Wednesday 18 January 2012

REVOLUTION ? What revolution?

The Government have been committed to a revolution in rehabilitation. Goodness knows it's needed. We know prison does not work. We know the majority of those in prison are back there in a year. In opposition we worked with the Tories in particular on the need for a radical new approach.

So ACEVO set up a taskforce to see where it is all going. Published today we are calling for urgent and radical reform of the criminal justice system.

With prison population figures at record levels, reoffending rates stubbornly high and the Ministry of Justice facing a 23% budget cut, our members argue that as an economy and as a society, we simply cannot afford to continue with the self-defeating status quo.

ACEVO’s Reducing Reoffending taskforce is therefore urging Government to re-energise their commitment for a genuine Rehabilitation Revolution and work with the third sector to make sure it does not fall off track.

Back on Track, the Taskforce’s final report, launched today, encourages Government to be progressive and bold in their vision for reform. This means facing up to resistance from those committed to the “throw away the key” approach, and close a number of prisons in order to free up significant resource to invest in rehabilitating offenders far more effectively.

The report makes a series of practical recommendations to Government to help implement the Rehabilitation Revolution and succeed where previous administrations have not in tackling the engrained problem of reoffending.

The report urges Government to work with the third sector more. The full report can be seen here
It was chaired by the admirable Rob Owen- profiled only yesterday in my Blog.

So Ken. Take on the vested interests. Stand up to the entrenched voices in probation ( incidentally it used to be run by us- time for it to return! ). We know you want to do this.

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