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Jail system in 'serious crisis' Jail system in 'serious crisis'
(about 1 hour later)
The jail system is in "serious crisis" with overcrowding affecting rehabilitation of offenders, the chief inspector of prisons has warned.The jail system is in "serious crisis" with overcrowding affecting rehabilitation of offenders, the chief inspector of prisons has warned.
Ann Owers said some jails have become "riskier places to manage" because of the overcrowding problem. Anne Owers said some jails have become "riskier places to manage" because of the overcrowding problem.
Many male prisoners had mental health issues that would be better addressed in secure hospitals, she said. Many male prisoners had mental health issues that would be better addressed in secure hospitals, Ms Owers said.
Crime reduction charity Nacro said Ms Owers' findings were as a result of the UK's "addiction to prison sentences". A Home Office spokesman said it shared her concerns on "a number of issues" and was "addressing the problems".
There are nearly 80,000 prisoners in England and Wales, with some inmates held in police stations and court cells to ease overcrowding.There are nearly 80,000 prisoners in England and Wales, with some inmates held in police stations and court cells to ease overcrowding.
Tackling behaviourTackling behaviour
Speaking at the launch of her report, Ms Owers said there was no easy way out of the current overcrowding crisis. Speaking at the launch of her report, Ms Owers said the crisis was such that prisons had become "like a funnel where liquid is being poured into the top with no tap to release it at the bottom".
And she questioned plans to erect new quick-build units on existing sites. She was particularly critical of the management of prisoners serving indeterminate sentences - those with no set release date - saying she had warned of failures in previous years.
Annual report [687kb] Most computers will open this document automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader Download the reader hereAnnual report [687kb] Most computers will open this document automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader Download the reader here
Failure to deal with their rehabilitation was a contributory factor in the current crisis, she added.
She warned there was no easy way out of the current overcrowding crisis.
And she questioned plans to erect new quick-build units on existing sites.
"As fast as quick-build units are put up they will be filled," she said."As fast as quick-build units are put up they will be filled," she said.
Long-term planning from the Home Office "should have happened some time ago", she added.Long-term planning from the Home Office "should have happened some time ago", she added.
"It is normally considered good practice to build an ark before a flood not during it," she said."It is normally considered good practice to build an ark before a flood not during it," she said.
In her report, Ms Owers expressed concern about the impact that overcrowding is having on the growing number of offenders on indeterminate sentences. Foreign nationals
She said those prisoners presented a "management problem" because there wasn't enough space to find the "right" prisons for them, where their offending behaviour could be tackled. Ms Owers said the government had also failed to act on a number of her previous warnings.
Ms Owers also warned that more than 1,000 foreign national prisoners are being held beyond their sentence, while they await deportation. One of my pleas is 'listen to the early warning systems the prison inspectorate can give you - don't wait for the crisis' Anne Owers
Prime Minister Tony Blair has conceded that prisons are currently "full to bursting point". These include the number of foreign national prisoners being held beyond their sentence while they await deportation.
The prime minister said 20,000 new prison places had been created and there would be a further 8,000 added to that total soon. That figure currently stood at about 1,300, she said.
Last week, Home Secretary John Reid came under fire last week over a letter he wrote to judges and magistrates, asking them to imprison only the most dangerous of offenders. The Home Office had also ignored her warnings that too many under-18s, currently about 3,000 - and women - about 4,000, had been imprisoned rather than given community sentences, she added.
Speaking to BBC News after the launch she said: "One of my pleas to the home secretary and the Home Office is 'listen to the early warning systems the prison inspectorate can give you - don't wait for the crisis'."
In her report, Ms Owers praised the work done to achieve a reduction in self-inflicted deaths.
Projecting the prison population is not an exact science Home Office
A Home Office spokesman said the department had delivered 20,000 more prison places since 1997 with plans put in place last year for another 8,000.
"But projecting the prison population is not an exact science," the spokesman added.
"Independent sentencing guidelines laid down that tougher post-release supervision of offenders should be balanced by a 15% reduction in sentence length."
This had not materialised, the spokesman added.
Last week, Home Secretary John Reid came under fire over a letter he wrote to judges and magistrates, asking them to imprison only the most dangerous of offenders.
He denied encouraging softer sentences for criminals to ease prison overcrowding, but said he was merely re-stating existing guidelines. Serious offenders should still be locked up, he said.He denied encouraging softer sentences for criminals to ease prison overcrowding, but said he was merely re-stating existing guidelines. Serious offenders should still be locked up, he said.