If we are honest, most of our perceptions of prisons owe more to Ronnie Barker in Porridge than to a modern view of custody in 21st century Britain. This is understandable, but as Labour activists we can be proud of what has been achieved in the last four years and ambitious for the future.
How a country treats its prisoners is a measure of its regard for civilised values and human rights, values central to our movement. When we took office, the level of suicides was horrifying, drug abuse rampant and prison escapes were regular items on the news. Progress has been made on these, and many other, fronts.
It is not being a ‘soft touch’ to state unequivocally that the Prison Service must deal humanely and efficiently with those sent to custody by the courts. Custody is a vital part of the criminal justice system in this country, as a deterrent factor preventing crime and as a punishment for serious crime, protecting the public from dangerous criminals. Victims of crime – whose human rights are no less important than prisoners – are entitled to see people punished properly for the distress and turmoil inflicted on their lives by criminals. We should not be afraid to say so.
So how has Labour made a difference to prisons over the last four years? Right across the board – whether it is in education, reoffending, drugs, security or suicides – Labour has made real progress that we can be proud of and encouraged by for the future.
What has happened? Teaching hours have increased with the result that over 32,000 qualifications have been achieved in prisons since last April. We have focused educational programmes on basic skills and on giving prisoners the skills to prepare for employment after release. We are using the time people spend in custody to equip them with skills to re-enter society meaningfully. Alongside that we have massively increased the number of offending programmes – up 240 percent under Labour – so that we are preparing people for the real world. This gives them a real chance when they leave prison to avoid the revolving door of prison and community which has been one of the major failings of the criminal justice system. On top of that, the welfare-to-work programme for eighteen to 24 year-olds has made a big difference with 3,660 prisoners successfully completing the programme, on average with six qualifications in basic and practical work skills.
We have also improved the fabric and conditions within prisons. Despite a high prison population, no prisoner is held three to a cell designed for one. No prisoners have to ‘slop out’. Last year suicides fell by 16 percent – a trend which is continuing this year. Sales of products from prison industries and farms to external customers, and the numbers of prisoners involved in work projects, have both increased.
In all this, there is a new focus on the needs of young offenders. There are massive improvements in the institutions juveniles are housed in and major investment in preparing prisoners for work. A new partnership between the Department for Education and Skills and the Prison Service will make a big difference, as will work with the Probation Service. In addition, a new joint NHS – Prison Service initiative has at last begun to tackle the long neglected health needs of prisoners. Joint work and partnership has been the key to addressing the multiple and high level of needs that offenders in general, and young offenders in particular, manifest when they come into custody. It is only through beginning to meet these needs, by working together, that we can help turn young offenders into law-abiding citizens of the future.
We should be proud of the work done by a Labour government since 1997 for prisons and young offender institutions. It is work vital to our vision for society, inspired and driven by the values of our Labour movement.