Wednesday 26 June 2019

Prisons Cause Crime

Now here's a surreal story. According to the BBC, Humberside police don't want one of the MoJ's super prisons on their patch because they say it will increase crime in their area:-

Full Sutton 'super prison': Police object to plans

Artist's impression of plans for Full Sutton new prison

Police have objected to plans for a new "super prison", fearing it would increase violent crime within the jail and raise demands on the force. Planning permission has been approved by East Riding Council for a £91m Category C jail near an existing high-security prison in Full Sutton. But Ch Supt Phil Ward from Humberside Police said the prison would create an estimated 250 more crimes each year.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said it had carried out impact assessments. It said in a statement: "We commissioned all the appropriate impact assessments required for the planning process using the standard methodologies. "These included traffic, environmental, and public service impact reports which have been submitted to the local authority."

Ch Supt Ward said: "Comparisons with similar sized Category B prisons to that proposed in the planning application show recorded criminal offences to be circa 250 per year, the majority of which (circa 150) are recorded violence offences. "These offences require investigation which will place significant additional demand on Humberside Police."

The MOJ said they were not aware of any evidence that shows the risk of crime increases around areas with prisons in them. As well as a rise in crime, however, Ch Supt Ward also cited concerns over the impact on the community and transport network. He added that the village of Full Sutton "already suffers from significant non-village traffic flow due to the current prison facility" and "insufficient public transport to mitigate the anticipated traffic flow increase".

The existing prison - HMP Full Sutton - is a maximum security prison for men in Category A and Category B. It has a capacity of about 150 male inmates. The new facility proposed by the MoJ would house 1,440 inmates. Category C prisons are training and resettlement prisons, which allow inmates the opportunity to integrate back into the community on release.

Objections have also been received from more than 100 members of the public and protests have been held over the plans. Dozens of people gathered to protest in March, saying the area would be unable to cope with the extra traffic and it would make the area less desirable.

2 comments:

  1. I doubt very much that it will only be the police that oblect.
    Super prisons impact greatly on all local services. Its not just more work for a cash strapped police force, but also NHS services, ambulance services, mental health services and more, all expected to be absorbed into already exhausted local budgets.
    It was the cost to local services that HMP Berwyn brought in North Wales that played a significant part in the objections to, and the cancellation of the new super prison earmarked for South Wales.
    Any boost to the local economy that a super prison brings by way of employment and business is far outweighed by the extra cost to services.
    And in a week where the UK has been slated for having the highest rates of imprisonment in Western Europe by a long way, how can super prisons be a good idea anyway?

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-28023468

    'Getafix

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    Replies
    1. Lots of money available to build a new super prison, but not a penny available to assist upon release.


      https://www.midhurstandpetworth.co.uk/news/politics/reduced-support-for-west-sussex-s-ex-offenders-after-release-from-prison-1-8976703

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