Letter to Editor:- "Keep banging the drum for our Town!"

"AS you know, we’ve had some important local wins recently, including Government backing to fund the restoration of Southport Pier and the transformation of the Town Hall Gardens. But there is still more to do. From empty shops on the high street to poor rail links between Southport and Manchester, we must keep banging the drum for our town. I believe  Southport’s best days are still ahead of us, but to get there we need local ideas and local voices to help tackle the challenges we face. To help us keep changing Southport for the better, I’m launching a series of local events; Ideas for Southport; and I’d love for you to come along. These are informal, community based workshops where residents can come together, share their ideas, raise concerns, and help shape priorities for our Town. I’ll be there to listen, take notes, and follow up. This is not a surgery but rather an opportunity to let me know your ideas for your local area in Southport constituency. You can find the full list of all seven events, including:- venues, dates and times, on:- Eventbrite.Com I hope to see you at your local event and I look forward to hearing more of your ideas for the future of Southport."  Patrick Hurley, MP for Southport.

MoJ data reveals disturbing state of prisons with rising violence and thousands more released into homelessness

NACRO'S analysis of today's MOJ data on people released from prison, between:- April 2024 to March 2025, found a 40% increase in the number of people released homeless. The data showed:-

Homelessness after prison... There has been a 39.4% increase in the number of people being released from prison into homelessness Although the number of people leaving prison has increased (rising from:- 70,040 to 86,040) this has been outpaced by the increase in the number leaving homeless (rising from:- 9,210 to12,840). On average about 1070 people per month go straight from prison into homelessness.

State of Prisons... 49.6% of all prisons in England and Wales were rated of concern or serious concern for their overall performance; an increase from 42% in 2024. 22 (18.5%) prisons were given a rating of serious concern in:- 2024/25, this is the largest number of prisons rated of serious concern since the start of the publication series.

Campbell Robb, Nacro, Chief Executive responds to the latest data:-

On homelessness after prison:- "Leaving prison without a home is the terrible consequence of a broken system. Every month, around:- 1,070 people leave prison into homelessness, many rough sleeping, doubling their risk of re-offending, and contributing to the:- £23.6 billion cost of re-offending to the UK economy. The need for a secure place to live will become even greater, as more people are likely to serve more of their sentences in the community under the proposed sentencing reforms. Despite recent investment, these figures show that further action is needed. Long term joined up support and housing are essential if we want people to rebuild their lives and reduce re-offending. We welcome the recent announcement of additional funding for Probation of up to:- £700 million, but it is vital that there is investment for the long term to tackle homelessness on release and for the wider community services such as those delivered by the voluntary sector, who provide much of the support that can enable people to turn their lives around, receive investment for the long term. We will continue to work with Government and all partners inside and outside of prison to do what we can to try and ensure people get the support they need on release."

On the prisons' ratings... "Today's data reveals that:- 49.6% of our prisons are rated either of concern or of serious concern, rising from 42% last year. A further stark reminder, if 1 is needed, of the desperate state of our prisons. The seemingly never ending reports of overcrowding, cramped conditions, drug fuelled violence and a lack of wrap around support all point to a prison system still on its knees. Dealing with a problem of this size requires bold solutions. We urgently need to tackle the overcrowding crisis and implement recommendations from the Independent Sentencing Review to ensure we have safe, effective and rehabilitative prisons which reduce re-offending. And we need to see investment into crime prevention, rehabilitation services and the voluntary sector organisations who support people to turn their lives around."

On safety in custody... "The rise in violence across our prison system is deeply troubling. On average, 1 person a day died in custody in 2024 (up by 30%), and although the number of people dying by suicide has reduced. 1 in 6 people (16%) in prison self harmed over the last year. The worrying increases in the rate of self harm incidents (up by 6%) and assaults (up by 9%) further point to an urgent need for action to tackle our prisons and overcrowding crisis."

On employment after prison... "It is good to see that the proportion of people who are employed 6 months after leaving prison has risen to:- 34.5% from:- 31% the year before. Having a job can make all the difference to someone's ability to turn their lives around and is 1 of the most important factors in reducing re-offending. This is good progress, but there is clearly still much further to go. The Government should now increase the focus on developing better work opportunities for people whilst they are in prison as currently a third of people in prison are not taking part in any purposeful activity. Increasing workshops and industry in prison, introducing a working day which reflects a working day on the outside, and giving more people who are eligible the chance to work in the community on day release would all help prepare people for work on the outside."

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