Support our Nation today - please donate here
News

Courts should not be locking up ‘everyone we’re cross with’ – former justice secretary

07 Sep 2024 2 minute read
A firework is thrown towards police during an anti-immigration demonstration near the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. Photo Danny Lawson/PA Wire

Former Conservative justice secretary Alex Chalk has said the justice system should not be locking up “everyone we’re cross with” as longer custodial sentences are expensive.

The prison population reached a new record high of 88,521 people on Friday and has risen by more than 1,000 people over the past four weeks.

The sharp rise is likely to have been driven by those involved in the recent disorder across parts of the country.

It comes as the Government’s temporary early release scheme is due to come into effect on Tuesday.

In July, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced plans to cut the proportion of sentences inmates must serve behind bars from 50% to 40% in a bid to ease overcrowding.

Expensive

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme about sentence lengths on Saturday, Mr Chalk said: “The fact is there are some people who deserve very long sentences. We think of the Wayne Couzens, Sarah Everard case, Levi Bellfield and so on.

“But the fact is that overall sentences in Britain, in England and Wales anyway, are far, far longer than elsewhere in Europe. That is enormously expensive and the critical point is it doesn’t necessarily protect the public.

“So my strong view is that we should be locking up, including, sometimes for longer, those that we’re most scared of, but not necessarily everyone we’re cross with.”

Mr Chalk, who lost his parliamentary seat of Cheltenham to the Liberal Democrats in July’s general election, said it cost around £50,000 a year to keep a person in prison, with the capital cost of each new place around £600,000.

He said he accepted the “central premise” of what judges were saying about sentence lengths but thought the Government was right to be having a sentencing review, adding: “Let’s try to take the politics out of this and ensure that there is always the supply available to meet demand.”


Support our Nation today

For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
8 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
1 month ago

If that was the case the Tory front bench and old boy’s club would be on remand…

Perhaps Clark of Kent thinks he has joined politics and the law together in dictatorial matrimony…

One is either in the workhouse or the doghouse for the next five years…

Unless a PPE degree is taken and join them at the trough…

Jeff
Jeff
1 month ago

Oh, I get it. Try to kill people in a hotel, or egg them on, misunderstood then. Farage’s riots are what they are, race fuelled hate fest. So far its people that have pled guilty. Get that bit, they fessed up. The trials will happen in time for those that said it wasn’t them including the labour councillor. His party (Chalk), this is why we are in this state, it is his party that has been part of the problem with virtue signalling and spreading hate, “stop the boats” “halal” and so on. Braverman was painting targets on the backs… Read more »

Howie
Howie
1 month ago
Reply to  Jeff

Have not seen similar public displays of justice following 2 stabbing deaths and 6 other stabbings, over 400 public order arrests at a fun weekend in London.
I have no issue with cracking down on lawlessness of all kinds but it needs consistency in the message

Jeff
Jeff
29 days ago
Reply to  Howie

but but but but but but but 2 tier policing, grrrrr (gbnews and artd be proud of you)

Only it isn’t is it.

Amos Hartley
Amos Hartley
1 month ago

There needs to be far more use of tagging. Locking someone up costs as much as putting them in a 5* hotel. It also creates new problems if they are less employable on release and have lost touch with supportive friends and family. Tagging that lets them keep their job but restricts other movements like visiting known associates could be more effective in the long-term. Make their homes the jail cell so we don’t have to pay for it. Keep prison for the genuinely dangerous.

Bongo McNulty
Bongo McNulty
1 month ago

I think anyone involved in the last government needs to sit down and be quiet for a good couple of years at least.

Algie
Algie
29 days ago

When are the Grenfell verdicts due?…..asking for a friend

Fi yn unig
Fi yn unig
29 days ago

Oh dear. Terrible timing. If the scum who tried to cremate living people sleeping in their hotel beds had done so while Chalk was the Justice Secretary, they wouldn’t even have appeared in court. Tories have proved it many times in many ways and do so here again. They do not place any value on human life whatsoever. Fact!

Our Supporters

All information provided to Nation.Cymru will be handled sensitively and within the boundaries of the Data Protection Act 2018.