An elderly woman who served a custodial sentence earlier this year for her part in the Just Stop Oil protests has been returned to a prison cell – despite serving her designated time behind bars. Gaie Delap now faces the farcical prospect of Christmas behind bars.
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Pensioner jailed again over ‘ill-fitting ankle tag’
Delap, who had recently returned home, suffers from Deep Vein Thrombosis. This prevents her from wearing an ankle tag – one of the conditions imposed upon her release. Meanwhile, the alternative of putting a tag on her wrist is also unviable.
The climate activist has not been provided with a tag that will fit around the upper part of her arm. As a result, she is being incarcerated again. The Good Law Project are now campaigning to support Delap – alongside others facing similar issues.
“The only reason Gaie could be dragged away from her family is because there isn’t an electronic tag to fit her. Gaie’s deep vein thrombosis means she can’t wear an ankle tag and the government won’t provide one small enough for her wrists.”
“We’re also aware of others who have been recalled to jail for the same reasons. These offenders are being forced to spend their sentences in our overcrowded prison system just because of the failings of the government.” | Good Law Project
Just Stop Oil campaigner imprisoned ‘despite overcrowding situation’
Carla Denyer is a Green Party MP, and Gaie Delap is one of her constituents. The elected representative says she is fighting for the protester’s release, and posed several questions to the government regarding their priorities…
“Why on earth is this government releasing violent criminals early due to prison overcrowding, but then replacing them with a 77-year-old peaceful climate protester who is clearly no threat to the public?”
“And why is she facing this extra punishment of being locked up, for longer than she was meant to be, and over Christmas? Do we think that, perhaps, this government might be getting its priorities wrong?” | Carla Denyer