Penal Affairs Consortium: election statement
01 January 1991
Penal Affairs Consortium: election statement
bacdoc March=1992
Monday 16 March 1992
NEW JOINT MANIFESTO FOR PENAL REFORM
24 organisations concerned with the penal system have issued a
Joint Manifesto for Penal Reform, calling for measures to reduce
the prison population, improve prison regimes and increase
prisoners' rights.
The Penal Affairs Consortium, which publishes the Joint Manifesto
today (16 March) , includes the following organisations: Action
on Youth Crime, Apex Trust, Association of Chief Officers of
Probation, Association of Members of Boards of Visitors,
Biosocial Therapy Association, Bourne Trust, Central Council of
Probation Committees, Howard League for Penal Reform, Inquest,
Institution of Professionals, Managers and Specialists, Justice,
Liberty, National Association for the Care and Resettlement of
Offenders, National Association of Probation Officers, New
Bridge, Prisoners Abroad, Prisoners Advice Service, Prison
Governors Association, Prison Officers Association, Prison Reform
Trust, Prisoners' Families and Friends Service, Royal
Philanthropic Society, Society of Voluntary Associates and Women
in Prison.
The Joint Manifesto says:
"The United Kingdom has a higher proportion of its
population in prison than any other European Community
country. Only one in four people imprisoned each year have
committed offences involving violence, sex, robbery or
drugs. The Consortium does not believe that this over-use
of custody can be justified.
"Imprisonment is not an effective response to crime - most
released prisoners are back before the courts within two
years. It is expensive keeping someone in prison is 16
times more costly than supervising him or her on probation
or community service. It is inhumane - around 13,000
prisoners, including many who are not convicted, are held
two or three to a cell built for single occupation.
"There must be a concerted effort to reduce the number of
both convicted and unconvicted prisoners. Such a reduction
in the use of custody would enable the prison service to
cater constructively for a more manageable number of
prisoners."
Among the Joint Manifesto's proposals are:
* A Sentencing Council should be appointed to establish a
comprehensive framework for sentencing. This should set
ceilings for different types of offence and emphasise the
need to make repeated use of community penalties for
repeated minor offences.
* The Bail Act should be reviewed with the aim of reducing
the number of remands in custody.
* A new Prison Rule should prohibit the holding in any prison
of more prisoners than it is designed to accommodate.
* The prison system should be reorganised into a network of
"community prisons". New criteria should be introduced for
the allocation of prisoners to ensure that as many as
possible are kept near their homes.
* A timetable should be established for bringing all prisons
into line with a code of standards which corresponds to the
best penal practice in Europe and the rest of the world.
There should be a separate statement of purpose and
conditions for remand prisoners.
* Sentence planning should be introduced for all but the most
short-term prisoners. A much broader range and quality of
opportunities for work, training and education should be
provided to meet the requirements of each prisoner's plan.
There should be an immediate and substantial increase in
prisoners' pay.
* There should be a complete overhaul of the Prison Rules and
a new Prison Act establishing prisoners' privileges as
positive rights.
* The role of prison staff should be enhanced by increasing
training provision and offering greater opportunities for
more pos