NCJ Number
81792
Date Published
Unknown
Length
8 pages
Annotation
The Prison Reform Trust, established in 1981, seeks to improve the conditions in Great Britain's prisons.
Abstract
Basic problems which have given impetus to the organization's establishment include the length of prison sentences, the numbers of unsentenced prisoners and the conditions under which they are detained, the expanding population of young people who are incarcerated, unsanitary prison conditions, under utilization of open establishments, and low morale of prison officers. The Prison Reform Trust, founded by people who were not previously involved in the penal reform effort, will remain totally independent of the Home Office to ensure objectivity. The five primary objectives of the organization include the following: to promote the constructive treatment of offenders; to promote the education of the public regarding the penal system; to further knowledge of the training of prison officers; to promote research efforts focusing on the penal system; and to further the penal reform effort through use of the media, publications, lectures, and reseasrch projects. The organization will generate publicity about prisons, encourage community involvement, advocate changes in prison policy, and seek a new impetus for the idea of prison reform with officials.