The chairman of an influential committee of MPs has launched a stinging attack on the British justice system.
Sir Alan Beith, chairman of the House of Commons Justice Committee, said the Government lacked "a coherent sentencing policy".
He said ministers had failed to consult on plans for giant "Titan" prisons, which were presented as a "fait accompli", and he criticised indeterminate sentences for the most serious offenders.
Community sentences were being undermined because the probation service lacked resources, he said.
Multi-million pound Titans include several smaller prisons within a large complex and could each hold 2,500 prisoners.
Sir Alan said: "We were promised a 'national conversation' (on Titans) - what we seem to have instead is a fait accompli.
"What has been lacking in this debate and was lacking from the Carter Review is policy based on solid evidence: to us and many others the evidence shows that in terms of rehabilitation and reducing re-offending - that is, preventing more crime - prison simply isn't working."
Sir Alan's comments came after ministers responded to the Committee's report, Towards Effective Sentencing, which was published in July.
Justice Minister David Hanson said: "We are unapologetic about our approach to law and order: it has made our communities safer and there is no greater priority for government. Prison sentences which punish and reform through education and training are a vital part of that strategy which has led to such a dramatic fall in crime."
The Carter Review, carried out by Labour peer Lord Carter of Coles, recommended giant new prisons to handle the expanding prison population - a suggestion accepted by the Government.
