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Criminal Justice Alliance comment on the NAO's report on short prison sentences (10 March 2010)

Commenting on the National Audit Office's new report on "Managing offenders on short custodial sentences", Jon Collins, Campaign Director for the Criminal Justice Alliance, said:

'This important report again highlights the failures of short prison sentences, showing that they provide poor value for money and do next to nothing to prevent reoffending.

'Prison overcrowding and the growing prison population make it impossible for the Prison Service to effectively rehabilitate offenders on short prison sentences. Instead of spending more money in a futile attempt to make these short sentences work better, the Government should instead focus on keeping more of these people out of custody, freeing up space and resources in the prison estate to better rehabilitate those people who do need to be there.

'Cutting the use of short prison sentences should be the first step in a total overhaul of the criminal justice system. Less use of prison, treatment for addicts and strengthening the probation service would reduce crime and save money. So what is the Government waiting for? We need a new approach to criminal justice policy that combines reducing the use of prison with investment in properly-funded alternatives in the community.'