Tomorrow’sPrisons: Designingthefutureprisonestate RickMuirandIanLoader April2010 ©ippr2010 InstituteforPublicPolicyResearch Challengingideas– Changingpolicy 1 ippr |Tomorrow’sPrisons:Designingthefutureprisonestate Contents Aboutippr ...........................................................................................................................2 Abouttheauthors..............................................................................................................2 Acknowledgements............................................................................................................. 2 AboutWatesGiving ............................................................................................................ 3 Executivesummary ............................................................................................................ 4 1.Introduction ................................................................................................................... 6 2.Prisondesignandpublicpolicy ...................................................................................... 7 3.Anoverviewoftheprisonestate.................................................................................... 9 4.Thechallengesfacingtheprisonestate ....................................................................... 14 5.Alternativefuturesfortheprisonestate....................................................................... 26 6.Conclusion..................................................................................................................... 35 AppendixA:Listofinterviewees ...................................................................................... 37 AppendixB:PrisoncapacityandovercrowdinginEnglandandWales............................ 38 AppendixC:ListofallprisonsinEnglandandWales....................................................... 39 AppendixD:Datausedtocreatethemapsshowninthispaper ..................................... 41 AppendixE:TheageofprisonsandyoungoffendersinstitutionsinEnglandandWales .. 46 References......................................................................................................................... 50 2 ippr |Tomorrow’sPrisons:Designingthefutureprisonestate Aboutippr TheInstituteforPublicPolicyResearch(ippr)istheUK’sleadingprogressivethinktank, producingcutting-edgeresearchandinnovativepolicyideasforajust,democraticand sustainableworld. Since1988,wehavebeenattheforefrontofprogressivedebateandpolicymakinginthe UK.Throughourindependentresearchandanalysiswedefinenewagendasforchangeand providepracticalsolutionstochallengesacrossthefullrangeofpublicpolicyissues. WithofficesinbothLondonandNewcastle,weensureouroutlookisasbroad-basedas possible,whileourGlobalChangeprogrammeextendsourpartnershipsandinfluence beyondtheUK,givingusatrulyworld-classreputationforhighqualityresearch. ippr,30-32SouthamptonStreet,LondonWC2E7RA.Tel:+44(0)2074706100E:[email protected] www.ippr.org.RegisteredCharityNo.800065 ThispaperwasfirstpublishedinApril2010.©ippr2010 Abouttheauthors DrRickMuirisaSeniorResearchFellowatippr.Hisresearchfocusesondemocraticrenewal, publicparticipationandpublicservices.Heleadsippr’sworkoncriminaljusticereformwith publicationsincludingArrestedDevelopment:Unlockingchangeinthepoliceservice(2009), thechapter‘Crimeandjusticeafterdevolution’inDevolutioninPracticeIII(2010,ed.Guy LodgeandKatieSchmuecker)andANewBeat:Optionsformoreaccountablepolicing (2008,withGuyLodge).HehasadoctorateinPoliticsfromOxfordUniversityandwas formerlyalocalCouncillorinOxford. ProfessorIanLoader isProfessorofCriminologyandDirectoroftheCentreforCriminology. HearrivedatOxfordin2005fromKeeleUniversity,wherehehadworkedsince1992inthe DepartmentofCriminology.PriortothathewasaLecturerinCriminologyandJurisprudence attheUniversityofEdinburgh,fromwhereheobtainedhisPhDin1993.Hisbooksinclude CrimeandSocialChangeinMiddleEngland(2000,Routledge,withE.GirlingandR.Sparks), PolicingandtheConditionofEngland(2003,Oxford,withA.Mulcahy),CivilizingSecurity (2007,Cambridge,withN.Walker)andPublicCriminology?(2010,Routledge,withR. Sparks).Hehasalsowrittennumerouspapersonpolicingandsecurity,andonthe intersectionsbetweenpoliticsandcrimecontrol.IanisanEditoroftheBritishJournalof Criminology,AssociateEditorofTheoreticalCriminologyandisontheEditorialBoardsof PolicingandSociety,Policing:AJournalofPolicyandPractice,TheOpenCriminology JournalandIPS:InternationalPoliticalSociology.IanwasamemberoftheCommissionon EnglishPrisonsTodayfrom2007–2009.Heisco-convener,withthePoliceFoundation,of theOxfordPolicingPolicyForumandaResearchAssociateatippr. Acknowledgements TheauthorswouldliketothankWatesGivingforprovidingthefundingthatmadethis researchpossible(seep3).ThanksalsogotoKarlHallamofCadenceWorksforlayingthe groundworkfortheresearch,toJohnPritchard,SheffieldUniversityforproducingthemaps thatgowiththereportandtoJonathanClifton,ippr,forcarryingoutsomanyofthe interviewsandtheinternationalcomparativeresearch. Thanksalsogotothefollowingpeoplefortheirhelpandadvice:BrianWheelwright,Andrew Wates,KateStanley,LisaHarker,GeorginaKyriacou,StuartMitson,AndyHullandGuyLodge. 