Giving courts the ability to sentence violent criminals to 'army style' punishment and training courses.

In November 2009 the prison population of England and Wales stood at 84,647, a record high, an increase of 85% since 1993, despite more than 60,000 early releases since a new scheme in June 2007. In 2008, 99,500 people were sentenced to prison for an average of 13 months each.  Since 1998 the number pf sentences for robbery has increased by 53% and for violence against the person and sexual offences by 12%.  Great Britain has 153 prisoners per 100,000 population, the second highest in Western Europe below Spain (160) and well ahead of France (96) and Germany (89).  The overall cost of the criminal justice system has risen from 2% of GDP to 2.5% over the last ten years which is a higher level than in any other EU country.  The cost of building a prison place is over £100,000.  The average age of those sentenced to custody is 27 with a quarter aged 21 or under.  

The latest detailed prison figures from the Ministry of Justice are for June 2009 and show a total prison population of 83,454 of whom 15,079 were not sentenced or were fine defaulters.  Of the remaining 68,375, 47,677 (70%) were in prison for offences against the person (direct violence: 19,950, sexual offences: 7,972, robbery: 9,049 and drug offences: 10,696).  The other 30% were inside for fraud, burglary, theft, motoring offences etc.

Prison has the primary function of incarcerating prisoners to prevent them from committing further offences.  However it has two other very important roles: punishment (coupled with deterrence) and rehabilitation.  In October 2008 Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary and former Home Secretary, launched an attack on liberal justice groups who focus on the 'needs' of offenders instead of punishment.  He said: 'We should not shy away from the fact that the sentences of the court are first and foremost for the punishment of those who have broken the law, broken society's rules.'  Punishment and rehabilitation are different processes and cannot be effectively managed by the same institution.  Punishment needs to be tough but rehabilitation, normally education to raise the prisoner to an employable level, has to take place in a different environment.  

The reconviction rate remains terrifyingly high.  The Government's Social Exclusion Unit has determined that reoffending costs society at least £11 billion per year.  47% of adults are reconvicted within one year of being released and for those serving sentences of less than 12 months this increases to 60%. Of all sentences given for indictable offences, the proportion given to offenders with 15 or more previous convictions or cautions has risen steadily from 17 per cent in 2000 to 28 per cent in 2008.   It is clear that neither punishment nor rehabilitation is being properly achieved in the current prison system where one institution tries both to punish and rehabilitate.

The Jury Team policy is that all those convicted of crimes against the person (broadly as defined above) should have a clear punishment regime followed by rehabilitation and education in a separate establishment (essentially the current prisons). Every prisoner convicted of these offences will first have a one month punishment regime.  This will be repeated every 6 months (i.e. one month of punishment followed by up to five months of rehabilitation) for the first four years of a sentence.  

With around 48.000 prisoners in these categories, new establishments holding 10,000 prisoners will be required.  These will help to relieve current overcrowding.  They will be basic, like Army camps with Nissen huts.  With 400 prisoners per camp, this will require 25 camps.  At a cost of £50,000 per prisoner, an upside estimate for such construction, the total capital cost will be £500 million, much less than the currently planned £4.2 billion programme.  Some will cater specifically for the non able-bodied and others for the mentally challenged.  An Independent Monitoring Board will oversee this provision.

The camps will be largely staffed by former armed forces NCOs, Warrant Officers and Officers which will also give a new source of employment for veterans.  The punishment regime will be based on drill (without use of any guns), exercise and other tasks.  There will be no televisions, visits or other distractions.  Those disobeying could be subjected to additional tasks, cold showers, solitary confinement and other aspects of military discipline.   The Military Corrective Training Centre at Colchester, a former wartime Prisoner of War Camp, provides a broad model, although not itself a prison, with its four week programme including fitness training.  There are weekly reports on each detainee and promotion depends on effort/attitude rather than attainment, with participants staying until they meet the required standard.

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