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| Tories promise more prison places | Tories promise more prison places |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Five thousand extra prison places would be built by the Tories 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| Tory leader David Cameron said inmates would have to earn their release. | |
| He told the BBC: "The real emphasis is actually on turning prisons into places where we don't just warehouse prisoners and bang them up in their cells for 23 hours a day, but they should be places of work, of rehabilitation and of reparations." | |
| He said that when sentencing, judges would be required to read out the minimum and maximum time to be served, and the offender would have to earn their minimum tariff through good behaviour. | |
| Record high | Record high |
| The Conservatives want the voluntary sector to play a much greater role in providing inmates with work and skills. | 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. | The party also wants judges to set the minimum sentence to be served before probation. |
| Most of their proposals seem to be way behind what we are doing already Prisons minister David Hanson UK prisons hit 'over-capacity''Super-prisons' to be built | Most of their proposals seem to be way behind what we are doing already Prisons minister David Hanson UK prisons hit 'over-capacity''Super-prisons' to be built |
| There would be no possibility of parole until the minimum term had been served. | There would be no possibility of parole until the minimum term had been served. |
| 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. | 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 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. | The proposals would take the total prison capacity in England and Wales to more than 100,000 for the first time. |
| 'Break the cycle' | '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. | 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. |
| This government must reach beyond party politics and... establish a royal commission on the nature and purpose of imprisonment Juliet LyonPrison Reform Trust | This government must reach beyond party politics and... establish a royal commission on the nature and purpose of imprisonment Juliet LyonPrison Reform Trust |
| "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." | "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. | More details on the Conservatives' prisons policy are expected to be released on Monday. |
| Prisons minister David Hanson said the proposal was "yet another uncosted spending commitment" from the Tories, and accused the party of copying the government's own plans. | Prisons minister David Hanson said the proposal was "yet another uncosted spending commitment" from the Tories, and accused the party of copying the government's own plans. |
| "The Conservatives' plans come amid the biggest prison building programme in history," he said. | "The Conservatives' plans come amid the biggest prison building programme in history," he said. |
| "Most of their proposals seem to be way behind what we are doing already." | "Most of their proposals seem to be way behind what we are doing already." |
| Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, called on the government to establish a royal commission, an ad hoc advisory committee often used to investigate major issues. | Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, called on the government to establish a royal commission, an ad hoc advisory committee often used to investigate major issues. |
| "Successive governments have allowed prisons to rot in a policy vacuum," she said. | "Successive governments have allowed prisons to rot in a policy vacuum," she said. |
| "... this government must reach beyond party politics and, instead of arguing about who can spend most money on more jails, it should establish a royal commission on the nature and purpose of imprisonment." | "... this government must reach beyond party politics and, instead of arguing about who can spend most money on more jails, it should establish a royal commission on the nature and purpose of imprisonment." |