Re-Examining Prisoner Treatment, Rehabilitation, and Systemic Reform: Opinion Piece

Public attitudes towards prisoners remain extremely negative in the UK, with the prevailing opinion that they deserve whatever they get. Our justice system already imposes severe penalties, and no one should endure a lifetime of legally sanctioned discrimination thereafter. Everyone is better than their worst action and deserves a second chance. We all make mistakes, but with appropriate support, most prisoners can rehabilitate and lead productive lives. There is gross inequality in the way men and women are treated by the justice system. The total prison population of England and Wales has more than quadrupled since 1955 and the increase is almost entirely accounted for by male prisoners. Men are more likely to be sent to prison than women for the same crime, get longer sentences, and are less likely to be granted parole. The reasons why people offend have been investigated and the role of impaired mental health has been highlighted as a major contributory factor. The percentage of prisoners with a neurodivergent condition is much greater than that in the wider community, and this can play a large part in their behaviour both before and during imprisonment. Mortality is 50% higher in UK prisoners than among the general population, with an average reduction in life expectancy of 20 years. Both physical and mental health care provision in prison is often grossly inadequate. Most crimes in every country are committed against men but their experiences have been ignored. Male victims of abuse and coercive control perpetrated by women account for over 30% of cases, with sexual and economic abuse reported by 20% and 53% of men respectively. Perhaps we should question the true purpose of prisons, and try to better understand if prisons really are intended to rehabilitate offenders, and support their reintegration back into society, or whether they are purely disciplinary institutions that contribute to an already failing system? Human rights should extend to all people, and the current approach ought to be re-examined. In most European countries prisoner numbers have fallen and they are rehabilitated actively back into the community to allow them to resume a productive role in society. Isn’t it about time for a careful reassessment of whether the UK should adopt a similar approach?