3D printed guns found in Scotland for first time

 Firearms made using 3D printers have been discovered in Scotland for the first time, it has been revealed.

According to the BBC

Police Scotland confirmed to police magazine 1919, following a freedom of information request, that two incidents involving 3D guns occurred last year.

One incident took place in the Argyll and West Dunbartonshire division in April, followed by another in Tayside a month later.

Forensic services, which also flagged the issue, told the Scottish Police Authority they were handling increasingly complex cases involving such firearms.

Firearms expert David Dyson told the magazine: "(The guns) can be made quite quickly and easily from a 3D printer, and then you need some metal components - it requires a bit of skill but a fairly practical person would be able to do it."

Police Scotland said it was keeping on top of the issue and spoke regularly with bodies such as the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the National Ballistics Intelligence Service (Nabis).

What are 3D printed guns?

3D-printed guns are a type of firearms known as ghost guns, lacking serial numbers which makes them harder to trace.

They were initially developed in 2013 by Cody Wilson, the American founder of the gun advocacy group Defence Distributed.

The gun, named the Liberator, was a single-shot weapon, less accurate than an average pistol, and predominantly constructed from plastic.

Wilson subsequently published the blueprints online, triggering a court battle in the US.

The predominantly plastic construction of the gun raised concerns about the potential ability to evade detection by metal detectors.

In 2013, Israeli journalists, external managed to sneak guns based on Mr Wilson's designs through security and into the country's parliament.

Since then, the technology has developed, involving the use of aluminium in the process, resulting in more reliable guns.

In recent years, the UK has witnessed a growing number of incidents and arrests linked to the production of 3D-printed firearms.

In 2022, authorities seized 17, a notable increase from three in 2021.

Home production of guns and parts has been prohibited under the Firearms Act 1968, effectively banning the creation of 3D firearms in the UK.

In November 2022, the UK government updated legislation to explicitly include these weapons in the 1968 Firearms Act.

The first person in the UK charged with making a gun using a 3D printer was Tendai Muswere in 2019.

The 26-year-old, from Pimlico in London, was jailed for three years for manufacturing the firearm.

Email to Shabana Mahmood

This is an email I have sent to the secretary of state for justice

 Dear MP Shabana Mahmood,

I hope this email finds you well.

I am writing to express my concerns regarding the comments made during the parliamentary session on May 22, 2025, particularly the assertion that "prisoners have Sky TV." This statement does not accurately reflect the reality of prison life and highlights a broader issue that I believe warrants attention.

As a discretionary life sentence prisoner who has served 35 years, I have witnessed firsthand the challenges within our prison system. While I appreciate the discussions surrounding the opening of more prisons, I must emphasize that the current facilities are already struggling due to a lack of experienced staff. The treatment of prisoners significantly influences their behavior; if they are treated with respect and dignity, they are more likely to respond positively. Conversely, when treated poorly, they may act out of desperation, akin to trapped animals.

The staffing issue is critical. Many of the personnel currently managing prisons are young and inexperienced, which can lead to a culture of bullying and dictation rather than rehabilitation. To address these challenges, I propose the following measures to enhance rehabilitation efforts:

1. Respectful Address: Upon entry into a prison, prisoners should be addressed by their first or preferred names, fostering a sense of dignity.
2. Minimum Wage: Implementing a minimum wage for prisoners would encourage responsibility, allowing them to save for their release, contribute to victim support, and invest in their future.
3. Financial Literacy: Providing opportunities for prisoners to open bank accounts, gain work experience, and learn to use the internet safely would be invaluable.
4. Substance Abuse Support: Upon entry, prisoners should be screened for drug and alcohol issues, with those in need directed to onsite rehabilitation centers.
5. Mental Health Screening: A thorough mental health assessment should be conducted, ensuring that those requiring additional support are placed in appropriate units or hospitals rather than being left to cope within the prison environment.

Furthermore, it is imperative that staff undergo mandatory mental health training. I have witnessed firsthand instances where staff have supplied prisoners with mental health issues razor blades to self-harm, which underscores the urgent need for better training and awareness.

I strongly believe that there should be a maximum term for discretionary life prisoners, similar to practices in other prisons around the world. I believe that implementing these changes could significantly improve the rehabilitation process and ultimately benefit society as a whole.

