New justice reforms are ‘right approach to sentencing’, says Conservative MP

The government has announced how it plans to tackle overcrowding in prisons across England and Wales. Figures last week showed that the prison population has hit a record high of 88,225.

Measures include sending foreign prisoners home, using prison space abroad and putting less serious offenders to work in the community, instead of in a cell. They were announced by the Justice Secretary Alex Chalk.

Earlier we spoke to the Conservative MP, Laura Farris – parliamentary private secretary to the Justice Secretary. We put it to her that many people will wonder what it tells us, that our prisons are so full, it’s forcing the government to change its policy.