December 2008

Our failed prison break

It’s still pretty hard to break out of a British jail. But Backchat has discovered that it’s equally hard to break in.

Our intrepid news editor begged the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to let her sample facilities in just one prison, for a feature on disabled offenders.

After two months of humming and hawing, the MoJ couldn’t arrange her prison break-in and was even wildly sniffy about commenting on the allegations in her feature.

But disabled prisoners not only have a hard time inside. They are often stranded at the prison gates after they’ve served their time, as no-one can be bothered to arrange accessible transport.

Time for a name change for the Ministry of Justice?

ILF’s sweet on Boyle

You have to applaud the headhunters who appoint the bosses of our disability-flavoured public bodies.

This summer, Tim Matthews, the man who oversaw a £314 million overspend in 2001/02, while chief executive of the Highways Agency, became Remploy’s new boss.

Now comes a new chief executive for the Independent Living Funds.

Step forward Patrick Boyle. And one of his recent CV highlights?

Yep, that’s right, he “led the programme to establish the Equality and Human Rights Commission”.

Do the words “chaotic”, “weak” and “disappointing” ring any bells?

Ten grand Tanni

She may not be in the Alastair Campbell or Dame Kelly Holmes bracket just yet, but Backchat was still impressed to hear that public-speaking agencies are charging exhibitions, conferences and bar mitzvahs up to £10,000 for the services of Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson.

Dame T’s advisers pointed out that she never charges small charities, and rarely has more than a booking a month.

But still. It’s better than a poke somewhere painful with a pointy implement.