Preservation of the Rights of Prisoners
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[]
- ^ 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.
- ^ Fitzgerald, M. (1977) Prisoners in Revolt, Harmondsworth: Penguin pg.136-137
- ^ Fitzgerald, M. (1977) Prisoners in Revolt, Harmondsworth: Penguin pg.142-143
- ^ Taylor, I. (1981) Law and Order: Arguments for Socialism, London: Macmillan pg.128
- Prison-related organizations
- Organizations established in 1972
- Human rights organisations based in the United Kingdom