Hobhouse: End short prison sentences to cut crime

“The criminal justice system is failing to prevent crime by rehabilitating offenders. Tory Ministers are continuing to waste money on pointless short prison sentences while refusing to properly fund the services people need to build a life free from crime.

“Far too many people are still being sent to prison for a few weeks or months, even though the Ministry of Justice’s own analysis shows that community sentences are more effective at preventing re-offending. And far too many people leave prison without a place to sleep or a chance of getting a job. It’s little surprise so many of them end up back in prison within months.

“The Liberal Democrats demand better. The Government must urgently bring forward legislation to end short prison sentences and invest properly in rehabilitative services. Only then will we cut re-offending so that there are fewer victims of crime and fewer people in prison.”