TOPAZ Infopages - Human Rights, Miscarriages of Justice, Prisons

www.topazline.org.uk

The following links lead to information which also may be useful as a starting place. Sometimes when we are worried or in need of information, we do not think where to find it!

For General Links click Here

MIND http://www.mind.org.uk Downloadable Factsheets/Booklets in alphabetical order). The Mind Booklet on Advocacy, available from the above link, gives information on Advocacy including listing some organisations.  Literature is also available direct from MIND or call in at your local Branch.

CITIZENS' ADVICE
www.nacab.org.uk
www.adviceguide.org.uk (online downloadable information on many issues + local CAB Branches)

MISCARRIAGES OF JUSTICE - BOOKS & INFORMATION
Innocent:  http://www.innocent.org.uk
United Against Injustice:  www.unitedagainstinjustice.org.uk

TANSAL Abuse & Rights: www.tansal.org.uk/humanrights.html

CIVIL LIBERTIES/ HUMAN RIGHTS
CAB:  Civil Rights in England  www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/your_rights/civil_rights.htm
LIBERTY:  www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk

Resources for Prisoners, Women in Prison, Prisoners' Families

Action for Prisoners Families
Links www.prisonersfamilies.org.uk/Links/?id=50

Prisoners' Advice Service
PAS Links www.prisonersadvice.org.uk/links.html
PAS is an independent registered charity. We do not accept Home Office or Prison Service money as this may affect our independence. Information is available in: Chinese - French - Spanish - Arabic - Turkish - Urdu - Russian - Polish

PAS provides legal advice and information to prisoners in England and Wales regarding their rights, the application of the Prison Rules and conditions of imprisonment.

PAS takes up prisoners’ complaints about their treatment inside prison by providing free advice and assistance on an individual and confidential basis, taking legal action where appropriate.

PAS runs the Prisoners’ Legal Rights group, which produces a quarterly bulletin entitled ‘Prisoners’ Rights’. Membership of the group includes prisoners, solicitors, barristers, academics and non-governmental organisations.

PACT Prison Advice & Care Trust
Support for prisoners' families Links: www.prisonadvice.org.uk/?q=orgfamilies
Organisations that work with prisoners and their families www.prisonadvice.org.uk/?q=links
Information about prison; Support for prisoners' families; Support for prisoners and ex-prisoners;
Campaigning and umbrella organisations; Parents and carers; Drugs and alcohol; Emotional support
Money and debt; Housing and homelessness; Mental health; Victim support; Faith organisations; Restorative justice

The Griffins Society www.thegriffinssociety.org/ Voluntary organisation working for the care and resettlement of female offenders. Researches and promotes effective practice in working with women who are in prison or subject to criminal justice interventions in the community. The Griffins Society has a list of useful Links to a wide range of Resources www.thegriffinssociety.org/links.html

WIN - the Women's Information Network www.thegriffinssociety.org/win.html
Resources searchable database www.thegriffinssociety.org/win_database_res.html
Publications searchable database www.thegriffinssociety.org/win_database_pub.html
All the services in the database provide specialist support for women. You can access information about services in prisons and in the community. Examples of the kinds of topics you can search for include: support on practical things (eg housing, benefits etc), addictions, children and families, health (physical, mental, and sexual health), emotional support, domestic violence, volunteering and work. Enter words that sum up what you're looking for in the search box then click on the 'search' button. Examples of search terms you might use are: housing, child care, counselling, jobs, education, benefits, etc. You can use more than one word to narrow down your search eg housing london. Any services that match what you're looking for will appear on the screen. Click on the title of the project for more detailed information. If you don't find what you're looking for, try a different word(s) eg try accommodation instead of housing. If you are having trouble using the database, or you can't find what you need, then phone us or e-mail and we will help you find what you want. Our phone number is 020 7278 8198.

For articles about disclosure of evidence and other issues visit www.innocent.org.uk/misc/articles.html
Disclosure, Problems/Help Miscarriages of Justice, Prisoners who maintain their innocence, Forensic science, In prison

Visit www.innocent.org.uk/misc/cr_erzingclioglu_fss.html for an article on the unreliability of evidence, by Zakaria Erzinclioglu - Science and the law: A cause for concern

Books listed by Innocent are at www.innocent.org.uk/books/index.html where downloads are available for some out-of-print books

Visit the Links page at INUK - The Innocence Network UK - www.innocencenetwork.org.uk/links.htm

Visit Sandra Lean's Miscarriage of Justice site:
http://miscarriageofjustice.wordpress.com/articles/innocence-is-no-defence/
and see the final paragraph on her article 'No Defence':

'Innocence is no defence. In fact, being innocent is one of the biggest handicaps to the defence of an innocent person, because their ignorance of the system and how it works is used against them, time and time again.'

Sometimes people are convicted because they made a confession about something they simply did not do.

Eyewitnesses often don't see or remember clearly enough to be really sure.

Convictions should not be made solely on one type of evidence.

In cases of miscarriage of justice, other things may be 'made to fit' into a scenario which other people come to believe is what happened. The more we understand of possible reasons, the less it should actually happen.

If you know someone who is in prison, try to get some support for yourself too, or a friend to back you up

Ann Rule has written many true crime books, not only about women who suffer or die at the hands of people they know or who are complete strangers, but about men who do too. Her website is www.annrules.com

'But I Trusted You and other true cases'

'Too Late to Say Goodbye' - 'To all women who are living in fear of recrimination and stalking, in a kind of captivity, at the hands of men they once loved and trusted'

'Smoke, Mirrors and Murder' - Writing about 'pathological jealousy' Ann Rule says 'A woman in this kind of relationship is caught in a cage - as sure as if she were actually hemmed in by iron bars... What they once believed was true love was really their partners' need to control them.'

'Although SH and her children are safe, there are... women and children who are not. They are somewhere along the inexorable progression from the promise of love to disappointment to isolation to emotional abuse to fear to loss of hope... It shouldn't be that way.'

SAFETY BOOKS, SAFETY TIPS for being in contact both on and off-line
BOOKS & LINKS on STALKING
Factors in Violence books & video for those who are sometimes violent

Visit the False page at Whorls for links on:
False confessions, Eye witnesses; Miscarriages of Justice;
Allegations of abuse, Memories; Therapy Culture;

Finding Middle Ground, Mediation/Reconciliation

TOPAZ GOLDEN - Links for older people, or anyone facing the types of problem often associated with growing older, such as being a Carer for someone, experiencing ill-health or bereavement, or facing retirement/ reduced income. Plus information for Young Carers at Topaz Golden

AGE UK www.ageuk.org.uk  Visit for information and guides.  Age UK is a combination of Age Concern and Help the Aged. Information & Advice line 0800 169 29 39 (open from 8am to 7pm). Help with claiming benefits, finding a care home or help with staying in your own home, paying the right amount of tax, health, health services, what to do when someone dies.

TOPAZ Infopages || Topaz 17 ~ Abuse Survivors ANY Age
Gender ID, Gender Variance, Transgender, Transition

Domestic Violence, Bullying, Coercive Relationships || Scapegoating, Abuse, Ostracism

GROUP Aspects, Cults & Beliefs || Con-Tricks, Scams, Deception

GENERAL Links/ Problems in Living || Directories, Offline & Other

Guidelines for Help || Self-Help, Advocacy || Outline Questions on Help || Mental Health General

Postal Mediation | Negotiating Within | Measures, Links & Concepts | Concil Site