Preservation of the Rights of Prisoners

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Preservation of the Rights of Prisoners (PROP) was a prisoners' rights organisation set up in the early 1970s in the United Kingdom, which organised more than one hundred prison demonstrations, strikes and protests.

Formation[]

In the first five months of 1972 there were across the United Kingdom over fifty peaceful protests by prisoners.[1]: 176  PROP was launched on 11 May 1972 in a public house named the Prince Arthur opposite Pentonville Prison, formed to "preserve, protect and to extend the rights of prisoners and ex-prisoners and to assist in their rehabilitation and re-integration into society, so as to bring about a reduction in crime."[2]

PROP's foundation meeting was held in Hull and was attended by 60 people. Speakers included Norwegian sociologist Thomas Mathiesen, local branch secretary of the TGWU and from .[3] The sociologist Mike Fitzgerald took on the role of Press Officer.

Prison Strike[]

Later, on 4 August 1972, PROP organise a 24-hour general strike involving 10,000 prisoners in 33 prisons in favour of the demands in the PROP charter.[4] The prisons involved included:[1]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Fitzgerald, Mike (1976). Prisoners in revolt: the origin and development of Preservation of the Rights of Prisoners (PROP), the British Prisoners Union. Leicester: University of Leicester.
  2. ^ Fitzgerald, M. (1977) Prisoners in Revolt, Harmondsworth: Penguin pg.136-137
  3. ^ Fitzgerald, M. (1977) Prisoners in Revolt, Harmondsworth: Penguin pg.142-143
  4. ^ Taylor, I. (1981) Law and Order: Arguments for Socialism, London: Macmillan pg.128
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