For Michael: LIFE

Submitted by: Michael Beech

Dear Michael, a friend for life. Although it hurts I know your in a better place. Here is something which I wrote and sent to him, which i would like to share with others.

——LIFE——–

Change
Take life one step at a time,
Growth and change is optional, you can either choose it or fight it.
You can’t live in the past, if you dwell on yesterday your not growing.
Your past is where you’ve been, but not where you have to stay.
But if you’re unwilling to grow, you’ll never reach your potential.
If you can’t change, you won’t grow.

And if you’re not growing, you’re not really living.
Growth must be your priority or it will never happen.
Pursue it to the point of excellence, for its there you’ll find your highest joy and fulfilment.
What holds you back is not what you are, but what you think your not.
If you want to change, start by changing habits.
When you can walk in the light you already have, you’ll receive more.
But don’t wait for the right circumstances, create them yourself.
The future begins today not tomorrow.

Looking forward
You can love only what you know and fix what you understand
Knowledge is power, so get to know you.
What are your needs, your values, your goals and boundaries?
Learn to accept and enjoy who you are, then you’ll be able to accept and enjoy others.
If you want to find happiness, find out what it is.
If you can’t give away what you have, you don’t posses it, it possesses you!

Control techniques at Castington YOI left young offenders with broken wrists

originally published: 23rd June 2009

An urgent inquiry is being sought into the use of force by staff at a young offenders’ institution in Northumberland after 10 inmates in two years were left with serious injuries which included broken wrists.

The chief inspector of prisons, Dame Anne Owers, makes the call for an independent investigation into the use of “control and restraint” techniques at Castington YOI in her inspection report published today. The report says that there were 364 “use of force” incidents at Castington last year, including 280 which involved the use of “control and restraint” techniques by staff on inmates aged 15 to 21.

“The number of times force was used was comparable to similar establishments. The principal concern in this area was the discovery that, over a two-year period, the use of control and restraint on young people had led to seven confirmed fractures and three suspected fractures,” says the chief inspector’s report of her inspection, which was carried out in January.

“Inspectors had never previously come across so many serious injuries sustained in this way. These incidents have been thoroughly investigated internally, but no coherent explanation had emerged from the scale and frequency of these injuries.”

Owers says it is therefore essential that a “further and comprehensive review is undertaken by a senior figure independent of the establishment so that lessons can be learned and the possibility of any repetitions minimised”.

In one case the police were called in to investigate after one young person was found to have had both wrists broken. In another case the prison service area manager called in an external investigation team but its report was inconclusive.

Read full report >