Why am I not surprised. # 2

Our prisons are overcrowded, granted we probably send a good few of the wrong people too them and we certainly shouldn't be keeping foreign prisoners in custody either, however it remains the case that the system is stretched to the breaking point.
So what's the governments solution? Build more prisons? Come up with a non custodial system that actually works?

BBC.

Three prisons with a total capacity of 850 inmates are to close, the Ministry of Justice has announced.

Ashwell prison in Rutland and Lancaster Castle in Lancashire will shut, while Morton Hall in Lincolnshire changes to an "immigration removal centre".

Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke, who wants to cut total inmate numbers, said the jails were outdated and expensive.

As of last weekend, the jail population was 82,991 in England and Wales, almost 5,000 places below capacity.

The inmates from the three closed prisons will be re-housed elsewhere, while about 500 staff will be transferred nearby or invited to apply for voluntary redundancy, a spokesman added.

Mr Clarke said: "The decision to close any prison is a difficult one but one that we have had to make. Closing outdated and expensive prisons is an important step in our strategy to provide a secure and modern, fit-for-purpose prison estate, while improving efficiency and value for the taxpayer.

"The changes will reduce our current capacity by 849 places and I am confident that they can be safely managed within existing headroom, whilst maintaining our ability to cope with any increase in population.

"Security remains our highest priority and we will ensure that this, along with efficiency and current performance levels, is maintained across the estate."

He added: "Decisions on the future size of the prison estate will be driven by population demand and prisons will only close when capacity allows.

 Yes, they're going to close prisons down because they are more expensive and they need one as an "immigration removal centre" which to my mind is a waste of time, handcuff them onto the next flight home is my preferred solution, if they're lucky it will be inside. Only one appeal, then only on the grounds that they make a valuable contribution to the UK economy, not even if they have family, if their family want to go with them then fine, oh and charge them for the privilege.
Why is it that every act of idiocy in the Tory party seems to emanate from Ken Clark and his mates? His position on the EU is well known and now he's tinkering with the prison service. is it so hard to accept the fact that if we have an overcrowded prison system then a solution is to build more prisons, not close them down? granted some non violent criminals probably shouldn't end up there, but we certainly have enough violent dangerous ones to take their places.
Honestly there are some days I wish this stuff was made up!