Liz McInnes calls for action to tackle prison crisis

Liz McInnes in parliament calling for action to tackle the prison crisis

Liz McInnes, MP for Heywood and Middleton, has supported calls for urgent action to tackle the crisis in the prison service.

Last summer, the Chief Inspector of Prisons released a damning report on the state of British prisons, revealing that cases of serious assault against staff and fellow prisoners are on the rise, as are suicide and self-harm.

Since 2010, the number of prisons deemed safe has fallen from 84% to just 50% in 2015. At the same time, staff numbers have fallen due to funding cuts and privatisation.

Labour called for action at the time the report was published, and this week again put a motion to parliament urging a re-think from the government on its approach to prisons and prisoners.

Ms McInnes said: "Our prisons are becoming less safe for staff and prisoners. The outgoing chief inspector of prisons argues in his annual report that prisons are at their worst for 10 years, with the deficiencies most acute in adult male prisons. He also raised significant concerns about failures in rehabilitation.

"In addition to all this, we face the reckless privatisation of the probation service.

"The Howard League for Penal Reform has reported that the number of front-line prison officers in England and Wales dropped by 30% between 2010 and 2013 from 27,650 to 19,325. In some prisons, the number of officers has halved in only three years, and many prisons have been forced to operate with 40% fewer staff. However, the prison population is rising. It is little wonder the system is in crisis.

"I am sorry that the government voted against Labour’s motion to take the crisis seriously. I and my Labour colleagues will continue to fight for and reform."