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Falling crime an opportunity to cut prison-building programme (15 July 2010)

Commenting on today's publication of the annual crime statistics, Jon Collins, Campaign Director at the Criminal Justice Alliance, said:

'The further falls in crime revealed today are a welcome sign that recent progress has been sustained, and that the recession has not yet led to the predicted rise in crime.

'However, it exposes the futility of the current prison-building programme, which will create thousands of unaffordable new prison places at a time when crime continues to fall.

'The new Government should take advantage of the falling crime rate to cancel planned new prisons and use the money saved to invest in services in the community that will sustain lower levels of crime.'