The Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas (ICPO) has questioned how bad things will have to get before the British Government starts taking notice of those who say prison does not work.The London Office of the ICPO, that deals solely with Irish born prisoners held in the UK, quoted from recent research by the Prison Reform Trust (PRT) that shows that the prison system in England and Wales is 7,300 over capacity.
The most overcrowded prison in England and Wales according to official figures is HMP Kennet. The prison, designed to hold 175 men, now holds 337.
In second place is Shrewsbury, built to hold 170 men and it currently holds 326, while next is Swansea, designed to hold 240 prisoners but actually holds 435.
Speaking this week, the Project Manager for ICPO FR Gerry McFlynn said, “This report makes depressing reading and calls into question the Government's seriousness about reducing the overall prison population. Apart from the obvious dangers to prisoners being held in such conditions, such overcrowding renders effective rehabilitation work virtually impossible.”
He added “Also the fact that private prisons have held a higher percentage of their prisoners in overcrowded accommodation than public sector prisons every year for the past 13 years, must make the private prison sector one of the few growth industries in the country.”
Speaking about the over-crowding problem Fr McFlynn added, “The Prison Reform Trust and other agencies have consistently, over the years, suggested practical and achievable ways of reducing the overall prison population and re-offending rates. One wonders just how bad things will have to get before policy makers in Government and the prison service begin to pay attention to them.”
His words were echoed by the Director of the Prison Reform Trust Juliet Lyon.
“Building our way out of the overcrowding problem is not the answer. The prison population can be safely reduced by curbing inflation in sentencing, calling a halt to any unnecessary use of custodial remand and investing in effective community penalties.”