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Tories promise more prison places Tories promise more prison places
(30 minutes later)
Five thousand extra prison places would be built by the Conservatives to beat overcrowding in jails in England and Wales, the party has said. Five thousand extra prison places would be built by the Tories to beat overcrowding in jails in England and Wales, the party has said.
Extra capacity would be provided by selling older prisons to the private sector for redevelopment, under the party's new prison policy plans. Under its new prison policy plans, older prisons would be sold to the private sector - with the money raised paying for the building of new jails.
The party also wants more work and training for prisoners, and more transparent sentencing.The party also wants more work and training for prisoners, and more transparent sentencing.
Senior judges have said jails are "full to capacity".Senior judges have said jails are "full to capacity".
Record highRecord high
The Conservatives want the voluntary sector to play a much greater role in providing inmates with work and skills, to help them adjust to eventual life outside prison and stop them from reoffending, the BBC's political correspondent Reeta Chakrabarti says. The Conservatives want the voluntary sector to play a much greater role in providing inmates with work and skills.
The party also wants judges to set the minimum sentence to be served before probation, our correspondent says. The party also wants judges to set the minimum sentence to be served before probation.
A spokesman for the Justice Minister Jack Straw said the Tories appeared to be copying the government's own plans on prison building and more work for inmates. There would be no possibility of parole until the minimum term had been served.
The government has promised a further 15,000 places in the next six years - but the Tories say they will top this, with no extra cost to the taxpayer.
More details on the Conservatives' prisons policy are expected to be released on Monday.
The number of inmates this week in England and Wales hit a record high of 82,180.The number of inmates this week in England and Wales hit a record high of 82,180.
And thousands of prisoners have been released early under emergency measures introduced last summer to tackle overcrowding.
The government has promised a further 15,000 jail places in the next six years - but the Tories say they will top this, with no extra cost to the taxpayer.
The proposals would take the total prison capacity in England and Wales to more than 100,000 for the first time.
'Break the cycle'
Shadow justice secretary Nick Herbert said: "Under Labour re-offending by criminals has risen, jails are in crisis and over 18,000 prisoners have been released early onto the streets. A new approach is desperately needed.
"We will create prisons with a purpose, with a new focus on rehabilitating prisoners before and after their release. By driving down re-offending, we will break the cycle of crime and make Britain a safer place."
More details on the Conservatives' prisons policy are expected to be released on Monday.
A spokesman for Justice Minister Jack Straw said the Tories appeared to be copying the government's own plans on prison building and more work for inmates.