Labour Plans For "Superprisons"

Anne Owers, the chief inspector of prisons, in The Times today:

"If you build more, you fill more." The prisons budget is being squeezed, which means "for the first time in most people’s memory" prisoners have less time out of cells – in effect locked in for the entire weekend – "and that's only the beginning of a series of cuts."

Our vast numbers of prisoners "certainly says something about our mental health services," she says, along with the way we deal with drug addicts, people in care and educational failings.

"My fear is twofold. My fear is that, first of all, [the building programme] will suck money away from the things that can prevent prison. We know that prisons have revolving doors and the reason is because the problems that people had before they went to prison are the same problems they encounter after they leave prison. If you don't deal with the before and the after, then all you create is a circle," she said.