Prison system needs major reform to aid rehabilitation and prevent re-offending
This can only be done if there is an orderly prison system which is properly managed, resourced and maintained.
We must also address the purpose of imprisonment. What do we expect to gain from incarcerating individuals in prison?
Some sections of society might suggest that we lock people up and throw away the key but I do not subscribe to that philosophy.
Society has a duty and a responsibility, through its prison system, to attempt to rehabilitate as many prisoners as possible.
I accept their are circumstances where little progress can be made. However, the vast majority of prisoners can be rehabilitated. This requires an orderly regime, resources and plans on how to effect such an improvement.
Recent efforts to improve the prison system are insufficient and haphazard. Those who work with prisoners — both in prison and when they are released — have criticised the fact that no account is taken of prisoners who, on release, are left to their own devices, must try to fend for themselves, obtain accommodation and return to the straight and narrow.
The objective of the prison service should be to rehabilitate prisoners, where possible, and to link with health, education and employment agencies to co-ordinate assistance and help them on release from prison.
Otherwise, those released will re-offend and be incarcerated again because of the various pressures or their inability to cope with outside life.
Our aims should be to centralise the prison service, co-ordinate the provision of prison facilities and ensure that a different approach may be taken with prisoners to give them some chance to avoid re-offending and returning to the prison system.
Prevention is better than cure.
We cannot continue to build prisons without tackling the major social issues that need to be addressed.
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