In an exclusive in the Guardian, the chief inspector of prisons, Charlie Taylor, revealed his concerns about the prison estate, with the Guardian reporting that “one in 10 prisons in England and Wales are barely fit for purpose and should be shut down if alternative buildings can be found.”
What is Nacro’s response?
Nacro’s chief executive, Campbell Robb, said: “No politician can read the recent reports and think that this situation is acceptable. Our prisons are overcrowded, lacking in purpose and unable to fulfil the functions they are supposed to serve.
“Years of lack of investment in staff and buildings, increased sentences and ever escalating political rhetoric have left us with a broken prison and justice system.
“Enough is enough. We are calling on all parties to support the creation of a royal commission to report within the year setting out a cross party set of solutions that will create a justice and prison system that serves the needs of the public, victims and is truly rehabilitative. This is a national crisis that can be solved.”