FACTion-6.1-web-version

If the Board asks about your case or trial then you must answer but the Board will not, in any sense, seek to retry thecase. Its members will respect your boundary and you must respect theirs. The substantive issue is assessing futurerisk. That is all.Remember, if you have been falsely accused and wrongly convicted then you have nothing of which to be ashamed.It is those who dogmatically support our haphazard judicial system who ought to be embarrassed and ashamed, notyou.If you are granted parole, be mindful that the trail is still being forged and defined. By your subsequent actions, youmust aim to vindicate the Board’s decision and make the trail a little smoother for those who may come after.Post ScriptI am now enrolled in the second phase of the CNOMIS, called Better Lives. In due course I’ll report on this on theFACT website •_______________NOTES AND REFERENCES[1] “In denial” is a technical psychological term. It means avoiding the truth by the mental mechanism of hysterical dissociation. Prison officialsare NOT qualified to diagnose the condition and, if it is applied to you by anyone other than a qualified forensic psychologist, who provides theevidence, you should make a formal complaint and require amendment of records.[2] “Actuarial” refers to a statistical points system and averaged probabilities.[3] The late Lord Justice Denning, Master of the Rolls, asserted, several times, that preservation of public confidence in the justice system wasmore important than individual fairness: specifically that: “…a few innocent men should remain in prison (so that) the English legal systemshould not be impugned”.[4] Parliament has never revoked Prison Service Instruction (PSI) 11/2011 but its replacement PSI, 30/2013, is currently being imposed uponprisoners who were in prison prior to parliamentary approval of 30/2013. This violates Article 7 of the Human Rights Act 1999, which outlawsretrospective legislation.[5] Hood et al in Home Office Findings paper 164.[6] Harkins et al (2010): ‘Examining the Influence of Denial, Motivation and Risk on Sexual Recidivism’ in Sexual Abuse: a Journal of Research& Treatment 22(1) pp78-94.[7] This is a cliché of theological argument and it is a common theme wherever religion has been used as an instrument of political or socialcontrol.[8] For example, the belief that, say, a 10-year-old child is sufficiently mature to consent to sex would be ‘pro-offending belief'.Charity RegistrationThis year we were delighted and most grateful to receive a Trust Fund donation towards research work andmembership recruitment. As a result we have become aware that our financial turnover has crossed the thresholdset by the Charity Commissioners of £5000 at which organisations must apply to become a registered charity. Thenational committee has sought legal advice on this and it has been confirmed that applying for registration is amandatory requirement over which we have no choice.Following committee discussions we feel that as FACT already conforms to the high standards set by the CharityCommission if the application is successful this will be a very positive step forward for FACT and our cause. Inparticular being able to refer to ourselves as a ‘registered charity’ and opening the doors to grant funding. As a smallcharity the requirements on us in addition to what we already do will be small.We are currently preparing the necessary documentation for submission to the Charity Commissioners on whichthey will base their decision of if we meet the definition of having charitable purpose – which clearly we do.We’ll keep you updated with our progress.Nicholas GriffinFACTion 42 Volume 6.1