Lib Dems launch mini-manifesto on crime

Offenders such as female shoplifters should receive community sentences rather jail terms in order to cut reoffending rates and improve rehabilitation, the Liberal Democrats declared today, as they set out their mini-manifesto on crime.

Pushing a message of "tough liberalism", Charles Kennedy promoted "acceptable behaviour orders" for nuisance families - his party's alternative to antisocial behaviour orders - and promised an extra 10,000 police officers paid for by scrapping Labour's controversial ID card scheme.

The Lib Dems would also give each police force £3m to equip officers with hand-held computers and voice-recognition software to free up time spent form-filling.

The party has been portrayed by opponents as "soft on crime" for promising to give prisoners the vote, but at a London press conference this morning, Mr Kennedy Democrats promised a "tough, disciplined" but effective approach to fighting crime, with "payback" for victims.

Mr Kennedy said: "Prison is necessary, but when 60% of offenders come out of prison just to commit more crime, we say prison must be made to work.

"Taking away their liberty is the correct punishment. Giving them an alternative to a life of crime is the long-term solution."

Talking of the jailing of women shoplifters, he said: "What is achieved by such a set of circumstances?

"You have a woman behind bars, separated in many cases from children. Wouldn't it be better if that person was rehabilitated in the community, rather than being incarcerated?"

As well as the 10,000 extra officers, at a cost of around £1.2bn, the Lib Dems would match Labour's promise of an extra 20,000 community support officers.

Echoing an identical proposal from the Tories this morning, Mr Kennedy said the Lib Dems would set up a new UK border force to tackle terrorism, drugs, organised crime and people smuggling.

Mr Kennedy said his party would reform antisocial behaviour orders on the lines of "acceptable behaviour contracts" agreed between individuals, families, police and local authorities, pioneered by Lib Dem-controlled Islington council in London.

Non-violent criminals would do tough community work as an alternative to jail, while the party would "make prison work" for those who do end up behind bars. Under the Lib Dem plans, prisoners would be given more education and taught a trade.

Mr Kennedy said Labour's approach was failing: "Since Labour took power we have had 30 government bills creating about 1,000 new crimes, hundreds of initiatives and thousands of targets all designed to make good on the sound bite: 'Tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime'."

"Despite all the rhetoric, Labour's approach to crime has failed. It has fed rather than diminished the climate of fear. The real liberal approach to law and order issues can be tough without descending into populist illiberalism.

"That is the real alternative at this election: visible policing, payback for victims, punishment and rehabilitation for prisoners. Effective solutions on law and order that work."

He also said that antisocial behaviour orders, championed by the prime minister, "just pushes problems behind closed doors".

Fraser Kemp, Labour's campaign spokesman, commented: "The Lib Dem record in parliament shows they side with criminals and yobs.

"They tried - and failed - to stop Labour banning graffiti paint being sold to teenagers, they tried to stop Labour bringing in the dispersal orders that give police the power to break up teen gangs, they want to strip courts of the power to jail those caught with class A drugs and they even tried to stop Labour giving the police the power to close down crack houses.

"And to cap it all Charles Kennedy recently pledged to give killers and rapists serving prison sentences the vote.

"He has lost the plot if he thinks anybody will ever take him seriously on crime. A vote for the Lib Dems doesn't mean tough action on crime, it means giving criminals the vote."

For the Conservatives, the shadow home secretary, David Davis, said: "The Lib Dems claim to be tough on crime but when you see their policies it is hard to believe.

"They want to scrap mandatory sentences for murderers and repeat rapists, send joy-riders go-karting and give all prisoners the right to vote.

Mr Davis' reference to go karting refers to a policy, agreed at the last Lib Dem conference, on offering car mechanic courses and go-karting to teenage car thieves.