What prison crisis? £2million a year is wasted on ‘finding ways to say jails are racist’ – as thousands of criminals are let out due to lack of space
The Ministry of Justice spends £1.7 million a year on a unit analysing disparities in prisons and probation, according to figures obtained by Conservative frontbencher Nick Timothy. He criticised the spending as misplaced while prisons face overcrowding and the Government expands early release, arguing the money should support more prison capacity and better conditions for staff.
Prisons and probation minister Catherine McKinnell said the unit averaged 20 full-time equivalent staff in the year to March, but could not provide comparable figures for earlier years because its scope and structure had changed. Internal documents say the unit advises on diversity and inclusion, and a current analyst vacancy offers up to £53,081. The new release scheme is expected to free up to 50,000 prisoners annually; a previous scheme has released more than 70,000 offenders, while the number freed under the new programme has not been disclosed.
- A justice department unit cost £1.7 million a year.
- It had an average of 20 staff in the year to March.
- A new early release scheme could free up to 50,000 prisoners annually.
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The Ministry of Justice is responsible for prisons and probation in England and Wales. Its analysis unit examines differences in how people from different backgrounds experience the prison and probation systems, and advises the department on diversity and inclusion.
Prisons have faced overcrowding, and successive early-release schemes have been used to manage pressure on space. The debate involves how the government should balance prison capacity and conditions with work to understand disparities in the justice system. Key figures include Conservative frontbencher Nick Timothy, who questioned the unit’s spending, and prisons and probation minister Catherine McKinnell.