Lib Dems say no to Titan prisons, yes to more police

7.08.00pm GMT Sat 7th Mar 2009

Liberal Democrat spring conference passes a policy motion on Prisons and Criminal Justice Policy

Liberal Democrats have backed a policy motion calling for the scrapping of the Government's plans for huge Titan prisons and re-emphasising the party's plans for an extra 10,000 police officers.

The motion was proposed by Dr Jo Crotty, Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Warrington South. It criticises UK prisons, labelling them ‘colleges of crime' and argues that ‘92% of young men on first-time short custodial sentences reoffend within two years'. There has been widespread condemnation of Titan prisons, and their escalating costs are currently estimated at between £1.7bn and £2.3bn. The party is also pointing to strong evidence that small prisons are the most effective for the rehabilitation of prisoners.

The Liberal Democrats are proposing a series of measures to reform the prison system based on their proven success. Better policing and improved detection are put forward as more effective methods to cutting crime than ‘posturing over penalties'. They include a commitment to build smaller, ‘fit for purpose' prisons.

The party is also calling for a greater emphasis on rehabilitation, arguing that all prisoners must have access to education and training to provide them with the hope of finding work and decrease the likelihood of them reoffending.

The motion also proposes using the money saved from scrapping ID cards to provide an extra 10,000 police officers. Responsibility for minor offenders would be dealt with by Community Justice Panels, promoting restorative justice, so that offenders fully recognise the impact their actions had upon its victims and the community.

TEXT OF THE MOTION AS PASSED

F13 Prisons and Criminal Justice Policy

Warrington

Mover: Cllr Dr Jo Crotty

Summation: David Howarth MP (Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Justice)

Conference notes that:

A. The UK prison population has never been higher and is the highest in Europe.

B. Prisons are colleges of crime where 92% of young men on first-time short custodial sentences reoffend within two years.

C. The proposals for Titan-style prisons have been widely condemned by those in the Prison sector, including the Chief Inspector of Prisons, the Prison Governors' Association, Prison Officers' Association and the Criminal Justice Alliance.

D. The Prison Reform Trust cites ‘overwhelming evidence against likely effectiveness' of very large prisons, including higher reoffending rates and greater risks to the safety of both inmates and prison staff.

E. The Labour Government has admitted that increases in capacity do not offer a sustainable solution to the problem of overcrowding in prisons.

F. The estimated cost of super-prisons is escalating, with the cost now estimated to be between £1.7bn and £2.3bn and rising.

Conference believes that:

i) Titan prisons are an expensive and ineffectual solution to prison overcrowding.

ii) Catching criminals through better policing and improved detection is more successful in cutting crime than posturing over penalties.

iii) Policing and penal policy should be based on what works, not tabloid headlines.

iv) Small prisons work best for the rehabilitation of prisoners.

Conference therefore calls for:

1. An immediate end to the plan for Titan prisons, and a commitment to building smaller, ‘fit for purpose' facilities, funded in part by the sale of often Victorian facilities in city-centre locations.

2. Reform of the prison system so that the most dangerous and serious offenders are housed in adequate facilities, with greater emphasis on rehabilitation, restorative justice, drug, alcohol and mental health treatment, specifically including:

a) All prisoners to have access to education and training as a route into work to reduce the likelihood of reoffending.

b) Progress being made towards better paid work for prisoners, while at the same time increasing their responsibility for supporting their families and compensating their victims.

3. An extra 10,000 police officers and neighbourhood policing across the country, funded by scrapping the expensive ID card scheme.

4. Minor offences and anti-social behaviour to be dealt with by Community Justice Panels in every town, facilitating restorative justice where offenders recognise the effects of their actions and make amends to their victims, where victims are amenable.

5. A strengthening of the probation service to enforce community sentences.

6. The immediate implementation of the Corston review to end the unnecessary imprisonment of women for minor offences.

Applicability: England and Wales.