news story

8th October 2006

Prison Overcrowding Crisis - Don't Treat Leyhill as Dumping Ground

Commenting on reports today that the Home Office is considering 'risking' placing more offenders in open prisons such as Leyhill because of overcrowding elsewhere in the prison system, Northavon MP Steve Webb said:

"It would be totally unacceptable to use Leyhill as a 'dumping ground' for offenders who can't be found places elsewhere in the prison system. Open prisons have an important part to play in the prison system, but public confidence in open prisons depends on trusting that people are not sent there unless they have been carefully vetted. The fact that there are some empty cells as Leyhill is not a good enough reason for sending unsuitable people to open conditions.

"Using Leyhill like an 'overflow car park' also undermines the important work that they are trying to do to rehabilitate those serving longer term sentences and preparing them for release. Staff end up spending all their time trying to supervise the short-term inmates who come and go depending on numbers elsewhere in the system and cannot concentrate on the specialist work that they are paid to do".

The MP, who visited Leyhill prison last week with visiting Lib Dem shadow home secretary Nick Clegg MP, added:

"The Home Office has totally mismanaged the prison population and has failed to plan ahead. That is why they are now having to consider crisis measures. One thing the Home Office could be doing to free up spaces is deporting foreign prisoners, especially those who have reached the end of their sentence. I am aware of a number of such prisoners who are ready to be deported, but are stuck in prison because the Home Office has not processed the necessary paperwork. This is a tale of incompetence from start to finish and public safety may be at risk as a result".