David Gauke emphasizes the need for open prisons to alleviate overcrowding in the UK prison system
London: So, David Gauke, the former justice secretary, is saying the UK could really benefit from using open prisons more. He thinks we’re not taking full advantage of them.
He recently mentioned that we’re running out of space in our prisons. It’s a big issue, and he sees this as a chance for change. After visiting some open prisons in Spain, he was impressed by how they work.
Gauke explained that in open prisons, inmates can spend part of their day working outside. Then, they return to sleep in the prison at night. This setup helps them get into a routine and learn work discipline.
He served as justice secretary from January 2018 to July 2019 and is now leading a review on sentencing. His goal is to find better ways to handle offenders without overcrowding prisons.
He pointed out that we’ve been increasing sentences, but it’s not really helping to reduce crime. Instead, it’s just costing a lot of money. Other countries have managed to lower their prison populations, and he wants to explore practical solutions.
Earlier this month, the current Justice Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, also said that just building more prisons won’t solve the overcrowding problem. We need to look at other options for punishment outside of prison.
She mentioned that they plan to create 14,000 new cell spaces by 2031, but even that might not be enough. The demand for prison space is growing faster than they can keep up with.