A chorus of stark warnings from former prison staff, governors, and rehabilitated inmates is sounding the alarm over a deeply flawed penal system, arguing that violence and reoffending are inevitable without fundamental change. Their insights follow a harrowing article by former prison officer Alex South, which laid bare the systemic failures perpetuating brutality behind bars.
The Human Cost of a Failing System
James Stoddart, a project coordinator for the Oswin Project who was once incarcerated himself, frames the murders and assaults described by South not as isolated incidents, but as a direct result of policy choices. He argues the system prioritises containment over rehabilitation and political expediency over evidence. Stoddart witnessed violence firsthand, even in a well-staffed prison, and sees meaningful work as the cornerstone of change. His service users now work in cafes, bakeries, and bike shops—not for redemption through labour, but because purposeful activity builds the foundation for desistance from crime.
Echoing this, former prison governor Judith Feline recounts the profound trauma of a murder that occurred in a prison under her care. Meeting the victim's family was the hardest thing she has ever done, left with no adequate explanation for the failure to keep their son safe. She stresses that expecting people to work in such violent environments is unacceptable, and improvement is impossible without proper staffing and decent daily time out of cells for purposeful activity.
Rehabilitation Rhetoric vs. Chaotic Reality
The gap between official rhetoric and on-the-ground reality is vast. Richard Eltringham was hired as a horticultural instructor to build rehabilitative programmes but found none were allowed to start. Instead, he covered staff shortages and supervised what he terms "tea‑bag workshops"—chaotic, poorly managed sessions offering no skills or progression. This stood in stark contrast to the structured, evidence‑based programmes he observed in US prisons during a Churchill Fellowship, highlighting a failure of leadership and resource allocation in the UK.
A Call for Ideological Change, Not Just Management
The consensus among these voices is clear: tinkering at the edges is futile. They contend that while Justice Secretary David Lammy inherited a crisis, lasting solutions require an ideological shift. The system must be rebuilt around rehabilitation, not mere containment. This means fully funding prison education and activities that engage prisoners and improve life chances after release. It also demands staffing prisons with properly trained officers who can build constructive relationships, rather than just manage overcrowded units.
As Stoddart concludes, when the government agrees on the importance of education but then announces funding cuts, it is not mere incompetence—it is a commitment to a system that creates the very violence and recidivism it claims to prevent. Until that commitment changes, the warnings from inside will continue to blare.
