Latest news with #TimpsonGroup
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Minister does not rule out 'supermax' jails for most dangerous offenders following alleged Rudakubana attack on prison officer
"Supermax" jails could be built to house the most dangerous offenders following a spate of alleged attacks on staff, the prisons minister has said. James Timpson told the Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge that "we shouldn't rule anything out" when asked if the most dangerous criminals should be placed in top security prisons. It comes after Southport triple killer Axel Rudakubana allegedly at an officer at HMP Belmarsh on Thursday. Police are now that, three prison officers were also allegedly attacked by 28-year-old Hashem Abedi - the brother of Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi - with hot cooking oil and "improvised knives", potentially made from a baking tray. Speaking from HMP Preston for a special programme of the Politics Hub, Mr Timpson told Sophy Ridge: "We inherited a complete mess in the prison system. "Violence is up, assaults on staff is up. But for me, we shouldn't rule anything out." He added: "What we need to do is to speak to our staff. They're the experts at dealing with these offenders day in, day out. " Mr Timpson - who was the chief executive of Timpson Group before he was appointed prisons minister last year - said the violence in prisons was "too high". He continued: "The number of people when you have prisons are so full, and the people in there are not going to education or into purposeful activity. "You get more violence and that is totally unacceptable. Our staff turn up to work to help turn people. "They want to turn people's lives around. They didn't turn up to work to get assaulted. It's totally unacceptable." Read more: Reflecting on the crisis facing the UK prison system ahead of the Mr Timpson said a major problem was the high rate of reoffending, saying "80% of offending is reoffending". He said people were leaving places like HMP Preston "addicted to drugs, nowhere to live, mental health problems - and that's why they keep coming back". Asked whether every prison had a drugs issue, he replied: "100%." "If we want to keep the public safe, we need to do a lot more of the work in here and in the community. But also we need to build more prisons." Put to him that making more use of community sentences - thought to be one of the recommendations in the government's sentencing review - might be considered a "cushy option" compared to a custodial sentence, Mr Timpson said: "There are some people in this prison tonight who would prefer to be in prison than do a community sentence - but that's not everybody. "Community sentences need to be tough punishments outside of prison, not just to help them address their offending behaviour, but also the victims need to see punishments being done too and for me, technology has a big part to play in the future."
BBC News
08-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
More offenders could be tagged, as James Timpson insists he's ‘not soft on crime'
More offenders could be tagged, as minister insists he's 'not soft on crime' 8 minutes ago Share Save Sima Kotecha • @sima_kotecha Senior UK correspondent Share Save BBC Lord Timpson is the former CEO of the Timpson Group, which provides key cutting and shoe repair services Prisons minister James Timpson has told the BBC more criminals could be tagged in future instead of being sent to prison - but insists he's not "soft on crime". More than 30 companies, including Microsoft and Google, will meet the government today to explore how technology could help monitor offenders in the community more effectively and tackle violence in prison. Lord Timpson says tagging more people instead of sending them to prison is a potential alternative punishment. But critics have questioned his previous comments about the UK being "addicted" to sentencing and punishment, and how "only a third" of inmates should be in prison. "I don't think I'm soft on crime at all," Lord Timpson says in the wide-ranging BBC interview. "I think I'm pretty tough in my style. In business, I'm tough but I use the evidence - and in this job I'm using the evidence." He says he is passionate about rehabilitating offenders in prison so they don't commit further crimes when released. However, more than 26% of adult criminals in England and Wales go on to reoffend within a year of being let out of prison. "How do we reduce re-offending? How do we deal with people's drug addiction, mental health problems, the fact that people leave prison they don't know where to live, people don't have a job? That is also a really important part of my job," he says. The former CEO of the Timpson Group, which provides key cutting and shoe repair services, is known for hiring ex-offenders and is a former chairman of the Prison Reform Trust. Lord Timpson took up his role at the Ministry of Justice in July last year, when the penal system in England and Wales was close to breaking point. Prisons were full, and months later thousands of inmates were released early as part of an emergency plan to ease overcrowding and free up