In advance of the publication of Lord Carter’s review of prisons later today, Juliet Lyon, Director of the Prison Reform Trust, said:

“The Prison Reform Trust is publishing today a briefing on the state of our prison system. These stark facts and figures reflect the failure of successive governments to develop sensible, effective prisons policy.

“If the Carter review is to offer a blueprint for a fair, effective system that enjoys public confidence, cuts re-offending and offers value for money, then it needs to look beyond the failed ‘more of the same’ approach of building more and more prison places at huge cost.

“Rather than temporarily bailing government out of trouble by mindlessly building more and bigger prisons, we hope that Lord Carter’s review will say we can no longer ignore the reasons why prison numbers are spiralling out of control. This would mean adjusting the sentencing framework and working across government to stop prison being used as a dumping ground for the mentally ill, addicts in need of treatment and vulnerable women and children.

“By re-introducing proportionality in sentencing and meeting its commitment to reserve prison only for the most serious and violent offenders, government could begin to repair some of the damage caused by an addiction to imprisonment that has cost us dear.”

To download the latest Bromley Briefings prisons fact file please click here