Keir Starmer vowed to put the hard work in from day one of returning a Labour Government. His Cabinet appointments on Friday indicate he’ll be doing things differently – namely, by making James Timpson the new Minister for Prisons, Parole, and Probation.
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Who is James Timpson?
Mr. Timpson is known for his self-named retail business, and his stores have a strong presence on the high street. He has earned plaudits in recent years for his commitment to employing former prison inmates and recent offenders.
He was given a peerage in order to facilitate his appointment to government. The surprise move has received warm reception so far, but Timpson faces an uphill battle with this portfolio – with British prisons currently operating at full capacity.
Can prisons be reformed?
His background hints at a more ‘rehabilitative’ approach to crime and punishment, as Sir Keir aims to ease the pressure on prisons across the country. Timpson, who spoke with Channel 4 back in February, claims the UK is ‘addicted to sentencing’.
“The UK is addicted to sentencing and punishment. A lot of people in prison in my view shouldn’t be there, and they are there for far too long. It’s getting worse. There are people serving sentences for longer than they have been alive.
“Holland has shut half of their prisons. They have a different way of sentencing, it’s community sentencing. They continue in society, and it makes them less likely to re-offend. Custodial sentences aren’t always the right way.”
“We have 85,000 people in prison as it stands. Only a third of them should definitely be there. The next third primarily require mental health support. The other third, largely women, prison is an absolutely disaster for them.” | James Timpson
‘We cannot afford new prisons’ – James Timpson
The key-cutting magnate has lauded the success of his own employment policy with ex-offenders. He believes those who have served custodial sentences are more likely to show ‘honesty and loyalty’, and are more determined to prove themselves.
Timpson, who told Krishnan Guru-Murthy that ‘only around a third of offenders should actually be in prison’, stated that the government needs to ‘take the politics out of sentencing’. Well, he’s now ended up with the opportunity to do just that…
“In my employment history, the re-offending level is very low. It was higher when I started, but now we don’t recruit men under 25 from prison. They’re not mature enough, and often, they will fall back into their old ways.”
“If I recruit anyone else from prison, they’re more honest, more loyal, more likely to stick around and get promoted. In prisons, you get people who just want work and don’t want to disappoint anyone again.”
“We need a government that is brave and that is prepared to take the politics out of sentencing. We need to have a government that accepts we cannot afford to spend up to £6 billion on new prisons. It just does not make sense.” | James Timpson
You can watch a clip of James Timpson’s interview with Krishnan Guru-Murthy here: