U-TURN ON TITAN JAILS SHOWS GOVERNMENT'S LACK OF PRISON STRATEGY- HEATH

5.27.24pm GMT Wed 30th Jan 2008

Responding to Jack Straw's acknowledgement this morning that plans to build huge new 'Titan' jails may not go ahead, Liberal Democrat Shadow Justice Secretary, David Heath said:

"Last month Jack Straw said that the Government will build Titan prisons but now he is saying that they are not definitely going to go ahead.

It is exactly this sort of indecisiveness and lack of strategy that has caused the current crisis in our prison system and prompted such a damning report from the Chief Inspector of Prisons.

The reality is that ministers are not going to be able to build their way out of this crisis. We need to ensure that people who should not be in prison in the first place, because they need secure mental health accommodation or drug treatment, are dealt with more appropriately."