PRT comment: Safety in custody statistics
Commenting on the Ministry of Justice’s safety in custody statistics published today, Mark Day, head of policy and communications at the Prison Reform Trust, said:
“A new ministerial team must get to grips with an epidemic of violence behind bars which shows no sign of abating. Despite a small but welcome fall in deaths in the latest figures, every other indicator points to the ongoing and longstanding deterioration in standards of safety in prisons. Back to basics on prison reform cannot just mean fixing broken windows and cleaning dirty and infested accommodation, necessary though this is. It must also include a concerted and sustained effort to take the pressure off overstretched prisons by reducing prison numbers to a sustainable level.”
Commenting on the Ministry of Justice’s safety in custody statistics published today, Mark Day, head of policy and communications at the Prison Reform Trust, said:
“A new ministerial team must get to grips with an epidemic of violence behind bars which shows no sign of abating. Despite a small but welcome fall in deaths in the latest figures, every other indicator points to the ongoing and longstanding deterioration in standards of safety in prisons. Back to basics on prison reform cannot just mean fixing broken windows and cleaning dirty and infested accommodation, necessary though this is. It must also include a concerted and sustained effort to take the pressure off overstretched prisons by reducing prison numbers to a sustainable level.”