Rehabilitation encompasses various aspects such as recovery, improvement, adaptation, reconstruction, and redesign. However, it has become increasingly evident that these principles are not being effectively implemented in English prisons. A notable example is the recent decision by the House of Lords and Parliament, which allowed prisoners to follow the Standard Operating Procedures (S.O.P.) for rehabilitation. Unfortunately, this initiative has faced significant setbacks, as it has been proven ineffective, often exacerbating the issues faced by inmates rather than alleviating them. The subsequent ruling to abandon the horizon and kaizen approaches further highlights the systemic failures in addressing the needs of prisoners.

It is crucial for the government to recognize that group rehabilitation programs often do not yield the desired outcomes. For long-term inmates, such as those serving life sentences, the current system appears to prioritize financial gain over genuine rehabilitation. This perspective raises concerns about the treatment of inmates, who are often viewed as a source of revenue rather than individuals deserving of respect and support.

Moreover, the potential introduction of tasers for prison officers poses a significant risk. There is a legitimate concern that this could lead to an escalation of violence within the prison environment. Inmates may resort to creating their own weapons or acquiring them through illicit means, which could ultimately result in severe injuries or fatalities.

In light of these pressing issues, I urge the government to conduct a comprehensive review of the entire prison system before investing in new facilities or increasing staff numbers. It is imperative to adopt a more humane approach that prioritizes the dignity and rehabilitation of inmates.

As a point of reference, I recommend examining the practices at Halden Prison in Norway. This facility is renowned for its focus on rehabilitation and humane treatment of inmates, which has led to significantly lower recidivism rates. The design and operational philosophy of Halden Prison could serve as a valuable model for reforming the English prison system.

Thank you for considering this urgent plea for reform. I look forward to your response and hope for a constructive dialogue on this critical issue.

Thank you for considering these points, and I look forward to your response.

 Voiceforcons

Thank you

Appreciation for Community Support

The recent surge in support and viewership has been met with sincere gratitude. The team behind this initiative deeply values the engagement and interest shown by the community. This support serves as a significant motivator, driving the team to continue providing content and information of value.

Understanding the Initiative

This platform is dedicated to offering insights into prison life and the activities undertaken within. The goal is to provide a better understanding of this complex environment and to share experiences and perspectives.

Contact and Engagement

For those with questions or those seeking to contribute, the following contact information is provided:

• Email: voiceforcons@gmail.com

This email address serves as a direct line for inquiries, feedback, and suggestions. The team encourages open communication and welcomes the opportunity to engage with the audience.

Additional Resources: YouTube Channel

In addition to the primary platform, a YouTube channel has been established to offer diverse content. The channel features:

• Polls: Interactive polls to gauge community opinions and preferences.
• Songs: Musical content, providing a creative outlet and sharing experiences.
• General Content: A variety of content related to prison life, offering a comprehensive view.

The YouTube channel can be found at the following address:

• youtube.com/@djfrankie_therealcon?si=k3maIC4CGfl-7KpM

Final Thoughts

The team extends its appreciation once again for the ongoing support and looks forward to continued interaction and engagement with the community.

thank you

Voiceforcons

MP calls for accelerated supply of stab vests and tasers for Prison Officers

 On Monday, 12 May, during an Urgent Question in the House of Commons about the protection of prison officers following recent attacks, Rt Hon Sir Julian Smith KCB CBE MP urged the government to expedite the supply of stab vests and consider the accelerated use of tasers for prison officers. In his speech, Julian emphasised the importance of ensuring the safety of those who work tirelessly to maintain order and security within the prison system.

Julian said, "Mr. Speaker, can I support the Shadow Secretary of State's request for accelerating the supply of stab vests, and can I ask the Minister for more details on the Government's thinking on the use of tasers. There is a long track record of taser use in the UK, and it would seem we could also accelerate the use of tasers in prisons as quickly as possible."

In response, Sir Nic Dakin MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice, announced that an operational trial for tasers would be launched this summer. This trial aims to equip specialised officers with tasers to respond more effectively to high-risk incidents. The findings from this trial will inform future decisions regarding the use of tasers in the prison estate.

My view

Understanding the Challenges Faced by Law Enforcement

In recent discussions surrounding law enforcement safety, a notable disconnect has emerged between government officials and the realities faced by police officers on the ground. This article explores the complexities of addressing violent incidents, particularly those involving hot liquids, and the inadequacies of proposed solutions.

