Penal policy requires a political reset

Commenting on the HM Inspectorate of Prisons annual report today (13 July), Peter Dawson, director of the Prison Reform Trust said:

“Penal policy requires a political reset is the main conclusion we can draw from the Chief Inspector’s annual report. This government boasts about its intention to have 20,000 more people in prison by 2026, but the report could not be clearer about the likely outcome if the system continues as it is. Lock ‘em up and throw away the key might be a good policy for an election campaign, but this report shows that it actually makes us all less safe. Perhaps uniquely amongst public services, we can get a better result by shrinking rather than growing our use of prison. There has never been a better time to seize that opportunity, but it will take a change in the political approach to make it possible.”