Comment

Reform prisons a tragic distraction

Given the parlous state of prisons across England and Wales, a reform-minded Justice Minister like Michael Gove has ample opportunity to make his mark.

18 May 2016
News

Now is the time to cut prisoner numbers

Our Director, Richard Garside, today welcomed calls for a cut in the high number of people locked up in prisons across England and Wales.

The Conservative Chair of the House of Commons Justice Committee, Bob Neill MP, is one of a growing number of figures calling for a reduction in the prison population.

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Neill said that he was looking for a...

12 May 2016
News

'No chance of success' for government prison policy

The Ministry of Justice’s plan to reduce the prison population through a reduction in reoffending 'has almost no chance of success', the former New York City corrections and probation director Michael Jacobson...

5 May 2016
News

Impact of alternatives to custody examined

The relationship between sentencing practices and the official crime rate was discussed last week at a packed event hosted by the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies.

The event – Alternatives to custody: Data and policy perspectives – was organised jointly with the...

25 April 2016
Comment

Doing bad policy well

Two developments this month point to deep problems at the heart of the prison and probation systems in England and Wales.

Grim news on prisons

On prisons,...

29 April 2016
News

Open letter on drugs to UN Secretary General

The Centre's director, Richard Garside, was among more than 1,000 public figures across the world calling on the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon to support an open and constructive debate on drugs policy.

The call comes in advance of a Special Session of the UN General...

14 April 2016
News

Criminal justice faces perfect storm of cuts and overstretch

Criminal justice agencies across the UK face a perfect storm of growing demand and shrinking budgets by the time of the next General Election, according to new analysis by the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies.

A rising prison population – set to top 100,000 by 2020 – and inadequate...

21 March 2016