PRT comment: Queen’s speech

Commenting, Peter Dawson, director of the Prison Reform Trust said:

“It is immensely disappointing that the government has dropped its commitment to a prison reform bill. There was cross party support for this long overdue legislation. The decision puts even more pressure on the new justice secretary to find ways to stop our chronic overuse of prison so that this hardest pressed of public services can start to repair the damage his predecessors have inflicted upon it.

“He should start by spending the money earmarked for new prisons on measures that would make them unnecessary. That means supporting people in their communities and helping the people who really do need to be in prison to get out on time and stay out for good.”