A crisis in prisons gives Britain’s new government its first test
Its response? Early releases, blaming Tories and hints at reform
IT WAS NO coincidence that Shabana Mahmood chose HMP Bedford for her first visit as justice secretary on July 12th. In December Charlie Taylor, the chief inspector of prisons, reported that conditions at the Victorian-era facility were among the worst he’d ever seen: “On very wet days, raw sewage covered the floor and cells were dark, damp and dilapidated.” Violence was rife, staff out of their depth and the prison hopelessly overcrowded.
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This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Cell signals”
Britain July 20th 2024
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From the July 20th 2024 edition
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