What are the policies and political decisions which led to the current crisis in prisons?

Prison life isn't meant to be easy but it is supposed to be safe and secure. Drugs, violence, self-harm and suicide are all increasing problems.

David Aaronovitch examines what's gone wrong and hears stories from inside the prison system. He explores what over-crowding and under-staffing means for prisoners and officers alike who live with it day in, day out.

The programme also looks beyond the budget and staff cuts to explore the impact of sentencing changes, institutional leadership, and political opposition to more liberal policies which might ease the pressure in an overcrowded system. And we also discuss the current impact of drugs in prison and ask what role corrupt prison staff might play in the smuggling of contraband.

What would it take to bring prisons under control and longer term, how can we stop the next prison crisis and get the system working properly again?

CONTRIBUTORS

Charles - a former inmate at a London prison, now working with the rehabilitation and education charity Key4Life

John Podmore - former Governor of HMP Brixton and HMP Belmarsh; author of Out of Sight Out of Mind: Why Britain's Prisons Are Failing

Helen Arnold - Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Suffolk and Visiting Scholar at the Institute of Criminology, Cambridge University

Julian McCrae - Deputy Director of the Institute for Government and former Deputy Director of the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit (2009)

Producer: Matt Bardo