A year of damning reports and real public concern

22nd December 2009

As we come to the end of 2009, it is worth reflecting on a year in which prison issues have become more prominent than perhaps at any time in the past twenty years.

A number of damning reports from the Inspector of Prisons have pushed prison conditions higher up the political agenda, but it is far from clear that that attention will lead to action. We have to be optimistic that very real public concern at how we treat prisoners in a modern society will embolden our politicians to prioritise necessary improvements in inhumane conditions of detention.

There are positive signs that Government is committed to trying to end some of the more irrational aspects of our imprisonment policies – with reductions in the detention of children, initiatives to divert mentally ill prisoners into treatment, and commitment to ending imprisonment for debts and fines. There is a long way to go, but IPRT objectives of making prison a sentence of last resort is starting to gain ground.

"We have to be optimistic that very real public concern at how we treat prisoners in a modern society will embolden our politicians to prioritise necessary improvements in inhumane conditions of detention."

Finally, Christmas this year will be challenging for many families, but spare a thought for those families who have a loved one - a parent, a partner, a child or a sibling - in prison this year. Prison staff and chaplains do their best to support prisoners and families at this time of year, but being away from families is especially hard over the coming weeks. Imprisonment of a family member can have a terrible impact on innocent families, often in an invisible way. Incarceration can affect families financially, but it can also leave emotional scars on those left behind.

In 2010, IPRT will be working hard to further our vision of respect for the rights of everyone in the penal system, with imprisonment used only as a last resort. In the meantime, we wish you all a fulfilling and peaceful 2010.