It's amazing what a bit of austerity can do to shake things up, and good old pragmatic Ken Clarke is in his element.

BBC News - Justice Secretary plans 'radical' prison policy change

Vast sums are being spent "warehousing" people in outdated prisons without any proof it protects the public, Justice Secretary Ken Clarke has said.

He said he was amazed at the growth of the prison population in England and Wales and demanded a radical new approach to cut reoffending.

It will involve paying private firms and voluntary groups according to how many prisoners they rehabilitate.

Mr Clarke said his approach made the most financial sense.

'Victorian England'

In his first major speech since taking office, Mr Clarke said prison had too often proved "a costly and ineffectual approach that fails to turn criminals into law-abiding citizens".

"My first priority is the safety of the British public," he said.

"But just banging up more and more people for longer without actively seeking to change them is what you would expect of Victorian England."

The prison population in England and Wales reached a record high in May of 85,201.

There is then an absolutely magnificent piece of hypocrisy.

Earlier, speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Clarke said a sentencing review based on punishment and protecting the public was needed.

Criticising the increase of the prison population under Labour, he added: "David Blunkett and John Reid had a chequebook in one hand and a copy of the Daily Mail in the other."

It was the hang 'em and then deport 'em tendency of the Tories driving all of this via their cheerleaders in the Press. Of course, the irony is that it is probably only a Tory government who can take such an approach and get away with it.