Jeremy Wright spoke after a new report from the country’s leading academics concluded there should be a “presumption” against sending people to prison.
The prison population in England and Wales almost doubled between 1992 and 2011, rising from just under 45,000 to 88,000 and now stands at around 85,500.
The report from the British Academyargues that the criminal justice system “should presume that in the majority of cases a custodial sentence will not be appropriate”.
It says prison is often not the best way to deal with criminal behaviour, based not just on reasons of cost-effectiveness, but also on social, moral and political grounds.
The report also points out that the UK’s reliance on imprisonment is “acutely out of line with other comparable Western European countries”.
But Wright, minister for prisons and rehabilitation at the Ministry of Justice, said:
“This government has no intention of downgrading any of the sentencing options available to the courts.
“The public rightly expect that criminals should have to stand before a judge and face spending time behind bars for serious offences.
“Since 2010 criminals are more likely to go to prison – and for longer. The maintenance of a safe, secure and decent prison environment remains a requirement.
“This Government has banned the use of simple cautions for serious or repeat offenders and toughened up community sentences to ensure they contain an element of punishment.
“Additionally, all offenders will be monitored in the community upon release.”
Wright added:
“We agree that sentences should both punish and rehabilitate, and we continue to overhaul sentencing and the way we manage criminals both in custody and the community."
His shadow, Labour’s Jenny Chapman, said the report “rightly points to improvements that need to be made in our prison system. I agree that effective treatment and interventions for offenders with mental health disorders are still not adequately available.”
She added: “I am concerned that the victim’s voice is not heard clearly enough through the report.
“Many offenders are repeat offenders who go through cautions and numerous community orders until the last option available is prison. Early intervention, prevention and diversion from crime are the only responsible ways to reduce the prison population while protecting the public.”
The
British Academyreport concludes that the UK does not need to imprison so many offenders, or to do so for such long periods.
They suggest reviewing sentence lengths, using diversion from the courts more extensively and promoting greater use of alternative forms of punishment, and the creation of a Penal Policy Committee, accountable to Parliament, to formulate policies on the appropriate use of imprisonment.
There should also be a greater attention by the Sentencing Council to the costs and effectiveness of different forms of sentence and an urgent review of cases of Imprisonment for Public Protection in which the minimum term has been served, with a view to release.
Professor Antony Duff FBA, Chair of the report's Steering Group, said:
“This report shows why imprisonment should play only a modest role in a decent, humane and efficient system of criminal justice, and suggests some practicable strategies towards that goal.”