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Press releasesREF: PR/13/07 DATE: 30th January 2007 To: ALL POLITICAL PRESS RELEASE Chief Inspector Adds Pressure to Crumbling Prison ServiceAnne Owers, Chief Inspector of Prisons has warned the Home Secretary that the affects of overcrowding prisons in England and Wales is placing intolerable strain on the Prison Service. In her fifth report Ms Owers condemns the number of mentally ill offenders and women who are imprisoned as she believes they could be treated in the community. Ms Owers is also critical over the number of foreign national prisoners still detained in prisons and believes that these factors are adding to the problems of overcrowding and preventing rehabilitation work which is designed to stop offenders returning to crime. Colin Moses National Chairman of the POA said: “We welcome the report from Ms Owers. Prisons play a fundamental role in addressing offending behaviour and rehabilitation. Unfortunately, since Mr Blair took up office we have seen an increase in the prison population by some 20,000 prisoners without an appropriate increase in staffing levels. The knock-on effect of this increase in prisoner to staff ratio has been highlighted by Ms Owers. The Prison Service may not be a vote winner, but it is an essential public service that requires significant investment, to ensure it delivers and protects the public. Prison places whilst coping with prison numbers is not the sole answer. Prisons need investment to allow prisoners to have structured activities whilst serving prison sentences ensuring that the time out of cell is spent addressing their offending behaviour and preparing them to lead law abiding lives upon their release, watching TV or playing pool may achieve the Prison Service’s target for out of cell activities, but it does nothing to address a prisoners needs”. Brian Caton General Secretary of the POA said: “The problem of holding mentally ill offenders in prisons has been a serious problem for far too many years, a problem that the Prison Service, Government and other agencies have failed to address. Ms Owers is absolutely right that these prisoners can be cared for in the community or other secure psychiatric units who have the appropriate staff and skills to address these offenders’ needs”.
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