space. He says prisons are still in a state of "crisis", with fewer than 1,000 spare places and more than 88,000 people in custody in England and Wales. "We recently opened HMP Millsike," he says, describing the new category C prison which opened in East Yorkshire in March, with capacity for up to 1,500 inmates. "We've got more cells opening across the country. We need to keep building prison places because the population is going up." Last month, three prison officers were seriously injured at HMP Frankland, in Durham, after they were attacked with makeshift weapons and hot oil by one of the men responsible for the Manchester Arena bombing. Hashem Abedi was being held in a separation centre - used to house a small number of the most dangerous and extremist inmates - at the category A, maximum security jail. "What happened in Franklin is absolutely shocking," Lord Timpson says. "The level of violence in prisons is far too high - and it is increasing. "Our prison staff did an incredible job. I don't want them to turn up to work thinking that there's going to be violence. I want them to turn up to work helping people turn their lives around." However, the number of assaults on staff in prison is the highest in a decade, with 10,605 recorded in 2024. Lord Timpson refutes claims that gangs are in charge of some of Britain's biggest jails, but acknowledges that serious organised crime is the one thing that "keeps me awake at night". "Serious organised crime brings drugs in and creates violence and intimidation in prisons," he says. "This has been a long-term problem in prisons, but it is even more of a problem when the capacity is as full as it is. "If we had people who went to prison who didn't get drugs and weren't intimidated by serious organised criminals, they'd be far more likely to engage with a sentence and get well enough so that when they leave they don't commit further crime."
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
John Lewis expands repair service to boost circularity for garments
The service rollout to John Lewis locations, except for the Swindon and Canary Wharf stores, builds on the positive response from a pilot programme initiated in July 2024. The initial trial was conducted in five locations: Oxford, Liverpool, Cheadle, Milton Keynes, and Welwyn. Feedback from the trial indicated high demand for minor fabric repairs and seam mending – a reflection of customers' desire to maintain their frequently used items – as well as trouser alterations for improved fit. Starting 9 April, customers will have the convenience of dropping off items at any John Lewis store for cleaning, mending or tailoring. The retailer said that the ongoing collaboration with Johnsons, a subsidiary of Timpson Group, will continue to provide an array of services including clothing repairs, alterations, dry cleaning, and handbag refurbishment. Johnsons will facilitate the process by collecting the items, performing necessary services, and returning them to the store in pristine condition. The suite of offerings extends beyond apparel care to include household textiles such as duvets, bedding, curtains, and rugs. John Lewis service & hospitality director Katie Papakonstantinou said: 'We're so excited to bring this service to all John Lewis stores. John Lewis has always been committed to providing a brilliant retail experience for customers, and repair adds another dimension to that. 'The great thing about repair is it works for the old and the new. Whether you need something tailored to fit you better or want to give your mum's old handbag a new life, we've made it easy to restore treasured products.' In alignment with sustainable practices, John Lewis pledged commitment as an inaugural signatory to Textiles 2030 led by Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), which champions a shift towards circularity in textile production and consumption. The retailer has observed a growing consumer interest in domestic repairs; sales of haberdashery items have risen by 36% annually while searches for John Lewis sewing machines have surged by 50%. Specifically, searches for 'pink sewing machines' have soared by 255%, indicating a trend where consumers are buying these machines as gifts and seeking to extend the lifespan of their possessions themselves. John Lewis Partnership ethics & sustainability director Marija Rompani said: 'We're still learning about which circular economy models work so it's great when a trial delivers positive results and shows us how we can make it effective at scale. Repair is a crucial part of the circular economy and mirrors our commitment to designing items with quality and longevity in mind, as part of our circular strategy.' Research conducted by WRAP suggests that over 80% of clothing repairs potentially prevent new purchases by extending the life of existing garments rather than replacing them with new acquisitions. In June last year, John Lewis launched a 20-piece circular designed collection across its Home and Fashion divisions. "John Lewis expands repair service to boost circularity for garments" was originally created and published by Just Style, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
