London, July 12 (Reuters) - Prisoners may have to be released early to save public money and cut the budget deficit, the probation watchdog said in a report on Monday.
Describing prison as "a rather drastic form of crime prevention", the Chief Inspector of Probation Andrew Bridges called for a national debate on the value of locking up more and more people.
The number prisoners has risen to 80,000 from 50,000 over the last 20 years, with each inmate costing the state about 40,000 pounds a year, he said.
"At a time when public expenditure is under especially close scrutiny, it would be wise to consider the price paid for this rather drastic form of crime prevention," Bridges wrote in a foreword to the probation service’s annual report.
Society must decide whether it is worth keeping criminals in prison in the hope that a small minority won’t reoffend, he added. Bridges’ inspectorate reports to the Justice Secretary Ken Clarke on the probation service’s performance in handling offenders.
Clarke said last month he would review short-term sentencing and what he called an "astonishing" rise in prisoner numbers.
In a speech seen by many as a radical break from the old Conservative belief that "prison works", Clarke said locking more people up had done little to cut reoffending rates or the public’s fear of crime.
"Just banging up more and more people for longer without actively seeking to change them is, in my opinion, what you would expect of Victorian England," Clarke said.
Describing crime as a "very emotional business", the head of the probation watchdog said polls suggested many voters want criminals to be jailed even if it doesn’t necessarily do any good.
However, Bridges said the public must weigh up whether it is worth keeping prisoners in jail for longer than necessary if that prevents only a small number of new crimes. (Reporting by Peter Griffiths; Editing by Steve Addison)
