Ian Lavery MP column: ‘Forever building more prisons will not end the crisis’
The tabloids for decades have declared the UK to be “lawless and dangerous” because of widespread criminality.
Governments of all types in response have increased prison sentences to prove their ‘tough on crime’ credentials, but none more so than the previous Tory government.
During its 14 years in power, the length of prisons sentences grew by 35% – but nothing was done to increase prison capacity to deal with the additional numbers of prisoners this would obviously cause.
As a direct result of Tory negligence, our prisons are full and the criminal justice system could collapse.
Incredibly, they have the temerity to criticise the new Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s handling of the unenviable task of trying to resolve this crisis of their making – a crisis to which there are no good answers, just less bad ones.
Many are surprised when they learn that over the last 30 years, crime in England has fallen by up to 90%. The tabloids’ perpetual coverage of criminal atrocities blinds people to this undoubted truth.
You would never guess from these newspapers that homicides last year were the lowest since 2003.
We cannot have effective anti-crime policies based on distorted perceptions of crime. Governments must base them on facts.
It has been said that the tough sentences have caused the fall in crimes, but criminologists say there is no evidence to prove that this is true.
They point to countries in Europe that have more flexible sentencing policies, but have seen a similar drop in crime rates.
Those who commit horrendous crimes of violence, of rape and of abusing children, women and children, etc., must have long prison sentences.
For lesser crimes, community based punishments, rehabilitation programmes and health treatments have proved in other countries to be effective in lowering re-offending rates and prison numbers.
We could carry on just building more prisons. It may prove preferable to learn from others and try something new.
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