Here’s some advice for Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood: get rid of fake crimes to release prison space.
The prison population has exploded in recent decades because of tougher sentences imposed by previous governments – and court backlogs.
As a result, the number of prisoners has been growing by around 4,500 a year – faster than those previous governments could be bothered to build cells for them.
Ms Mahmood is trying to turn this situation around with a programme to build four new prisons with 6,400 new cells over the next seven years, while also expanding existing prisons to add a similar number there. A further 1,000 “makeshift” cells with a lifespan of 15 years will be built – and 1,000 more will be refurbished.
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The Prison and Probation Service has estimated it will cost £2.8 billion to bring the whole estate back into a fair condition – more than double its current expenditure – but we should not be surprised by this.
The Tory governments of 2010-24 were not interested in maintaining or improving public services; they considered their job to be releasing public money into the hands of the wealthiest people in society – and the nation’s infrastructure could fall to ruin for all they cared. They never said as much, but we need to stop judging politicians by what they say and evaluate them on the basis of what they do, instead.
That goes for Ms Mahmood as much as any Tory.
She has already announced a review of sentencing, but this is unlikely to be enough – and will be unpopular with Tories who will say Labour is being soft on criminals, even if that is not true. It’s their modus operandi.
But she badly needs to review the list of so-called crimes for which people are being sent to prison. Tory legislation of the last few years that meant people could be sent to jail for participating in public, political protest should be first to be wiped from the books.
And what about ending the scandal of privately-run prisons? Ms Mahmood has talked about convicts being better criminals on release than when they went in, and to This Writer it seems clear that private firms running prisons has much to do with it.
Bringing them all back under public control would ensure better systems would be imposed – and costs would fall if the profit motive were removed.
And public opinion is now firmly against having private businesses running any public service.
It’s common sense. Why is our Labour government ignoring it?
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Shabana Mahmood: get rid of fake crimes to release prison space
Here’s some advice for Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood: get rid of fake crimes to release prison space.
The prison population has exploded in recent decades because of tougher sentences imposed by previous governments – and court backlogs.
As a result, the number of prisoners has been growing by around 4,500 a year – faster than those previous governments could be bothered to build cells for them.
Ms Mahmood is trying to turn this situation around with a programme to build four new prisons with 6,400 new cells over the next seven years, while also expanding existing prisons to add a similar number there. A further 1,000 “makeshift” cells with a lifespan of 15 years will be built – and 1,000 more will be refurbished.
Buy Cruel Britannia in print here. Buy the Cruel Britannia ebook here. Or just click on the image!
The Prison and Probation Service has estimated it will cost £2.8 billion to bring the whole estate back into a fair condition – more than double its current expenditure – but we should not be surprised by this.
The Tory governments of 2010-24 were not interested in maintaining or improving public services; they considered their job to be releasing public money into the hands of the wealthiest people in society – and the nation’s infrastructure could fall to ruin for all they cared. They never said as much, but we need to stop judging politicians by what they say and evaluate them on the basis of what they do, instead.
That goes for Ms Mahmood as much as any Tory.
She has already announced a review of sentencing, but this is unlikely to be enough – and will be unpopular with Tories who will say Labour is being soft on criminals, even if that is not true. It’s their modus operandi.
But she badly needs to review the list of so-called crimes for which people are being sent to prison. Tory legislation of the last few years that meant people could be sent to jail for participating in public, political protest should be first to be wiped from the books.
And what about ending the scandal of privately-run prisons? Ms Mahmood has talked about convicts being better criminals on release than when they went in, and to This Writer it seems clear that private firms running prisons has much to do with it.
Bringing them all back under public control would ensure better systems would be imposed – and costs would fall if the profit motive were removed.
And public opinion is now firmly against having private businesses running any public service.
It’s common sense. Why is our Labour government ignoring it?
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Be among the first to know what’s going on! Here are the ways to manage it:
1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (bottom right of the home page). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.
2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical
3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com
5) Follow Vox Political writer Mike Sivier on BlueSky
6) Join the MeWe page at https://mewe.com/p-front/voxpolitical
7) Feel free to comment!
And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
Cruel Britannia is available
in either print or eBook format here:
The Livingstone Presumption is available
in either print or eBook format here:
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
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