Due to a number of factors, including a trip to France, the blog hasn't been getting my full attention of late, but then it doesn't seem to matter given the continuing chaotic state of our politics. The Queen forced to deliver a Party Political Broadcast on behalf of the Tory Party; electioneering but no election; a paralysed Parliament; an embarrassment of a Prime Minister and a government seemingly about to go on strike in a hissy fit - all as Christmas gets under way! A General Election in December?! What could possibly go wrong?
Anyway, electioneering to the Tories means pretending the NHS is safe in their hands, schools are all going to be better and lots more criminals will be locked up and many for longer. Here is Rob Allen's take on these latter points:-
Back in August the MoJ estimated the numbers inside would be lower in 2024 than at present . They estimated a 5% likelihood it will reach or exceed 87,300 in June 2023.So why do we need all these additional places?
One good reason might be to reduce overcrowding in existing prisons so that prisoners are held in a “good decent standard of accommodation” that the Prison Service aspires to provide. There are currently only 75,000 places in use that provide this kind of uncrowded accommodation. So almost all of the new building could be used to improve the basic conditions for a prison population of the current size. But in their evidence to the Justice Committee, the MoJ made no reference to this worthy aim.
Instead they justified the increase in prison places in terms of first, a surge in prison numbers resulting from the 20,000 more police officers who will be available to catch more offenders; and second the longer portions of sentences to be served by sexual and violent offenders.
On the impact of more police, Sir Richard admitted it’s “hard to convert those into prison places” because we do not know if they will be pursuing “high-level crime, low-level crime or crime that results in imprisonment”. Buckland took the view that “we will see quite an increase in volume crime detection. That might not necessarily result in prison sentences; it might result in more community sentences”. The Justice Committee failed to press him on whether investment in probation and other community-based services wouldn’t be a wiser course to take.
The increased portion of sentences served in prison by violent and sexual offenders (not considered dangerous) is estimated to require 2,000 more prison places by 2030. Between the Queens Speech on Monday and the Committee hearing on Wednesday, the Government decided to restrict the group having to serve two thirds from those getting 4 year plus sentences to 7 years plus. Buckland told the Committee he is “trying to make sure that we create a system that is supported by the resources I need.”
The decision that these prisoners should serve a longer portion of their term was ostensibly made following a Sentencing Review announced by the PM in August. Buckland told MPS that the Review “took the form of very thorough advice to Ministers. It is an internal document”. So, nobody will see it.
As for the Review, Sir Richard had already explained to the Prison Reform Trust that “Given the time constraints it has not been possible to undertake any formal public engagement, but we have conducted telephone interviews with some key stakeholders to give them the opportunity to give their views.” The MoJ have listed the 13 organisations they spoke with in the review.* Noticeable by their absence are any sentencers, and the Sentencing Council. This is despite the Government’s Impact Assessment (IA) acknowledging that “it is possible that as a result of this policy the length of sentences handed down by the courts could be reduced in view of the longer period to be spent in prison”.
The contrast between the depth and detail of the IA which is consistent with the Treasury Green Book Guidelines on policy development, and the superficiality of the Review (which is far from it), is frankly embarrassing. The IA notes "potential transitional risk to prison stability" with increased tensions in prison establishments, with consequent impacts on prisoner violence or self-harm; and possible increases in the risk of re-offending; plus a cost over ten years of £710 million.
Woeful too is the lack of proper consultation about the need and use for more prison places. The Green Book recommends that “research, consultation and engagement with stakeholders and the wider public, should be conducted at an early stage” of policy development. “This provides understanding of the current situation and valuable insights into potential improvements”. The rate of imprisonment in England and Wales - 141 per 100,000 of the population - is second only to Scotland’s among the countries of Western Europe. We need to find ways of moving down that league table of shame not cementing our place near the top of it.
