Prison concerns of Inspector

The state of British prisons is under question

In the past week, disturbances have broken out at three prisons in the UK - with inmates refusing to return to their cells, damaging equipment and starting small fires.

None of the three incidents was particularly serious, and all were brought under control fairly rapidly, but the head of the Prison Service admitted this morning that this sudden rash of trouble was a cause for concern.

Martin Narey, the Director General of the Prison Service, said that prisons were too full and that urgent action was needed: "Overcrowding is not helping because every prison is very, very full at the moment, which is why it is important that sentencers listen to the Home Secretary and stop sending short-sentence people to prison when there are adequate community alternatives available." he said on the Today Programme.

Still rising

The prison population last week rose by more than 500 pushing the total towards an expected 72,000 by the end of the month, and overcrowding is now at a level not seen since the 1980s.

Small wonder that one newspaper is speculating today about the provision of more prison-ships as a short-term palliative.

The World at One spoke to Chief Inspector of Prisons, Anne Owers, about the disturbances of the last week. She concerned about the rise in prisoner numbers which she says is compromising standards of safety and decency. To listen to this part of the interview, click on "Interview Part 1: Prison numbers".

Asylum

This programme has also been following closely the way the justice system has been dealing with failed asylum-seekers.

The Government made a commitment some months ago not to send them to prison, except for those charged with, or convicted of, a criminal offence.

But after the riot at the Yarlswood detention centre, and the destruction of much of the facility, a number of people were jailed without charge, simply because they were considered a danger to safety and or had a history of violence. Indeed a Home Office Minister suggested that they should have been in prison all along.

Our investigations suggest that - against the advice of prison governors - the numbers of asylum-seekers in prison is rising again.

The latest official published Home Office figure is around 70. Anne Owers revealed to me that the current total is far higher. To hear this part of the interview, click on "Interview Part 2: Asylum seekers".