UK: Still no justice for Ray Gilbert
01 January 2005
Ray Gilbert has been in prison for 23 years, convicted of the 1981 murder of betting shop owner John Suffield, a crime he did not commit. Ray, in 1981, was a young, poorly educated man with a speech impediment and the scars of a violent childhood. He confessed to John Suffield's murder after two days and nights of police interrogation without legal representation. There is no forensic evidence to link him to the crime, he was never identified and his initial verbal admission bore little relation to the facts of the murder, suggesting that his written confession was "coached." Ray's co-defendant John Kamara has long since been freed by the Court of Appeal.
Ray has served eight years over the 15 year tariff set by the trial judge. There are two reasons for this. He continues to fight the conviction - and so is deemed to be "in denial" of his offence and therefore still at risk. Ray has also been a keen advocate of his rights as a prisoner and the rights of others, and is labelled a "difficult" prisoner as a result.
In 2004 Ray was moved from Woodhill Close Supervision Centre to HMP Grendon. This seemed to represent a real breakthrough. The CSC was established to contain dangerous/disruptive prisoners and it was clear that Ray had been labelled as such and dumped at Woodhill indefinitely. HMP Grendon claims to offer a "therapeutic community... where a dedicated interdisciplinary team of staff work together with prisoners in an atmosphere which would not normally be tolerated in prison." Grendon says it is committed to "therapeutic dialogue" and appeared to represent a chance for Ray to break the cycle of confrontation which he'd been dragged into by a prison system that refused to accept he had the right to pursue the "rights" the system claimed to extend to him.
Ray has now been given three reasons why he will not be allowed to remain at Grendon.
1.
Reluctance to be challenged in a therapeutic community.
By the prison's own admission, Grendon is not a typical prison environment and it can take prisoners some time to adjust to the way it works. Ray Gilbert is being denied that time. In any event, Ray says while he has been at Grendon he's been open to challenge and has tried to engage positively with the regime there.
2.
Anxiety and defensiveness leaves Ray prone to become involved in his own and others' causes.
Ray was elected wing chairman and staff complained he was taking issues up with them on other prisoners' behalf. This was the role Ray was elected to, and suggests he was engaging with the community structure on the wings at Grendon. He also offered to act as a "Mackenzie friend" for another prisoner at an adjudication. Yet again, Ray is being punished for standing up for his own rights and those of others.
3.
An open, honest and democratic therapeutic community is not the right place for Ray at present, as he would become involved in other issues on the wings.
It is not clear where Ray will be shipped to next. His prospect of release seems as far away as ever. Ray Gilbert has been buried within the prison system not for the crime for which he was jailed (he is eight years over tariff and has always fought to prove his innocence.) He has been thrown into the CSC regime because he defends the rights of himself and others. For that "crime", it appears the prison system will try to make "life" for Ray Gilbert really mean life.
You can write to Ray: Ray Gilbert H10111, HMP GRENDON, Grendon Underwood, Aylesbury, Bucks HP18 OTL and write to Dr Peter Bennett, governor at HMP Grendon, asking him to review the decision to remove Ray from HMP Grendon.