Circumstances have forced the government into a more rational penal policy but it will take time to show results

Convicted criminals do not rank high on most voters’ list of candidates for generous government spending. As a result, the prisons budget has historically been a soft political target for cost savings. The people most affected in the short term have little impact on public debate. Prisoners can’t vote. In the longer term derelict, overcrowded jails accelerate recidivism, exacerbate drug and mental health problems and incubate hardcore criminality. That has an impact far beyond prison walls, upsetting a wider swathe of the electorate and placing a heavier burden on the exchequer. Skimping on justice is the definition of a false economy.

This is something Sir Keir Starmer, as a former director of public prosecutions, understands. There are encouraging signs that his government is serious about repairing the neglect and wanton damage done in this area by the Conservatives.