The Catholic bishops of England and Wales have called for the British Government to appoint a royal commission to “investigate and advise” on the challenges facing the criminal justice system. Source: The Tablet.
In a new report, Remember Me – a Catholic Approach to Criminal Justice, the bishops say they are speaking out because of the challenges facing the criminal justice system.
About 8.8 million crimes were estimated to have been committed in the year ending March 2024, with just 1.48 million individuals caught and prosecuted or dealt with out of court.
England and Wales have the highest imprisonment rate in western Europe and the prison population has grown by 93 per cent over the past 30 years.
More than a third of adults released from prison reoffend within a year. Prisons and prison budgets are overcrowded and overstretched, the report says.
They also call on the government to address urgently the problem of prisoners serving indeterminate sentences.
“Remembering that every person has an innate God-given dignity is a key step on the path to effective criminal justice,” says prisons liaison Bishop Richard Moth in the foreword.
“While appropriate punishment for crime is important, it is but one element in the journey for the person who has committed crime. The availability of training and support for those serving sentences is vital for creating a sense of hope and new possibilities.”
Among a large number of recommendations, the bishops suggest Catholic dioceses and parishes should encourage lay Catholic faithful to consider a calling to visit those in prison.
Catholic parishes could register to welcome and support prison leavers, and a small number of Catholic parishes in each diocese could act as pioneer parishes for such activities, they say.
The bishops also recommend parishes consider how they can work more effectively with Catholic charities to welcome ex-offenders.
FULL STORY
Bishops call for Royal commission to investigate criminal justice system (By Ruth Gledhill, The Tablet)
Remember Me: A Catholic Approach to Criminal Justice report (Catholic Bishops of England and Wales)
