Breaking Free
Brick by Brick Resistance To The Prison Building System
Welcome To The Clampdown
The British state sends more people to prison than any other in Europe and it's getting worse. In 1997 the prison population rose by the rate of a small prison EVERY SINGLE MONTH. More and more people are getting sent down for more offences, for first offences and for longer than before.
An estimated 11,000 people are arbitrarily detained by the immigration service each year, for an average of 3-6 months without charge, trial or even understanding the reasons why. Thousands of these are Asylum Seekers, fleeing persecution and even death. They come here seeking safety and protection; they find intimidating, ignorant, racist immigration officials and baffling bureaucracy.
Many are held in purpose built, high security detention centres, run for profit by ignorant, racist Group 4 guards. Up to 300 are held in HMP Prisons such as Rochester and Brixton. Numbers detained are increasing rapidly, from 200 at any one time in 1990 to over 850 by 1997. Now the government is proposing a "fairer, faster, firmer" asylum policy, so they are going to build several new and massive detention centres, near points of entry such as Ashford (Channel Tunnel), Heathrow, and the South Coast.
Capitalism produces the poverty and alienation that causes crime. The State 's job is to protect property and uphold the social systems of oppression and exploitation It can't do anything to solve the problems of anti social crime that people are facing. All it can do is lock people up which is well known to cause misery and more problems. Anti social crime will continue as long as people leave it to the state to deal with. That benefits the state, it's not in the state's interest to stop crime. If people are robbing and fighting with each other it prevents them from uniting against capitalism and the state. They also use crime to justify more police powers.
The Situation Is Deteriorating
The situation is deteriorating because the prison 'service' used to have to beg money form the government if it wanted to build or expand prisons. But now building and running prisons has been privatised. Companies like GROUP 4 and Corillion (an offshoot of the Tarmac demerger) front their own money, build and run prisons and the government pays them back later. It costs the taxpayers more in the long run (that's where the profit comes from!) but the cost doesn't show up on public expenditure figures.
So there is nothing to stop them expanding their evil empire as much as they like, they are currently building two prisons a year, plus prisons for kids, extensions of existing prisons, Asylum seeker detention centres, new police stations and magistrates courts, more holding cells etc., etc. All the shiny new concrete they need to bring about the police state they have already legislated for.
We Can Stop This
To trample on us they really need concrete and consent. We can see that they don't get either by physically resisting the prison building program. CAGE is a network that is being set up to oppose the prison building program, the locking up of asylum seekers and the police state. It intends to link existing groups campaigning on these issues, outreach into communities affected by the State clampdown and provide information for action against the prison state. It intends to hold a launch at the Anarchist bookfair, with a stall and discussions on 'The prison building program' and 'Alternative ways of dealing with serious anti social crime'. The Russian political prisoner Alexander Solgerfnitzen posed the question 'at what point do you resist?' We say while you still can!
Dates
* Close down COPEX 2-4th November- Counter Insurgency Arms Fair, where many of the companies who supply the British Security Forces will be displaying their wares.
* 6th Anniversary of Campsfield 27th Nov - Come and help shut Down Campsfield Asylum Detention Centre.
Contact Details
CAGE c/o 180-188 Mansfield Rd,Notts, NG1 3HW. CAGE@veggies.org.uk
Local Contacts
Leeds c/o Earth Liberation Prisoners,c/o Leeds EF! or earthlibprisoner@hotmail.com
Brighton c/o South Downs EF!
Sheffield c/o Sheffield EF!, c/o 82 Andover St, Sheffield S3 9EH. jimthackery@yahoo.co.uk
South East CAGE c/o Box G, 101 Magdalen Rd, Oxford, OX4 1RH
Some Targets For Starters......
SODEXHO - a French company, with 70 prisons in America, Europe and the UK and annual sales of $6.9 billion. Special products include Olympic Games and major international events.Incidentally, they are also the principal Govt caterers for army and prisons in Mexico, and also provided Water-borne commuter services up and down the Thames, effectively strike breaking during the rail strikes.
JARVIS - General big budget construction, PFI Contracts and Railtrack. Also have Jarvis Training Management which specialise in New Deal contracts. Managing Director, Mike Braccegirdle. Offices based in Altrincham, Manchester.
GROUP 4 - deal with all aspects of Security from cash handling toStore detectives. Prisons and Prison Transport now an International business. About to sign contract with S. African Govt. HQ Training and Vetting Services at a manor house at Broadway in Worcestershire. Secure Training Centres managed by Malcom Stevens, The specialist childcare division is known as:REBOUND ECD : Contact CAGE for more details
What's Being Built Where
For more details contact CAGE
Glasgow: New police station. Contractor is Jarvis construction.
Millom, Cumbria: prison extension contractor is Jarvis construction.
Blackburn: New police station and central holding cells. Manchester: new courts.
Cheshire: Police HQ and training centre.
Marchington: New 600 place prison (opens Oct 2000).
Staffordshire: New prison on the sportsfield of Onley YOI and prison extension at HMP Stafford.
Hereford. New magistrates court. Both start April '99 (HBG Contruction)
Oxford: Campsfield House detention prison.
Heathrow and Gatwick: Several immigration detention centres, including Harmondsworth and Tinsley House with new ones planned.
Ashford, Kent: New detention centre at HMP Aldington.
Westminster: New police station.
HMP Wellington: Prison extension.
Ashford, Middlesex: New prison. Tender to be granted at the end of 1999.
Peterborough: New Prison. Tender to be granted at the end of 1999
Leicester: New police station (start May 99).
Derby: Magistrate's Court Start late 1999/early 2000.
Rotherham: New police HQ
Humberside: 3 new magistrate's courts: Beverly, Bridlington, Hull. Work starts Summer 99.
York: Extension of Police HQ Started June 99 Contractor is Thomas Wetherall.
Blackburn: New Police Station and central holding cells.
Spennymoor, Co. Durham: New police Station. Project starts Summer 99.
Perth: Prison upgrade to A-hall.
Inverness: Prison Extension