“Prison Works”... or does it?

...so said Michael Howard at the Tory conference all those years ago. Apparently he was untroubled by the evidence! It’s interesting that the current Justice Secretary thinks differently - nothing to do with the current cost-cutting priorities of course. In any event, Ken Clarke’s view that radical reform of the penal system is needed will doubtless come as a relief to prison reform campaigners, the left, and those who consider prison an expensive way of making offenders worse.

I love his comments on Blunkett and Reid - “a copy of the Daily Mail in one hand and a chequebook in the other”!! Certainly a great discussion point for sentencing - is Mr Clarke right to seek to reduce the use of short sentences and prioritise community service? Can we do this and still protect the public? Can we cut the Justice Department budget by 25% and still deliver rehabilitation?