PAUL DAVIES MP

Colne Valley is my home. I'm proud of our community and I want it to be the best that can be. That's why I'm so honoured to stand up for you as our MP.

Prisons Literacy Project

When we talk about reducing crime, the conversation often gravitates toward tougher sentences or more policing. Yet, the Prisons Literacy Project, spearheaded by MP Paul Davies and author Lee Child, offers a refreshingly pragmatic alternative: tackle reoffending by improving literacy.

The logic is compelling. It costs £55,000 a year to keep someone in prison. If boosting literacy can cut reoffending by even 10%, the savings to taxpayers are enormous—not to mention the human benefit of fewer victims and more rehabilitated lives. This isn’t about being “soft on crime.” As Lee Child quipped, “Just look at my Jack Reacher books.” It’s about evidence-based solutions that work.

If we truly want safer communities, we must invest in solutions that break cycles of crime. Literacy is not a luxury; it’s a lifeline.