That's the view of North Wales Police Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom, who is a strong supporter of the campaign for a community prison to be built in the region.

Offenders from North Wales are currently scattered in 25 different prisons across the UK – as far afield as Newcastle and Dover.

As a result, says Mr Brunstrom, the European Convention on Human Rights is being contravened every day.

The Chief Constable is backing the campaign being mounted by the North Wales Criminal Justice Board to secure a multi-purpose prison in the region.

Possible sites for a North Wales prison include the former hospital in Denbigh and on the Wrexham Industrial Estate.

The campaign is growing in momentum with support from every single criminal justice agency and all the local authorities in North Wales.

Two sites in North Wales – in Wrexham and Caernarfon – are on a Welsh shortlist of four unveiled by Justice Minister David Hanson, the MP for Delyn.

What's being proposed is a community prison with different wings for male, female and young offenders.

Business leaders are behind the idea of opening a prison as a way of biting back at the credit crunch.

They point to the fact that a prison would provide a huge boost to the regional economy as it would create 1,000 jobs and generate an annual income of £17 million.

Experts also say that, contrary to a popular myth, the area around a prison is a safer place to live because crime rates actually plummet.

Mr Brunstrom said: "First and foremost, a prison is needed for the reintegration of offenders back into society.

"Evidence shows very clearly that, if you disconnect offenders from their home environment, their culture and family, it's much more difficult to reintegrate them back into society.

"We're actually shooting ourselves in the foot. We're taking our offenders and alienating them even further. That's just not sensible.

"Secondly, we are not complying with the European Convention on Human Rights.

"The way in which we are handling some of the most vulnerable people in our society because we haven't got custodial facilities is disgraceful.

"We have had Welsh speaking youngsters in custody as far afield as Newcastle and Dover.

"Although they are offenders, very often they are fragile young people and this is inhumane.

"If you're trying to visit your son and daughter in custody in Newcastle, and you live in somewhere like Blaenau Ffestiniog, you're talking about a two or three day trip if you haven't got a car.

"There is no possibility of us being able to reintegrate people back into society and we are not safeguarding their human rights.

"Most adult males going into custody in North Wales go to Altcourse Prison which is a very good prison.

"Having said that, Altcourse is in Liverpool and it means that if you are a social worker from Barmouth you have a full day's trip to visit somebody there.

"In addition to the impact on families, the whole criminal justice process to support the prison is taken two or three hours' drive away. It is not good for justice.

"We need and deserve a prison in North Wales. There is no doubt the criminal justice process would run better if we had a prison in North Wales."

Is Richard Brunstrom right? Should there be a prison in North Wales?

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