In The News

UFFC

Sheku Bayoh inquiry hears police officers want immunity

Sheku Bayoh
Sheku Bayoh

source: The Scotsman
published: 22 February 2022

At a preliminary hearing for the public inquiry into the death of the 31-year-old after being restrained by police, lawyers warned that there could be “unanswered questions and uncertainty” from a lack of answers unless they were given certain immunity.

Lawyers for the Scottish Police Federation and the officers involved want undertakings that no evidence given to the inquiry by any officer will be used against them in any criminal proceedings or used to decide if they should be prosecuted.

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UFFC

New data shows 2021 had highest number of deaths in prison ever

Domiciliary Prisonsource: INQUEST
published: 27 January 2022

The Ministry of Justice has today (27 January 2022) released the latest statistics on deaths and self-harm in prison in England and Wales. This time last year INQUEST predicted that, in the midst of a second wave of Covid-19, the worst was yet to come. Sadly, the government did not act and we were proven right.

In the 12 months to December 2021 there were a total of 371 deaths of people in prison, representing the highest annual number of deaths ever recorded, with more than one death a day. This is despite recent reductions in the prison population. There were 4.7 deaths per 1,000 prisoners, also representing the highest ever rate of deaths.

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UFFC

How Forensic Architecture uses technology to protect human rights

Woman on Laptopsource: Computer Weekly
published: 24 January 2022

Forensic Architecture speaks to Computer Weekly about how it uses various digital technologies to investigate human rights abuses around the globe, including the pushback of migrants over the Greek border and the killing of Mark Duggan by London police.

From biometric identification technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) to communications interception equipment and unmanned surveillance drones, modern nation states have a vast array of immensely powerful tools at their disposal thanks to the corporations they partner with to develop and deploy such technologies.

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