Tommy Robinson doesn’t know how lucky he is

Tommy Robinson has lost his attempt to force the prison service to move him out of segregation. Robinson’s lawyers said he is being held in ‘inhuman’ and ‘degrading’ conditions at HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes. But the High Court ruled that Robinson, also known as Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was being kept away from other prisoners for his own safety.

Robinson’s supporters have reacted with predictable fury. Are they right to be angry? Is Robinson the victim of a justice system determined to crush his will, which is treating him far more harshly than it does other prisoners? Based on my experience as a prisoner, as a prison inspector and someone who now studies and writes about the prison system, Robinson is actually rather lucky: in many ways, his treatment behind bars is far better than the typical inmate receives.