Looking for Female prisoner support groups

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User offline. Last seen 51 weeks 2 days ago. Offline
Joined: 9-03-09

Hey,

Over the winter a small group of us have being going out in Preston and giving food out to the homeless (and anyone else that wants it). Whilst doing this we hear a lot of stories involving police harassment and I've been talking to a young women who lives in sheltered accommodation. She works as a prostitute and gets regular hassle off the police, they pick her up under suspicion of 'possession with intent to supply', they have never found any drugs on her so have never charged her with a single drugs charge. However they now regularly harass her and perform 'searches' which take place with no female pig present , they don't take her to the station they make her take her top off in the back of a police van. Once she has taken her top off they let her get dressed (no further undressing and no search of clothing takes place) and release her.

How can I go about stopping this? The girl is willing to help me but I can't march into the police station with no evidence as nothing will happen to stop it and L will get more trouble off them. Is there any groups with more information on this kind of issue? If there are would anyone be able to give me contact details? I'm about to email the ABC too but thought I'd give it a go on here too.

Thanks for your time

Sarah

User offline. Last seen 48 weeks 2 days ago. Offline
Joined: 24-01-09

Can she not make a complaint to the police about having to be searched by all male police officers? Just from googling it, it seems to stop and search her, they must give her a copy of the search record, including their names and police station- so this could be used as evidence that she is being searched by all male police officers..?

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/your_rights/legal_system/police_powers.htm#Stopandsearch

Maybe you could assist her in making a complaint to the police? Although, she may not be too keen on complaining to the police as she may fear reprisals as she is a prostitute...

There is the women in prison group
http://www.womeninprison.org.uk/index.php

Charlie x