The poor jihadi dears might get claustrophobia, doncha know. Absurd Britannia Update: “Our prison walls are too high to look over, moan terror suspects,” by Jack Doyle in the Daily Mail, August 18 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):
Suspected terrorists are complaining about a fence around the exercise yard in their high-security prison which restricts their view of the horizon.
The alleged extremists are locked up while the Government tries to remove them from the country.
But the inmates have complained the limited view is damaging their eyesight, a prison inspection report revealed.
And astonishingly, inspectors accepted their complaints, criticising the cladding put around the edge of the exercise yard because it stops the men seeing into the distance.
They men are being held in the detainee unit at Long Lartin prison in Worcestershire and are prevented from mixing with other inmates.
Some months ago, prison bosses offered to allow them to join activities involving paedophiles and rapists who are isolated from the rest of the prison for their own protection.
But this was rejected because the terror suspects feared they would be “˜stigmatised” by being seen with the sex offenders.
The report recommended removing the cladding so the prisoners have a clear view into the outside world.
Chief Inspector of Prisons Nick Hardwick said: “˜While detainees” treatment and conditions were satisfactory in some respects, too little attention was paid to their uniquely isolated and uncertain position.”
The report added: “˜For most of the time, detainees were confined to the unit and largely deprived of contact with the range of people that was possible for convicted prisoners in the main prison.
“˜This had resulted in a feeling of claustrophobia.
“˜The fence surrounding the exercise yard was clad, therefore preventing detainees from seeing into the distance. All detainee unit cells overlooked the inner courtyard and detainees therefore had no opportunities to see into the distance, and some complained of deteriorating eyesight.”
The high-security detainee unit at Long Lartin holds seven suspected terrorists.
Three are foreign nationals whom ministers want to deport to their home countries.
The other four are awaiting the outcome of legal challenges to extradition requests by the U.S.
They are thought to include Babar Ahmed, whose case is being considered by the European Court of Human Rights.
Two of the men have been held for more than 11 years as they fight deportation, at a cost of more than £1.6million.
The average cost of a place in a high-security prison is £74,000 per year.
The report revealed the men are allowed out of their cells for nearly 60 hours a week.
They also have access to gym equipment and their own kitchen, as well as prepared meals.