BRITISH prisons “should be a stain on our collective conscience,” a former director of public prosecutions said today as he blamed successive governments for the overcrowding crisis

The criticism came after the new Labour government announced thousands of prisoners would be released earlier than planned with the system on the verge of “collapse.”

But controversial Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences, where offenders remain in custody after serving their tariff until the Parole Board decides they are no longer a risk to the public, have not been included in the government’s sentencing review.