Prisons for young people – or Young Offender Institutions, as they are officially termed also came up in our conversation. If prisons are “scary places,” YOIs are places where real fear is generated. In design and operation there is very litlle difference between them and adult prisons. Jack Henry Abbot christened the reform institutions that he was confined to as a boy: “Gladiator Schools.” I have referred to our prisons for young people in the same vein in my writing on numerous occassions over the years. But now a more accurate phrase has been coined. The Fear Factory. The Fear Factory is a documentary film made by Spirit Level Films, which lays bare the blatant shenanigans played by our politicians and the media which has totally distorted our view of young people who get caught up in the criminal justice system. This film is a must see for anyone intersted in the truth – it is one of the most intelligent comments on this issue I have seen for a long long time. The film will be screened at the Empire, Leicester Square on 1 March at 10.30am. There will also be a Q&A session featuring some of the people who have taken part chaired by Roger Graef. Tickets are available on a first come first served and can be requested at info@thefearfactory.co.uk The film is currently not for broadcast but available on DVD. Forty penal interest charities have joined together as a coalition to champion the message of the film, the production of which was funded by the Nationwide Foundation. Hat’s off to them.