*The Association of Youth Offending Team Managers; CLINKS; Criminal Justice Alliance; HM Inspectorate of Prisons; HM Inspectorate of Probation; Howard League; Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody; NPS Victim Liaison Officers; Parole Board; Probation Institute; Revolving Doors; Standing Committee for Youth Justice; Victim's Commissioner (Office)
Rob Allen
The UK's finest democratic negotiators in action:
ReplyDeleteTony Blair - says he agrees with Nigel Farage that the only way Leave campaigners can get the Brexit they want is to exit the European Union without a deal.
May - The DUP entered a confidence and supply arrangement [at a cost of £1bn] with the Conservative Party almost two and half years ago and helped prop up the minority government under Mr Johnson's predecessor...
Johnson - Since the prime minister agreed to the withdrawal agreement – and with it a customs and regulatory border in the Irish Sea – it has been clear that the DUP are in no mood to help his government escape from the hole it has dug itself.
Richard Heaton - “Given the time constraints it has not been possible to undertake any formal public engagement, but we have conducted telephone interviews with some key stakeholders to give them the opportunity to give their views.”
Lawrence - of course we'll sign the agreement that says you can plan to get rid of hundreds of our members in 7 months' time & steal their EVR, etc etc ad nauseaum.
I think there's little chance of increasing the prison estate by an extra 10,000 places.
ReplyDeleteThis week alone the Government have closed the Grange prison and announced that HMP Dartmoor is to close by 2023.
https://www-plymouthherald-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/dartmoor-prison-closure-plans-latest-3459303.amp?amp_js_v=a2&_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQCKAE%3D#aoh=15720713524023&csi=1&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&_tf=From%20%251%24s&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.plymouthherald.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fplymouth-news%2Fdartmoor-prison-closure-plans-latest-3459303
I constantly hear too the spin about about how many new prison officers are being recruited, but not much is ever said about the number leaving the service.
The phase revolving door applies not just to prisoners anymore, but staff aswell.
And 20,000 new police officers? Well again there's not much said about the associated costs of such a large recruitment.
Not just police cars, radios and uniforms, but extra police cells, courts, lawyers etc etc.
Not much said either about the cost and need to increase associated services. Addiction, mental health, and a 12% increase in prison population will surely mean an increase in tagging not to mention a 12% increase of those on licence. Not much said about the need for more probation staff to deal with that either.
I think the truth is Johnson and Co can say anything they like at the moment, promise everything to all, safe in the knowledge that the sham Queens speach that's just been made about the plans of government will never have to come to pass because there's soon to be a General Election which will mean a whole new Queens speach regardless of the electoral outcome.
Our politics is in a shameful place, and quickly catching up with what we see happening in the USA where the fear of most polititions is that somewhere amongst the skeletons in the closet it will be discovered that somewhere along the line they actually said something that was true.
And just a thought in conclusion, but under the fixed term Parliament Act, if we have an election this Christmas time, then the subsequent one will also be at Christmas time! Although we're likely to celebrate any subsequent election and Christmas with chlorinated turkey.
'Getafix
'Getafix - Dartmoor isn't closing! I suspect the landlord was always driving a hard bargain and insisting the tenant hands it back in fully repaired condition!
DeletePlans to close Dartmoor Prison appear to have been shelved after the Government said Victorian jails need to stay open because inmate numbers are rising.
Ministers decided in 2013 that the prison should be shut as part of a move to close the most dilapidated jails, and gave ten-year notice to the site owners, the Duchy of Cornwall.
Boris Johnson has promised to build new prisons to hold more than 10,000 inmates as more expensive, difficult to update jails such as Dartmoor and Pentonville and Wormwood Scrubs in London are closed.
However the prisons minister, Lucy Frazer, told a Parliamentary committee that the Victorian-era prisons were still needed as the number of offenders rises. “If the numbers... stay the same we need to be prepared to house people who come to prison and that will mean we need to keep our Victorian prisons in operation,” she told MPs.
It's been reported that Lucy Frazers statement didn't include Dartmoor.
