Today’s update is made mainly for information purposes in the hope it assists the families and may help future families who have to go through this difficult process.
Last night I had the privilege of meeting the family of Nathan Marshalsea who were at the Rose and Crown for a fund raising event held by my good mate Snowy...they were real nice people and it was good to talk to like minded people who are in the same boat as me...it was a good night and the locals at the pub made us very welcome...top people.
Good News from the Prisons this week, Josh from Treorchi will be home on Monday next week, hopefully his cell mate Shane will be home very soon too....they are both currently serving time in the Open part of Hewell prison...they were both initially sentenced to 12 months, which the judge halved for the guilty plea and with the curfew (tag) will have served 6 weeks and 4 days, but of course they are on the curfew until at least May...but they will be home.
Also talking to Wayne, Morgan Andersons’ dad today we can also be happy to hear that Morgan can be home early in April, Morgan had a bit of a rough deal by being isolated from the others in a Young offenders prison but Wayne said he has kept his head down, got a couple of jobs and managed very well indeed, he even made a phone call during the game Yesterday where all the lads chanted his name, so that will have cheered him up.
The Curfew (Tag) is hopefully being offered to all 16 of the lads currently serving time (I CAN SEE NO LEGAL REASON WHY IT WOULD NOT BE AN OPTION) and for the benefit of families unsure of how it works and to assist other families who will have to deal with this when more of our lads get sentenced later this year I have been finding out stuff that may be of help.
The Home Detention Curfew (HDC) scheme applies to prisoners who are serving sentences of between three months and under four years. It allows prisoners to live outside of prison providing they do not breach the rules of their curfew and is designed to help prisoners prepare for life after their release.
Prisoners will usually be considered for HDC unless they are statutorily excluded from the scheme. Prisoners on this scheme will be released between two weeks and four and a half months before their automatic release date, depending on the length of the sentence. Prisoners who are statutorily excluded include those who have committed violent or sex offences who are currently serving an extended sentence under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. (THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO ANY OF OUR LADS AND ALL SHOULD GET THE TAG, THEY HAVE NOT DONE ANYTHING TO JEOPODISE THIS)
Electronic tags
If a prisoner is to be released on HDC they must sign a licence which tells them the times they will have to remain at their home address or hostel; normally 7pm – 7am. On reaching this address, an electronic tag is fitted to the prisoner and monitoring equipment installed at the address by a private contractor.
If the prisoner breaks their curfew, the electronic tag will alert the contractors and the prisoner may be recalled to prison where they will stay until their automatic release date. If they are recalled for breaching the HDC curfew conditions, they will not be released again on HDC either for the rest of their sentence or on any future custodial sentences they may receive.
Sometimes a prisoner is recalled for reasons beyond their control (for example if they are unable to stay at the curfew address any longer). If this is the case they may be eligible to apply for re-release immediately upon their return to custody subject to another suitable address being located.
In the cases of all our lads, they were given forms by the prison to complete, probation forms, once completed the probation service set things in motion and usually contact the families, they will then do a pre visit or in some cases contact families by phone to discuss the method the tag will be enforced.
On the day of release the lads will have a deadline to get home and a time will be given for the TAG people to arrive at your home, fit the TAG and then make sure it works, they will explain everything then to families.
I asked him about the other lads and he told me that he was still sharing with Steve M from Bridgend in Block 3, Steve hopes to be home a month ahead of Peter, Stefan from Pontlottyn is doing very well and hopes to get his release on June 5th maybe earlier, alongside my son Peter and Rob Connelly who will be the last three released. Nathan P (from Cardiff)is used to being away due to his army career and is coping well according to the lads. and the other 6 are still in Block 2 still sharing are Brett and Paul O’Hara, Jai H and Nathan Marshalsea, Rob Connelly and Gareth Green...they rarely all see each other though. They have been in touch with their legal people and the governor and all applied to go to Block 7, an area where they should be anyway, which consists of Category C prisoners instead of B and C categories in which they are in now. Saying that they all seem well looked after and are getting on well in the Blocks they are in.
Nick Fredrico had an initial 12 months and Sam Johnson had 10 months initially so hopefully they will also be soon I then appear to have lost track of the last lad in Hewell, is it Craig? Can someone let us know who I have forgotten please?
Below we see some of the reasons the Judge Edmunds felt happy to impose these sentences, most of the reasons will amaze many football fans.
http://squaremilenews.blogspot.com/2011 ... enced.htmlThe 25th March will see the sentencing of a few Chelsea fans including Jason M, then there are trials and more sentences due in April and May...tough times ahead for so many people, what ever team they support I feel empathy with them and wish them all the best of luck.