Clarke denies link between prison numbers and crime
By politics.co.uk staff
Ken Clarke has insisted there is not a link between sending more people to jail and cutting crime, as he presses on with his new approach to criminal justice undeterred by criticism from the right.
The justice secretary suggested to a Mansion House audience of judges last night that wider government policies could have as relevant an impact as sending people to prison.
His stance contrasts with the traditional Conservative attitude to criminal justice, summed up by former home secretary Michael Howard’s insistent claim that “prison works”.
“There is and never has been, in my opinion, any direct correlation between spiralling growth in the prison population and a fall in crime,” Mr Clarke said.
“Crime has fallen in Britain throughout a period of both rising prison populations, and throughout the same period of economic growth, with strong employment levels and rising living standards.
“No-one can prove cause and effect. The crime rate fell – but was this the consequence of the policies of my successors as home secretary or, dare I gently hint, mine as chancellor of the exchequer at the beginning of a period of growth and strong employment? We will never know.”
The prison population hit a record high of 85,201 in May 2009. While crime levels have fallen in recent years fears of crime remain high, making the issue extremely politically potent.
Mr Clarke is considering scrapping short sentences of under six months. Offenders would be forced to undergo community service work instead.
