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HOWARD
AHOY!
Text
from CJA 1994: Seasick? Well watch out,
'cos Britain could be getting its first prison ship if plans by the
Home Office get the go ahead. Britains prison population
continues to soar which means more buildings are needed to house
everyone - the problem is not many local authorities want them in
their areas, so the Home Office has come up with a cunning plan.
They are turning to a little known clause contained in the 1994
Criminal Justice and Public Order Act to help stay afloat in the
rising tide.
The purpose-built ship with
the capacity to hold 480 inmates is currently in New York harbour
and 'surplus to requirements'. The American company involved still
remains a mystery to SchNEWS as we went to press, with the Prison
Service press office telling us such information was 'confidential'.
The ship is due to be
moored in Portland harbour and plenty of local people are up in arms
- they've already got one prison, a Young Offender's Institute and a
Ministry of Defence base. The site is near a nature reserve in
waters that are clean and used for commercial fishing. But even if
local Weymouth and Portland Council object to the decision the Home
Office application could get the go ahead 'in the national
interest'. And as the Chief Planning Officer told SchNEWS,
"it's not on land, so does it even need planning
permission?" SchNEWS hopes it doesn't
go the way of Britain's last prison ship - a converted ferry called
the Earl William which was home to Tamil immigration detainees until
the ship ran aground from its moorings off Harwich in the storm of
'87!
It
Pays to Go to Prison
Inmates in some American
jails are now required to pay $40 for each night spent in prison! In
New Mexico inmates are being charged $21,352 for their first year
behind bars. To pay this off they are allowed to labour at $5 per
hour... this means it would take over 2 years of full time work to
pay off the first year of prison. When they get out, the state can
repossess whatever property a prisoner may have or deduct from their
wages. Nothing in the law keeps officials from forcing prisoners to
remain in custody (after their sentence is served) to work -
theoretically forever - to pay the ever-mounting debt. *
So many people are being sent down in the USA, that telephone 'helplines'
just for prisoners have been set up. For $2.50 a minute you can hear
answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the Big House, such as
how to reduce your sentence, what things to bring to prison, and
tips like "see a dentist before you go in." Something for
British Telecom to think about. Road
Rage
Re-union rampage antics on
Thursday when people opposed to the Newbury Bypass decided to build
a road through Sir George Young's back garden! 10 people were nicked
for "conspiracy to cause criminal damage" in an action
Assistant Chief Costable Robert Davies described as
"deplorable". But what about these 'deplorable' bail
conditions - banned from within 3 miles of Maidenhead and Newbury
and 1 mile from the Bypass. They must stay at home in the evening
and are not allowed to attend any demonstrations. The cops also
confiscated everyone's boots for forensic tests. 01635 45544. All
Out for a World Wide Strike
Liverpool Dockers, on
strike now for 15 months against
casual lahour practices, have called for a world-wide strike of
docks on the 20th January, Ports around the world that have agreed
to go on strike include Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the West
Coast of America, and they are now working on Europe and Canada! There will also be a mass
picket on Seaforth Docks, Liverpool on the same day. Call 0151 207
3388 *
350 workers at the Magnet kitchen manufacturing factory in
Darlington are in their 20th week of striking after six months of
negotiations about pay increases broke down. They are holding a Mass
Picket on 14th February. The St. Valentine's Day Wipe Out will
protest on the picket line outside the factory all day. Get up there
for some action. Magnet Factory, Allington Way Yarm Industrial
Estate, Darlington 01325 282389 *
Workers at the Glacier RPB engineering plant in Glasgow are
continuing with their round the clock sit-ins. The 103 skilled
workers were sacked two months ago when they objected to the
introduction on of unsafe working practices and changes in their
contracts, which included a reduction in their wages. * Next Justice? meeting on 21st January features "Flickering Flame", the Ken Loach film about the Liverpool dockers. Plus "Reclaim The Future" film by Conscious Cinema 7.30 pm. @ the Albert Pub, Trafalgar St.
Viva
Zapatistas!
January 1st 1994.
Thousands of Indians armed with machetes, clubs and a few guns
occupy four of the major towns in the Chiapas region, southern
Mexico, and declare war on the Mexican government. The government
respond by sending in troops thinking the uprising would be over in
days. Three years later and they're still there! *
Read "Rebellion from the Roots" by John Ross; First
World ha,ha,ha by Elaine Katzberger and Post Scriptum -
the European Zapatista solidarity paper available on disc or paper
(English, Spanish and a bit French) from LAEurope des luttes, c/o
Schwartzmarkt, Kl. Schaferkamp 46, 20357 Hamburg, Germany.
Zapatista's web site http://planet.com/mx/-cliapas/ The
Plus Files
It's not
all doom and gloom and endless direct actions...is it? From now
on each issue of SchNEWS will spotlight people out there doing it,
building a better future now. If you're one of those people or would
like to make a nomination, drop us a line at the SchNEWSdesk. Sleaze
Please Hotline!
Fed up with MPs who moan about dole scroungers while they give themselves a nice pay rise and a few more directorships? Bosses who sack half the workforce, cut the remainders, pay then give themselves a nice big bonus? So are we - so let's expose them. Ring the SchNEWS desk with your sleaze please. No.1: Steven Norris MP Yes, the ex-minister for transport, instrumental in the privatisation of railways, and the growing mess that is Britain's bus services, has become part-time director of Stagecoach Ltd - one of the most prominent companies buying up the bus and train network. Stagecoach actions have been described by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission as "predatory; deplorable and against the public interest", so Norris should fit in well. His salary? £50,000 a year. SchNEWSround
SchNEWS issues 51-100 and
lots more. If you want to a copy; send us a fiver. It would also be
handy if people could order the SchNEWSround from their local
library; so that we get increased sales, and other people get a
chance to read it. The ISBN number of the book is 09529748 0 0.
SchNEWS
in Brief
and
finally
Going
down for going down Taken from the excellent
anarchist publication 'the Match' PO Box 3012, Tucson AZ 85702,
USA. A fiver should cover the cost of one issue - no cheques tho'
please.... disclaimer
Warning: both our computers are very ill and our database has got a migraine... we are working day and night to rectify the situation... in the meantime expect a few blips till the end of the month, dear long suffering subscribers. We are sorry...Honest.
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