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Prisons 'overhaul' announced by David Cameron | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Six "reform prisons" are to be created in England and Wales as part of a pilot to tackle high levels of violence and re-offending, David Cameron has said. | |
Governors will have autonomy over their operation and budgets, while graduate teachers will be recruited for jails. | Governors will have autonomy over their operation and budgets, while graduate teachers will be recruited for jails. |
The prime minister also announced new powers to speed up the deportation of foreign inmates. | |
Penal charities said reforms would not work if prisoners were "crammed into filthy institutions with no staff". | |
Downing Street said the creation of the "reform prisons" from existing jails would happen by the end of the year, although it did not name any locations. | |
Legislation is expected to follow, so the plans can be adopted more widely. | Legislation is expected to follow, so the plans can be adopted more widely. |
Mr Cameron said "current levels of prison violence, drug-taking and self-harm should shame us all", with a typical week seeing 600 incidents of self-harm, at least one suicide and 350 assaults including 90 on staff. | |
In what he described as the "biggest shake-up of prisons since the Victorian era", he added prisoners should be seen as "potential assets to be harnessed" and the "failure of our system today is scandalous". | |
In other developments: | |
Mr Cameron also said the government would accept the recommendations made in Dame Sally Coates's review of prison education, due to be published soon, including a promise to protect the £130m budget. | |
Former Liberal Democrat MP and education minister David Laws will help develop a new scheme through organisations such as TeachFirst to encourage graduates to take up teaching posts in prisons. | |
BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said it was highly unusual for a prime minister to take such a close interest in prison reform, but Mr Cameron wants to make it a "great progressive cause" in British politics. | BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said it was highly unusual for a prime minister to take such a close interest in prison reform, but Mr Cameron wants to make it a "great progressive cause" in British politics. |
Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said Mr Cameron's proposals were "only part of the equation - you have got to look at what drives crime". | |
She said the focus on prisons by the government was long overdue but it would be a "really steep challenge to try and sort it out". | She said the focus on prisons by the government was long overdue but it would be a "really steep challenge to try and sort it out". |
Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: "Prisons are currently violent and overcrowded. As such, they fail everyone: victims, the public, staff and prisoners themselves. | Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: "Prisons are currently violent and overcrowded. As such, they fail everyone: victims, the public, staff and prisoners themselves. |
"We need action now to tackle sentence inflation and the profligate use of prison. Then the prime minister's vision can become a reality." | |
Last month, the outgoing chief inspector of prisons in England and Wales said conditions in adult prisons had deteriorated over the past five years. | Last month, the outgoing chief inspector of prisons in England and Wales said conditions in adult prisons had deteriorated over the past five years. |
'Compassionate country' | 'Compassionate country' |
In his speech to the Policy Exchange think tank, the prime minister said governors would have control over the way they run their prisons. This would include "total discretion" on budgets, and the ability to opt out of some of the thousands of pages of rules and regulations set in Whitehall. | |
"We need prisons. Some people - including, of course, rapists, murderers, child abusers, gang leaders - belong in them," he said. | |
But he added: "I also strongly believe that we must offer chances to change; that for those trying hard to turn themselves around, we should offer hope; that in a compassionate country, we should help those who've made mistakes to find their way back onto the right path." | |
The prime minister said ministers would legislate to require foreign criminals to declare their nationality in court as presently this does not take place early enough "and this can hamper our ability to deport them". | |
Shadow justice secretary Lord Falconer welcomed the government plans but said the "scandalous failure David Cameron condemns is his own". | |
He said: "The Tories have had five years to improve our prisons and we have heard promises of 'rehabilitation revolution' many times before. Instead, they have cut staff, closed effective jails, decreased transparency and presided over a crisis." | |
The plan to give prison governors more autonomy develops ideas floated by Justice Secretary Michael Gove last year. Prisoners who acquired new skills or qualifications could "earn" their release, Mr Gove suggested. | |
The prime minister has already announced plans to find alternatives to custody for pregnant women or new mothers and confirmed that a pilot scheme to track offenders by satellite would launch later this year. | |
And in November last year the government said nine new prisons would open in England and Wales under plans to close Victorian-era jails in a bid to save about £80m a year. | |
Are you affected by the issues raised in this story? Are you an ex-offender or prison employee? Please email haveyoursay@bbc.co with your experiences. | Are you affected by the issues raised in this story? Are you an ex-offender or prison employee? Please email haveyoursay@bbc.co with your experiences. |
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: |
Or use the form below | Or use the form below |