Howard promises 20,000 more prison places
Conservative leader Michael Howard has said that Britain needs 20,000 more prison places.
This is the only way to tackle the “sad reality of modern Britain”, in which women fear intimidation and couples stay home to avoid binge drinkers, Mr Howard added.
Mr Howard said that the Conservatives would provide greater ‘honesty’ in sentencing, with judges handing down a minimum sentence that must be served, and a maximum sentence that would be served by convicts that “misbehave in prison or remain a danger to the public”.
He said: “Respect for the law, respect for others and respect for property: these values are the bedrock of our society. Yes, people want freedom and opportunity, but they also crave a sense of security – the security that goes with living in a safe neighbourhood.”
And Mr Howard reiterated the Conservatives’ pledge to “put more police on the beat – 5,000 more police every year. Put more police on the streets and they’ll catch more criminals. It’s not rocket science. And I’ll cut away at the paperwork which keeps the police chained to their desks”.
He added: “And when criminals are caught, they need to be punished. Some people think punishment is a dirty word. But I believe that as a society we have to draw a clear distinction between right and wrong. We have to send a clear, unequivocal message to criminals – actions have consequences.”
All criminals convicted for a third time of burglary and drug dealing will serve minimum sentences of three and seven years respectively.
Mr Howard suggested that drug addicts be given a choice between prison and rehabilitation, with a ten-fold increase in residential rehab places from 2,000 to 20,000.
But there would be mandatory minimum sentences for crimes such as drug dealing and burglary, he said, suggesting that this would act as a strong deterrent.
All prisoners would be drug tested on arrival and then regularly tested throughout their sentence, he promised.
And while Mr Howard said that many offenders might get community punishments or cautions, “persistent and dangerous offenders” would face jail under a Conservative government.
The Tories suggest that the reforms would mean 14,400 additional prisoners by year three of the sentencing changes.
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten said that the Conservative proposals would increase crime, not tackle it.
Mr Oaten said: “Howard’s words may sound tough but he is conning the public by suggesting that prison works. With over half of prisoners re-offending, creating even more prisoners will just create more criminals.
“The real tough policy is to tackle the causes of re-offending rather than pandering to a rightwing agenda.”
