Rowen visits HMP Buckley Hall

Paul Rowen, Liberal Democrat candidate for Rochdale, visited HMP Buckley Hall for ‘Storybook Dads’ and a Victim Awareness Course final presentation.

Storybook Dads is a long running program in the prison, where fathers read and record a story to send to their children and families at home. Mr Rowen went to find out how the program works and learn more about the benefits of the course.

While at Buckley Hall, Mr Rowen also visited the chaplaincy which had been running a 5 day victim awareness course. Mr Rowen was present for the prisoners’ final presentation, where the prisoners stood up, explained what they had done and the effect it had had, and then apologised for their crimes to members of the community.

Mr Rowen says projects like these at Buckley Hall would be extended under the Liberal Democrats: "Our crime and justice policies would tackle reoffending and stop crime happening in the first place. The Liberal Democrats would:

• Make prisoners work and contribute from their prison wages to a compensation fund for victims. As resources allow, we will increase the number of hours prisoners spend in education and training. 
• Introduce a presumption against short-term sentences of less than six months – replaced by rigorously enforced community sentences which evidence shows are better at cutting reoffending. 
• Move offenders who are drug addicts or mentally ill into more appropriate secure accommodation. 
• As a consequence of these changes, be able to cancel the Government’s billion-pound prison building programme. 
• Give people a direct say in how petty criminals and those who engage in anti-social behaviour are punished by setting up Neighbourhood Justice Panels (NJPs), like the one run by Liberal Democrats in Somerset where 95 per cent of offenders have been turned away from further crimes. 
• Champion restorative justice programmes, like NJPs, which make offenders confront their behaviour and are more successful at reducing crime than traditional forms of punishment."

Mr Rowen added: “These projects are so effective-they are rehabilitating the prisoners by showing them the effect their crimes have on the wider community and helping them understand their responsibilities better.

"Offenders who are made to confront their behaviour are much less likely to go on to re-offend. At the moment, we have a system which isn’t working. Those released from prisons are as likely as ever to commit more crimes."