Former Minister for Prisons and Probation, Alex attended the Howard League for Penal Reform panel event at the Conservative Party conference to discuss the UK's growing prison population (currently over 85,000 and rising).
Observing that the UK locks up over double the number of criminals than Germany, at a cost of over £40,000 per prisoner per year, Alex stated: "This is costing taxpayers a fortune. We need a system where we lock up people we are scared of, not all the people we are cross with."
As Solicitor General, Alex successfully sought longer sentences for violent and sexual offenders. He support long sentences which keep the public safe from dangerous criminals, but wants to see a greater emphasis on robust unpaid work orders as an alternative to custody in lower-level offences.
Alex added that it is very important to reduce the rate of "churn" of Band 3 wing officers in prisons. He noted that experience built up over years of service allows officers to best judge when they need to be robust and when to offer support to a prisoner who may be struggling.