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Tories promise more prison places Tories planning new prison places
(about 1 hour 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. Conservative leader David Cameron says his party would build 5,000 more prison places in England and Wales - taking capacity in jails to more than 100,000.
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 the plans, older inner-city jails would be sold off to pay for more new prisons on cheaper land elsewhere.
The party also wants more work and training for prisoners, and more transparent sentencing. Mr Cameron also wants to new "min-max" sentences - with no chance of parole until the minimum term has been served.
Tory leader David Cameron said inmates would have to earn their release. But Labour accused them of copying their plans and called it "yet another uncosted spending commitment".
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." The 5,000 extra spaces would be on top of the 15,000 new prison spaces being created by the government over the next six years.
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. Reparations
Record high Mr Cameron says he also wants more work and training for prisoners, a system which means they have to "earn their release" and more transparent sentencing.
The Conservatives want the voluntary sector to play a much greater role in providing inmates with work and skills. "Today, I think almost everything with the system is wrong," he told BBC Breakfast.
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 builtMost 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. "A criminal goes to court - they are told they have got a four year sentence and they are let out after two, so everybody feels cheated.
"We are going to change that and say the judge should read out what we call the 'min-max'.
"And then the prisoner has to earn release through good behaviour, through hard work, through making reparations to their victims."
He added: "The real emphasis on it is actually turning prisons into places not where we just warehouse prisoners and bang them up for 23 hours a day in their cell.
"But they should be places of work, of rehabilitation and of reparation, so that the work prisoners do do, means that they can pay money back to their victims - these are really important policies."
Automatic release
Under the "min-max" proposal, being set out in the Conservative package being unveiled on Monday, judges would set the minimum sentence to be served before probation.
And prison governors would decide exactly when inmates were released, depending upon their conduct in jail.
This government must reach beyond party politics and... establish a royal commission on the nature and purpose of imprisonment Juliet LyonPrison Reform Trust
Prisoners who refuse to engage in rehabilitation programmes or stay off drugs would stay in custody the longest under the plans which the Conservatives would introduce if they got into power.
The additional capacity would be used to end the system of automatic release for prisoners after they have completed half the jail term handed down in court.
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. 'Heartening success'?
The proposals would take the total prison capacity in England and Wales to more than 100,000 for the first time. The Conservatives want the voluntary sector to play a much greater role in providing inmates with work and skills.
'Break the cycle' The government argues that 35,000 prisoners undertook training and employment in 2006/7 and spending on learning in prison has trebled to £164m since 2001.
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. A Ministry of Justice spokesman cited comments made by Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers that improvements in prisons learning and skills was a "most heartening success".
This government must reach beyond party politics and... establish a royal commission on the nature and purpose of imprisonment Juliet LyonPrison Reform Trust "We have an existing corporate alliance with 70 employers and we recently announced a big expansion plan," he said.
"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 also have 370 workshops around the country employing 10,000 prisoners."
More details on the Conservatives' prisons policy are expected to be released on Monday. 'Policy vacuum'
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."