'No bars and prisoners called residents': Nick Ferrari blasts Raab over soft prisons

4 March 2022, 08:45 | Updated: 4 March 2022, 09:48

Nick grills Justice Secretary on new smart prisons

By Daisy Stephens

Justice Secretary Dominic Raab faced tough questions this morning over new 'smart' prisons that offer offenders pet therapy, have no bars on the windows, and refer to prisoners as 'residents'.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

Speaking on LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast, Mr Raab said the new prisons - where prisoners would be known by their first names - would bring down reoffending by making integration into the community easier - and argued he still believed in tough punishment.

But Nick argued: "Tough on law and order?

"Building a prison that will hold violent offenders and murderers who will be called by their first name, they'll be allowed pet therapy, and their children come round to help do their homework.

"That's the Conservative party being tough on law and order, Mr Raab?"

Mr Raab said people given life sentences would not be put in the prisons, but did not deny murders not given life in jail could end up there.

Read more: Putin hails invasion 'success' and says Ukraine uses 'human shields' in bizarre address

Read more: Labour candidate Paulette Hamilton wins Birmingham Erdington by-election

"A convicted murderer will be given pet therapy, ability to help their children with homework, be called by their first name, and be able to look out the window?" Said Nick.

"Wow. I'd hate to be soft on crime."

In response, Mr Raab said: "What you're looking at is offenders who at some point are going to be released, making sure they're off drugs, can get into work, have got the family ties that create a settled pathway into the community.

"The vast majority of offenders in prison end up released at some point.

"We can't lock them all up. In which case, as well as tough punishment and no one believes in that more than me... we need to create a pathway into society so when these people come back into our communities they're less likely, not more likely, to commit crime.

"That's the robust, clear-sighted way we protect the public."

No bars on the windows of new prisons? Explain please Mr Raab

Mr Raab said the new prisons would work with "our big emphasis on punishment and stronger sentencing" to bring down reoffending.

"We also know that most offenders are released into society and what this state-of-the-art prison has... it has a drug recovery wing... it's got in-cell technology which can improve their numeracy and literacy, so you don't have offenders sitting in their jail cell with their feet up on a bunk, but they're actually trying to better themselves," he said.

"It had a bike workshop, it's got a fork lift truck training shop, a recycling workshop.

"Why? Because we know if we get officers into work they're much less likely to reoffend."

He also added that those connected with their family are also less likely to go on to commit another crime - hence the "family area" to allow prisoners to retain ties with their relatives, particularly children.

More Nick Ferrari

See more More Nick Ferrari

Nick Ferrari attends his first Trump rally in Pennsylvania as he meets the crowd in 'the poorest city in the United States'

Nick Ferrari attends his first Trump rally in Pennsylvania as he meets the crowd in 'the poorest city in the US'

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has said she strongly disagrees with a tweet that a backbench MP appeared to have reposted saying Kemi Badenoch represents "white supremacy in blackface".

Cooper condemns 'appalling' tweet shared by Dawn Butler labelling Kemi Badenoch 'white supremacy in blackface'

Exclusive
Cumberland County: Where the US election could be won or lost

Nick Ferrari travels to America for the US Election: Watch the best bits here

Exclusive
The Chancellor was speaking to LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast

Chancellor ‘doesn’t know’ salary of new chairman tasked with ensuring government ‘value for money'

Transparency over Southport stabbings key to avoiding 'deep public mistrust in the criminal justice system', says Jenrick

Transparency over Southport stabbings key to avoiding 'deep public mistrust' in criminal justice system, says Jenrick

Exclusive
The government has introduced its football governance bill.

'We're on the same side': Minister denies feud with Premier League over Football Governance Bill

Exclusive
Protest sign reading Danger water pollution, this water is polluted with raw sewage. The responsible party is Thames Water. River Wey, Guildford, UK

Government warns demand for water could outstrip supply as they launch review into 'broken' sector

Nick Ferrari.

'He'll look over his shoulder for the rest of his life': Concern for Martyn Blake's privacy long overdue

Exclusive
'No one gutsy enough to address this': Mylene Klass calls on government to introduce paid miscarriage leave.

Government not 'gutsy' enough to implement paid miscarriage leave claims Myleene Klass

Exclusive
David Cameron speaks to LBC

David Cameron calls for UK to sanction two Israeli ministers as change on arms embargo 'didn't satisfy anybody'

'I wouldn't do it again': Jenrick suggests regret for painting over murals at children’s asylum centre.

'I wouldn't do it again': Robert Jenrick says he regrets ordering workers to paint over murals at children’s asylum centre

Exclusive
Where did all the fish go? Feargal Sharkey uncovers dangerous blue-green algae plaguing River Wye

Where did all the fish go? Feargal Sharkey uncovers dangerous blue-green algae plaguing River Wye

UK troops in Cyprus 'ready to act' says defence secretary noting forces already play 'important' role in preventing escalation

UK troops in Cyprus 'ready to act' with forces playing an 'important' role in preventing escalation

Exclusive
LBC has uncovered levels of E Coli in Britain’s rivers over fifty times higher than levels recommended by the Environment Agency, in the latest edition of Feargal on Friday.

Feargal Sharkey exposes dangerous levels of E. coli in British rivers

Exclusive
Suspending arm sales to Israel will have weakened UK's 'hand' in Washington, Ex-armed forces minister says.

Suspending arms sales to Israel weakened UK's 'hand' in Washington, ex-armed forces minister says

Tory leadership hopeful Tom Tugendhat refuses to commit to reversing Labour's cuts to the winter fuel payment

Tory leadership hopeful Tom Tugendhat refuses to commit to reversing Labour's cuts to the winter fuel payment