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People want offenders to make amends, poll reveals

ICM survey results offer massive vote of support for community payback and restorative justice.

The results of an ICM telephone poll of 1,000 members of the public, conducted one month after the riots in England, show overwhelming popular support for constructive ways in which offenders can make amends to victims for the harm they have caused.

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There is real scope for taking responsibility even behind bars

09/03/2011 15:57:00

The coalition government's plan for getting more prisoners to work is, in principle, absolutely right. We know that prisoners who do gain skills for work in prison and are released with a job to go to are far less likely to reoffend than people who go out homeless and jobless. According to a survey by the Ministry of Justice, prisoners who have problems with both employment and accommodation on release from prison had a reoffending rate of 74% during the year after custody, compared to 43% for those with no problems.

Prison Reform Trust comment – national fall in number of child prison sentences disguises huge varia

03/03/2011 11:55:00

An analysis of data on the numbers of children imprisoned from different areas shows that there is still huge variation between local authority areas. Nationally there has been a 24% drop in the number of custodial sentences meted out to children. The national drop is due to a fall in the number of children appearing in court, to a change in sentencing guidelines, to the work of the Youth Justice Board and to a growing realisation that child custody is ineffective.

Barred from Voting Briefing

22/02/2011 11:39:00

This joint briefing was sent to MPs ahead of the House of Commons prisoner voting debate on 10 February and urges “the government and Parliament to now put aside delaying tactics, respect the judgment of the Court and overturn the outdated ban on prisoners voting.”

Prisoners should get the vote

15/02/2011 10:54:00

Before the debate on prisoners voting, the Prison Reform Trust was contacted by a wide range of people, many of whom work in the prison system. While politicians were being subjected to a self-styled whip by a few members of the unelected populist press, many of the emails we received were from prison governors or staff who see prisoners voting as a normal part of resettlement and citizenship.

People in prison are citizens, says Archbishop ahead of prisoners voting debate

09/02/2011 11:23:00

The Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams has spoken of the importance of regarding people in prison as citizens ahead of a debate and vote in Parliament tomorrow (Thursday 10 February) to retain the UK’s blanket ban on sentenced prisoners voting.

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Children with learning disabilities and other impairments are more likely to go to prison than other young people because the youth justice system is failing to recognise their needs, according to a major survey of youth offending team (YOT) staff.