As a former prison governor, I welcome the revival of “time off for good behaviour”, familiar to us in the 1980s (Labour to abolish most short prison sentences in England and Wales, 24 August). But for it to succeed, prisoners must have the chance to show positivity and a will to change.
At present, too many are locked in conditions that amount to solitary confinement, with illicit drugs as their main form of relief. Such a regime means that only those who are already motivated – or organised criminals running their empires from inside – can benefit. For the rest, the system offers little more than stagnation.
Worse still, a failing Prison Service is shifting the burden on to a demoralised probation workforce. The result is soaring recalls, now at the equivalent of eight new prisons – each costing around £400m.
Unless we create real opportunities for rehabilitation inside prisons, this reform risks being yet another sticking plaster on a system in long-term crisis.
John Podmore
Former governor, HMP Brixton and Belmarsh; prisons inspector and international consultant on prison corruption
