Howard: Wanting more prisons and longer sentences

Michael Howard has called for commonsense and honesty in sentencing through the introduction of US-style minimum sentences and an increase in the number of prisons.

The Conservatives vowed on Monday to scrap the early release scheme "charade" which they claim allow criminals to reoffend at a time when they should be in prison.

In a speech in Darlington, the Tory leader detailed the Tories' tough line on law and order and pledged to increase prison capacity.

"Everyone knows that prisoners rarely, if ever, serve the sentences that are handed out by the judges," he said.

"Criminals sentenced to less than four years are automatically out after serving just half their sentences. Nothing does more to undermine confidence in our criminal justice system."

Howard pledged to force judges to insist on minimum jail terms of three years for burglars and five years for hard drug dealers.

"The certainty of automatic minimum sentences will act as a powerful deterrent," he said. "Sentencing today is a charade – in fact it's worse than that. It's a lie."

'Unequivocal'

The former home secretary added that "when criminals are caught, they need to be punished".

"Some people think punishment is a dirty word," he said. "But I believe that as a society we have to draw a clear distinction between right and wrong. We have to send a clear, unequivocal message to criminals – actions have consequences.   

"For some first time offenders that may mean a caution: for drug addicts, rehabilitation; for less serious criminals perhaps a community punishment.

"But persistent and dangerous criminals should be sent to prison. The public needs protection from them. A hard core of persistent criminals commit most of the crime in Britain today. If they are in prison they cannot commit more crime against the public.

"Under Labour, prison building has not kept up with the rise in crime. As a consequence our prisons are overcrowded. Prisoners are now being released early to cope with the problem. 

"And the courts are increasingly unable to sentence persistent offenders to prison.  As if this wasn’t bad enough, Labour have now set an arbitrary limit of around 80,000 on the prison population. 

"This is a very dangerous approach. It is storing up huge problems for the future."

Cost

The Conservatives insist their policy is thought through and have issued a commitment to increase prison places by 20,000 to accommodate more criminals serving longer sentences, despite Labour claims that it is uncosted.

"Yes, prison building costs money," Howard said. "Of course no one likes having to build more prisons. 

"But the first duty of government is to protect the public. And the only guaranteed way to do that is to put serious, persistent and dangerous criminals behind bars.

"Build more prisons and fewer criminals will be free to commit crime. It's common sense."

Under the current rules, a prisoner sentenced to five years can be released half way through his term.

Howard claimed that the less than two per cent of criminals who go on to reoffend after early release is too many.

"That's precious little comfort if you are one of the victims of their re-offending – people who need never have become victims in the first place," the Opposition leader argued. 

Howard said that judges should follow the US example by setting minimum and maximum sentences to stop prisoners being released before they have spent their conviction.

"The new system will also help improve discipline in prisons because they will not be automatically released early," added a Tory spokesman.

Response

However Labour insisted that prison should only be for "the most serious, dangerous and persistent offenders".

A spokesman said it was the current government that "made life mean life for killing a police officer or murdering a child".

"To have any credibility in this area the Tories must explain how they would pay for their prison places policy," he added.

And Liberal Democrat spokesman Mark Oaten said: "Howard's words may sound tough but he is conning the public by suggesting that prison works.

"With over half of prisoners reoffending, creating even more prisoners will just create more criminals.

"The real tough policy is to tackle the causes of reoffending rather than pandering to a rightwing agenda."