DeleteThis rom the Mirror.
https://www-mirror-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/breaking-dartmoor-prison-close-2023-20721071.amp?amp_js_v=a2&_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQCKAE%3D#aoh=15720904990507&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&_tf=From%20%251%24s&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mirror.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fuk-news%2Fbreaking-dartmoor-prison-close-2023-20721071
But who knows anything anymore. Sorry if I've given 'alternative facts'.
'Getafix
"Although Ms Frazer did not refer to the closures of any Victorian prisons, the Ministry of Justice said that her statement this week did not mean a reprieve for Dartmoor. “HMP Dartmoor is closing in 2023 as we announced in 2013,” a ministry spokesperson said."
Deletehttps://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/government-confirm-dartmoor-prison-close-3464770
Apologies to 'Getafix and thanks to Andrew for clarification - we can assume the Duchy and MoJ have agreed terms.
Delete10,000 more places?
Deletehttps://www-birminghammail-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/overdoses-rapes-injuries-birmingham-prison-17146789.amp?amp_js_v=a2&_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQCKAE%3D#aoh=15722511999352&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&_tf=From%20%251%24s&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.birminghammail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fmidlands-news%2Foverdoses-rapes-injuries-birmingham-prison-17146789
West Midlands Ambulance Service sent ambulances to HMP Featherstone, HMP Oakwood, HMP Stafford, HMP Brinsford and HMP Birmingham on 923 occasions last year. This compared to 623 in 2013.
DeleteAlso on a further 17 occasions in 2018 ambulances logged out of area activity to prisons in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and 2017 an ambulance was logged at HMP Haverigg in Cumbria for a patient with breathing problems.
The figures obtained in a Freedom of Information Act request by Wolverhampton Liberal Democrats shows the pressure that the Prison Service are facing in our area.
Overdoses, rapes, traumatic injuries and psychiatric problems have led to jails dialling 999, according to data released under the Freedom of Information Act.
The figures are in line with a national rise in call-outs to prisons and concern over the use of psychoactive substances such as spice and mamba behind bars.
In HMP Featherstone, the figures show that 999 was dialled for 2 abdominal problems, 3 piri-arrests, a case of burns, a cardiac arrest, 29 cases of chest pains, 16 cardiac back pains, 7 concerns for welfare, a case of fire, 2 mental health cases, 26 trauma cases.
HMP Birmingham saw 3 abdominal pain, 4 assaults or rapes, 4 breathing problems, 12 domestic assaults, 3 cases of burns, 41 cases of chest pains, 3 concerns for welfare, 12 overdoses, 2 cases of poisoning, 2 suicide attempts, 29 cases of trauma and 3 unconscious people.
HMP Brinsford 2 abdominal pains, a case of 999 being called due to bleeding, 3 cases of breathing problems, a case of burns, 4 chest pains, 2 concerns for welfare, 3 trauma injuries and 4 specific trauma injuries.
HMP Oakwood shows 3 cases of bleeding, 9 breathing problems, a case of burns, 65 cases of chest pains, 2 concern for welfare, an overdose, 32 cases of trauma, a further 2 major trauma injuries and 15 specific trauma injuries,
In HMP Stafford we see 3 allergic reactions, 3 cases of breathing problems, 21 chest pain cases, a convulsion, 2 strokes, and 5 cases of trauma and 2 cases of unconsciousness.
Commenting, Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for Wolverhampton South West Bart Ricketts said: “Cramming more and more people into prisons than they were designed to hold is a recipe for violence, drug abuse and mental distress.
“These figures make clear how hard being a prison officer must be and how we must thank them for their work and service.
“Bold action to reduce the prison population would save lives, protect staff and prevent more people being swept into deeper currents of crime, violence and despair.”
Prisons across England and Wales are set to receive a £156 million cash boost to tackle the most pressing maintenance issues, the Justice Secretary, Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP, announced today (27 October 2019).
ReplyDeleteThe new and significant investment will update critical infrastructure such as fire systems and boilers, refurbish cells and showers and improve conditions for those living and working in prisons requiring the most urgent attention.
