Nacro responds to measures to tackle prison overcrowding
Almost 1,000 people are expected to be released early from prison over the next few weeks. This is the first tranche of an estimated 5,000 releases expected to take place in phases over the coming months.
Commenting on the releases, Nacro said:
“Prisons cannot do their job if they are full. Freeing up capacity is crucial if prisons are to provide the rehabilitative support people need, from drug treatment to meaningful education. But these measures alone will not solve the prison capacity crisis.
“The most effective way to reduce pressure on prisons in the longer term is to ensure people have the support they need in the community to resettle successfully and avoid reoffending or breaching their licence conditions. That means access to safe housing, healthcare and other essential support services from the point of release.
“The Government must also tackle the high number of people being recalled to prison. Prison places are currently being filled by people who, with the right support and appropriate risk management, could be safely managed in the community.
“Reducing overcrowding and investing in effective support after release go hand in hand. Done properly, this will help prisons give rehabilitation the attention it needs, reduce reoffending and ultimately keep communities safer.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
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About Nacro’s justice services
Nacro operate in more than 20 prisons and provide services across England and Wales. We help 33,000 people across our services each year and run the CAS-2 service for the Government housing people coming out of prison on bail or licence.
We use the insights from our services and the experiences of the people we support to campaign together for a criminal justice system which better serves us all. We’ve been working in this field for 60 years.
