I just saw a piece on Channel Four News about the rates of pay awarded to detainees in Immigration Removal Centres.
These are people who are being held either whilst their applications for leave to stay in Britain are considered or whilst they are awaiting deportation. They are not prisoners, but they are held in very similar conditions and circumstances and, whilst held, the only source of income available to them is to work for the establishments holding them for far below the minimum wage.
Please will you explain ROTL? I reckon it has something to do with Cat-D Prisons.
As an ex-prisoner myself, perhaps I can help out until Adam Mac gets a chance to reply himself.
Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) is granted to serving prisoners for various purposes ahead of their actual release on licence: Resettlement Day Release (RDR) for a few hours to visit local towns; Resettlement Overnight Release (ROR) to go home or to a hostel in the area to which a prisoner will eventually be released – normally four nights every 28 days once eligible; Special Purpose Leave (SPL) for medical or dental treatment or family emergencies (ie funerals); Education Leave to attend local colleges to study and Childcare Resettlement Leave (CRL) if the prisoner will be a child’s sole carer again after release. ROTL can also be granted for regular day release to perform approved voluntary work or paid work in the community. No prisoner has any entitlement to ROTL, but have to apply and be risk assessed first.
Lifers and prisoners on Indeterminate Sentences for Public Protection (IPP) normally have to demonstrate manageable risk by having a number of successful ROTLs before the Parole Board will recommend release on licence. Without ROTLs it can be very difficult to persuade the Board to support release.
In theory, ROTL can be applied for by any prisoner in B, C or D-cat prisons, but in reality it is pretty much restricted to D-cat prisoners in the last phase of their sentences – usually the final 6-9 months or so. Some B and C-cats can get escorted ROTL for family funerals, but will not be permitted to go alone. Hope that helps explain the system.
Having spent a wasted 21 years in prison…i do class the wages system as slavery.by the State.Wages only came about in the 1920’s, as intellectuals were saying prison workers were slaves for the prison systems.any times i refused to work and was put on bread and water (in the 60’s.)Bread and water was stopped by, the then Home Secretary Roy Jenkins, in 1973.The wages in the ’20’s were a penny/ halfpenny! to make it, non-slavery.