Government's prison capacity plan criticised

In light of the Government's recent announcement of £110m in fast-tracked funding to enhance prison capacity, Revolving Doors has expressed significant concerns. The funding primarily aims to convert unused spaces within existing prisons into additional cells. Pavan Dhaliwal, Chief Executive of Revolving Doors, highlighted the potential pitfalls of this strategy, stating “Creating additional prison capacity may provide short term breathing room, but we need to be very clear about what we use that breathing room for. Converting offices, laundries and storage areas into cells risks becoming the prison equivalent of corridor care, yet another emergency response to pressure rather than a sustainable solution.”

Dhaliwal noted that up to 50,000 individuals across the country are entangled in a cycle of crisis and crime, predominantly influenced by factors such as homelessness, addiction, mental ill-health, and poverty. He pointed to Greater Manchester, which is already trialing a whole-system approach to support these individuals by diverting them into treatment and supportive services at various stages of the justice system. Ensuring dependency on prison is diminished, he pointed out, can provide opportunities for effective intervention. “The good news is that we know more about what works,” Dhaliwal added.

He urged the need to leverage the insights gained from Greater Manchester to implement similar strategies on a national scale. His emphasis was clear that instead of merely expanding prison infrastructure, the focus should be on diverting people away from incarceration where it is both safe and effective to do so. “Extra capacity can buy us time,” he said, “We should use that time to reduce the number of people who need a prison place in the first place.” Dhaliwal’s comments underscore the necessity of addressing underlying issues that contribute to crime and ensuring that those leaving custody are properly supported to prevent reoffending.