Urgent reform needed to tackle pressures on prison service, says GM Mayor

Former Justice Secretary’s calls for reforms to the prison service are a breath of fresh air, says Greater Manchester’s Mayor and Police and Crime Commissioner.

Michael Gove has said that criminals should not be sent to prison unless there is no alternative.

“This is a breath of fresh air from Michael Gove and it’s a pity he didn’t take a firmer stance when he was Justice Secretary. Liz Truss must listen to the words of her predecessor and take steps to address the issues facing our prison service,” says Tony Lloyd.

“Our prisons are overcrowded and we need urgent reform to tackle the pressures we’ve seen recently - pressures that are unfair to prison officers and impact on the rehabilitation of offenders.

“The real challenge is finding innovative alternatives to tackling and preventing offending – like we’re doing in Greater Manchester – which will keep people out of prison, keep the public safe and reduce victims of crime.”

The devolution of justice powers sees Greater Manchester take control of criminal justice and offender management, strengthening the work the region is already doing to deliver effective local justice and reduce offending and reoffending.

Greater Manchester’s work with women offenders, for example, brings together police, probation, health, and other agencies with the region’s network of women’s centres, to tackle the underlying issues of reoffending, such as mental ill health, drug and alcohol abuse and domestic violence.