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"Criminal justice experts join cause for local power shift”

The Commission on English Prisons Today has backed the LGiU’s campaign to deconstruct our centralised state and hand power back to local people.  This influential group of experts in the field of criminal justice has advocated a shift to a more local system to help tackle the endemic problems faced by our prison system.

Rather than retreat to the ineffective top down solutions which have characterised our approach to prisons for so long, the Commission has boldly responded to the LGiU’s arguments for a radical shift that places money and power in the hands of local people.

Andy Sawford, Chief Executive of the LGiU, said:

“This report comes at the perfect time.  There is a gathering consensus that the heavy hand of Whitehall can’t deliver the change we need that will drive down crime for good.  Too much money is being spent on the revolving door of prisons and too little putting an end to repeated offending.  In a time when money is scarce, we need local people to make sure money goes where it will make a difference.”

The LGiU has been supporting the All Party Parliamentary Local Government Group’s inquiry into justice in communities.  Building on the criminal justice perspective in today’s report from the Commission on English Prisons, the inquiry into justice in communities report will provide a local perspective on how this seismic shift can be achieved.