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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Comment
Martha Gill

Britain’s filthy, violent prisons shame us all. Here’s why we should care

An illustration of a judge's hand sending a convicted offender to join prisoners caged in a lion's mouth

Imagine a judge making these sentencing remarks to a man found guilty of rape: “This is one of the most vicious crimes I have come across. I am therefore adding an extra sanction to your sentence. You will be sent to a prison ward where you yourself are very likely to be raped.”

Or imagine a judge saying this, to a female murderer, found guilty of killing babies and now pregnant herself: “Because of the seriousness of your actions, an additional punishment will be added to your life sentence. You will be left to give birth in a cell alone, in conditions where your own child will be more likely to die. No officer will respond to your pleas for help.”

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