Government wilfully blind to scale of prisons crisis, says Green Party

Jonathan Bartley, co-leader of the Green Party, has criticised privatisation and Government cuts for contributing to the failure of Birmingham Prison.

Bartley called on ministers to take steps to reduce prison numbers, following news the Government has taken over Birmingham Prison from G4S after inspectors found it to be in a “state of crisis”.

Jonathan Bartley, co-leader of the Green Party, said:

“The Government is wilfully blind to the scale of crisis facing our prisons. This report lays bare the inadequacy and squalor of a system which is failing everyone. From riots and deaths to take overs, it is clear the privatisation experiment hasn't worked. Meanwhile cuts have left prisons unable to meet inmates’ basic needs - let alone rehabilitate them.

“The Government should set our prisons on a new path towards a more successful, humane and common sense justice system. Britain has the highest imprisonment rates in Western Europe - but it doesn’t have to be like this. It should start with reducing prison numbers and a programme of prison closures, exploring alternatives to incarceration. It should also overhaul our failing drug laws.”