PRESS RELEASE : Tribute to Lord David Ramsbotham [December 2022]
The press release issued as a tribute to Lord David Ramsbotham by the Prison Reform Trust on 16 December 2022.
Lord David Ramsbotham — as good as it gets
Everyone at the Prison Reform Trust, and everyone with an interest in prison reform, will have been saddened by the news of David’s passing this week. He was literally and metaphorically a towering figure in our world — instantly recognisable for his bearing and the meticulous care with which he framed his devastating critique of all that needed changing in our prison system.
Indefatigable is probably the best the dictionary can offer to describe his persistence and energy, but it feels completely inadequate. Until a very short time before his death, he was as active and as sharp as ever; a fount of wisdom and a polite but incessant reminder to those in authority about where their duty lay in the care of the people we choose to imprison.
He never forgot the gap that can exist between what the policy says should happen and the real experience of people on the ground.
David set a standard for prison inspection — and the personal courage of the Chief Inspector — that has long outlived his tenure of that office. Whatever the Home Office expected when he was appointed in 1993, it got a good deal more than it had bargained for. Prisons are a secret, forgotten world for most of the time, and can suffer political neglect as a consequence. David recognised that he could change that, bringing the work of the inspectorate firmly into the public eye as a means to force change in a public service that desperately needed it. I first came across him when I was a young policy civil servant in the prison service, and I suspect he would have been quietly pleased to know that I and my colleagues found ourselves irritated and frequently wrong footed by him. But face to face he was unfailingly generous and quick to assume that, whatever your role, you would be as enthusiastic to change things for the better as he was. If a little fur needed to fly to achieve that, there was no need to take it personally.
David set a standard for prison inspection — and the personal courage of the Chief Inspector — that has long outlived his tenure of that office.
After entering the House of Lords, David developed a mastery of the parliamentary process to match his skill in navigating Whitehall. He co-chaired the All Party Parliamentary Group for Penal Affairs for many years until very shortly before his death. His presence undoubtedly encouraged a steady stream of ministers and other senior office holders to expose themselves to the careful scrutiny of that group, and most would leave both challenged and better informed about the history of the problems which they were charged to solve. David’s support of many and varied charities devoted to helping people in prison said much about his passion, but also meant that he was continually one of the best informed people in any room. He never forgot the gap that can exist between what the policy says should happen and the real experience of people on the ground.
As a consequence he leaves something of a chasm in our world. But he will also be remembered with huge affection at a personal level. He had an astonishing memory for people, perhaps especially for those at the bottom of the pile. It would be inconceivable for David to treat a prisoner with any less respect or attention than a secretary of state, and his recall not just of individuals, but of their achievements and opinions, was extraordinary. It is easy to conjure up an image of David speaking in the Lords, chairing meetings or being interviewed on the TV, but I think that stored knowledge of people speaks to someone who listened as brilliantly as he spoke.
We have lost a great man.
Peter Dawson
Director
