Our Prisons: Some Facts
Christmas ConversationsFor some of us Christmas is a time when we have the opportunity to talk to more people, perhaps people we haven’t met before. This year, move on from the small talk and educate people about prisons. Here’s a few facts which might surprise them:Our prison population has almost doubled in the last 30 yearsWe have the highest imprisonment rates in Western Europe, 20% more than Spain and France and double than in Germany. Almost all offences now receive much longer sentences than they used to. Why?Almost 20% of those in prison are on remand, the highest for 50 years. 30-40% will be acquitted or receive a non-custodial sentenceAlmost 40% of those released from prison are convicted again within a yearIt costs almost £52k a year to keep someone in prison. How could that money be better spent to reduce reoffending?Last year, more than half of men held in local prisons (such as Wandsworth) were locked in their cells for more than 22 hours per day31% of women in prison and 24% of men were taken into care as a child, compared with 2% in the general populationPrison officers are increasingly inexperienced with 42% having less than three years service. Training is 7 weeks.
Miles Thompson ● 5d16 Comments