Howard League – support

The sentencing review was announced on the same day that more than 1,000 people were released from prison early under an emergency scheme aimed at easing overcrowding. 

We have been talking to journalists up and down the country to explain how the two stories are linked – that the trend of imposing ever longer sentences has fuelled the prison capacity crisis we see today.

We have appeared on BBC Breakfast, the Today programme on BBC Radio 4, Channel 4 News, in the Financial Times, and elsewhere. And calls keep coming. Yesterday, we responded after an inspection of Winchester prison found conditions so poor that a man was able to remove his own cell door.

Back in July, less than a week after the new government came to power, we published a report called Grasping the nettle, which presented options for a lasting solution to the crisis. We are pleased to see that some recommendations from that report have now been taken forward.

We called for Home Detention Curfew to be used as a meaningful alternative to prison, and the Secretary of State for Justice, Shabana Mahmood, has announced that it will be extended, with the maximum time to be spent by those eligible increasing from six months to 12 months.

We also recommended more use of executive release under the Release following Risk Assessed Recall (RARR) review process, and the government has decided to change the policy to enable its use in a greater number of lower-risk cases.

These moves will help to ease pressure on a beleaguered prison system, and they show that change is possible. Now, as the sentencing review begins, we want to be as influential as possible. It presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a more humane and effective response to crime, and we must grab it with both hands.

We are so grateful to everyone who has supported us this week. It is already having an impact. If you feel able to contribute, please give generously. As we do not accept any funding from government, your donation helps us to remain an independent voice for change.

See Howard League’s latest information on IPP sentences here