Super-jails are waste of £1bn, say governors
Prison officers, governors and penal reform groups will today condemn plans to build up to three 2,500-space jails as a waste of more than £1 billion of taxpayers’ money, while in a separate warning, prison governors say that there is a danger of staff losing control of the so-called “Titan” jails.
The criticism comes as a Ministry of Justice consultation paper on the prisons closes. Opponents said that all the evidence, including reports by the Chief Inspector of Prisons, points to small prisons working best and that three such huge jails threaten to destabilise the criminal justice system.
A letter sent to Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, says that spending £1 billion on the jails is not a solution to the projected rise in the prison population from 83,600 now to almost 100,000 by 2014.
The jails form the centrepiece of a building programme that will produce 10,500 extra prison spaces by 2014 at a cost of £2.3 billion.
A mixture of law, politics, autobiography and humour. Once described as "The Devilish Advocate" (Guardian), I do have the ability to provoke a response. Sometimes it comes from someone who uses a thought process, and sometimes from jerks usually associated with the knee.
jailhouselawyer,
ReplyDeleteThe 'listening' Government is stone deaf; it seems staff and prisoners count for nothing - another disaster awaits !
I've seen the appalling, abusive results with care (lack of!) of our elderly. Small friendly homes demolished and replaced with 80 bedded Institutions with little or no communication - the main essence of care.
Private build, highly lucrative 20 or 30 year contracts.
Britain is becoming more and more dehumanized.
John,
ReplyDeleteHow much taxpayers' money has been spent to date on wars in Iraq & Afghanistan ?
Sufficient, no doubt, to have built several prisons in line with the advice of those 'in the know'.
Private companies will make fortunes from 2012 Olympics - prior to Labour being ousted - thereafter taxpayers will have to pay the costs.
Capitalizm disguised as 'socialism'.