Senior Tories are desperate to jail shoplifters to prove they are tough on crime, but even a lot of Tories have slammed the idea.
New legislation would force judges to impose jail terms when sentencing repeat offenders for shoplifting, burglary, theft and common assault, using new legislation in the crime and justice bill.
If you think this is a good idea or not there is a huge problem…the prisons are full!
Lawless society?
Nigel Farage is desperate to get as many people locked up as possible.
He wrote: “We are living in an increasingly lawless society. Thieves and shoplifters must be convicted!”
Jail shoplifters
Even if you agree this is a good idea the prisons in the UK are full.
According to official figures, the Ministry of Justice predicts the number of prisoners in England and Wales will hit 89,100 by November, but there will only be 87,573 operational prison places – a shortage of 1,527.
The head of the Prison Governors’ Association (PGA) Andrea Albutt said: “For several years, the PGA has voiced concern over the government’s tough-on-crime agenda and the impact on an already-stretched system, which has suffered from lack of investment for well over a decade. Many of our prisons are not providing a safe, decent and rehabilitative environment,” reported Inside Time.
Sir Bob Neill, the chair of the Commons justice select committee said: “A majority of these low-level crimes are driven by addiction or mental health issues.
“Simply locking people up without addressing those issues will cause a record prison population to go up even further, and at a cost of around £40,000 a year per offender.
“There are some instances where we need to jail prolific offenders, I accept that, and for serious offences it should happen. But prisons do not do enough to address addiction, chaotic lifestyles or personality issues of many offenders who shoplift, for example.”
