The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question on the importance of crime diversion and community police provision on 26th January 2021, during a discussion on the crown court backlog for serious criminal cases:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: I draw attention to my interest on the register as the Anglican bishop for Her Majesty’s prisons. The backlog of cases has a serious impact on offenders, victims and witnesses. On top of this, projections from the Ministry of Justice show that the prison population is expected to jump to almost 100,000 in 2026, which adversely affects prison staff as well as prisoners. Does the Minister agree that resources could be better spent on police-led diversion work and community-based provision, which could start now?
Lord Wolfson of Tredegar (Con, MoJ): My Lords, when looking at the criminal justice system, I agree that it is mistake just to think about courts, sentencing and prisons. One has to look at it in a broader and wider context. To that extent, the points that the right reverend Prelate makes are well made.
The Church of England in Parliament 
You must be logged in to post a comment.