Make Justice Work is putting out a call to action

Posted June 29, 2011

The government’s Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill is having its Second Reading in the House of Commons today and Make Justice Work is putting out a call to action to spur the government to commit to reducing the use of short term prison sentences:

There is much in the Government’s plans to reform the criminal justice system to be welcomed. Proposals to strengthen non-custodial sentences and provide treatment to those with mental health or addiction problems are promising. But ministers have not yet undertaken to reduce the number of prisoners put behind bars for lower level offences of less than a year. This is disappointing. Short term prison sentences are costly and ineffective, providing little opportunity to focus on rehabilitation.

We therefore call on the Government to commit to cutting the number of prisoners serving short term sentences and not miss the opportunity to spark a rehabilitation revolution.

Please follow me on twitter to keep updated on our progress @MJWRoma

House of Commons, Punishment of offenders bill, short term sentences

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.