland. The findings are deeply concerning, of the 29 recommendations mapped over a ten-year period – none were deemed to be completed, with only five showing limited progress. The vast majority had no meaningful progress. . Media pick up was strong, including this article by Lucy Adams (BBC News).

Listen to Sam Gluckstein’s interview with BBC Radio Scotland below:

Image of a YouTube video depicting Sam Gluckstein, Head of UK NPM, and the BBC lunchtime live logo. A play button is in the middle of the image.

Latest news from NPM bodies

If we missed anything, or if you have a report, blog post or news story you would like to share in the next bulletin, please send us an email.


External reports of interest


Upcoming events and activities

  • 10 Sept NPM Steering Group meeting, Online
  • 11 Sept Human Rights Consortium Roundtable, Glasgow, Chaired by Sam Gluckstein, Head of NPM
  • 16 Sept NPM Northern Ireland Subgroup meeting, Online
  • 23-25 Sept NPM Forum, Council of Europe, Strasbourg, Sam Gluckstein attending
  • 18 Oct World Menopause Day – NPM will launch Menopause in Detention Toolkit, Online
  • 25 Nov NPM Steering Group meeting, London
  • 30 Sept Ministry of Justice liaison meeting, London

Thank you for reading!

This bulletin is compiled each month by the NPM Central Team. If you have any news you would like to share, please let us know.