Prison Capacity Debate

Full Debate: Read Full Debate
Department: Ministry of Justice

Prison Capacity

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb Excerpts
Tuesday 6th December 2022

(2 years ago)

Lords Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Watch Debate Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Lord Bellamy Portrait Lord Bellamy (Con)
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

As I think I said earlier, I am sure that a court would always prefer to impose a community sentence if it can.

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb Portrait Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (GP)
- View Speech - Hansard - -

I would like to correct the Minister. He said in an earlier answer that part of the problem was the barristers’ strike. That is absolutely not true. Part of the problem is that the Government are not funding them properly; that is why we have such a problem. On a wider issue, the Government have started sending climate change protesters to prison for quite long periods of time. I suggest that it would be more appropriate to send the climate criminals to prison and let the protesters out.

Lord Bellamy Portrait Lord Bellamy (Con)
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

On a point of detail, the Government do not send anyone to prison. These are court decisions.