BROMLEY BRIEFINGS PRISON FACTFILE - Prison Reform Trust

Long term trends and future prison buildingBy the end of June 2014 the demand forprison spaces is projected to increase tobetween 88,800 and 101,900. Much of theunderlying growth in all scenarios can beattributed to the use of IPP sentences. 359In a statement on prison population madeon 19 June 2007, Lord Falconer announced:“We have built over 20,000 more prisonplaces since 1997, with a commitment to8,000 more by 2012.To help accommodatethe current pressures, I can announce todaythat Her Majesty's Treasury has madeavailable new money to build an additional1,500 places over and above the 8,000already announced.We will be starting workimmediately on 500 of those extra places.The first of these additional places willcome on-stream in January 2008.” 360On 31 August 2007 the Ministry of Justiceannounced that planning permission hasbeen granted for the site owned by NOMSat Maghull near Merseyside, which itexpects to deliver 600 new places by 2010. Aplanning application will be submitted in respectof a third site owned by NOMS adjacent toHMP Belmarsh. 361The Scottish prison population is predictedto rise to 9,300 by 2015. 362During comments made to BBC Scotland,Kenny MacAskill said “prisons are forpublic safety, not for profit … we aredrawing a line in the sand.” 364The prison population is expected to risein Northern Ireland by 6%, year on yearfor the next five years, and by 5% in thefollowing years, with the population oflife sentenced prisoners up by 50% within10 years. 365In an interview with The Times, Jack Strawstated that “the government will not beable to build its way out of the prisoncrisis” and indicated that “the only waythe pressure could be relieved was bysending fewer people to jail and usingmore noncustodial sentences.” In theinterview, his first since becoming JusticeSecretary and Lord Chancellor, Mr Strawcalled for a “national conversation” about theuse of prison. He also spoke of the need tomake community sentences more effective tobuild confidence and trust in non-custodialsentences. Even if he could click his fingers“and magic an extra 10,000 places” theywould still need to have the same debateabout the use of prison, he said. 366On 24 August 2007 the Cabinet Secretaryfor Justice, Kenny MacAskill announcedthat a new publicly operated prison is tobe built in the Peterhead area to replaceexisting facilities there and at HMPAberdeen. 363359. Ministry of Justice Statistical Bulletin, Prison Population Projections, England and Wales, 2007-2014 (August 2007)360. Hansard, House of Lords debates, 19 June 2007361. Ministry of Justice, Prison Capacity Building Programme update, http://www.justice.gov.uk/news/newsrelease310807a.htm362. BBC News online, 25 November 2005363. www.sps.gov.uk364. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/6959920.stm365. Interview with Robin Masefield, Director General of the Northern Ireland Prison Service, 12 February 2006 – Belfast Telegraph366. Rt Hon Jack Straw, The Times, 12 July 2007www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk 43