A chance for change: Tackling the prisons crisis under the new Government
This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.
Last week, a new Parliament was formed as Labour Party leader, Keir Starmer, took over as Prime Minister. With the first Labour Government in 14 years, this marks a momentous opportunity to bring about change across the country. In this blog, we will explore what a new government means for the Criminal Justice System and what we hope to see over the next four years.
A system in crisis
At present, the Criminal Justice System is in crisis, with prisons overcrowded, courts backlogged and people affected by crime unable to access the justice they need.
With the new Government has come renewed attention on the UK’s prisons, with national media highlighting the current situation and what needs to change.
Discussing the state of prisons, new PM Keir Starmer said: “The situation is worse than I thought it was. I’m pretty shocked that it’s been allowed to get into that situation. It’s reckless to allow them to get into that place.” Last week’s prison population statistics showed that of 88,864 usable prison spaces, 87,453 were being used, over 98%.
The BBC also reported that “the Prison Governors’ Association, which represents 95% of prison governors in England and Wales, warned that jails were due to run out of space within days.”
To tackle this crisis, immediate action needs to be taken to reduce the prison population and reduce reoffending.
A new Parliament
Along with the new Prime Minister comes the new Government he has formed. Key appointments for the criminal justice sector include Shabana Mahmood, the new Secretary of State for Justice. This week, she met with prison representatives to discuss the “immediate” problems they face, and at the time of writing, it is expected that she will soon announce emergency measures to free up prison spaces.
James Timpson OBE, formerly CEO of Timpson Group and Chair of the Prison Reform Trust, has been appointed as Minister for Prisons, Parole and Probation in the new Labour Government. As he was not an MP, Timpson will be given a seat in the House of Lords to allow him to take up the role.
The Prison Reform Trust, formerly chaired by Timpson, aims to reform the prison system, improve conditions and promote the human rights of people in prison. Timpson is now one of the largest employers of ex-offenders in the UK, with approximately 10% of the Timpson workforce having a criminal record. We hope that with this new appointment, more work will be done to combat the prisons crisis, with a focus on welfare, rehabilitation and reintegration rather than building more prisons.
A vision for the future
With the new Government in place, Why me? hopes to see a renewed effort to reform the Criminal Justice System, prioritising the needs of people affected by crime. We believe that repairing the harm caused by crime should be at the centre of the justice system, allowing people to get what they need to heal and move forwards.
Labour’s winning election manifesto promised to “reform the justice system to put the needs of victims first, tackle the prisons crisis and cut reoffending.” These pledges can be realised through the implementation of Restorative Justice. We know that Restorative Justice also helps to reduce reoffending, which in turn will ease the strain on the prison system.
We hope that RJ services across the country will be recognised for their valuable work and will in turn be adequately funded and supported by the new Government. To do this, the Government could enshrine the right to a Restorative Justice referral in legislation, publish a renewed Restorative Justice national action plan and spread the word about the power of the restorative process. We look forward to working alongside them to implement these changes.
