Kam per Mail.
Zur Info: IPP prisoners sind Gefangene, die „zum Schutz der Öffentlichkeit“ eingesperrt sind. Mehr als 3989 Menschen sitzen aktuell in britischen Gefängnissen als IPP-Gefangene. Fünf Jahre, seit die Strafe gesetzlich aufgehoben wurde, bleiben Tausende immer noch in Gefängnissen ohne Entlassungstermin. Verzögerungen bei den Bewährungsauflagen, Überbelegung der Gefängnisse und reine Vernachlässigung führen zu beispiellosen Raten von Selbstmorden von Gefangenen. IPPs haben eine der höchsten Selbstverletzungsraten im Gefängnissystem in ihrer Gesamtheit und kann ungefähr mit dem hierzulande bekannten Massnahmenvollzug verglichen werden.
Taylor (Claire Taylor) is an IPP prisoner that Smash IPP have been supporting. They had a tarrif of four years and have now done over ten years in prison.
Taylor called this afternoon to say he had been shipped out to HMP Downview. Normally, when a prisoner is being moved they ask them to pack and if they refuse they take them to segregation. However, with Taylor they didn’t even ask them – six male officers “bent” them up. (Bent up is a prison term for when officers grab various limbs and hold you in a restraint so that you can’t resist, they then drag you to wherever they want to move you too. Many officers use this as an opportunity to take their shit out on prisoners, actively hurting them and using their physical superiority to dominate and terrorize someone). Taylor is trans and masculine presenting and moments like this can be an act of transphobia as much as anything else (screws will treat people of any gender like this but its common for them to ‘go in harder’ on men or masculine presenting people). Taylor has a hernia and doing this to him is seriously medically dangerous.
Taylor is incredibly distressed and traumatised by what happened and sounded so vulnerable on the phone. He cut open his chest near his heart (Taylor has a long history of self-harm in prison). They are feeling actively suicidal right now.
The prison offers zero courses or programmes that Taylor needs to complete for their parole. It is a terrible prison with loads of bang-up (time in cell) and its full of drugs. We will be launching a campaign in the new year to call for a transfer to a different prison.
Right now in this moment we are asking people to send cards of solidarity and stamps ASAP to Taylor. They were not able to pack their own bags, so they have lost many stamps and people’s addresses – so if you have been writing regularly to Taylor please ensure you include your address if you want a reply:
Claire Taylor A7974AX
HMP Downview
Sutton Lane
Sutton
Surrey
SM2 5PD
You can also email them via the email a prisoner service.
For more about their background and case see smashIPP
