Why the collapse of Britain’s prison system is good news | Simon Jenkins

Our overflowing jails are academies of crime and dens of violence. A less punitive approach could break this harmful cycle

Britain’s prison system is collapsing and Britain’s penal policy with it. This is good news. Both are lost in the back alleys of social policy. This is not the result of soaring crime but of mindless populism, which equates more prisons with more votes.

Britain’s prison population is now approaching capacity at 88,016. This has tripled since 1960 and is at an all-time record. ...