The Ministry of Justice has recently launched a “payment by results’ pilot study at the privately run Peterborough Prison, which holds 480 male and 360 female prisoners.

In 1993, Conservative Home Secretary Michael Howard famously proclaimed “Prison works!” and built more prisons.
 

Ministers in the Coalition Government need to watch their claims more carefully.
 

After the payments made to Reliance Custodial Service under its contract to transport prisoners in Scotland were analysed

The Scottish Government is currently considering tenders for a seven-year contract to transport prisoners around Scotland.
 

Ten years ago, the Home Affairs Committee’s Special Report on Drugs and Prisons made a series of recommendations that are still being ignored by the Ministry of Justice.

Prisoners held on remand while awaiting trial can at least console themselves that if found guilty, their time on remand will count towards their sentence. But there is no such consolation for those found not guilty, or found guilty but given a non-custodial sentence.

Thanks to staff at the House of Commons Library, and the diligence of many parliamentarians, it has proved possible to investigate how well the prison’s Integrated Drug Treatment System is wo