Pubdate: Fri, 23 Feb 2001
Source: Financial Times (UK)
Section: National News
Copyright: The Financial Times Limited 2001
Contact:  1 Southwark Bridge, London, SE1 9HL, UK
Fax: +44 171 873 3922
Website: http://www.ft.com/
Author: Brian Groom

BLAIR TO UNVEIL PLAN FOR MORE PRISON PLACES

Tony Blair is to announce 2,500 extra prison places - the equivalent of 
several new jails or wings - on Monday as part of a 10-year plan to tackle 
crime and disorder.

The prime minister will put tougher sentences for persistent offenders, 
coupled with programmes to address drug abuse and improve skills and job 
prospects, at the heart of his strategy for a second term. This follows 
long-term plans for health, transport and secondary education.

Publishing the plan is part of Labour's build-up to a general election 
expected in May. It involves a Pounds 700m increase in the prison budget 
over the next few years, one-third of which is to be spent on preventing 
re-offending.

The government's effort is focused on 100,000 hardcore offenders who are 
thought responsible for about half the crime toll. Of these, 60 per cent 
serve sentences of 12 months or less and the bulk of them re-offend.

The plan will require legislation allowing courts to make early release 
conditional on offenders attending courses to treat drug dependency or 
improve skills.

"Review courts" would be set up to monitor compliance. The courts would be 
able to impose tougher sentences on those who re-offended.

"Large numbers of them have exactly the same profile - drugs, abuse when 
young, no life chances, poor education at school, often excluded from 
schools, playing truant. And what we do when we put them in for a short 
sentence and then put them back out on the street again is just put the 
problem back in the laps of the police," a senior member of the cabinet said.

The plan will cover all parts of the criminal justice system, including the 
prosecution service and courts. However, Lord Justice Auld has warned 
ministers against pre-empting his government-commissioned review of the system.
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