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| Jail system in 'serious crisis' | Jail system in 'serious crisis' |
| (30 minutes 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. |
| Anne 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, Ms Owers said. | Many male prisoners had mental health issues that would be better addressed in secure hospitals, Ms Owers said. |
| A Home Office spokesman said it shared her concerns on "a number of issues" and was "addressing the problems". | 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 behaviour | Tackling behaviour |
| 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". | 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". |
| 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. | 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 here | Annual 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. |
| Foreign nationals | Foreign nationals |
| Ms Owers said the government had also failed to act on a number of her previous warnings. | Ms Owers said the government had also failed to act on a number of her previous warnings. |
| 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 class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/6313561.stm">Can the crisis be solved? | |
| These include the number of foreign national prisoners being held beyond their sentence while they await deportation. | These include the number of foreign national prisoners being held beyond their sentence while they await deportation. |
| That figure currently stood at about 1,300, she said. | That figure currently stood at about 1,300, she said. |
| 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. | 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'." | 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. | 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 | 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. | 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. | "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." | "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. | 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. | 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. |