The controversy surrounding prison population is not going away. Only last week the most up-to-date statistics revealed that we are still locking up more women than in the past, and over the past 25 years there have been significant increases in inmate numbers, not only in England, but across industrialised nations. As Julian V. Roberts puts it in his thought-provoking book, The Virtual Prison, "prison continues to dominate the penal landscape, and to maintain its status as an iconic legal punishment around the world".

It is into this arena that Louis Blom-Cooper, an icon in his own right at the Bar, has chosen to place his latest book. Launched last week, its central thesis is that 60 per cent of the prison population should not be there. The QC describes imprisonment as "an instrument of man's control over his fellow creatures" which has existed since historical records began. Its role as the "State's prime weapon of penal sanction for serious crime", is, he argues, more recent. Given the continuing rise in prison populations, the book's bold argument is that there should be a halt to further prison building projects and a reduction of prisoners over the next ten years to 50,000, as he goes on to put it, "to stand the penal system on its head".

To achieve this, Blom-Cooper argues for a reparative approach and that custody should be used only to protect the public and not to inflict punishment for its own sake. In his foreword to the book, Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, writes: "I do not believe that the majority of the public want to see the radical shift in approach that this book envisages", but like many, welcomes the undoubted contribution that this work will have upon an issue of not only national, but international, significance.

Some will take issue with Mr Straw's expectation of the citizen. There is a growing recognition that prison is not working and alternative solutions will have to be found. Louis Blom-Cooper's book is essential reading for anyone who is willing to lift their head out of the sand.

The Penalty of Imprisonment by Louis Blom-Cooper, published by Continuum (£14.99) ISBN 9781847061539

The author is a barrister

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