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| Blair unveils crime policy review | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Tougher community sentences and more measures to rehabilitate criminals are among a raft of law and order ideas unveiled by Tony Blair. | |
| The prime minister's policy review also backs units for mentally ill prisoners and a police reorganisation. | |
| The Lord Chancellor said the government had to constantly look to improve its approach to law and order. | The Lord Chancellor said the government had to constantly look to improve its approach to law and order. |
| But the Tories accused Mr Blair, who is due to step down, of "grandstanding" in the "dying days of his premiership". | But the Tories accused Mr Blair, who is due to step down, of "grandstanding" in the "dying days of his premiership". |
| The prime minister's review identifies ways to cut red tape, make the police more accessible to the public and give forces greater say over their budgets. | |
| Less bureaucratic | Less bureaucratic |
| However, the restructuring of forces - a plan abandoned when John Reid became home secretary - is not on the agenda. | However, the restructuring of forces - a plan abandoned when John Reid became home secretary - is not on the agenda. |
| Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer said the proposals were intended to make it less bureaucratic and more "straight-forward" for police forces to fight crime. | Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer said the proposals were intended to make it less bureaucratic and more "straight-forward" for police forces to fight crime. |
| If you are dangerous and convicted, you should stay in prison for as long as you pose a danger Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer | If you are dangerous and convicted, you should stay in prison for as long as you pose a danger Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer |
| "You need the police to get on with it in local neighbourhoods, you need them to establish the relationships, to identify where the crime hotspots are and to leave them to get on with fighting crime effectively," he told the BBC. | "You need the police to get on with it in local neighbourhoods, you need them to establish the relationships, to identify where the crime hotspots are and to leave them to get on with fighting crime effectively," he told the BBC. |
| He also said the plan was not to send less people to prison, but to have a "proportionate" criminal justice system. | He also said the plan was not to send less people to prison, but to have a "proportionate" criminal justice system. |
| "If you are dangerous and convicted, you should stay in prison for as long as you pose a danger," Lord Falconer said. | "If you are dangerous and convicted, you should stay in prison for as long as you pose a danger," Lord Falconer said. |
| "Some people will be reduced in their re-offending by a community penalty, which is tough." | "Some people will be reduced in their re-offending by a community penalty, which is tough." |
| Unpaid community work | Unpaid community work |
| Home Secretary John Reid also backs plans for some community sentences. | Home Secretary John Reid also backs plans for some community sentences. |
| "Rather than hitting the taxpayer twice by saying we're sending everybody to prison, you've got to spend another £40,000 to maintain all offenders in bed and breakfasts, we're saying you should pay back to the community if you're a non-serious offenders by doing unpaid work in the community," he said. | "Rather than hitting the taxpayer twice by saying we're sending everybody to prison, you've got to spend another £40,000 to maintain all offenders in bed and breakfasts, we're saying you should pay back to the community if you're a non-serious offenders by doing unpaid work in the community," he said. |
| "And where possible give the community a say in what you should be doing". | "And where possible give the community a say in what you should be doing". |
| Another idea in the policy document is for special units to house mentally-ill prisoners, where drug treatment would be available. | Another idea in the policy document is for special units to house mentally-ill prisoners, where drug treatment would be available. |
| This rag bag of ill-thought-through ideas is likely to go the same way as government proposals for 'cash point fines for yobs' Shadow home secretary David Davis | This rag bag of ill-thought-through ideas is likely to go the same way as government proposals for 'cash point fines for yobs' Shadow home secretary David Davis |
| Lord Falconer said there was currently "not enough" treatment available for those with mental health problems. | Lord Falconer said there was currently "not enough" treatment available for those with mental health problems. |
| "Career criminals" could be prevented from mixing with former associates when they are freed from prison. | "Career criminals" could be prevented from mixing with former associates when they are freed from prison. |
| Other steps being considered include removing non-cash assets and driving licences, more rehabilitation in jails, keeping prisoners in contact with their children, more therapy and less reliance on drugs to treat mentally ill offenders. | Other steps being considered include removing non-cash assets and driving licences, more rehabilitation in jails, keeping prisoners in contact with their children, more therapy and less reliance on drugs to treat mentally ill offenders. |
| Judges would have more powers to impose licences to get offenders to stay away from particular locations or individuals, or to send them for treatment for drug or alcohol addiction. | Judges would have more powers to impose licences to get offenders to stay away from particular locations or individuals, or to send them for treatment for drug or alcohol addiction. |
| 'Off the rails' | 'Off the rails' |
| The review also looks at identifying children who are in danger of "going off the rails". | |
| Shadow home secretary David Davis said: "Few things can be a clearer recognition of the abject failure of criminal justice policy in the last ten years than this last minute grandstanding attempt by Mr Blair in the dying days of his premiership. | Shadow home secretary David Davis said: "Few things can be a clearer recognition of the abject failure of criminal justice policy in the last ten years than this last minute grandstanding attempt by Mr Blair in the dying days of his premiership. |
| "This rag bag of ill-thought-through ideas is likely to go the same way as government proposals for 'cash point fines for yobs' and 'night courts'. | "This rag bag of ill-thought-through ideas is likely to go the same way as government proposals for 'cash point fines for yobs' and 'night courts'. |
| "What we need is a clearly thought out penal policy that takes the worst criminals out of circulation, punishes them, gets them off drugs and, where possible, rehabilitates them." | "What we need is a clearly thought out penal policy that takes the worst criminals out of circulation, punishes them, gets them off drugs and, where possible, rehabilitates them." |
| Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg said it was a "welcome, if belated U-turn" on sentencing policy. | Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg said it was a "welcome, if belated U-turn" on sentencing policy. |
| "We have been warning for years that New Labour's obsessive pursuit of headlines, over-reliance on ever more illiberal legislation and fanatical 'get tough' rhetoric do little to tackle either the fear of crime or its root causes," he said. | "We have been warning for years that New Labour's obsessive pursuit of headlines, over-reliance on ever more illiberal legislation and fanatical 'get tough' rhetoric do little to tackle either the fear of crime or its root causes," he said. |