Kent Law Clinic’s inaugural prison law advice session was held at HMP Standford Hill on Tuesday 8 November.
In this latest extension to the Clinic’s community outreach work, three prisoners serving lengthy sentences were visited by criminal law solicitor Hannah Uglow and final year Law LLB students Kendra Voogdt and Sylwia Wojciechowska. Both students are among those taking a new Clinical Option module in the Criminal Justice System (LW633).
During the 30-minute session, the prisoners received free advice on issues that included dealing with the parole board and decisions about licence conditions for prisoners and their release.
Hannah said: ‘The session ran as a normal advice session in a sense – 30 minutes of free advice provided to three prisoners by a solicitor (myself) with student observers.
‘The students spoke to clients to take initial instructions (fact find) and observed advice being given. All matters required further research and students will be drafting advice letters to each individual under my supervision.’
The intention is for the Clinic team to return for further advice sessions over the academic year with dates yet to be fixed.
HMP Standford Hill is a Category D men’s prison, located close to the village of Eastchurch on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent. Standford Hill forms part of the Sheppey prisons cluster, which also includes HMP Elmley and HMP Swaleside. An interest in the service has also been expressed by HMP Elmley.
Hannah said: ‘The prisons are keen to increase the service provision but we are very limited in what we can offer due to the huge amount of time to organise and run the session and the subsequent supervision required.’
Hannah is also the supervising solicitor for the Clinic’s Criminal Justice Project (CJP), a staff and student initiative that involves undertaking case work for people who cannot obtain legal aid or afford the services of a solicitor. Cases typically involve complaints/actions against the police and other state bodies, criminal cases, appeals and pseudo-criminal civil proceedings such as anti-social behaviour measures.
The CJP team initially began offering free prison law advice to prisoners in September 2015 via the operation of a letters clinic. Working in collaboration with national charity, the Prisoners’ Advice Service, a team of student volunteers worked to assist prisoners with problems relating to their rights.
Hannah (centre) is pictured with Kendra (left) and Sylwia (right)