The prison population of the UK is growing at significant human and financial cost. We need an alternative to the often revolving door of imprisonment. The Big Issue opinion piece from Darren Nicholas, Assistant Director at Cranstoun explains the benefits of alternative approaches where drug use is a factor, including;
👉 Diversion into drug education
👉 Custody based Referral into drug treatment and wraparound support
Evidence based alternatives to imprisonment are shown to;
✔ reduce offending
✔ increase engagement in treatment
These approaches are compassionate and cost effective.
👇 💡
📖Read a new piece in Big Issue from our Assistant Director Darren Nicholas on the urgent need for a long-term solution to prison overcrowding.
A functional criminal justice system is essential to keeping communities safe & in this piece Darren discusses some of the ideas and solutions we've worked on to reduce reoffending and keep people out of prison.
https://lnkd.in/dB8ZUHwC
Really proud to have my article published in Big Issue. This is such an important and pertinent issue. The health of our Justice System affects everyone!
Please do reach out if you wish to discuss the article with me, and to learn more about our Criminal Justice services at Cranstoun
✅ Right Intervention at Right Time
✅ Tackling Root Causes of Crime
✅ Innovative and Evidence-based Solutions to Prison Overcrowding
✅ Meaningful, Swift and Effective Diversion and Deflection Services
✅ Whole System Approach to the Criminal Justice System
Charlie Mack, Megan Jones, Luke O'Neil, Jamie Scott, Ant Lehane, Annie Steele, wendy taylor, Maria Cripps, Jason Harwin - KPM
📖Read a new piece in Big Issue from our Assistant Director Darren Nicholas on the urgent need for a long-term solution to prison overcrowding.
A functional criminal justice system is essential to keeping communities safe & in this piece Darren discusses some of the ideas and solutions we've worked on to reduce reoffending and keep people out of prison.
https://lnkd.in/dB8ZUHwC
📖Read a new piece in Big Issue from our Assistant Director Darren Nicholas on the urgent need for a long-term solution to prison overcrowding.
A functional criminal justice system is essential to keeping communities safe & in this piece Darren discusses some of the ideas and solutions we've worked on to reduce reoffending and keep people out of prison.
https://lnkd.in/dB8ZUHwC
Rob Allen thanks for your blog post, how to fix the prison crisis, I have worked it all out, just as I worked out who is monitoring my phone, sorting out the prison system is child's play, everything is how it is because that is how they want it to be, its not about the No:1 governor or the prison staff they are but puppets on strings.
The whole of society is fabricated one would need to be bind or ignorant not to see it, the 3rd sector are so wrapped up in their own little world that they do not see it.
When I think back to my time in the Estate's every prison I have been in has been exactly the same, when I think about the staff the mentality, never mind what you see on social media, or what the 3rd sector think they know.
The reason the estates are the way they are is to do with money laundering, invisible victims, the state keeps the substance offenders how they are not only to point the finger and keep society focused on some one to blame, but the truth is all available and in front of your eyes how much is laundered each, look at the wording -Facts and figures. Money laundering is estimated to cost the UK economy more than £100 billion each year. how can it cost ? its going in to the banking system, don't make me point it all out clearly and brake it all down stating the obvious - The financial cost of drug misuse is absolutely staggering. It currently costs society almost £20 billion a year, something like £350 for every man, woman and child in England, errm, clearly its more cost effective to keep them as addicts.
If the government used my system if I designed the prison system there would be massive changes massive and fast, you could not begin to imagine the changes, am I more intelligent the all of Parliament clearly, perhaps its my Blood line, ohhh that was below the belt and distasteful, superior , no perhaps not, just corruption that's all, from the dealers in the streets, to the way the banks allow 2500 cash to be paid in daily, see the reason I have a Bee in my bonnet, is because I experienced the system between 14-33 and then had to put up with all the diarrhea from people and organisations because I had a substance offender record, the young BAME lot don't get it that they are how exactly how they are wanted to be by being the way they are White Supremacy is winning, they are all very much still slaves, all the dealers are dealing because that's how White Supremacy have designed it, fabricated it from decades and decades ago, this was all put together knowing the out comes, just like what the CIA the FBI & DEA done to the Black population in America its the exact same here just the don't see it, and the marvel in it, bathe in it thinking they are all so smart and clever.
When governments address a problem without fully considering the long-term effects, they provide a quick fix but end up creating more issues. If decision-makers continue to implement policies without considering the consequences, it leads to a chaotic system- a disaster.
Operation Early Dawn will contradict key values of the British justice system, such as fairness, transparency, and accountability. This policy can also potentially undermine public trust in the legal system and lead to a perception of preferential treatment.
The decision to prioritise certain defendants due to the lack of prison spaces raises concerns about fairness and equality in the justice system. This might result in discrepancies in the treatment of individuals based on arbitrary criteria rather than legal principles.
Postponing court appearances could lead to a backlog of cases, potential miscarriages of justice, and prolonged uncertainty for victims, defendants, and witnesses.
Releasing prisoners up to 70 days earlier than planned may undermine the deterrence effect of the criminal justice system, potentially leading to concerns about public safety and confidence in the system. Without proper rehabilitation and supervision, early releases could contribute to higher recidivism rates.
Instead of undermining the very concept of the justice system, policymakers should consider investing in rehabilitation programs to address the root causes of criminal behaviour and reduce recidivism rates to help alleviate overcrowding in prisons in the long term.
Consider sustainable measures to expand prison capacities where necessary, while ensuring that living conditions for inmates meet humane standards and support rehabilitation efforts.
https://lnkd.in/em5Pg_FA
A brilliant summary of the appalling state of our prisons and why they often fail to prevent reoffending and more crime.
Plus, as JUSTICE will always provide, a different approach…
In a guest blog for the Bar Council, Tyrone Steele, Deputy Legal Director at JUSTICE, outlines the benefits of reforming the prison system. He writes that JUSTICE hopes its new report "serves as a catalyst for addressing the systemic deficiencies within our prisons. It is our collective responsibility to ensure every individual, regardless of their circumstances, is treated with dignity and fairness within the criminal justice system." Read the blog -
https://lnkd.in/gsEb__xE
How about creating a unit for young people outside of the prisons, properly staffed to take the prisoners back and forth. This will create routines and discipline for getting up and going to work rather than walking down a corridor to a workshop. There would be a need to work together! With industries, delivering trade related qualifications, jobs on offer before they were released and it would require working with the authorities to provide accommodation. Without a job you cannot hold a home and without a home you cannot hold a job. This would I guess relieve the pressures on DWP, Health, Housing and the Criminal Justice system, provide more skilled workers to build the houses the government says we need, (we have huge skills shortages in construction/health and social care, catering & hospitality). Expensive I agree but not as expensive as what it costs to keep people in prison currrntly and we would have positive outcomes. Some prisoners would be exempt I guess but it would give young people a chance and hope to move furward. So often I have seen YP when they are released with limited release funds, no home, no where to bed down for the night, inevitably they are very soon going back through those big prison gates.
"We keep those sentenced to prison in custody, helping them lead law-abiding and useful lives, both while they are in prison and after they are released." HMPPS
They're either are law-abiding or not, and if they are, why not? I couldn't do it but doesn't mean others can't or won't.
https://lnkd.in/eBmzHUxe
Overcrowding should be addressed by a safe and planned reduction of the prison population, rather than prison expansion.
We know the solutions - and have done for decades! We need to prioritise implementing them before turning to more prison spaces.
https://lnkd.in/e8Dm2-fW
