Petition · past parliament · HM Treasury
Re-direct £2.5bn prison fund into youth services
Closed
157 signatures
What the petition asks
Please:
Take a long term view to prevent crime, rather than ineffectively 'treating' it through prisons.
By:
Re-directing the £2.5bn prison fund to youth services, which have seen a devastating 70% budget cut in the last decade (causing an increase in youth crime).
Take a long term view to prevent crime, rather than ineffectively 'treating' it through prisons.
By:
Re-directing the £2.5bn prison fund to youth services, which have seen a devastating 70% budget cut in the last decade (causing an increase in youth crime).
Areas with the biggest youth service budget cuts have seen the sharpest increase in knife crime.
Fewer than 1 in 10 people think having more people in prison is the most effective way to deal with crime
48% of adults re-offend within 1yr of release
Offenders with 50+ previous offences are 36% more likely to re-offend when a short prison sentence is used vs community sentence
Prison population increased 69% in last 30yrs
Source: Prison Reform Trust, All-Party Parliamentary Group
Fewer than 1 in 10 people think having more people in prison is the most effective way to deal with crime
48% of adults re-offend within 1yr of release
Offenders with 50+ previous offences are 36% more likely to re-offend when a short prison sentence is used vs community sentence
Prison population increased 69% in last 30yrs
Source: Prison Reform Trust, All-Party Parliamentary Group
Timeline
| 9 Sep 2020 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 9 Mar 2021 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
157
Status
Closed
Department
HM Treasury
Opened
9 Sep 2020
Closed
9 Mar 2021
Follow this petition
Sign in to get an email when the government responds, a debate is scheduled or held, or the petition closes.
Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.