The Current Focus: Equipment Over Understanding

Government representatives and Members of Parliament (MPs) have been vocal about enhancing police safety through the provision of equipment such as stab-proof vests, tasers, and PAVA spray. While these tools are undoubtedly important for officer protection, they do not address the root causes of violent incidents, particularly those involving the throwing of hot liquids.

The Limitations of Equipment

1. Stab-Proof Vests: Designed to protect against stabbing attacks, these vests do not offer any defense against scalding liquids.
2. Tasers: While effective in subduing aggressive individuals, tasers cannot prevent or mitigate the effects of hot oil or other liquids being thrown.
3. PAVA Spray: This incapacitating spray is useful in controlling suspects but does not provide a solution to the underlying issues that lead to such violent acts.

The Need for a Deeper Investigation

To effectively address the issue of hot liquids being thrown at officers, it is crucial to understand the motivations behind these attacks. Recent incidents have highlighted that the problem is not merely about the tools available to officers but rather the environment and circumstances that lead to such violence.

Key Questions to Consider

• What drives individuals to commit such acts? Understanding the social, economic, and psychological factors at play is essential.
• How can law enforcement engage with communities to prevent violence? Building trust and communication between police and the public may reduce hostility.
• What training do officers need to handle such situations? Equipping officers with conflict resolution skills could be more beneficial than relying solely on physical equipment.

Conclusion: A Call for Comprehensive Solutions

In conclusion, while the focus on enhancing police equipment is a step in the right direction, it is imperative that lawmakers and officials broaden their perspective. Addressing the root causes of violence, particularly incidents involving hot liquids, requires a multifaceted approach that goes beyond mere equipment upgrades. By fostering understanding and communication, law enforcement can better protect its officers and the communities they serve.

This ongoing dialogue is essential for creating a safer environment for everyone involved.

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The challenges faced by law enforcement are complex and multifaceted. What are your thoughts on how law enforcement can better address these challenges? Additionally, the concern about firearms in prisons and the potential for drones to facilitate their acquisition raises important questions about security and management in correctional facilities. How do you think these issues can be effectively managed?

Violent criminals could be released early and chemical castration pilot expanded after review

 Violent prisoners, including those convicted of sex offences and domestic abuse, could be released after serving just a third of their sentence in a bid to ease prison overcrowding, under new recommendations made in a landmark review.

The Independent Sentencing Review also recommends that more offenders are managed in the community instead of serving custodial sentences.

The government will expand a small pilot scheme offering voluntary chemical castration to some sex offenders to 20 more prisons after the report said that trial should continue.

Former Lord Chancellor David Gauke, who chaired the review, told Radio 4's Today programme that reducing sentences was "the right thing to be doing".

Earlier, Gauke said major reforms were needed to "end the dangerous cycle of emergency releases".

"The scale of the crisis we are in cannot be understated," he said. "Overcrowded prisons are leading to dangerous conditions for staff and contributing to high levels of reoffending."

Last year, thousands of inmates were released early in an emergency measure to deal with prison overcrowding.

Eligible prisoners serving more than five years were automatically released after serving only 40% of their fixed-term sentence, rather than the usual 50%.

The government then commissioned the Independent Sentencing Review to look into the causes of the crisis, and to consider alternative punishments to custodial sentences.

The government previously confirmed it wanted to start work on three new prisons before the end of 2025, and that £4.7bn would be allocated for prison-building between 2026 and 2031 at the government spending review, due next month.

But in the report released on Thursday, Gauke warns "we cannot build our way out of" the overcrowding crisis.

The government is expected to accept some of the key measures in principle, with further detail to follow in a future sentencing bill.

Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood is expected to respond to the review on behalf of the government in the House of Commons later on Thursday.

The review also calls for:

• Offenders to be given short custodial sentences of less than 12 months in only exceptional circumstances, such as if they don't comply with court orders or to provide respite for victims of domestic abuse

• The continuation of a pilot scheme providing voluntary chemical castration for sex offenders in the south-west of England

• Suspended sentences to be allowed for up to three years, and for them to be used more for low-risk offenders with high needs, such as people with substance abuse issues or pregnant women

• Courts to have greater flexibility to impose fines or travel, driving and football bans

• More funding for the Probation Service - which supervises offenders serving community sentences or those released into the community from prison - and greater availability of electronic monitoring equipment like tags

It also proposes an "earned progression model" for offenders, inspired by reforms in the US state of Texas. The BBC visited a high-security, supermax prison in Texas with Ms Mahmood in February.

