Man helping former inmates criticises prison system

Darryn Frost, who helps former inmates to rebuild their lives, said too many people were being imprisoned

A man who helps former inmates to rebuild their lives says we have "lost our way" with the prison system.

Darryn Frost is co-founder of Own Merit, a Northampton-based organisation that provides accommodation and support to people upon release.

He said the focus of prison should be rehabilitation rather than punishment.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to reduce the number of people being jailed by cutting reoffending.

Mr Frost said: "Reoffending costs the economy roughly £18bn a year and, when you've got so many people in prison, you can't focus on helping them."

Prisons minister James Timpson has hired hundreds of former prisoners as CEO of Timpson Group

In 2018 - the latest year for which comparable data is available, - England and Wales had 150 prisoners per 100,000 people, the highest proportion in Western Europe.

Recently appointed prisons minister James Timpson has made a name for himself by hiring hundreds of former prisoners.

The CEO of the Timpson Group, which provides key-cutting and shoe repair services, has previously said only a third of people in prison should be there.

Mr Frost told BBC Radio Northampton: "If I get some time with Mr Timpson, we can have some frank conversations because I think this is a solvable issue.

"I think we have lost our way a little bit with the prison system.

"Why are prisons there, why do we remove people from society? It is for the safety for the public?

"People in prison should be those who would pose a risk to us but we're putting people in there for blue-collar crimes.

"That is what our prison system has become, it's a catch-all and it's a really blunt instrument."