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Top judge calls for less jailing Top judge calls for less jailing
(about 3 hours later)
The Lord Chief Justice has urged more use of community sentences, as the jail population nears capacity levels. The Lord Chief Justice has urged more use of community sentences, as the jail population nears capacity.
England and Wales' most senior judge said prisons were too crowded to provide effective rehabilitation. England and Wales' senior judge said overcrowding made it impossible to ensure inmates could be rehabilitated.
He spoke to the Observer after working undercover on a community punishment scheme with convicted criminals. Lord Phillips of Worth Maltravers spoke to the Observer after going undercover on a community punishment scheme.
Meanwhile a memo reportedly shows the home secretary is willing to "risk" a rise in open prison escapes if measures to address overcrowding are brought in. Meanwhile, a memo reportedly shows the home secretary is willing to "risk" a rise in open prison escapes if measures to address overcrowding are brought in.
John Reid has been meeting members of the National Offender Management Service and Immigration and Nationality Directorate to discuss moves such as the early release of prisoners and the use of about 500 police cells. Making room
Prisoners convicted of non-sexual or violent crimes could also be moved from secure to open jails to make room for new inmates. According to the Sunday Times, John Reid has met members of the National Offender Management Service and Immigration and Nationality Directorate to discuss moves such as early releases and using about 500 police cells.
'Not soft' Prisoners convicted of non-sexual and non-violent crimes could be moved from secure to open jails to make space.
Norman Brennan, director of the Victims of Crime Trust, criticised the government's record on law and order. The prison population has hit a record high of 79,843, and in theory just 125 more spaces are available.
He said: "Its obsession with keeping dangerous and persistent criminals out of prison has been a licence to cause mayhem and allowed too many criminals to think they are untouchable.
"Community sentences are in the main treated with contempt by criminals."
The prison population has hit an all-time high of 79,843, and in theory there are just 125 spare spaces available.
By spending much less on services in the community, you can do as good a job Lord Chief Justice Tackling overcrowdingBy spending much less on services in the community, you can do as good a job Lord Chief Justice Tackling overcrowding
But the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Phillips of Worth Maltravers, described the idea of keeping prisoners in police cells as "highly undesirable". Lord Phillips said using police cells as replacements would be "highly undesirable".
He was interviewed after helping to clean up a run-down council estate in Bletchley, Buckinghamshire. He had posed as a drink-driver to serve part of a community order cleaning up a council estate in Bletchley, Buckinghamshire, the Observer reported.
He had posed as a drink-driver and served part of a community order, alongside convicted criminals, to prove tough non-custodial sentences should be imposed on many more offenders, the Observer said. Lord Phillips said: "The ideal that alternatives to custody is being soft is wrong."
He told the paper: "I like to think that I am a liberal but that is not the same as being soft on crime. 'Social dustbins'
"The ideal that alternatives to custody is being soft is wrong." The public must be educated to distinguish between the "brutal, dangerous offender and the inadequate who offends to get money for drugs".
He said the public must be educated to distinguish between the "brutal, dangerous offender and the inadequate who offends to get money for drugs". Asked if prisons were now simply "social dustbins", Lord Phillips said: "I think they are to some extent".
Asked if prisons were now simply "social dustbins", he said: "I think they are to some extent".
He also said it was "madness" to spend £37,000 jailing someone "when, by spending much less on services in the community, you can do as good a job".He also said it was "madness" to spend £37,000 jailing someone "when, by spending much less on services in the community, you can do as good a job".
Risk assessments HAVE YOUR SAY The simple answer to this is to build more prisons Simon Cliff, Leeds href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=4154&edition=1" class="">Send us your views
The warning on a potential rise in absconds - as well as a risk of increased drug use - came in an 3 August memorandum to staff from Fiona Radford, the governor of Ford open prison in West Sussex. But Attorney General Lord Goldsmith said all prisoners were risk-assessed and that only "a very small proportion of the overall prison population" should not be in custody.
Ms Radford reportedly said she had informed the Prison Service director general Phil Wheatley of her assessment. Violent and sexual criminals would still receive tough sentences, he added.
No prisoner who represents a significant risk to the public will be moved to the open estate Phil Wheatley, Prison Service chief Fiona Radford, governor of Ford open prison in West Sussex, warned in August that if more inmates were transferred from secure prisons, there was a risk of more absconds and drug use, the Sunday Times reports.
According to the Sunday Times, which published the memo, Ms Radford wrote: "Ministers have apparently been briefed to this effect and are taking this risk... Increase(d) number of absconds and increased number of drug positives accepted as inevitable by JR". The newspaper said JR was understood to refer to Mr Reid. She reportedly said in a memo to staff that she had informed Prison Service director general Phil Wheatley.
In a statement Mr Wheatley said: "Prisoners are always risk-assessed before they are moved to the open estate. "Ministers have apparently been briefed to this effect and are taking this risk... Increase(d) number of absconds and increased number of drug positives accepted as inevitable by JR", the Sunday Times quotes the memo as saying.
"The home secretary has made it absolutely clear that no prisoner who represents a significant risk to the public will be moved to the open estate." JR was thought to refer to Mr Reid, it said.
In a statement, Mr Wheatley said: "The home secretary has made it absolutely clear that no prisoner who represents a significant risk to the public will be moved to the open estate."
Norman Brennan, director of the Victims of Crime Trust, said the government had an "obsession with keeping dangerous and persistent criminals out of prison".
It had been "a licence to cause mayhem and allowed too many criminals to think they are untouchable", he added.