Prison isn't working
Britain's desperately overcrowded prisons defeat the system's purpose
“PRISON works”, the slogan adopted by Michael Howard, the former Conservative home secretary, and endorsed by his Labour successor, Jack Straw, is losing its appeal. Prisons are now so overcrowded that the current home secretary, David Blunkett, was forced this week to announce initiatives designed to reduce the strain. Ranging from the use of more electronic tagging and early release to new temporary buildings, the measures will ease the immediate crisis but they do not address the underlying problem.
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Prison isn't working”
From the March 23rd 2002 edition
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