University News Last updated 09 September 2015
A leading criminologist is calling for prisoners to be paid a living wage as part of sweeping reforms to HM Prison Service.
Birmingham City University's Professor David Wilson says paying prisoners will help slash re-offending by reducing their exclusion from society. He said:
In his '10 things to do now to improve HM Prison Service' document, Professor Wilson argues that A-D prison security classifications are outdated and should be ditched.
"It's about time we also scrapped the current security classifications of A to D which were originally introduced in 1966. They might have been fit for purpose when England won the World Cup and The Beatles topped the charts, but the classifications just serve to confuse staff now about how they should manage prisoners."
Professor Wilson also calls for smaller prisons, more opportunities for the public to visit prisons and for governors to be encouraged to speak to the media. Increased officer training is vital too, he argues, to bring the UK up to speed with more effective prison systems across Europe.
"Basic prison officer training should be increased from seven weeks to 12 months, ensuring that training leads to a social work qualification – something which would bring us in line with the Norwegian prison service.
"The UK should reduce its prison population to the European average and never allow a prison to hold more than 500 prisoners. Evidence from Europe and North America shows that smaller prisons are more effectively managed."