Reviews Book Review Foreign national prisoners: law and practice by Laura Dubinsky Publisher: Legal Action Group (2012) ISBN: 978 1 903307 66 3 (paperback) Price: £55.00 (paperback) Foreign national prisoners: law and practice is a comprehensive guide to immigration law, those aspects of prison law that impact foreign national prisoners, and other legal rules relevant to foreign nationals in prison, detention or otherwise attracting the attention of the immigration authorities. Written by barrister and immigration and prison law specialist Laura Dubinsky, with contributions from Hamish Arnott and Alasdair MacKenzie, the book seeks to provide a detailed analysis and critique of case law from domestic courts and those of the European Union and European Court of Human Rights. Published by the Legal Action Group, the book (unsurprisingly) follows a polemical narrative, taking the side of the prisoner/detainee. This does not in any way detract from a thoroughgoing coverage of the subject. Foreign National Prisoners is the first work of its kind, attempting, as it does, to cover as broad a range of topics as the name implies. As such, it is a welcome addition to the bookshelf of the legal practitioner and prison professional alike. It is also an invaluable complement to Creighton and Arnott’s Prisoners: law and practice — so often seen in the hands of lawyers attending prison adjudications. Fifty years ago, a book on the subject of foreign national prisoners would have been a thin volume Issue 204 indeed, as High Court judge Sir Nicholas Blake points out in his foreword. As he says, ‘Such a survey would primarily be concerned with the distinction between aliens and British subjects and the broad exercise of prerogative powers available in respect of the former class.’ In practice, this meant that the Home Secretary could do pretty much as he pleased. Today, the position is very much more complex and with constant and evercontroversial public debate in progress. Demands for curbs on immigration and fears of foreign criminals compete with the rights of those who wish to claim asylum, or those who have established family ties or, for that matter, those who were born and bred here and whose right to stay has been threatened. Reading Foreign National Prisoners as a non-lawyer, one gets the impression of a deeply researched and splendidly well organised exposition of the subject. The first part, comprising over half the total pagination of around 900 pages, is concerned with deportation. UK legislation is covered in detail, including the 1971 Immigration Act, 2007 UK Borders Act and the 2009 Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act. The first part also covers EU and EEA rules such as the Citizens Directive and the EEA regulations 2006. The section then goes on to consider the impact of the European Convention of Human Rights (enshrined in English law in the form of the 1998 Human Rights Act). The section concludes with a consideration of the appeals process in deportation cases. Part Two — Prison Law — starts with a useful summary of the prison system, legislation, policy and sentencing practice before Prison Service Journal considering the position of foreign nationals in prison. The section continues with a look at temporary and early release, early removal and repatriation. A final chapter in this section considers the position of foreign national prisoners in relation to mental health legislation. Part Three gives a thorough account of immigration detention, related statutory powers, common law principles and detention policy. The effects of Convention articles are covered in some depth, particularly in relation to children of detainees. A further chapter considers places of detention and how they are used. The final part looks at remedies available to detainees and foreign national prisoners and includes coverage of claims for damages. Overall, this book is a valuable source of reference for any lawyers with a need to provide a degree of expertise in this area. It is, however, equally useful to prison managers and those working with foreign national prisoners in prisons and other places of detention. Ray Taylor is a prison officer at HMP Pentonville in London. Book Review Racial criminalisation of migrants in the 21st century Edited by Salvatore Palidda Publisher: Ashgate (2011) ISBN: 978-1-4094-0749-2 (hardback) Price: £70.00 (hardback) This collection has been drawn together by Salvatore Palidda, Professor of Sociology at the Faculty of Education in the University of 57