Right on Crime - The Observer

Right on Crime – The Observer

Posted October 2, 2012

Read ‘Robert Francis, The Texan Judge Closing America’s Jails’ on The Observer website.

Make Justice Work gave a grant to journalist Ian Birrell to travel to the US to investigate the ‘Right on Crime’ movement, which originated in Texas and is now sweeping conservative America.

Hard-line conservatives have declared prison a failure, that costs the earth and has little positive outcomes for lower level repeat offenders.

The article, published on Sunday, revealed that investing in rehabilitation (which costs less than prison), effective sentencing and support for offenders has had a dramatic effect on reoffending rates in Texas.

If you have any questions or comments about the article, please email [email protected] or call 020 3538 8365

rehabilitation, right on crime, USA

Roma Hooper

Roma has worked in and around the criminal justice system since 1992, when she was asked to help set up Britain’s first prison radio station at Feltham Young Offenders’ Institution. She has a Masters in Criminal Justice Policy from the London School of Economics, is Chair of the Griffins Society (supporting women in the criminal justice system), Vice-Chair of the Foundation Training Company (which runs a series of prison and community based resettlement and development programmes) as well as Chair and Founder of the Prison Radio Association. In 2010 she launched Make Justice Work, a campaign to highlight the cost of short-term prison sentences and to improve public confidence in community sentences.