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LBC visits jail which could solve UK prison crisis with Texas-style 'Intensive Supervision Courts'
15 April 2025, 08:34 | Updated: 15 April 2025, 09:25
Within the prison walls of HMP Liverpool there are close to 900 inmates serving time for a range of offences, but for offenders like Jamie, a 30-year-old serving 40 months for drugs offences, there could be a more productive alternative.
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“I’m in for possession with intent to supply”, he told LBC. “It’s depressing you don’t know when you’re getting out.
“I’ve been involved with drugs all my life, selling drugs, using them, cannabis and cocaine. I’d stay up for days, at a time, three or four days.”
As he speaks to me, there are other inmates shouting from their cells and trying to distract him, but he continues: “I’ve been here five months now, second time. You just have to cope with it, but it’s sad though, I’ve got kids.”
HMP Liverpool is a Category B prison where new arrivals may only stay for a matter of days or weeks before either being released or moved to a different prison, and this poses an issue in terms of rehabilitation because timescales often don’t allow the teams working within the prison to offer sufficient support before release.
Read more: Inside Britain’s newest prison: Hope, reform, and the looming crisis in our overcrowded jails
LBC visits jail which could solve UK prison crisis
Governor Rob Luxford said: “I think the challenge for us is the resettlement. Twelve weeks from release we start talking about people’s needs going back into the community.
“It’s always a challenge, but it’s understanding how we can equip people through education and skills, ready for employment when they come out. There’s 840 lads in prison today, they’re all going to be going back out and we need to do our upmost to make sure they’re as ready as they can be.”
Since 2023, a select number of judges in Liverpool have been carrying out a pilot scheme whereby they have the option to issue a suspended prison sentence along with a referral to an Intensive Supervision Court (ISC).
This is only an option for offenders facing less than two years behind bars and classified as low-risk, but the idea is to have them attend a strict series of sessions to help deal with addiction issues and mental health challenges, and to return to court on a frequent basis for informal progress hearings.
Unlike ‘normal court’ there are no gowns and wigs, the conversation is relaxed, and the emphasis is on encouragement rather than punishment. I was invited to observe a session at Liverpool Crown Court and from the public gallery I get to see how the judge sits back in a relaxed fashion in his chair, he chats to the young man about where he plans to go fishing this week, and they ease into a conversation about how his drug treatment has been going.
“You’re continued recovery is a remarkable thing,” the judge says. “I continue to be impressed by you”.
There is some light-hearted discussion about how he is getting on with his new flat, his hopes of getting his driving license back, and they end their conversation with a reminder from the judge to stay out of trouble and return to see him in two week’s time.
Back at HMP Liverpool, Jamie expresses how he would have jumped at this opportunity, he said: “Anything would be better wouldn’t it. It’d be well better. You see a lot of people in here for nothing, it’s stupid.
“It’s obviously downgrading for anyone (mentally), I want to stay out, get a job on the railways and see the kids go to school. I’d do anything to get out.”
Earlier this year, the Lord Chancellor travelled to Texas where she visited a problem-solving court known as a speciality court. Similar to ISCs, they focus on treatment for those with substance abuse or mental health issues.
The specialty courts involve collaboration with criminal justice and community sentences stakeholders.
Much like ISCs, Texan judges can apply sentences which require attendance at rehabilitation, treatment and counselling programmes to reduce their likelihood of reoffending.
This approach has been a success internationally. Research shows that specialist support allocated by a judge has been successful in reducing drug addiction among offenders and driving down their chance of reoffending.
The latest statistics show that Texas has seen a 25 per cent reduction in drug charges over a 15-year period.This is not an easy option for offenders facing custody – the support offer is intensive, and those on the ISC will regularly meet with the same judge, keeping them accountable to progress.
Governor Luxford, said: “I’m a great believer in they (ISCs) have a real role to play in the criminal justice system, the lower risk offenders, those with addiction issues who are able to be diverted from coming into prison.
"It’s not an easy option, being put on intensive supervision, but overall that pressure it takes off the prison system can only be a good thing and maintains family links, helps people work, pay tax, be a part of society, and the intensive supervision orders allow that to happen as an alternative to prison.”
LBC's Nick Ferrari asked David Gauke, Chair of the Ministry of Justice Sentencing Review, for his opinion on the scheme.
Mr Gauke said there is a "real opportunity" to make greater use of intensive supervision courts, adding: "These are very effective in terms of rehabilitating offenders. They need to be targeted at the right people."
He said: "What they succeed in doing is bringing together the various arms of the state to work more effectively together.
"I think the authority of a judge in these circumstances is also very important in terms of changing behaviour. And the evidence that we've seen in Texas, and indeed the evidence that is emerging in the UK where there are trials in Liverpool, Teesside, Birmingham and Bristol, is that these are working well and helping to reduce reoffending.
"And for these very prolific offenders, I think there's something that could be very successful in terms of reducing crime."
