Title: Overview « Justice and Prisons
Headings: 

Content: Some young men do drill in military style boot camps while others are counselled in therapeutic communities. Prisoners deemed dangerous may be held in almost total isolation in the highest “supermax” conditions of security; low risk prisoners approaching their date of release go out to work during the day from open establishments. Some convicted prisoners can spend years in remote labour colonies, pre trial detainees a few weeks in city centre lock ups or many years beyond legal guarantees and amongst sentenced prisoners. The experience of very many prisoners- perhaps the majority – continues routinely to involve often gross violations of basic human rights and seemingly makes scant contribution to either the rule of law or to the creation of safer communities. The failings of prisons often reflect chronic problems of maladministration, chiefly under resourcing in terms of buildings and staff, compounded by often severe overcrowding and weak management and accountability. In principle these are matters that can be put right. But there is an often unspoken question: How much are the obvious failings of imprisonment due to inherent flaws in the nature of institution itself rather than weaknesses in its practical elaboration? While much more attention needs to be paid to finding new ways of preventing and responding to crime, in the short term priorities would seem to include ensuring prison is used as a last resort and for the shortest possible time;