High prisoner numbers create a vicious cycle | Letters

Liz Truss claims that prisoner numbers should not be reduced because of increases in the use of prisons to combat sexual offences, domestic violence and child abuse (Truss rejects calls for shorter prison sentences, 13 February). Her claim is both inaccurate and dangerous. Inaccurate, because she conflates crime data on drug sentences with those of violence. The data, however, indicates that about 60% of sentences are for drugs and/or property offences. It is dangerous because our society will n