Labour’s obsession with sounding tough has left prisons dangerously overcrowded - Holmes

"These deeply troubling figures highlight the chronic failure of this Government’s prison policy," said the Liberal Democrat Justice Spokesperson. Commenting on today’s [Tuesday 25 August] report by the Prison Reform Trust which reveals the 20 most overcrowded jails in England and Wales, Paul Holmes said:

“These deeply troubling figures highlight the chronic failure of this Government’s prison policy.

“Labour’s obsession with sounding tough on crime has left our prisons dangerously overcrowded with sky-high re-offending rates.

“Ministers must realise the bankruptcy of their approach and focus instead on what works. This means moving drug addicts and prisoners with mental health problems into more appropriate accommodation and treatment and investing in alternatives such as restorative justice.”