Poet laureate leads protest against prison book rules

BBC News  28 March 2014

Poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy organised the protest

Writers and actors opposed to new rules stopping people sending books to inmates have held a protest outside Pentonville Prison in north London.

Poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy joined demonstrators including actress Vanessa Redgrave and author Kathy Lette.
They say new rules, introduced in England and Wales in November, make books a privilege rather than a staple.
But the government has said prisoners can still use jail libraries or earn money to buy books.

Under the changes, prisoners can no longer be sent small parcels containing items such as books, magazines and underwear.

Redgrave described the measures as "vicious" and said literature helped to give people "a goal to live for".

"It is deplorable in terms of the incapacity to think. Prison was meant to be a place where someone could rehabilitate," she said.
Playwright David Hare called for Justice Secretary Chris Grayling to apologise and reverse the policy.

"At this point, the sooner he does it the better because he is going to have to do it, so he might as well do it now and say that a mistake has been made," he said. 
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