UK Parliament / Open data

Prisons and Probation

Proceeding contribution from Richard Burgon (Labour) in the House of Commons on Tuesday, 14 May 2019. It occurred during Opposition day on Prisons and Probation.

I certainly do. I do not think that this Government or our society should see the United States of America as the example to follow in relation to incarceration and justice. People on both sides of the House should take note of the expanding campaign among progressives in the Democratic party in the United States against private prisons.

Under the Conservatives, the driving down of prison staffing levels and prison budgets was an attempt by the current Secretary of State for Transport, the right hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling)—who will feature again in this debate, as he does in so many others—to lower the cost of public sector prisons to those in the private sector. That has proven to be a dangerous race to the bottom, and private and public prisons are now far too dangerous.

About this proceeding contribution

Reference

660 c100 

Session

2017-19

Chamber / Committee

House of Commons chamber
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