Legal News
Lincolnshire Residents Campaign over Plans to Accommodate Inmates near Award-Winning Village (24 January 2012)
Date: 24/01/2012
The Ministry of Justice’s plans have come under fire as residents have voiced their opposition to accommodating prisoners on the outskirts of a Lincolnshire village before they have completed their jail terms. Around 40 inmates will be accommodated near to residents in Freiston after plans for an open jail were given the go-ahead. Under the plans, three semi-detached homes, located just one mile away from the village, will be turned into residential accommodation for prisoners. The properties, which were built in the 1960s, were used to provide accommodation for prison officers. More recently, disabled children enjoying nature events courtesy of the Prince’s Trust have used the houses.
Around 800 Freiston residents have voiced their concerns over the plans. Resident, David Smith, has told of how he is concerned that the safety of the local children may be affected by the plans. Duncan Attwood, also a resident, added that he did not support the Ministry of Justice’s plans and believed that a jail should be a jail. The Ministry of Justice has claimed that offenders will undergo risk assessments prior to being placed in the village, which was awarded the title of “Lincolnshire's best village” in 2010. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice has told of how the plans will aid offenders who have been jailed from avoiding “culture shock” on their release and will provide inmates with the skills they require to adapt to living their lives outside of prison.
Duncan Lewis’ team of prison law solicitors stand up for prisoner’s rights, whether they are housed in jail or in residential accommodation specifically for prisoners.