Demonstration to protest death of Kelly Hutchinson in New Hall Prison

This report originally appeared on the No More Prison website in 2006

Report on a Demonstration held outside HMP New Hall, Nr Wakefield on Wednesday 10 May 2006 to protest against the death of Kelly Louise Hutchinson, aged 22, who died on 1 May 2006

• 3 hour demonstration, attended by ten protesters, including ex-prisoners, representatives from 'No More Prison', and FRFI (Fight Racism, Fight Imperialism).
• Letter sent into the prison asked if the Governor would come out to meet the protesters. Governor did not emerge from the jail.
• 17th demonstration to be held since April 2004.
• Prison van MV04 DZX (Global Solutions) was halted at 3 pm, as it attempted to take prisoners into the jail.
• West Yorkshire Police attended the scene (two male officers); I was arrested at 3.25 pm for an alleged breach of the peace, taken to Wakefield Police Station, and released without charge after one and a half hours.
• Photographs taken by one of the protesters show a "very brutal" arrest, during which one officer lost his set of keys, which he later found in a patch of grass in the prison grounds.
• I was handcuffed - behind my back - by the two male police officers.
• The two policemen arrived in separate cars. Following my arrest, our departure from the prison was delayed until the officer found his keys.
• At the time of arrest, my 'rights' were not read out to me ("you have the right to remain silent", etc).
• There were a number of disturbing features about this arrest [and my detention in the custody suite], which will be detailed in a separate report and circulated as appropriate.
• Local press attended the demonstration.
• I was allowed to contact a solicitor during my detention, and spoke on the telephone to Messrs Hickman & Rose, Human Rights specialists, London.

Comment:

"Since my daughter's death in 2003, a further THIRTY women have died apparently self-inflicted deaths] in the 'care' of prisons in England. Despite this being my 12th arrest since April 2004, I remain undeterred. Where there is injustice, there will be protest.

"There are certain principles on which there can be no compromise. The right to life is one of those. Kelly Hutchinson was owed a legal duty of care, and was sent to prison to lose her liberty, not her life. Eleven women have died in the 'care' of HMP New Hall since 2002. It is time, in my view, to consider the closure of this jail."

Pauline Campbell

[Mother of Sarah Elizabeth Campbell, 18, who died in the 'care' of HMP Styal, 2003]