The Catholic charity that supports prisoners, people with convictions, and their children and families has welcomed measures announced by the incoming Labour government to deal with the “emergency-level crisis in prisons left by the last government”.
Chief executive Andy Keen-Downs said, “There is a sense of hope in the air.”
The appointment of James Timpson as prisons minister, as Sir Kier Starmer assembled his new team, was particularly welcomed. “He has built a genuinely socially minded business, well known for employing people who have been in prison and has gathered a formidable level of expertise and credibility,” said Keen-Downs, adding that he has “the experience and credibility to deliver change”. He said, “His appointment indicates that the new government is serious about taking a fresh, evidence-led approach to reform of the criminal justice system.”
Ministers have acted decisively to deal with the immediate capacity crisis in prisons, “taking the difficult decisions that were ducked by the previous administration.”
Introducing early release for prisoners who have served 40 per cent of their sentence “is not a decision to be taken lightly but the consequences of failing to act decisively now could be nothing short of catastrophic” he said.
Pact is calling for “a sustainable justice system that works for everyone” and has urged the new government to “think family,” saying a prison leaver’s most effective resettlement agency is often their family, who help them to get back on their feet and find a home and a job. However, despite people who stay in touch with family during their sentence being 39 per cent less likely to reoffend, just one in three prison leavers who need help getting back in touch with family or friends is receiving it.
“The new Prime Minister has pledged to reset the relationship between the Government and the third sector,” said Keen-Downs; “now is the time to make good on that pledge and to call on the vast experience and expertise of the charities in the criminal justice sector.”
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