Nacro, the crime reduction charity is calling on the political parties to end the criminal justice arms race and agree to establish a key set of principles for the use of prison.

Nacro believe that with increasing prison population and billions of pounds being spent on reoffending, there needs to be commitment to effective alternatives to prison sentences to help reduce reoffending.

Paul McDowell, Chief Executive of Nacro, the crime reduction charity, will be making this call at Nacro’s pre election conference: Part of the System? The Future Role of the Voluntary Sector in the Criminal Justice System. Other speakers include Alan Duncan MP, Lord Bach and singer-songwriter Billy Bragg.

Paul McDowell, says: “Too many people are being locked up for low-level offences at a huge expense to tax payers. Many are being recycled through the system, with no support and a high chance of returning to crime. As the government faces inevitable budget cuts, it is more important than ever to use limited resources in the most effective way possible. The use of challenging community based alternatives to custody should be at the core of our criminal justice system. “

Callum Greenaway, 23, is on Nacro’s Bridge Project, which works in partnership with Essex Probation to provide non-custodial support to help prevent people from reoffending. He has been interviewed for a series of exclusive video features that are being played at the conference. Callum says: “I have been in and out of prison more times than I can remember. I started drinking when I was very young and started to get into trouble with fighting and robbery. After my last arrest, I faced a short custodial sentence of three to five weeks which would have done me no good. I was given a chance and put on the Bridge project where I am being given support to get my life back on track. If it wasn’t for this project, I would probably have reoffended and be back in jail.”

To sign up to the conference or find out more visit www.nacro.org.uk or follow @Nacro_ on Twitter. You can join in conversations live by searching on the hashtag #nacroaps.

ENDS

For further info contact Olivia Ware, Media Relations Manager on 020 7840 7216 / 07974 189 979 or olivia.ware@nacro.org.uk

Notes to editor

• Part of the System: The Future of the Voluntray Sector in the Criminal Justice System will be bringing together the voluntary sector, national and local politicians, the statutory and private sectors to explore the role of the third sector will play post election

• Nacro, the crime reduction charity, works with disadvantaged people, deprived communities and ex-offenders to give them a positive stake in society. It has unrivalled expertise in developing practical responses to crime and stimulating fresh thinking on how best to reduce it through policy, research and campaign work.
• Nacro runs preventive projects to steer young people away from crime, provides housing, education and employment programmes for ex-offenders and people at risk of offending, resettles prisoners into the community and works with families and communities to prevent crime.
• Every year Nacro works directly with over 90,000 people and many more benefit from our work with local, regional and national partners to help reduce crime. To find out more and for access to online information resources, please visit: www.nacro.org.uk