Sir Stephen Tumim (15 August 1930 – 8 December 2003) was an English judge, and was Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons from 1987 to 1995. Tumim was the son of a barrister, and was educated at

St Edward's School, Oxford St Edward's School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Independent school (United Kingdom), independent Day school, day and boarding school) in Oxford, England. It is known informally as 'Teddies'. Approximately sixty p ...

and

Worcester College, Oxford Worcester College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in 1714 by the benefaction of Sir Thomas Cookes, 2nd Baronet (1648–1701) of Norgrove, Worcestershire, whose coat of arms ...

. In 1978 he became a Circuit Judge. Appointed as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons by

Douglas Hurd Douglas Richard Hurd, Baron Hurd of Westwell, (born 8 March 1930) is a British Conservative Party politician who served in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major from 1979 to 1995. A career diplomat and political secretary to ...

, Tumim soon made a reputation as a critic of the existing system. He campaigned successfully for an end to slopping out, and was also critical of the "enforced idleness" of prisoners, and poor mental health care. He served under successive

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

Home Secretaries (not all of them sympathetic to his views), until

Michael Howard Michael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne (born Michael Hecht; 7 July 1941) is a British politician who served as Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from November 2003 to December 2005. He previously held cabinet posit ...

declined to renew his contract in 1995, and

David Ramsbotham General David John Ramsbotham, Baron Ramsbotham, (6 November 1934 – 13 December 2022) was a British Army officer, who later served as HM Chief Inspector of Prisons. He was awarded a life peerage in 2005, and later sat on the crossbenches of ...

was appointed. He was knighted soon afterwards, served on many charitable trusts, and continued to inspect prisons overseas. He was the founding President of

UNLOCK, The National Association of Ex-Offenders Unlock National Association of Ex-Offenders, commonly referred to as Unlock, is an independent United Kingdom-based charity, established in 2000 to campaign for the equality of reformed offenders. Unlock describes its vision as "A fair and inclus ...

. Between 1996 and 1998 he was principal of St Edmund Hall, leaving amidst some controversy (he was popular with students, less so with academic colleagues). He was High Steward for Wallingford from 1995 to 2001. Tumim was named "Oldie of the Year" in 1994 by '' The Oldie'' magazine. Tumim was on the committee and a buyer for the Contemporary Art Society. Between 1990 and 2003 he was President of the Royal Literary Fund. He was married to Winifred Letitia Tumim CBE ''née'' Borthwick (1936–2009) and had three daughters.Daily Telegraph: Obituary - Lady Tumim
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Publications

*''Great Legal Disasters'', Barker, London, 1983. *''Great Legal Fiascos'', Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London, 1985. *''Crime and Punishment'', Phoenix, London, 1997.

References

External links

Guardian obituary, 10/12/2003
1930 births 2003 deaths People educated at St Edward's School, Oxford Alumni of Worcester College, Oxford Principals of St Edmund Hall, Oxford British prison inspectors 20th-century English judges Knights Bachelor {{UK-prison-stub