PRT comment: Ministerial statement on criminal justice reform

Commenting on the ministerial statement by the Lord Chancellor in the House of Commons last night (1 September), Pia Sinha, chief executive of the Prison Reform Trust, said:

“The government recognises the severity of the pressure on our prison system. However, once again it is treating the symptom rather than the cause of the crisis. By announcing that part of the capacity in prisons is going to come by re-purposing offices and unused space within the prison estate, the government is signalling clearly that it is trading rehabilitation for the warehousing of prisoners. This decision comes with very real risks — risks that people leave prison without addressing their resettlement needs, risks that they will be recalled back into custody and risks that the public remain unsafe.

“More prison places alone will not create a safer, more effective justice system. Without more concerted action to reduce unnecessary imprisonment, improve community alternatives and tackle the drivers of reoffending, new prison places will simply fill up as quickly as they are built.

“We are now witnessing the consequences of decades of penal expansion. Prisons are overcrowded, staff are stretched, access to education, healthcare and rehabilitative support is often severely limited, and too many people leave prison no better equipped to live crime-free lives than when they entered.

“Victims and the public deserve a justice system that works. Simply building more prisons will not deliver that. The Government must pay equal attention to reducing demand as it is toward increasing supply. Lasting public safety will come from a balanced approach that reserves custody for those who genuinely need to be there, while investing in the services that prevent crime, reduce reoffending and help people rebuild their lives.”

Commenting on the government’s announcement of a review of IPP sentences, Pia said:

“We welcome the government’s announcement of a review of IPP sentences and its commitment to introduce legislation in this parliament to bring the discredited sentence to an end. We also welcome the intention of the government to deliver reform on a cross-party basis and the involvement of Robert Buckland and Lord Blunkett in the oversight of its proposals. The expectations of IPP prisoners and their families will be riding on the prime minister’s words. Too often they have had their expectations raised only for them to be dashed, sometimes with tragic consequences. It is vital that the prime minister delivers on his promise. The government must now set out what it prepared to do and how it intends to implement it.”