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Petition to move girls out of Weatherby prison

5 replies

BelladonnaBaggins · 15/03/2024 21:54

I recently signed the Howard League's petition to move girls out of Weatherby prison and today the Howard League sent out an update and an appeal for more signatures.

Dear Friend,
Thank you again for signing the Howard League’s petition to move girls out of Wetherby prison. I am writing to update you after another busy week for the campaign.
The good news is that many more people have added their voices to our call for change. Several charities and campaign groups have come forward to show their support, and the number of signatures on the petition now stands at almost 1,700.
The bad news is that our meeting with the prisons minister, held earlier this week, has not resolved the situation to our satisfaction. Girls are still in Wetherby, and the government provided no indication that this will end soon.
This is a story of system failure, and failed leadership, that dates back years. Today we published a new blogpost on our website, which provides more information about our campaign as well as some background to the government’s decision to break with established policy by placing girls in a boys’ prison.
The blogpost explains how, in April 2022, we were given assurances by the government that placing girls in Wetherby would be a temporary measure for 18 to 24 months, pending a proper plan. Almost two years on, that plan has failed to materialise. We have met five different prisons ministers during that time, raising this issue at every meeting, and the government does not appear to be any closer to delivering a permanent solution that will keep girls safe.
We will keep up the pressure, and we will need your help to do that. Please share the petition by email or on social media with anyone who you think might be interested. The more signatures we have, the louder and more effective our campaign will be.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Andrea Coomber KC (Hon.)