Prisons picked for sell-off

Photo / Mark Mitchell

LONDON - Massive cuts of around 30 per cent to the justice system that will dramatically reduce the number of people in prison, slash legal aid in divorce and family law cases and see the closure of more than 150 courts across England will be unveiled this week.

Details of the plans are laid bare in documents leaked ahead of Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne's comprehensive spending review on Thursday.

The Ministry of Justice has emerged as one of the big losers in the coalition Government's spending review.

The leaked information, which lists asset sales of £845 million, also prompted speculation, denied by officials, that ministers were planning to raise money by selling a number of prisons once the number of inmates has been reduced.

One source with experience of the Justice Department said it was impossible to see how that amount could be raised without selling off large parts of the prison estate.

Sources claimed the plans also suggested a reduction in the number of prisoners by at least 6000.

The documents show that even before the final squeeze was put on the ministry, it was planning to make savings by 2014 from the £2.1 billion legal aid budget; £198 million from "civil and family" cases and £93 million from criminal cases.

- Observer