How to get started

 

The BOP Steering Group is offering the following oversight of any project you might undertake:

1 Coming to meet interested groups and students and running a preliminary workshop (2 hours?) to discuss ways forward of mutual interest; also practicalities of attending hearings, getting information, etc. If helpful, a subsequent meeting might be possible. Having some information in advance is valuable. You may wish to compile your own questionnaire. Then one used by the Bail Observation Project is here:

2 If your ideas involve observing more bail hearings, we can assist if required, tailored to what you want to do. Whoever you shadowed for your initial observations could keep up email contact at least, for advice, etc.

3 Help/information for a project may be available from immigration lawyers if contacts can be arranged. We could organise some training if there was a large enough group to access one venue and if it was financially viable.

4 We will receive reports sent to us and publish them on this website (retaining the right to edit these with the author’s permission.)

We also hope to develop blog posts and, depending on funding, to publish results of this 3rd stage of the project. The emphasis would be much wider than statistical evidence. Our two sets of observations already show evidence of a need for change.

All involved will be credited.

See:

Notes for attending bail hearings

What should happen in a well-run bail hearing

__________APPLICANT__________ “DETENTION IS KILLING ME. I’M 49 WITH A FAMILY, WHERE AM I GOING TO RUN TO?” _____________JUDGE____________ “I DON’T BELIEVE ONE WORD OF WHAT YOU SAY” __________OBSERVER____________ "JUDGE DID THE HOME OFFICE’S JOB” ____________JUDGE____________ “I SEE YOU HAVE NEVER LIVED WITH THE MOTHER AND CHILD” (CHILD BORN WHILE FATHER IN DETENTION) _____LEGAL_REPRESENTATIVE____ “THE JUDGE SIMPLY ADOPTED THIS UNSUBSTANTIATED BAIL SUMMARY ON BEHALF OF THE HOME OFFICE” ___________JUDGE____________ “IT COSTS SO MUCH TO KEEP THEM IN DETENTION I LET THEM OUT WHEN I CAN” _______OBSERVER________ “WOULD THAT ALL SUCH HEARINGS WERE AS STRAIGHTFORWARD AND FAIR”

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