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| Prison population should be halved, say former home secretaries | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A trio of senior figures from the three main UK parties has called for a radical rethink of prison policy in England which would lead to the jail population being almost halved. | A trio of senior figures from the three main UK parties has called for a radical rethink of prison policy in England which would lead to the jail population being almost halved. |
| Kenneth Clarke, the Conservative former home secretary and justice secretary, Jacqui Smith, the Labour former home secretary, and Nick Clegg, the Lib Dem former deputy prime minister, have warned that the prison crisis will do “untold damage to wider society” if it is not addressed. | Kenneth Clarke, the Conservative former home secretary and justice secretary, Jacqui Smith, the Labour former home secretary, and Nick Clegg, the Lib Dem former deputy prime minister, have warned that the prison crisis will do “untold damage to wider society” if it is not addressed. |
| The prison population should be cut from its current level, around 85,000, to what it was in the 1980s, around 45,000, they say in a letter to the Times. | The prison population should be cut from its current level, around 85,000, to what it was in the 1980s, around 45,000, they say in a letter to the Times. |
| “To restore order, security, and purpose to our jails, ministers should now make it their policy to reduce prison numbers. We want to see the prison population returned to the levels it was under Margaret Thatcher, herself no ‘soft touch’,” their letter says. | “To restore order, security, and purpose to our jails, ministers should now make it their policy to reduce prison numbers. We want to see the prison population returned to the levels it was under Margaret Thatcher, herself no ‘soft touch’,” their letter says. |
| Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Thursday, Clegg claimed that the problem originated with an approach that Michael Howard, as Conservative home secretary, set out in a speech to his party conference in 1993 saying “prison works”. | Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Thursday, Clegg claimed that the problem originated with an approach that Michael Howard, as Conservative home secretary, set out in a speech to his party conference in 1993 saying “prison works”. |
| Clegg claimed that the “‘prison works’ dogma” had subsequently been adopted by governments of all political persuasions, leading to a “very dramatic increase” in the prison population. | Clegg claimed that the “‘prison works’ dogma” had subsequently been adopted by governments of all political persuasions, leading to a “very dramatic increase” in the prison population. |
| This had created an “overcrowded, large, dangerous and crucially ineffective prison system”, he said. | This had created an “overcrowded, large, dangerous and crucially ineffective prison system”, he said. |
| “I think what people are increasingly appreciating is the test of an effective criminal justice system is what keeps the public most safe. And actually locking up, warehousing, increasingly large numbers of people in very, very dangerous conditions, only to see them go out and commit crime again, is not the way to keep society safe.” | “I think what people are increasingly appreciating is the test of an effective criminal justice system is what keeps the public most safe. And actually locking up, warehousing, increasingly large numbers of people in very, very dangerous conditions, only to see them go out and commit crime again, is not the way to keep society safe.” |
| Clegg accepted that one cause of the current problem in prisons was the reduction in staffing levels that took place under the coalition, from around 25,000 in 2010 to 18,000 now. | Clegg accepted that one cause of the current problem in prisons was the reduction in staffing levels that took place under the coalition, from around 25,000 in 2010 to 18,000 now. |
| But he claimed that this policy was initiated at a time when Clarke was pursuing policies as justice secretary intended to reduce the number of people being sent to jail. Clarke was subsequently replaced as justice secretary by the more authoritarian Chris Grayling, who did not share Clarke’s views. | But he claimed that this policy was initiated at a time when Clarke was pursuing policies as justice secretary intended to reduce the number of people being sent to jail. Clarke was subsequently replaced as justice secretary by the more authoritarian Chris Grayling, who did not share Clarke’s views. |
| Clegg said the size of the prison population was not simply indicative of the crime rate. Sentencing policy was a crucial factor, he said, and he cited factors such as the increase in the number of people subject to indeterminate sentences, the “explosion” in the amount of extra days being added to sentences for crimes committed in jail and the increasing use of recall for prisoners who breach their conditions when released on licence as reasons for the rise in the number of people being detained. | Clegg said the size of the prison population was not simply indicative of the crime rate. Sentencing policy was a crucial factor, he said, and he cited factors such as the increase in the number of people subject to indeterminate sentences, the “explosion” in the amount of extra days being added to sentences for crimes committed in jail and the increasing use of recall for prisoners who breach their conditions when released on licence as reasons for the rise in the number of people being detained. |
| “So there is a lot you can do while keeping society, not only safe, but safer, by bearing down on repeat crime, making sure that prisoners are both punished and rehabilitated, but also changing the myriad of rules that apply to sentencing such that you do not have this overstretched and overburdened prison population,” Clegg said. | “So there is a lot you can do while keeping society, not only safe, but safer, by bearing down on repeat crime, making sure that prisoners are both punished and rehabilitated, but also changing the myriad of rules that apply to sentencing such that you do not have this overstretched and overburdened prison population,” Clegg said. |
| In a separate development, it has emerged that G4S, which runs Birmingham jail, has decided to replace locks in the prison after a picture of a set of keys to them was posted on social media during last week’s riot. Replacing the locks will cost around £750,000. | In a separate development, it has emerged that G4S, which runs Birmingham jail, has decided to replace locks in the prison after a picture of a set of keys to them was posted on social media during last week’s riot. Replacing the locks will cost around £750,000. |