By Danny Shaw BBC home affairs correspondent

Mr Clarke's views are in many ways similar to those of his predecessor

Since he took over as home secretary from David Blunkett in December 2004, Charles Clarke hasn't had much time to take a long-term view about penal policy.

The Law Lords' Belmarsh ruling, the general election and the London bombings have seen to that.

But, nine months on from taking office, Mr Clarke has decided that it's now time to set out his vision for prisons and probation - the correctional services, as they're now officially referred to.

In many ways, his vision differs little from those of his predecessor.

Prison is the right place for dangerous criminals - the public must be protected, he says.

Mr Clarke's tone is perhaps a little less harsh than Mr Blunkett's was Community jails proposed

For non-violent offenders, more use should be made of community sentences, which can be a tough and constructive alternative to custody.

The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) - which Mr Blunkett established to provide a more co-ordinated approach to sentence management - is here to stay, according to Mr Clarke.

And with it comes the prospect of further involvement from the private sector.

But Mr Clarke's tone is perhaps a little less harsh than Mr Blunkett's was.

Tailored sentencing

He emphasises the importance of education, health and housing in cutting reoffending rates.

And he points out that there are a number of different kinds of prisoners in jail - some on remand, others with drug and mental health problems - each of them requiring a sentence tailored to their individual needs.

The concept of "community prisons" is one of his central themes, with inmates being held close to their families, and jails becoming a "vital part of the civic fabric of every locality".

Mr Clarke will attempt to achieve his objective of community prisons without building any new jails

Few would argue that it makes sense for offenders to maintain family ties while they're behind bars, and to build links with prospective employers so they can find work when they're released.

But with inmate numbers at near-record levels, and staff already struggling to find places for prisoners which are close to their homes, it's an ambitious aim.

Mr Clarke will attempt to achieve his objective of "community prisons" without building any new jails. There's no Treasury money for this in any case.

Plan B?

So capacity will remain at the 78,000 level for the foreseeable future.

But he's equally clear that he doesn't want prison capacity to drive sentencing policy - if an offender is a danger to the public he should be jailed, if a community sentence is appropriate then it should be used.

The danger with this approach is that it doesn't allow for the unpredictability of prison numbers.

Seasonal fluctuations or a period of stiffer sentences caused by a high-profile crime can send the jail population spiralling upwards, and that in turn can lead to prisoner unrest.

Perhaps Mr Clarke has a "Plan B" to ease jail overcrowding in case it gets out of control.

No doubt those who've held the post before him will tell him that no home secretary should leave home without it.