Prison is just another form of 'welfare dependency' for criminals, Tory MP says

He points out that Britain is at the top of the European league tables for reoffending rates even though it is spending more on crime and justice than ever before.

"Elsewhere in Europe, the prison population has followed crime rates down. Yet back here in Blighty we are ramming our prisons full, spending a fortune in the process and doing very little to turn criminals lives around In sum, we are spending far more to achieve less and less. That is lunacy and anathema to any Conservative.

Mr Gummer also said the Right should object to the fact that prisons cause a "waste of life".

"For many criminals, prison is just another welfare dependency, and we might challenge its over-use on those grounds alone," he added.

"The failure to tackle mental health, profound psychological disorder, drug and alcohol addiction and moral vacuity, is in itself a crime on societys part. We put people behind walls and then forget about them. That is wrong.

The MP said Chris Grayling, the Justice Secretary, is making progress but more reform of Britain's "failing" prison system is needed.

Mr Grayling said he wanted to be a "tough" Justice Secretary when he took over the job in September and has been trying to make prisons stricter. His predecessor Ken Clarke attracted a reputation for being too liberal among many Conservatives.

In an interview with the Mail on Sunday last week, the Cabinet minister said it was unacceptable that those serving in some private prisons were able to enjoy satellite television and other perks beyond the budgets of many working families.

Mr Grayling is considering a range of measures to make life in Britain's prisons less comfortable for criminals as part of an ongoing review expected to report in late spring.

Inmates may face greater restrictions on wearing their own clothes, fewer televisions and a cut in their pocket money. It is understood the Justice Secretary is also unimpressed that some jails permit the use of mobile phones and even allow gay inmates to share cells.

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Prison is just another form of 'welfare dependency' for criminals, Tory MP says