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Issue No. 87 Press Release 2022
Paul Laxton
PGA CONFERENCE - PRESS RELEASE
TUESDAY 11 OCTOBER 2022
A BROKEN PRISON SYSTEM
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The Prison Governors Association are currently holding their 34th Annual Conference at the Radisson Blu Hotel, East Midlands Airport.
Delegates have voiced their concerns over what has been described as a complete failure of Government to halt the present decline in prisons.
Recruitment and retention has seen the worst level of resources in living memory with some prisons delivering restricted regimes which do not support prisoners in our care or serve our communities in reducing risks prior to release.
There remains a distinct lack of investment with our Prison Service, buildings are not fit for purpose and Governors, who care deeply about their prisons, lack the real autonomy to make any tangible difference. Much of this is impacted by severe politicisation of prisons. We do not see such ministerial micromanagement within health or armed forces, so why prisons which are constantly buffered by politics?
Conference is appalled at the complete failure of Government to prevent the decline in prisons. The numerous White Papers and initiatives from eight Justice Secretaries since 2010 has done little to halt this decline and may in fact have exacerbated it.
The abuse to the public purse on these political wishes is unacceptable and it has been an abject failure.
Prison Governors call on Government to appoint a Royal Commission to interrogate this failure and make long term recommendations on the future of prison.
