“The way forward lies outside of prisons” Revolving Doors responds to National Audit Office report on prison capacity management
The National Audit Office (NAO) has released a report about HMPPS’s plans for prison capacity management, projecting a shortfall of 12,000 places by 2027, and £4.2 billion overspend on the previous government’s plan to create 20,000 new prison places, which is now projected to take until 2031 to complete. The report also criticises HMPPS’s ‘reactive and expensive approach’ to building their way out of the prisons crisis and calls for a more coherent and sustainable joined-up approach from the MoJ, HMPPS and current government to ensure value for money.
Revolving Doors Chief Executive Pavan Dhaliwal commented:
“Whilst solutions for the current crisis must take a longer-term approach, there are immediate actions the Government can take to alleviate the burden on our creaking prison estate. The introduction of a presumption against short sentences is the obvious first step. All the evidence shows that these costly short sentences uproot lives and push people into the revolving door as they cycle in and out of prison without any meaningful opportunity for rehabilitation, support or stability. The way forward lies outside prisons and in community-based solutions to divert people away from the justice system and break the cycle of crisis and crime.”
ENDS
Notes to the editor
Revolving Doors is a national charity working to break the cycle of crisis and crime. We advocate for a system that addresses the drivers of contact with the criminal justice system, including trauma, poverty and discrimination. We bring independent research, policy expertise and lived experience together to champion long-term solutions for justice reform.
For more information or to arrange an interview, please email charlotte.sellers@revolving-doors.org.uk. For out of hours queries or to speak to someone on the phone, please contact CEO Pavan Dhaliwal on 07738 435 059.
