Justice at the crossroads

Yesterday one of his ministers, Crispin Blunt, gave an interesting speech at a Nacro training centre in West Norwood. I spoke briefly to Mr Blunt when the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies hosted Ken Clarke a few weeks ago. He struck me as a decent sort, interested in ideas and open to discussion. I went along to his speech to hear what he had to say. We got a few good jokes, a couple of intriguing possibilities (the possible end of indeterminate sentencing for instance) and the beginnings of a clear moral vision.

At one point he remarked that the high UK prison population was a ‘national disgrace’. Asked how the government would drive through reform in the teeth of populist agitation he had a one word answer: ‘Evidence’.

Today we learn that Crispin Blunt has been censured by Downing Street and lined up for a swift return to the back benches. His mistake? To suggest that prisoners needed some hope and enjoyment, not merely grinding boredom and misery. To argue that there was a case for the reduction, or possible abolition of the ill-thought-through indeterminate sentences. And to make a joke about middle class oiks for whom different rules applied (interpreted as a veiled reference to David Cameron).

Downing Street’s reaction is a pretty depressing signal that evidence and humanity is not in order when it comes to prisons policy. Nor does it seem to have much of a sense of humour. Oh dear.