3 ippr |Tomorrow’sPrisons:Designingthefutureprisonestate AboutWatesGiving WatesGivingisacharitableprogrammefocusedonmakingarealdifferencetocommunities forthelongterm.TheprogrammeisrunandfundedbytheWatesFamilyEnterpriseTrust, whichwassetupbytheWatesFamilyownersin2008withtheaimofstrengtheningtherole businesshastoplayinsociety. SincethelaunchofWatesGiving,over£1.9mhasbeeninvestedinlocalinitiatives.The majorityoftheseareproposedandchampionedbyWatespeople.Projectscurrently underwayinclude:redevelopingcommunitycentres,supportingprogrammestoreduceanti- socialbehaviour,investinginprisonerrehabilitationschemesandsupportingeducation resources. 4 ippr |Tomorrow’sPrisons:Designingthefutureprisonestate Executivesummary Theaimofippr’sTomorrow’sPrisonsprojectistosetoutanambitiousagendafor redesigningtheprisonestateinEnglandandWales.Itaskswhattheprisonsofthefuture shouldlooklikeandhowtheestateasawholeshouldbereconfiguredinordertofacilitate therehabilitationofoffenders. Untilnowtheprisonsdebatehasfocusedalmostexclusivelyonsentencingandthequestion ofwhoshouldbesenttoprisoninthefirstplace.Whilethesequestionsareimportant,far toolittleconsiderationhasbeengiventothekindofprisonswewant.Asaresultwe continuetobuildthesametypesofprison,evenwhenweknowtheyarefailingto rehabilitateoffenders. Withmuchoftheprisonestatefartoooldtomeetmodernneeds,thereisanurgentneed forfreshthinkingaboutwhatwedoinourprisons–andhowtheyshouldbedesignedto facilitatethoseobjectives.Thisproject,ofwhichthispaperisthefirstoutput,aimsto providesuchnewthinkingbysettingoutachallengingbutachievableagendaforchange. Findings Thecurrentstateofourprisons OurauditshowsthattheprisonsofEnglandandWalesfacemultipleandseriouschallenges: • Theprisonestateisperilouslyovercrowded. • Ourprisonsarenotrehabilitatingoffenderseffectively. • Thereareverymanypeopleinprisonwhowouldbebetterrehabilitatedinalternative settings. • Prisonsarepoorlylocatedaroundthecountry:theyaresitedtoofarfromthe communitiesoffenderscomefrom,whichhindersresettlement. • Theestateisageing,withathirdofourprisonsbeingmorethanacenturyoldand anotherhalfover50yearsold. Theimpactofprisondesignonpenaloutcomes Interviewswithstakeholdersfromwithintheprisonserviceandthewiderpenalreform community,aswellasareviewoftheprisondesignliterature,revealthatarangeofprison estatecharacteristicsarelikelytoimpactonrehabilitation.Theseare: • Theoverallmixtureofpenalinstitutionsinthesystem • Thefunctionofthoseinstitutions • Wheretheyarelocatedgeographically. Turningtoindividualprisons,anumberofcharacteristicsofprisondesignarelikelytoaffect penaloutcomes: • Size • Relationshipwiththeoutsidecommunity • Securityandsafetymeasures • Theroleofpurposefulactivityinthelifeofaprison. Conclusions:Twoalternativefutures Weseetwoalternativefuturesfortheprisonestate: • Wecancontinueonourpresentcourse,expandingtheestatebybuildingeverlarger prisonsbasedonstandarddesigns.Thismightseemlikethepoliticallysafercourse,but itisahighlycostlyoneandwilldolittletoaddressthechallengesidentified. 5 ippr |Tomorrow’sPrisons:Designingthefutureprisonestate • Wecanembraceanambitiousbutpracticalagendaofprisonmodernisation,whichwould createamorediverserangeofpenalinstitutionsthataresmaller,locallyrooted, specialisedandfocusedonrehabilitatingprisoners. Thereportsetsthesceneforthesecondphaseoftheproject,whichwillsetoutindetail whatthatalternativescenariocouldlooklikeandhowthepolitical,financialandpractical challengestoitcanbeovercome. 6 ippr |Tomorrow’sPrisons:Designingthefutureprisonestate 1.Introduction Britain’sprisonsareincrisis.Aroundathirdoftheprisonestatewasbuiltoveracenturyago –andhalfover50yearsago.Partlyforthisreasonourprisonsareexpensivetorunand maintain.Thedirectcostofholdingeachprisonercomestoaround£39,000ayear–or£100 anightperprisoner.Ourprisonsareovercrowdedandconsequentlyindecent:arounda quarterofprisonersaresharingcellsdesignedtoholdonepersonless. Crucially,ourprisonsdonotwork–atleastintermsofrehabilitatingthoseconvictedof crime.55percentofprisonersre-offendwithintwoyearsofreleaseand39percentwith oneyear(HomeOffice2007,MinistryofJustice2009a).Wearespendingvastsumsof moneyonholdingpeopleininstitutionsthatappeartomakethemmore,ratherthanless, likelytooffendwhentheyleave.Thisrepresentsamonumentalfailureofpublicpolicy. Thispaperfromippristhefirstoutputofawiderprojectonthefutureoftheprisonestate, calledTomorrow’sPrisons.Webelievethat2010representsanopportunitytore-thinkwhat wedoinourprisons.Whicheverpartywinsthegeneralelectionwillneedtofaceuptothe