Richard Burgon MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Justice, setting out what the Secretary of State for Justice must say in her keynote speech on her approach to dealing with the prisons crisis, said:

“The Justice Secretary must use her speech to tell us how she will fix the prison system that is at breaking point. She needs to explain how she intends to deal with record levels of violence; widespread availability of drugs; and reduced access to education and rehabilitation, which Conservative cuts have caused.

“The reduction by 25 per cent of frontline prison officers mean those that remain are overstretched, overwhelmed and without support. She has to set out a clear plan on how she will deal with both recruitment and retention of staff.

“She must put forward a convincing package that will regain the trust of prison governors and  prison officers and deliver a prison system that works.

“Without a comprehensive plan to deal with these issues then her speech will be nothing more than empty words and a blatant PR stunt.”