Early release considered to ease bulging jails
Thousands of low-risk criminals could be released early under plans being considered by ministers to ease prison overcrowding.
As the jail population in England and Wales tops 79,000, the Home Office has confirmed that it is looking at a “number of options” to manage the problem.
One measure could include allowing low-risk prisoners – people sentenced to more than four weeks but less than four years – out of jail ten days before the end of their sentence.
In June, the Home Office dismissed media reports that it was considering the use of administrative release, where inmates serving less than a year would be freed early if the prison population became unmanageable.
But while a spokeswoman for the department today made clear that no decisions have yet to be taken on the issue, she said the government was keeping its options open.
“The new home secretary has made additional prison places a high priority,” the Home Office spokeswoman said.
“In July, he announced that a further 8,000 prison places will be built to manage the pressures on the prison population following the recent review of the criminal justice system.
“In the meantime, a number of options for managing the prison population are being considered, but no decision has been taken.”
The plans would not include high-risk prisoners such as those convicted of manslaughter, child cruelty, grievous bodily harm with intent or sex offences.
However, Alan Gordon, vice chairman of the Police Federation, condemned the plans, saying there was “nothing more demoralising” for victims of crime and officers who had worked hard to secure convictions than to see offenders released early.
“All too often their failure to complete supervised rehabilitation programmes results in them returning to a life of crime, so a short-term fix by the government just results in a long term problem for society,” he said.
“Prisoners should serve their full sentences and if we need more prisons then let’s build them. Whilst the idea being considered by the Home Office may just be to release ten days early, that’s ten days less rehabilitation and ten days more to re-offend.”
Last month, home secretary John Reid’s prison-building plans were condemned by opposition parties as inadequate, after new Home Office research suggested that the prison population could reach 102,280 by 2012.
The extra 8,000 prison places would only take the total places available in England and Wales to about 90,000 by that time – leaving a shortfall of more than 10,000.
Shadow home secretary David Davis accused the government of “serial failure” in dealing with prison overcrowding, and his Liberal Democrat counterpart, Nick Clegg, was similarly critical.
“The government has totally failed to put in place a long term strategy to tackle the ever-growing numbers of prisoners. What we need is a coherent plan from the Home Office, not a series of panic measures,” he said.
