Bishop Rachel responds to Lord Chancellor’s statement

Bishop Rachel Treweek has responded to a statement from the Lord Chancellor on the criminal justice system in England and Wales.

Statement by the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Alex Chalk MP

The Anglican Bishop for HM Prisons, The Rt Revd Rachel Treweek said, “I applaud the Lord Chancellor for setting out a plan to tackle our overcrowded prison system and reform parts of our criminal justice system. Reducing the number of people serving short term sentences and promoting community alternatives to custody, where appropriate, is a positive step. Over 50% of people in prison are there for non-violent offences, and short sentences often do more harm than good and rarely reduce reoffending.

“I would welcome even more attention to redistributing the expenditure on criminal justice with more invested in holistic community responses which can reduce reoffending and enable rehabilitation. Many faith communities and charities already help resettle prison-leavers into the community as well as facilitate alternatives to custody which tackle addiction and help people turn their lives around. Yet more could be done. With only 557 places left to spare across the prison estate in England and Wales, I hope that this serious crunch point will lead to whole-system reform rooted in questions about the purpose of prison and what makes for stronger and safer communities.

“Ultimately it is not the capacity of our prisons which is too small but rather our diminished ability to think big and long term. Yesterday’s announcement is a courageous step in the right direction.”