Prisons At Capacity - Thanks A Lot Rishi

In my younger days I was invited to visit Young Offenders institutions and a few prisons. The inmates appeared to be kept busy in the gardens, kitchens or learning a skill. Does this still exist? Locking people up with nothing to do in my book causes real problems. Unfortunately it seems there are fewer prison officers these days which doesn't help matters

The prison system is underfunded (hence rehabilitation, education, etc., don't happen) and partly privatised (hence profit before investment). And youth services are non-existent after Tory cuts so the opportunities to keep youngsters on the right side of the law have disappeared.

I have worked as a doctor in Strageways, Manchester in the past and one of my sons is a senior prison officer. The system is seriously broken. A lot of youngsters with learning difficulties and mental health problems, including addictions , or who have spent years in care end up in prison. We need a much more compassionate prison service to help mend so many broken people. We need to concentrate on rehabilitation and try and cut the recidivism rates. Currently our prisons are a disgrace to our country.

Thanks madmumofboys. It’s no surprise that posters with first hand knowledge of prisons share your views

Yes, it's turned into a bad down spiral. Full prisons - 3 to a one person cell - no rehabilitation or treatment = very high recidivist rate = more prisoners = pressure so great all resources go into more prison spaces = and so on.