‘We warned over and over again’: Prison crisis caused by Government’s tough on crime drive, report says
Successive governments trying to look “tough on crime” have caused the current crisis in prisons, a new report says.
The Independent Sentencing Review, published yesterday, found that a drive for longer jail terms has left the prison system overwhelmed and ineffective despite an overall decrease in incidents of crime since the mid-1990s.
Former lord chancellor and justice secretary David Gauke, chairman of the review, said: “For too long politicians have operated in a vacuum, increasing sentencing for individual crimes without considering the knock-on impact on the wider system.
“It is time to accept this does not deliver justice for victims, it fails them.”
Restorative Justice For All (RJ4All), based in Rotherhithe, “welcomed” the findings.
Professor Theo Gavrielides, founder and director of the RJ4All international institute, said: “We warned over and over again about the risks of this approach and that it was a matter of time for the system to collapse.”
In May 2024, the chief inspector of prisons, Charlie Taylor, issued an “urgent notification” regarding the conditions of HMP Wandsworth after successive damning reports described the prison as “overcrowded”, with rising rates of violence amongst inmates.
The report found England and Wales have one of the highest prison population rates in Western Europe.
Recalling offenders on licence back to jail was said to be a key reason, with numbers rising from under 100 in 1993 to nearly 13,000 in December 2024.
Mr Gauke said: “It is clear that in order to address the capacity issues we face, we must have an honest conversation about who we send to prison, and for how long.
“Punishment will always be a central aim of the criminal justice system, but it is not the only aim; and prison is not the only form of punishment.”
RJ4ALL is a non-profit enterprise which supports 350 people a month through its food bank, digital drop-ins, employment and education workshops, youth clubs and daily meetings with both victims and ex-offenders at its community centre in Plough Way.
Food and housing security can reduce reoffending by up to 30 per cent, according to RJ4ALL’s research, while rehabilitation programmes that incorporate mental health support were found to improve long-term outcomes.
Professor Gavrielides said: “Restorative justice is not a soft option. It can reduce re-offending, increase victim satisfaction and empower communities.
“We see the findings of the sentencing review as a unique opportunity and a wake up call for the government.
“We are ready to support much needed reforms and funding programmes that can enable communities to provide true alternatives.”
The Independent Sentencing Review is expected to set out reform recommendations in the spring.
Pictured top: In May 2024, the chief inspector of prisons, Charlie Taylor, issued an “urgent notification” regarding the conditions of HMP Wandsworth (Picture: Facundo Arrizabalaga)