The funding builds on the government’s previous announcements to transform the prison estate, totalling £2.75 billion:
with up to £2.5 billion to provide 10,000 additional prison places and create modern, efficient jails that rehabilitate offenders, reduce reoffending and keep the public safe.
a further £100 million will also bolster prison security, clamping down on the weapons, drugs and mobile phones that fuel violence, self-harm and crime behind bars.
in addition to the £156 million for pressing maintenance announced today.
Plans to convert HMP Haverigg into an open jail with a doubled capacity by the end of the year are also progressing.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prisons-receive-156-million-maintenance-boost
Total Prison Population @25 Oct'19 = 83,795
ReplyDeleteHDC caseload = 2,740
"Halifax is a town in the county of West Yorkshire, northern England, with a population of about 90,000."
https://insidetime.org/lords-condemn-government-announcements-on-crime-and-punishment/
ReplyDeleteThe prison system is “broken” with too many people being locked up for too long and reoffending once released, a peer has warned. Lord Hastings of Scarisbrick said the increasing use of prison to punish offenders was “beating up those who are already destitute by their own failure”.
DeleteAnd he accused the Government of electioneering in its measures to crack down on criminals outlined in the Queen’s Speech. Lord Hastings is a vice-president of the Catch22 charity, which helps get ex-offenders into work, and is a regular prison visitor. Speaking in the House of Lords, he said: “We all know that our system is broken and does not work effectively. We incarcerate far too many people, we lock them up for far too long, and we ensure, by the bad manner in which we hold them behind bars, that very few are effectively rehabilitated and that they do not return to society as sound citizens. Our rehabilitation rates are poor and the return-to-prison rates far too high.”
He urged the Government to learn from countries which have reduced the use of prison, and called for a wide-ranging review of sentence lengths and how prisoners are rehabilitated. The Government announced plans in the Queen’s Speech in October to make offenders sentenced to four or more years for a violent or sexual offence serve two-thirds of their sentence behind bars, instead of half as most do at present. The measure would add an estimated 3,000 to the UK’s prison population. There would also be longer sentences for foreign nationals who return to the UK after being deported.
Lord Hastings, who sits as a crossbencher independent of the main parties, claimed that that Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel were “seeking to grab as many headlines as possible about being savage and unkind to prisoners”. He said: “It is intended to reassure the public that the Government are tough on the nasty people but it comes from a nasty place.”
The peer also warned that police use of stop-and-search powers was alienating young black men. He said: “Coming from one of the ethnic minority communities, a black community, and knowing many young men who have been stopped and searched, I can tell your Lordships that this does not drive an effective approach to safety or policing.”
Speaking in the same debate, two more senior crossbench peers condemned the Government’s move to lengthen time served in prison. Lord Woolf, life president of the Prison Reform Trust, pointed out that average sentence lengths had increased in recent years, and said there was no evidence to support the claim by ministers that prisoners were serving too little time behind bars. He said: “Prisons have responsibility for keeping both prisoners and prison staff secure, but violence at present is endemic. We should not make the job of the prison staff more difficult by increasing the overcrowding. The present state of prisons is, unfortunately, one of which we should be ashamed.”
Lord Carlile, former president of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “Generations of research demonstrate that longer sentences, fuller prisons, reduced parole opportunities, diminished prison education and other cuts are absolutely no way to relieve the tensions caused by crime. I urge the Government to develop a mature and considered prison policy rather than one founded on soundbites prepared ahead of an election, as we have started to hear.”
A surprising note of warning was sounded by former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Lord Hogan-Howe about the Government’s plans to jail offenders for longer. He said: “People may imagine that I would naturally support these, and I do support long sentences for serious offences. However, there has been sentence drift upwards, and parole reduction, over the last 20 years. The consequence has been a prison population, now, of around 85,000. There is a serious risk that that is too many. It is possible that we need to look seriously at that—if we allow it to continue, we will have worse problems, not less crime.”