Claire Perry attends the HMP Erlstoke Hustings

On Wednesday I went to a Hustings at HMP Erlstoke. Erlstoke is a Category C Prison for 470 men in the south of the Constituency. 

The only word to describe the event is "extraordinary".  The quality of the questions sent to us in advance (all submitted by the inmates)  was of such a high standard that I had to spent hours researching the answers, the event was chaired by a serving prisoner and attended by dozens more who contributed to a real discussion of critical issues on the table.   

As part of my work with the Shadow Treasury team, I helped to produce our comprehensive Conservative policy for prison reform, Prisons with a Purpose but this was my first time "behind the wire."  Never have I been more convinced that we need a reform of the prison system in this country, where we solve the overcrowding problems creatively, focus on improving accountability and stop the cycle of reoffending with more intensive, joined-up intervention and far more help with resettlement.

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