The Howard League for Penal Reform has launched a campaign seeking to halt the relentless rise in the UK prison population and address the underlying causes of crime.

The Bishop of Liverpool will initiate a debate in the House of Lords this afternoon, to discuss the Government’s plans to make prisons more sustainable.

No other democratic nation today imprisons people on such a scale or for as long as the US, Martin E. Marty is reminded. Visiting prisoners is a central test of devotion to the Jesus of the gospels. We are also called to a vision of restoration and release.

Tough questions are being raised over the implications over the British government’s plans to further increase and promote the role of faith groups in the management of offenders, both in prisons and in the community.