Prisons to improve letter-handling processes

Prisons need to improve their processes for handling inmate correspondence prisons and probation ombudsman, Nigel Newcomen, has said. Recent investigations showed human error rather than anything more sinister was mainly responsible where 32 complaints were made about staff opening correspondence between lawyer and prisoner (Rule 39 mail). However, Newcomen this week published a bulletin on lessons to be learned: including that correspondence logs should be sufficiently detailed to record the condition of Rule 39 mail on arrival.