The Vegan Prisoners Support Group (VPSG) is an organization based in the United Kingdom that provides support for vegans in prison, primarily vegans who are imprisoned for animal rights activity. There are around 800 vegans in British jails at any given time.
It complements the work of the Animal Liberation Front Supporters Group (ALFSG), which offers moral and financial support to imprisoned animal rights activists. The VPSG is purely concerned with ensuring vegans in prison have access to suitable food, clothing and toiletries.
The group was founded in April 1994 by British animal rights activist Jo-Ann Brown. She originally formed it to help Keith Mann, a prominent activist who was jailed for 11 years in 1994 for criminal damage and attempted arson.
Since then, VPSG's work has grown, and it has been called upon to advise the prisons ombudsman on disputes between prisoners and the prison service relating to vegan diets. The group succeeded in 2009 in obtaining for prisoners the right to place mail orders for vegan products from healthfood stores.
Famous quotes containing the words prisoners, support and/or group:
“Your notions of friendship are new to me; I believe every man is born with his quantum, and he cannot give to one without robbing another. I very well know to whom I would give the first place in my friendship, but they are not in the way, I am condemned to another scene, and therefore I distribute it in pennyworths to those about me, and who displease me least, and should do the same to my fellow prisoners if I were condemned to a jail.”
—Jonathan Swift (1667–1745)
“Parents everywhere, trying to bring up kids in a plugged-in, supercharged, high-tech world, need all the information and support we can give each other.”
—Ron Taffel (20th century)
“Jury—A group of twelve men who, having lied to the judge about their hearing, health, and business engagements, have failed to fool him.”
—H.L. (Henry Lewis)