Responding to reports that the Chancellor will use his Budget to spend £70 million on probation as part of the Government’s bid to make Britain’s streets safer, Liberal Democrat Justice Spokesperson Daisy Cooper said: “Too many people feel unsafe in their own homes and walking down their own streets. The criminal justice system is failing to rehabilitate people, leading to more crimes and more victims.
“For far too long, the Conservatives have been so desperate to appear tough on crime that they have failed to properly invest in the things that help people build lives free from crime.
“The Government does need to invest in probation and improve the supervision of people released on licence. But it also needs to invest in rehabilitative services, both in prison and in the community, to enable people who have committed crimes to turn their lives around.”