Staff shortages cripple system

EVERYONE is disgusted by pictures of drunk and drugged-up prisoners enjoying a party.

But the real problem is how this has been allowed to happen.

Of course prisoners should not be drinking or taking drugs while they are behind bars.

Yet the harsh reality is that alcohol and illicit substances are rife. And the reason is simple. To stop drink and drugs coming into prisons, staff need to be able to carry out proper searches. But there aren’t enough staff. It seems like every week we hear about another alarming incident in another jail. There are suicides, assaults and drug overdoses.

And prison officers say the same thing every time – there are not enough staff to do their jobs properly.

We are at a crossroads for Britain’s prison system.

When Michael Gove was Justice Secretary he announced a wide-ranging programme designed to improve the system.

He wanted an emphasis on well-run prisons encouraging rehabilitation.

But those initiatives have been forgotten.

The country is still stuck with overcrowded, understaffed and underfunded jails.

We need the Government to commit to a full overhaul.

Prison should be a punishment. A deterrent.

But it shouldn’t be dangerous – not for staff or for inmates.

And at the moment it is.