Prison reform campaigner arrested outside jail

Feb 6 2008 by Alan Weston, Liverpool Daily Post

PRISON reform campaigner Pauline Campbell was arrested and led away in handcuffs by police yesterday after a protest outside Styal women’s prison in Cheshire.

Ms Campbell – whose 18-year-old daughter Sarah died after taking an overdose of anti-depressants while being held at the prison in 2003 – was protesting about the latest death inside the prison.

Lisa Marley, 32, from Blackpool, was found hanging in her prison cell last month.

Ms Campbell, 60, was arrested after she obstructed a van outside the prison during yesterday’s demonstration.

An eyewitness said she was “wrestled to the ground” by four officers before being dragged into a waiting police van.

She was shouting that the prison was “unsafe” as she was led away.

Before the protest, Ms Campbell said:“Prisons are unsafe places which constantly fail to uphold the duty of care the Prison Service has to all prisoners. People must speak out. It’s medieval.”