Bristol ABC is in semi-regular correspondence with Ben Gunn, a prisoner at Shepton Mallet, in Somerset. Occasionally, he sends us articles he would like the wider public to read, and we include them on our website (below) as PDFs. You will need Adobe Reader to view these documents – the download can be found here: http://get.adobe.com/uk/reader/
At some point in early 2009, Ben found himself ‘appointed’ as General secretary of the Association of Prisoners. The AoP is not of course recognised by the British prison authorities, and is in effect a ‘proscribed’ or banned organisation. This of course makes it extremely difficult for prisoners to organise democratically, which is no doubt the British state’s intention! But try some of them do. One of the aims of the AoP is to force the British state to comply with European law and allow British prisoners the vote in general elections, that most basic of what few human rights we are allowed to have, and which prisoners don’t have. Inside Time (see below) has carried updates on this situation.
Since late August 2009, Ben has commenced a ‘blog‘, and is believed to be the only prisoner to have one. Read his blog at http://prisonerben.blogspot.com/ cos it is well worth it, and we wait with interest to see how long the British state will allow this to continue.
Ben is also a regular contributor to Inside Time, the only national monthly newspaper for prisoners. If you would like to read more of Ben’s writing, visit the Inside Time website (http://www.insidetime.org/index2.asp) and enter ‘Ben Gunn’ in the search facility – this should bring up most of the articles he has written.
Prisoner Solidarity – January 2009
http://bristolabc.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/bg_prisoner_solidarity_analysis_jan091.pdf
6 responses so far ↓
prisonguru // March 2, 2009 at 12:09 am |
the word on the landings is that the prisoners union, the AOP, is being revived with ben gunn as general secretary.
jailhouselawyer // September 10, 2009 at 3:14 pm |
Ben Gunn is now the author of Ben’s Blog which is causing an internet stir and being picked up by the mainstream media.
IRONSIDE // September 20, 2009 at 3:52 pm |
Bens article today of explaining what it is like to be a lifer,is very thought provoking. Being a person who cannot stand being inside a lift I got the feeling loud and clear.I think I would go slowly but surely insane.
Prisoner’s blog rattles Ministry of Justice « Prisoner Support Bristol ABC // October 3, 2009 at 11:00 pm |
[...] Ben Gunn [...]
michael // October 7, 2009 at 10:45 am |
Well done to BG. And about time too.
lilian hillyer // October 7, 2009 at 7:08 pm |
what an indictment of our justice system, and a waste of money keeping in jail a prisoner who should have been released long ago, but most of all the wasted intelligence of a mostly self educated man who could help others and possibly help with the reform of some of the obvious faults with the existing parole system.
I wish him an early release and God bless