Deputy Prime Minister Asks Former Tory Minister to Review Prison System

The deputy prime minister and justice secretary will ask former home secretary Amber Rudd to review the prison system in England and Wales. The review will examine how prisons can maintain public safety while addressing new threats such as sophisticated drone deliveries.

It will also consider replacing older Victorian prisons with modern facilities that improve training, security, and conditions for staff and inmates.

Rudd will explore ways to reduce reoffending through training programs and better employment connections for former prisoners. A prison source said Amber Rudd is a serious instinctive politician who is not afraid of ruffling feathers to get what she sees as right.

The same source added that the review should address many wrongs in the system. The deputy prime minister has previously asked another former Conservative cabinet minister to conduct a sentencing review aimed at managing prison populations.

Rudd served as home secretary from 2016 to 2018 and later as work and pensions secretary. Her agreement to lead the review comes as the government continues to face an overcrowding crisis despite an early release scheme. The review is expected to take several months before conclusions are presented.

Labour MPs have already urged the incoming leadership to reconsider related court reorganization plans that include changes to jury trial rights.