Sadiq Khan MP, Labour’s Shadow Justice Secretary, commenting on today’s PAC report on the prisons estate, said:

“This cross-party report shows that under David Cameron our prisons are inefficient, overcrowded, understaffed, dangerous, violent and not working as they should. The Government’s disastrous decision to close down well performing prisons and replace them with jails that simply aren’t up to scratch is doing little to reduce reoffending, cut crime and save taxpayers money. It’s worrying that the report picks out Chris Grayling’s flagship Oakwood Prison for particular criticism, given it’s his blueprint for the rest of the prisons system.

“David Cameron’s terrible record on failing to send home foreign prisoners also rightly comes in for criticism. Back in 2010, he promised to personally intervene to send thousands back to their home countries. With only a handful actually sent back, this broken promise is clogging up our jails and costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of pounds.”

ENDS