Prisons

Lord Bishop of Gloucester Excerpts

Thursday 22nd February 2018 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[The Lord Bishop of Gloucester]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their vision for the long-term future of the prison system.

[The Advocate-General for Scotland (Lord Keen of Elie) (Con)]

My Lords, we shall seek to maintain a prison system that is sufficient for public protection and will provide opportunity for the rehabilitation of offenders. Where it is necessary for offenders to be deprived of their liberty, their detention should be decent and safe.

[The Lord Bishop of Gloucester]

My Lords, in 2015, the Justice Committee of the other place concluded that funding for women’s centres,

“appears to be a recurring problem”.

Ten years after the report of the noble Baroness, Lady Corston, can the Minister assure me that secure, long-term funding for women’s centres is now a high priority?

[Lord Keen of Elie]

Clearly, the matter of female offenders is one of the priorities that we are addressing. Indeed, we can note that the number of female offenders has dropped to the point where it is now in the region of 3,936 out of a total population of about 86,000. We are of course concerned with ensuring that there is funding in respect of female prisoners and offenders as they leave the prison system.