Send extra convicts to open prisons to ease overcrowding disaster in jails and scale back reoffending, urges Labour adviser

More convicts should be sent to low-security open prisons to ease overcrowding in jails and reduce reoffending, a Government adviser has urged.

David Gauke, the ex-Tory justice secretary who is now leading Labour‘s sentencing review, claimed the current prisons crisis offered ‘an opportunity’ for change.

He said Britain should copy the example of Spain, where a much greater proportion of convicted criminals are free to work and study outside prison walls during the day.

Thousands of prisoners have been released early in recent months after Labour cut the proportion of sentences that inmates must serve behind bars.

But, as well as the temporary early release scheme, the Government has also asked Mr Gauke to review sentencing as part of its efforts to ease overcrowding.

Speaking to The Times, the former Cabinet minister said Britain does not ‘make as much use of open prisons’ as it could.

He visited three prisons in Spain this month where reforms have included greater use of open prisons, community sentences and house arrests.

Thousands of prisoners have been released early in recent months after Labour cut the proportion of sentences that inmates must serve behind bars

Daniel Dowling-Brooks celebrates after being released outside HM Prison Swaleside on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, in October. He told reporters: ‘Big up Keir Starmer’

David Gauke, the ex-Tory justice secretary who is now leading Labour’s sentencing review, claimed the current prisons crisis offered ‘an opportunity’ for change

Mr Gauke told the newspaper: ‘We don’t make as much use of open prisons as we might do.

‘You might spend part of your day out of a prison working, and then return to sleep at night – if that gets you into the rhythm of working and the disciplines of working then that is helpful.

‘You can start to rebuild family relationships. We know that what tends to drive rehabilitation is work, family relationships and a home.’

He said there was a ‘real focus on incentives’ in the Spanish prison system, adding: ‘So if you engage in the courses, you do the work, you play by the rules, they are much more willing to reward that.

‘I think we can learn from that approach. That clarity of focus on preparing people for life outside… there was real attention to detail.

‘Will these people be ready for release? Will they be able to integrate into society?’

Mr Gauke served as justice secretary between January 2018 and July 2019 under Theresa May.

He was appointed by Sir Keir Starmer earlier this year to lead a Government sentencing review.

It aims to explore tougher punishments outside of prison while also making sure there is space to incarcerate the most dangerous offenders.

‘There is clearly an opportunity here,’ Mr Gauke. ‘We’re at the beginning of a parliamentary term with the Government with a large majority.

‘We have run out of space. I think there is an increasing recognition that we have gone down the route of increasing sentences to an extent that it’s doing nothing to reduce crime but it is causing significant costs.

‘Other countries have had large prison populations and brought them down.

‘What I hope to do with this review is set out practical proposals, but also this is an opportunity to reset the debate.

‘This is not about being soft on crime, it is about more effectively reducing crime.’

The Ministry of Justice has promised to find a total of 14,000 cell spaces in jails by 2031.

Some 6,400 of these will be at newly built prisons, with £2.3billion towards the cost over the next two years.

But Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood recently admitted Britain’s prison estate could still run out of cells within three years, even with the extra places.

She told the BBC earlier this month: ‘We will run out because even all of that new supply, with the increase in prison population that we will see as a result of that new supply, doesn’t help you with the rise in demand, because demand is still rising faster than any supply could catch up with.’