Today's prisons White Paper marks the beginning of a new era of prison expansion and is the opposite of what is needed, according to our Director Richard Garside. Richard said:
Liz Truss is today firing the starting gun on a new era of prison growth and more punishment. This is the opposite of what is needed.
If the government is sincere in its desire to cut levels of violence, self-harm and suicide in prisons, it should be placing a fall in the number of prisoners and a reduction of prison capacity at the heart of its plans.
Instead, it is creating additional capacity in the system through plans for new prisons and a commitment to increase the number of prison officers.
This is a blueprint for a larger prison system and will do nothing to address the deep problems afflicting prisons, prison staff and prisoners.
