Pact Responds to Independent Prison Capacity Review

Responding to the Independent Prison Capacity Review led by Dame Anne Owers, published today, Pact CEO Andy Keen-Downs CBE said: “The Review confirms what frontline staff, families, and the public have long known: our prison system is at breaking point. We support the urgent need for a ten-year strategy to ensure safer, more decent conditions for people in prison. But we urge government leaders to act now, and invest in initiatives proven to reduce reoffending – supporting family relationships, restorative justice, effective rehabilitation, and community-based alternatives to custody.

“For decades, the focus has been on supplying the endlessly growing appetite for prison places. It is time we focused on why we imprison so many more of our citizens than other European nations. Rather than spending billions of pounds on expanding the prison estate, we should invest in our youth services, early intervention, mental health care, and preventative measures to break cycles of reoffending.

"If we must invest in prison building, we should prioritise renovating or replacing prisons which have become squalid, and increase the number of Category D (open) prisons. These are quicker and cheaper to build, and better prepare people approaching the end of their sentence for life after release.

“Dame Anne Owers offers a vital and timely reminder that the voluntary sector is not a “pressure valve” for when prisons are full. Charities like Pact can be essential partners in creating a justice system that works for everyone. If we want to reduce reoffending and protect the public, these services must be properly funded, valued, and embedded in long-term planning from the start, not treated as optional extras."