Prisoners
(asked on 31st October 2017) - View Source
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to take steps to reduce the adult prison population, using methods similar to those which have successfully reduced the number of youths in custody.
This question was answered on 14th November 2017
Prison numbers can fluctuate, which is why we have a robust set of plans in place to ensure we will always have enough places for offenders committed to custody by the courts. This includes modernising the estate and building new accommodation. We want to see the number of people imprisoned fall, but not by setting an arbitrary figure for reduction. To address the level of re-offending, which remains unacceptably high, we are committed to transforming all prisons into places of safety and reform and to ensuring that community penalties are tough, effective and command the confidence of sentencers. There are significant differences in the adult and youth justice systems. We will continue to assess, however, whether approaches adopted for youths have a broader application.
Prison numbers can fluctuate, which is why we have a robust set of plans in place to ensure we will always have enough places for offenders committed to custody by the courts. This includes modernising the estate and building new accommodation. We want to see the number of people imprisoned fall, but not by setting an arbitrary figure for reduction. To address the level of re-offending, which remains unacceptably high, we are committed to transforming all prisons into places of safety and reform and to ensuring that community penalties are tough, effective and command the confidence of sentencers. There are significant differences in the adult and youth justice systems. We will continue to assess, however, whether approaches adopted for youths have a broader application.