I am very concerned about the links between drugs, drink, mental health and crime.

Two thirds of people entering prison test positive for class A drugs, 280,000 problem drug users cause around half of all crime and 53% of burglaries, shoplifting offences and car thefts are drug related.

Alcohol related crime costs the UK £7.3 billion per year in terms of policing, prevention services, processing offenders through the criminal justice system and human costs incurred by the victims of crime.

And 72% of male and 70% of female prisoners suffer from two or more mental health disorders.

Prison isn't a hospital or a health centre; it's a punishment of last resort. So why spend millions of pounds of taxpayers' money locking up non-violent offenders who are mentally ill or addicted to drugs and drink? I believe that investing in treatment and support for these people before they commit crime, or as a key part of a community punishment order for non- violent offenders, is far more effective than just locking them up.

Its time the government took action to deal with this situation and thus make communities safer.