Julian Broadhead blames political myopia and mindless bureaucracy for the present prison crisis
It seems a long time ago that the prison and probation services were merged into the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), but it was only 2004. At the time, the chief executive of the new organisation, Martin Narey, promised “a single, seamless service” that would inspire public confidence and would reduce the prison population by 20% by 2009. Then, there were 75,000 prisoners in England and Wales; now there are 81,500—which pushes the 20% target up to 28.6%—with 2009 little more than a year away.
Call me a pessimist if you will, but unless a miracle is imminent or, some time soon, the home secretary declares prison sentences to be as obsolete as the pillory, I can’t see this target being met. As for public confidence being inspired by NOMS—if it hasn’t happened yet it doesn’t look like it will now, because according to a leaked official document the organisation is about to be abolished.
Not for nothing has Britain for some years now been dubbed the prison capital of western Europe.
