Prisoners Face 'Working Week' In Overhaul

The Justice Secretary has announced "tougher" community sentences and more drug recovery wings in prisons in an overhaul of the justice system.
Ken Clarke will make a statement to MPs later
Ken Clarke has outlined a number of changes, including creating a 40-hour working week in prison and a mandatory custodial sentence for those who threaten another with a knife.
Mr Clarke addressed MPs in the Commons and outlined the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishing of Offenders Bill.
Community punishments are to be extended to allow courts to impose longer curfews, enable courts to ban overseas travel and seize assets from those who do not pay.
Community service will also be overhauled "so that offenders work longer hours, carrying out purposeful, unpaid activity that benefits their local community".
And powers to take money from prisoners' earnings to support victims will be extended.
Five drug recovery wings in prisons will also be piloted as part of moves to get more offenders off drugs and alcohol "for good".
Payment-by-results schemes designed to cut reoffending will be extended, with services delivered by the voluntary, independent and public sectors.

David Cameron had already announced sentence discounts will not be offered
Six new pilot schemes will begin in areas including Greater Manchester and London next month.
A "clear national framework for the use of out-of-court disposals, reforming the use of remand, and reducing the number of foreign national offenders" will also be brought in, Mr Clarke said.
The Prime Minister announced the Government will not offer 50% sentence discounts for early guilty pleas as it sends out the "wrong message".
But questions remain over how the Ministry of Justice will reduce its budget in line with spending cuts.
The legal aid budget is expected to be cut by £350m, costing 66,200 legal representations a year.
The proposals, which will also cost 500,000 instances of legal assistance, have been met with widespread opposition, with actress Joanna Lumley adding her voice to the calls for Mr Clarke to think again.
Richard Miller, head of legal aid at the Law Society, said: "It's surprising that on a matter as important as how many people will be denied help in the future, the Ministry should make such a mistake.
"Clearly the fact that over 66,000 people who have been helped with complex legal proceedings would get no help under the Government's plans is an issue of major importance."

 

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