Writing about prison and probation is challenging. It is impossible to ever fully comprehend the impact a criminal act can have on a victim. The loss of security that comes from a theft, the damage and destruction resulting from vandalism, or the violation and the wounds that never fully heal following an assault. Finding empathy or compassion for any criminal, let alone the perpetrator of a crime against yourself, can be difficult.
Yet the criminal justice system is designed to allow a person, once convicted of a crime, the opportunity to be rehabilitated, to return to society and be a useful member of the community; to obtain work, pay taxes and, depending on the offence, for the action to be considered ‘spent’, and not something they are obligated to talk about.
In order for a person to be fully rehabilitated, both the prison and probation services need to be resourced adequately and managed effectively.
A crisis forming
In recent weeks, East Anglia Bylines has sought to increase awareness of the pressures on the prison and probation services in the region.
A recent HM Inspectorate of Probation report into the Probation Service in East Anglia indicated that the probations offices in the region were either inadequate or in need of improvement. The additional risk of homelessness for some prisoners when early release comes into effect in September, due to a lack of resources, indicates that the system is in crisis.
This view is shared by many agencies working with prisoners and offenders. The charity Switchback works with young people leaving prison, helping them build a stable life away from crime. They recently highlighted that a government impact assessment suggests around 500 people will be released from prison in September and October this year.
A spokesperson for the charity explains: “Our prison system reached an untenable state of crisis; therefore, it became imperative that the new Labour Government address the prison capacity crisis. The early release measures are a necessary emergency action to tackle overcrowding, but these measures must be paired with investment in effective resettlement to stabilise the justice system and make a sustainable impact.”
Perception versus reality
The most recent statistics show the overall re-offending rate is 26.5%. That means that a little under three quarters of people currently in prison, will not go on to commit a further offence after their release. For over half of the number likely to reoffend, the index offence (the offence that led to their conviction) was theft. And the crime when re-offending, is again mainly for theft.
While drug offences play a smaller role in both the index offence and cause of reoffending, it is also true that there is a link between drug addiction and theft. Statistics show this link in around half of all ‘acquisitive’ offences, and in around three quarters of shop thefts.
In recent years, the government announced a ten-year plan to break the drug supply networks and deliver a world-class treatment and recovery system. However, far from improving the system, austerity cuts over the last decade have meant that many rehabilitation services have had to reduce support for drug users, including people released from prison.
Gaps in service
People are sent to prison as a form of punishment, to isolate them from society, so they can do no further harm. By its very nature, this in turn creates issues when it comes to the re-entry of that person into the community.
The reality is that many offenders are being released without a proper plan in place with the relevant agencies, or access to support on housing, employment, finance or even mental health. This has led to some taking their own life.
The spokesperson for Switchback re-enforces the point: “We need to see a probation service distinct from the prison service, which is more localised and better-funded. Charities like Switchback are having to plug the gap being left by a blatant lack of government support for people leaving prison.”
The public have every right to expect politicians and the criminal justice system to be tough on crime. To do that, and not just react to the symptoms of a wider issue such as drug treatment and enforcement, will be complex; and for some of those involved, a ‘one step at a time’ approach will be needed.
There have been many attempts to address the various issues, including those mentioned above, but there remains the need for a unified combined approach to both enforcement and treatment. To achieve that, it will take time, money and above all else, a great deal of understanding, not just about the problem, but the offenders as well.