Under an earned progression model, offenders would progress through three stages: custody, where prisoners are incentivised to behave; post-custody, where offenders are strictly supervised and subjected to licence conditions; and the at-risk stage, where offenders aren't supervised but can be recalled if they offend again.

Prisoners on standard determinate sentences - a fixed-length prison term - could move to the post-custody stage after serving one-third of their sentence providing they behave well. If not, they stay until halfway.

This could include sex offenders and perpetrators of domestic abuse.

As first reported by The Sun, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood is seeking to expand the chemical castration pilot for sex offenders to two more regions - a measure she hopes will be a staging post to a full, nationwide rollout.

She is also considering whether to make the measure mandatory, rather than voluntary, though no timeline for making this decision has been set.

The review recommends that specialist domestic abuse courts should also be expanded to better support victims, and more perpetrators of violence against women and girls should be tagged.

Perpetrators of domestic abuse should be more clearly identified at sentencing so that the right interventions are put in place for them to be managed inside and outside prison, it adds.

The Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales, Dame Nicole Jacobs, said the measures, if adopted, would send "a clear message to domestic abusers that they can now offend with little consequence".

Campbell Robb, chief executive of prison support charity Nacro, said a move away from short jail terms towards community sentences "could be a genuine game-changer, interrupting the vicious cycle that traps people in prison".

However, Justice for Victims said said the report had not taken the views of those impacted by violent crime into account.

The campaign group said: "We welcome the extra investment and plans for new prison places from the Government. But there isn't any excuse for letting the worst offenders get out of prison even earlier."

Meanwhile, shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick said "scrapping short prison sentences" amounts to "effectively decriminalising crimes like burglary, theft and assault".

BBC News understands that tens of thousands more offenders could be tagged under the proposals, putting further pressure on an already stretched probation system.

Although the review recommends more resources for probation, staff say they are worried about being put under even more pressure.

One probation officer told BBC News: "We can't cope now, God knows how we'll cope if these recommendations are accepted. I'm already looking for another job. It's just not possible to do all this work."

National Association of Probation Officers general secretary Ian Lawrence told BBC Breakfast he welcomed the report but warned the early release scheme "won't hang together" without "desperately needed resources into the probation service".

William Morey, who was convicted of murder in 1988 and served a decades-long prison sentence, told BBC News that prisons "are not running properly, because they haven't got the staff to run properly". Morey said he feels deep regret for his crime.

"I was really shocked at the levels of self-harm, the levels of violence, the lack of staff, the continual bang up," he said.

"I think the thing we need to take into account is, what kind of sentences are these people going to be given, and what kind of help is there in the community for these people?"

He also told BBC News that he was worried about the strain it would be put on the "already overwhelmed" probation service.

'Act with bravery'

England and Wales has one of the highest prison population rates in western Europe.

An interim report from the Review, published in February, found the prison overcrowding problem was driven by successive governments trying to look "tough on crime".

Despite overall crime rates declining since the mid-1990s, the prison population in England and Wales almost doubled between 1993 and 2012, while reoffending has remained high, it said.

Governments over the past 25 years jailed more criminals, despite evidence that it does not prevent re-offending, the report added.

Gauke also previously warned that without radical change, prisons in England and Wales could run out of space again by next Spring.

Thursday's recommendations, Gauke says, are "focused not only on bringing the prison population under control but ultimately reducing reoffending and ensuring victims are protected".

"Taken as a package, these measures should ensure the government is never again in a position where it is forced to rely on the emergency release of prisoners," he adds.

"I urge the Lord Chancellor and Prime Minister to act with bravery in their response."

Andrea Coomber KC, chief executive of Howard League - a national charity working for less crime, safer communities and fewer people in prison - supported moves to increase the number of community punishments.

She told BBC News that it would be "much better [for offenders to] spend more of their sentence in the community with access to courses, access to support, to housing, education, relationships with families - those things that are proven to stop reoffending".