The Revolution Has Started

Ken Clarke promised us a 'rehabilitation revolution' and with his Green Paper published only a week late due to some uneasiness on the part of the Prime Minister, without a doubt penal policy has finally returned to a saner path. At last we have a Justice Secretary willing and able to challenge Michael Howard's ridiculous soundbite 'Prison Works' that unleashed 20 years of punishment inflation, all too-willingly stoked up by Tony Blair's government.  Anyone who doubts why criminal justice policy really shouldn't be part of party political knockabout should have a look at the comments generated by Mary Riddell's article in the Telegraph. 

I happened to be in my usual haunt last night supping several glasses of winter ale and mulling over Ken's ideas with friends. It was pointed out to me that Ken might be doing the right thing, but it was for the wrong reasons. This is all about saving money supposedly, but I'm not so sure. Ken Clarke is pretty liberal by nature and he was an inspirational choice as Justice Secretary. As a seasoned Tory big-hitter, only someone of his stature is going to be able to steer these true penal reforms through Parliament and be able to take on all the reactionary forces they are bound to generate in his own party, the tabloid press and the House of Commons.

My only real dismay is that Ken clearly has no time for the Probation Service and is doggedly sticking to his ideological belief in punishing us for some reason. I feel it is incredibly sad that at the very moment when we have a minister intent on instigating thoughtful policies that accord with much of our historical beliefs and values, we are being marginalised at best and set on the path of destruction at worst.

Interestingly I doubt that these plans will get much opposition in the House of Lords where their Lordships have a long history of being a far more reasoned bunch than their Lower House colleagues. If there is to be any opposition at all it will be over the treatment of the Probation Service as we have considerable support in the Upper House. I repeat what I have said previously. I really do think it is sensible to try and have a dialogue with the Justice Secretary concerning our role in these plans and that does mean the Unions reviewing their blanket opposition to 'Payment by Results'. For goodness sake, look at the bigger picture here and in particular what this Green Paper is proposing in the round.