The appointment of James Timpson as prisons minister is a hopeful signal that Labour plans to take a socially liberal, reformist approach to criminal justice, placing more emphasis on rehabilitation and less on punishment. That would be very welcome.
Jails in England and Wales are 99% full, and release dates have been brought forward repeatedly to relieve pressures. In May, the governor of HMP Wandsworth resigned following a highly critical inspection.
Delays in the courts have a huge knock-on effect as about 16,000 of the total prison population of 87,000 are on remand, waiting to be tried, impeding justice for defendants, victims, and witnesses.
The probation service plays a crucial role in rehabilitation and public safety, but privatization overseen by Chris Grayling was a disaster, and renationalization has not led to improvements, with recent reports indicating deterioration.
[
Collection
]
[
|
...
]