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Posted on 11/27/2007 4:23:53 AM PST by UKrepublican
TORIES VOW TO END THE SCANDAL OF JAIL SYSTEM
THE Tories yesterday promised to provide at least 1,200 extra prison places so they can scrap the Government’s controversial early release scheme.
In a major review of prisons and sentencing, they further signalled that judges would be given the power to set minimum terms with no possibility of early parole.
Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Herbert also set out proposals to flatten and sell off some of the crumbling Victorian jails and build smaller ones to provide hundreds of extra cells.
At the same time, Mr Herbert launched a scathing attack on Gordon Brown and ministers, accusing them of “giving criminals a break” over the early release programme.
Figures on Friday are expected to show that 10,000 criminals have been let out up to 18 days early in the Government’s desperate attempt to cut overcrowding.
In a speech in London yesterday, Mr Herbert said: “Gordon Brown’s strategy to reduce prison overcrowding is to give criminals a break.
“You do not cut crime by cutting the prison population. You cut the prison population by cutting crime.”
He added: “We desperately need a new approach, one which accepts the role of prison in dealing with crime in an increasingly violent society, but also recognises that the current prison system isn’t working.
“I want to see the most fundamental shake-up of prisons for two centuries. Our goal will be prisons with a purpose.” The Tories have pledged to scrap the so-called End of Custody Licence if they win the next election.
It means they will provide a minimum of 1,200 extra cell spaces to account for the number the programme frees up at any one time. He said the Government’s approach was “bankrupt” and instead promised “radicalism and determination”.
Mr Herbert said that providing judges with the power to set minimum terms as well as maximum was aimed at “restoring honesty” in sentencing and ending the confusion surrounding tariffs.
The policy of building new smaller local prisons with a focus on rehabilitating offenders follows a study by the think-tank Policy Exchange.
It suggested that such a move focused on 10 jails could free up £215million and provide an extra 1,684 cell spaces.
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Liberals in the U.S. don't get that either.
Ooh, but all we need to do is reduce Social injustice! Then the prisons would be empty!
Seriously, this is great news, thanks for posting.
Thanks for posting.
You’re both welcome.
well cutting taxes would help somewhat. but bad people won’t work even with zero taxes
There must be some virus that spreads liberalism like the common cold. Amazing how the UK libs, Aussie libs and the US libs think exactly alike.................
Anyway, for the longest time, the political right had been looking to “end parole” for certain felons by switching from indeterminate to determinant sentencing. Toady, the political left is looking to reduce prison sentences by switching more felonies to determinant sentencing. The way our determinant sentencing works is that judges have a range of sentences that is typically roughly in between the shortest minimum and longest maximum allowed under the determinant sentencing scheme for the same level offense. But they can sentence offenders to the shortest period allowed. Whether people on determinant sentences actually serve longer or shorter terms than they would have under indeterminate sentencing seems to be an open question.
If they’d just outlaw crime,,presto! No more hard decisions!
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