With the death of Pope Francis, the world loses not only a church leader but also a moral compass
We desperately need to reform the justice system
Britain’s justice system is in disarray due to austerity and a dominant philosophy that pursues criminal justice solutions to social problems. It’s time for the left to provide an alternative, writes MARK BLAKE
LYNNE WALSH previews the Bristol Radical History Conference this weekend
Keir Starmer’s £120 million to Sudan cannot cover the government’s complicity in the RSF genocide or atone for the long shadow of British colonialism and imperialism, writes CLAUDIA WEBBE
Join the traditional march from Clerkenwell Green, which will bring together countless international workers’ organisations in a statement against the far right
Ecuador’s election wasn’t free — and its people will pay the price under President Noboa
Mountains of research show that hardcore material harms children, yet there are still no simple measures in place
We face austerity, privatisation, and toxic influence. But we are growing, and cannot be beaten
BRITAIN’S criminal justice system is at breaking point — just read a raft of government inspectorate reports and those of the respected Institute for Government.
Court backlogs that haven’t reduced since Covid; an ailing and failing prison service with record rates of recidivism, suicides and self-harm; a probation service brought to its knees through a botched part-privatisation, and policing, where the Met was found to be institutionally racist, misogynistic, homophobic and having a culture that protected serial abusers.
The Labour government inherited a chronic prison capacity crisis and had to enact emergency early release schemes for thousands of prisoners to avoid running out of prison spaces.
More from this author
Based on his experience of Haringey Council Councillor MARK BLAKE believes only a radical policy rethink will reconnect councils with the alienated constituencies they are supposed to serve
Similar stories
PROFESSOR ANSELM ELDERGILL suggests ways in which the government can boost legal aid and support
Tory austerity triggered a crisis in our jails and only a decisive break from the past can turn this around, explains STEVE GILLAN
Action for justice is needed as there are currently 3,000 prisoners behind bars under ‘Imprisonment for Public Protection,’ even though this type of sentence was abolished in 2012, argues KIM JOHNSON MP