Prison Book Ban Overturned By Inmate

A prisoner with a doctorate in English literature has successfully challenged a ban on inmates receiving books from friends and relatives.

A judge declared the restrictions as unlawful after arsonist Barbara Gordon-Jones, 56, took the matter to the High Court.

Under the current rules prisoners are prevented from receiving parcels unless they have "exceptional circumstances".

Gordon-Jones, of Tudeley, near Tunbrige Wells, Kent, is serving an indefinite sentence for the protection of the public and is being held at Send prison near Woking, Surrey.

She was denied legal aid but was able to bring her court challenge because lawyers represented her for free.

The prisoner challenged the section of the new Prison Service Instruction (PSI) she said "imposes substantial restrictions on the ability of prisoners to receive, or have for their use, books".

Mr Justice Collins said the PSI amended the Incentives and Earned Privileges Scheme (IEP).

He said: "I am satisfied that insofar as it includes books in IEP schemes, the PSI is unlawful."

The ruling was welcomed by solicitors firm Lound Mulrenan Jefferies, who acted for Gordon-Jones pro bono along with barristers Jenni Richards QC, Victoria Butler-Cole and Annabel Lee.

The solicitors said in a statement: "Reading is a right and not a privilege, to be encouraged and not restricted.

"Indeed, Mr Justice Collins commented that, as far as books are concerned, 'to refer to them as a privilege is strange'.

"The policy was unnecessary, irrational and counter-productive to rehabilitation. It is now rightly judged unlawful."

The solicitors said the Justice Secretary and prison governor "sought to argue that there remained adequate access to books because prisoners borrow them from the prison library or purchase them with their own money, but this was rejected in today's judgement".

They said: "Prison libraries are often inadequately stocked and there are restrictions on access.

"Spending caps for prisoners usually mean that there is enough for bare essentials but not for books."

Referring to the fact that Gordon-Jones was refused legal aid, the solicitors warned: "Under current proposals to restrict judicial review, it would be more difficult to bring this case and hold the Government to account."

In July, a campaign by activists and musicians including Billy Bragg and Johnny Marr overturned a prison ban on steel guitar strings.

Inmates had been restricted to nylon strings - primarily used for classical and Spanish styles. 

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