£16k compensation for Lincolnshire inmates
Thousands of pounds have been paid out in compensation to Lincolnshire prisoners.
Inmates have been awarded the cash for injuries they have sustained and for periods of unlawful detention, new figures obtained by the Echo reveal.
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A total of £7,900 was paid out to inmates at Lincoln Prison in 2008/09
A total of £16,365 has been spent in the last two years on compensation at the county's three prisons – HMP Lincoln, Morton Hall, near Swinderby, and North Sea Camp, near Boston.
The figures have triggered questions about whether enough is being done to keep costs down – although prison reformers say inmates deserve justice as much as anyone else.
Data released under the Freedom of Information Act shows that £7,900 was paid out in compensation at HMP Lincoln in 2008/09.
A total of £4,500 of that was paid out for injuries sustained by inmates.
A further £3,400 had to be forked out because of unlawful detention – such as prisoners being kept in the cells for longer than required.
But the figures have fallen slightly since 2007/08, when £8,465 was paid out at county prisons.
A Prison Service spokesman, who declined to be named, said: "Each litigation is dealt with on its merits and, as far as the evidence allows, all claims are robustly defended.
"The National Offender Management Service successfully defends significantly more civil claims than are settled.
"Such claims are only settled on the basis of strong legal advice from the Prison Service's appointed solicitors and/or barristers."
Prison reformers say that people with criminal convictions actually have compensation slashed because of their past behaviour.
They say the true scandal is that conditions at prisons are bad enough to generate these kind of claims.
9 Comments
by Trash, know your place
Wednesday, February 03 2010, 6:03PM
“"So much for being an upstanding citizen all your life, paying dues and demands, and just being a reasonable human being."
Coming from someone who has openly admitted on here that they wanted to burn down a load of gypsies' caravans, that is absolutely priceless.”
by lynn, lincoln
Wednesday, February 03 2010, 5:03PM
“This article makes you wonder if crime pays. So much for being an upstanding citizen all your life, paying dues and demands, and just being a reasonable human being. Where did it all go wrong?
If I had a PHd in hindsight, I think I would have gone the way of our forefathers and decamped to the Antipodes.”
by paul, lincoln
Wednesday, February 03 2010, 2:15PM
“god now i wished i was sent down csa wanted £90 per week out of my £215 wage for a child she refused to let me see and my name is not on birth c judge said if i dont pay i go to prison :) now i wished i said send me (free food free dental care watch tv play pool complain and get couple of grand”
by dodgy geezer, lincs prison
Wednesday, February 03 2010, 9:41AM
“ha ha,,,, not bad do the time do a dodgy claim nice con”
by old person, nursing home ,someware
Wednesday, February 03 2010, 9:35AM
“they are there to do there time not too have freebies this is why this country is sliddin down the loo ...the doo gooders and these pillars of the community should be held accountable for waisting tax payers money”
by steve, Lincs
Wednesday, February 03 2010, 9:34AM
“Send them out in chain gangs, working in the community, this will get them out of their warm cosy cells, they will want compensation then for being out in the cold, this country is far too soft with prisoners.”
by steve, Lincs
Wednesday, February 03 2010, 9:31AM
“Send them out in chain gangs, doing community work like the americans do, they will get plenty of fresh air away from their cells.
This country is to damn soft with prisoners..”
by old person chocking on his tea, nursing home
Wednesday, February 03 2010, 9:10AM
“nice little earner do time then claim for a dodgy injury ..they are there for one reason only.no money should be paid .thats why this country is slipin down the loo. the dooo gooders should be made accountable for this awfull mess”
by Missouri Marten, Lincoln
Wednesday, February 03 2010, 9:02AM
“Don't go there...just don't. :-(”