Bishop Richard Moth has called on the Government to take urgent action in the light of findings on prisons by MPs that show cuts have resulted in overcrowding and an increase in suicides, self-harm and assaults.
Bishop Moth, who is the Bishops’ Conference spokesman on prisons, made his comments after the publication of a Home Affairs Select Committee report into the results of a cut in the prisons budget over the course of the coalition government of 24 per cent, or £900m.
The report found growing numbers of suicides and incidents of self-harm as well as overcrowding and the need to deploy new “hit squads” in prisons to calm tensions in jails. It also showed that three in four all-male prisons are overcrowded. From the end of January 2013 to the end of January 2015, the prison population rose from 83,062 to 83,680.
Bishop Moth said: “I hope that the government will take these findings seriously and act urgently to reverse the worsening situation in our criminal justice system.” He added: “This report highlights the severe consequences of overcrowding and under-resourcing, that are being faced by prisoners and staff. Because of the expanding prison population and significant cuts to staffing levels, people are spending increasing lengths of time locked in their cells, sometimes amid completely inappropriate conditions. The committee’s inquiry has reiterated a link between this situation and the rising levels of violence, self-harm and suicide in prisons.”
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference and Caritas Social Action Network (CSAN) submitted evidence to the committee on the basis of issues highlighted by Catholic chaplains and charities working in prisons throughout England and Wales. Helen O’Brien, CSAN’s chief executive, said: “As we highlighted in our response to the Committee’s inquiry, efficiency savings across the prison estate may save money in the short-term, but it is clear that they are having a counter-productive effect on welfare, safety and spiritual support within the prison system.”
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