Archive: Prisons

Prisons stretched amid tough riot sentencing

Riots are stretching prisons in England and Wales

The first signs of a jump in the prison population following last week's disorder are emerging, as analysis suggests rioters are getting sentences 25% tougher than usual.

Riot punishments divide coalition MPs

Riots comment: Red mist of retribution is clouding our judgement

Comment: Summer of riots could wreck prison reforms

Sketch: Swivelling Clarke practices his turning

Ken Clarke's ability to "swivel", on policy and in person, is now beyond doubt. Did that really justify his comparison to a cruise ship?

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'Abandoned by society': Young offender institute condemned

There were five serious assaults on staff at Cookham Wood during the last six months of 2010.

Inspectors have raised "serious concerns" about safety at one of the country's young offender institutes.

Labour admits sending too many to jail

Prison population reached record levels under New Labour

Labour has admitted that it sent too many people to jail while it was in power and failed to tackle reoffending.

MPs defy court over prisoner voting

Do prisoners deserve the vote? MPs don't think so

MPs have decisively made clear their opposition to giving prisoners the vote, backing a Commons motion by 234 votes to just 22.

Howard attacks 'fatally flawed' Clarke prison plans

Ken Clarke's justice reforms mark a shift from Michael Howard's famous 'prison works' policy

Ken Clarke's attempted liberalisation of the justice system has come under assault from Michael Howard.

Clarke promises 'radical' prison reforms

Ken Clarke has unveiled his green paper on criminal justice reforms

Ken Clarke has unveiled what he calls a "radically different approach" to criminal justice.

Prisoner votes: 'MPs should decide'

Prisoner votes ruling should be challenged, David Davis believes

David Davis has called for the Commons to be given the final say over whether prisoners should have the right to vote.

Comment: Giving prisoners the vote is the right step

Frances Crook is the director of the Howard League for Penal Reform

The treatment of Britain's prisoners has been ignored for too long. Giving them the vote is a first step to instilling citizenship.

Prison governors back Clarke reform plans

Open door? Ken Clarke is following a liberal criminal justice policy

Ken Clarke earned the support of prison governors for his plans to reduce the use of jail for trivial offences.

Probation officers 'will strike' over prison cuts

Irony: The union warns that probation cuts will undermine Ken Clarke's reform of the MoJ

The union of probation officers has threatened "inevitable" strikes if planned cuts of 25% go ahead.

Prison payment-by-results pilot begins

3,000 short-sentence inmates will be bunny rabbits for new payments by results

The world's first payment-by-results scheme for rehabilitating prisoners is getting underway today.

'15k' Ministry of Justice jobs to go

The price of justice? Thousands of jobs are expected to be lost from the MoJ.

Up to 15,000 jobs at the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) could be lost, according to union sources.

No 10 slaps down justice minister

Art programmes in prison were designed to help with rehabilitation

Justice minister Crispin Blunt has been humiliatingly overruled by Downing Street in his bid to reintroduce art activities in jail.

Clarke denies link between prison numbers and crime

Ken Clarke thinks sending people to prison doesn't necessarily cut crime

Ken Clarke has insisted there is not a link between sending more people to jail and cutting crime, as he presses on with his new approach to criminal justice undeterred by criticism from the right.

Criminal justice revolution as Cameron backs Clarke's agenda

Cameron's support all-but ensures Mr Clarke's reforms will go ahead

Britain looks set to experience a modest revolution in its criminal justice system after the prime minister backed Ken Clarke's campaign against short sentences.

Campaigners demand end to 'hostile takeover' of probation service

Locked up: The merger of prison and probation staff triggered a clash of cultures, opponents claim

Campaigners have seized on a report by the probation officers' union to demand an end to a government experiment merging prison and probation management.

Immigration removal centre 'fundamentally unsafe'

Brook House was branded `fundamentally unsafe` by inspectors

An immigration removal centre has been branded "fundamentally unsafe" by the prison inspector.

Clarke: Prison doesn't work

Ken Clarke has triggered one of the most significant changes in Britain's penal policy for a generation today, with a speech that casts doubt on the ability of prison to cut reoffending.

Prison officers join fight against short sentences

The campaign against short sentences appears to have found a sympathetic ear in the form of the new justice secretary

The most senior level of management in the Prison Service has joined calls for an end to short sentences, with the Prison Governors Association saying there are too many people behind bars already.

Prison terror strategy 'a self-fulfilling prophecy'

Muslim prisoners could be radicalised by a blanket approach, Dame Anne Owers said

Security methods directed towards Muslim prisoners are in danger of becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy, the inspector of prisons has said.

£10bn bill for failing prison rehabilitation

Short-sentencers let down by prison overcrowding

Prison overcrowding and poor management have been blamed for the limited progress prisoners serving short sentences make towards rehabilitation while in jail, a report has found.