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News

News Archives: Index

October 7, 2010: Probation Set For Industrial Action

October 5, 2010: Turning Prisoners Into Taxpayers

October 4, 2010: Murder Changes Now In Force

September 20, 2010: Probation Programmes Face Cuts

August 24, 2010: Victorian Poor Law Records Online

August 10, 2010: Justice Job Cuts

July 28, 2010: Prison Violence Growing

July 22, 2010: Police Numbers: Latest Figures

July 22, 2010: New Jurisdiction Rules

July 16, 2010: CCJS On Prison And Probation Spending Under Labour

July 15, 2010: Latest Statistics On Violent And Sexual Crime

July 15, 2010: Latest National Crime Figures

July 15, 2010: New Chief Prisons Inspector

July 14, 2010: Hard Times Ahead For Prisons: Anne Owers

July 14, 2010: Prison Does Not Work: Ken Clarke

July 13, 2010: Criminal Justice Reform: Sentencing and Rehabilitation

July 13, 2010: Criminal Justice Reform Priorities

July 12, 2010: What Price Public Protection, Asks Probation Chief Inspector

July 12, 2010: NOMS has failed, says Napo

July 10, 2010: IPCC To Investigate Death of Raoul Moat

July 9, 2010: Women In Prison: New Report

July 9, 2009: Unjust Deserts: Imprisonment for Public Protection

July 8, 2010: Police Search Powers Change

July 7, 2010: Make 'Legal High' Illegal, Says ACMD

July 2, 2010: Failing Children In Prison

July 2, 2010: Police Buried Under a Blizzard of Guidance: HMIC

July 1, 2010: Freedom To Change The Law?

June 30, 2010: A New Outlook On Penal Reform?

June 30, 2010: Revolving Door Of Offending Must Stop, Says Clarke

June 30, 2010: Ken Clarke: Speech on Criminal Justice Reform

June 29, 2010: No More Police Targets

June 26, 2010: Family Intervention Projects Questioned

June 25, 2010: Cutting Criminal Justice

June 24, 2010: Napo on Sex Offenders Report

June 23, 2010: Closing Courts: The Cuts Begin

June 23, 2010: Strategy To Tackle Gangs

June 15, 2010: Courts and Mentally Disordered Offenders

June 8, 2010: Working With Muslims in Prison

June 1, 2010: Your Chance To Nominate a QC

October 5, 2010: Turning Prisoners Into Taxpayers

The Howard League for Penal Reform has welcomed the plans to turn prisoners into taxpayers by introducing real work to prisons. The charity has campaigned for this radical change for more than ten years, starting with the first research into prison workshops and running a prototype business inside Coldingley for three years.

Frances Crook, director of the Howard League for Penal Reform said:

"We welcome this radical shift from the coalition government that will turn prisoners into tax payers. Bringing real work into prisons is the most important reform to the prison system in two centuries. Prisoners must pay tax which is the best way to support victims, families and for the first time, be asked to contribute to the common good. We must get prisoners to take responsibility for their actions and work is the best way to achieve this.
"There are real challenges ahead, but the Howard League's experience of being the only organisation ever to have run a business inside a prison will be invaluable. It is essential that prisoners are paid the rate for the job so that the prison industries do not undercut local businesses - prison work must be competitive. Why not bring back the outsourced industries currently being sent abroad?
"Everyone will gain from this new policy. It will enable prisoners (overwhelmingly men) to contribute to families so that we could reduce the benefits bill and this will help to keep families together. It could reduce prison costs as prisoners can pay for the luxuries just like the rest of us have to.
"Prisoners must take responsibility for their actions and the Howard League asked its prisoners employed in the pioneering graphic design studio in Coldingley prison to make voluntary donations to victims charities.
"Staff will benefit in safer prisons as violence and conflict is reduced. I particularly welcome the secretary of state's call for a 40 hour working week which means that prisons will be busy and productive places for the first time in history.
"This will have a phenomenal impact in reducing reoffending. There will be less crime on release and will dramatically improve safety for the public..
"This could be the biggest change to the prison system in 200 years and Kenneth Clarke should go down in history as the greatest penal reformer after John Howard."