The Guardian have revealed that judges have been told to delay the sentencing of people currently on bail because prisons are full, according to a report.
What is Nacro’s response?
Nacro’s chief executive, Campbell Robb, said: “You might ask how we have got to this point? This situation is unfortunately no surprise as there have been repeated warnings of this impending crisis and the need to act. The prison population has almost doubled in last 30 years. Governments have continued to introduce longer and longer sentences. Thousands of people continue to be sent to prison for non-violent crimes for 6 months or less despite sentences in the community being more effective at preventing further crime. More and more people remanded to prison awaiting trial. And overcrowded under-resourced prisons have been unable to tackle reoffending.
“This has been a crisis building for years. We urgently need a new approach.”