The Bishop of Gloucester has told Premier Christian News that the UK’s approach to prison reform is too focused on quick fixes, such as early releases and expanding the prison estate, rather than tackling the root causes of crime.

Rt Rev Rachel Treweek, who also serves as the Anglican Bishop for Prisons in England and Wales, is urging a more compassionate and long-term response to justice reform.

She said: "We are not looking at what's underlying that offending. Many people in prison have mental health problems, addiction problems...they won't have housing, they won't have a meaningful relationship. Many of them will have been victims themselves in life."

Her comments follow a major announcement from the Justice Secretary this week, who confirmed plans to build three new prisons and reduce recall times for some offenders to 28 days.

The measures are aimed at alleviating severe overcrowding, with the prison system expected to hit full capacity by November.

But whilst Bishop Rachel welcomed the announcement, she said a longer-term solution is needed: "If we just keep building more and more prisons, while we give people longer and longer sentences and locking more people up because we're living with the narrative that it will make our streets safer, we are not looking at the evidence."

Thousands of inmates have already been released early to ease the pressure, but officials have admitted these steps have only postponed the crisis.