Nigel Farage’s proposal to establish temporary prisons for serious criminals has faced strong criticism. Justice minister Jake Richards, speaking at HMP Feltham in West London, dismissed Farage’s plan to allocate £5 billion to construct new ‘Nightingale’ prisons as inadequate to address the prison crisis.

Richards expressed concerns about the concept of temporary prisons housing dangerous offenders in close proximity to communities. He emphasized that neither he nor the public would support such an idea. Farage’s party had previously announced intentions to build five low-security prisons on Ministry of Defence (MOD) land, claiming it would provide 12,400 spaces for less severe offenders.

Richards highlighted the challenges faced by the Labour Party in dealing with prison overcrowding, attributing part of the problem to the previous Tory government’s management. He pointed out that under the Tories’ administration, there were more people incarcerated than available prison spaces, leading to a significant strain on the criminal justice system.

The Justice Minister criticized the Tories for their handling of the country’s affairs, particularly in the realm of prisons and criminal justice. He mentioned that the public acknowledges the need for tough decisions to rectify the situation and expressed confidence in the government’s commitment to addressing the challenges.