In the last issue of FRFI, we reported on the recent judicial review brought by Kevan Thakrar against the Secretary of State for Justice in relation to his continued indefinite solitary confinement. The case was heard in the Royal Courts of Justice on 25 and 26 April, and over three months later, the judgment has not yet been handed down.
On 31 May Kevan was moved from the segregation unit in Belmarsh prison to Strangeways prison in Manchester. He is being held in part of the segregation unit which has been relabelled as a Close Supervision Centre (CSC), with a total of six prisoners.
Prior to this transfer, Kevan met with officials from the Prison Service, as well as an NHS commissioned psychologist employed by the Prison Service. The move was touted as ‘progressive’, a chance for him to get out of isolation, to mix with other prisoners. Prior to his transfer, Kevan had resisted the move to Manchester as he notes it is the most oppressive of any prison environment he has been in in the entire 16 years he has spent imprisoned.
Since his transfer to Manchester this oppression has continued with Kevan still not permitted to mix with other prisoners on the unit or to meet privately with the psychologist or any other medical personnel confidentially, receive education or attend religious services, effectively exacerbating his isolation.
In addition, Kevan has been further victimised, being subjected to sexual harassment and abuse in the form of humiliating and degrading strip searches before and after any social visit, legal visit or even video call with his lawyers. This goes against the Prison Service’s own Searching Policy Framework which states that Standard Category A Prisoners such as Kevan should be subject to a rub-down search (over clothes) prior to any visits and a full strip search after visits. This policy refers to face-to-face visits where there may be contact only. That this also includes video calls with his legal team seems preposterous, since there is no way that it would be possible to pass any illicit item through a screen. In his 16 years of captivity, neither Kevan nor any of his visitors have ever attempted to pass unauthorised items between them.
This seems an obvious attempt to further isolate him from maintaining relationships and contact with the outside world, as well as preventing him from seeking legal advice and holding the prison system to account through legal challenge.
Kevan was previously held at Manchester in 2013, and reports that the culture of sexual violence with regards to strip searching was prevalent even then. At the time he brought a legal challenge to this and was subsequently transferred to another prison as a result. Ten years later, Manchester prison continues the same treatment.
Kevan is still being prevented from accessing virtual visits with his friends and family, is permitted fewer visits than at Belmarsh, and the length of these visits is much shorter. Moreover, those registered as Kevan’s family and partner were effectively barred from visiting him during his first month in Manchester, as the paperwork proving they had been cleared to visit him was purportedly not received by Manchester.
Kevan continues his struggle to improve prison conditions for himself and others, against continued violence and repression. On 14 July, Bastille Day, FRFI supporters joined a protest outside the Ministry of Justice organised by the Crossroads Women’s Centre and Payday Men’s Network in support of Kevan and all prisoners detained in solitary confinement.
If you would like to write to Kevan than he can be contacted at:
Kevan Thakrar
A4907AE, HMP Manchester,
1 Southall St, Cheetham Hill,
Manchester M60 9AH.
Rose Mackenzie Lewis
FIGHT RACISM! FIGHT IMPERIALISM! 295 August/September 2023
