Daniel Gee, a prisoner serving an indefinite sentence for making threats to kill in 2010, has absconded from an open jail. The 44-year-old inmate was assessed as posing a significant risk to the public and has been subject to months of police surveillance. During this time, police recorded him making threats to kill and attempting to obtain firearms. His sentencing in 2010 came after he was shot in the stomach outside a Liverpool pub on New Year’s Day 2008. He went on to threaten the family of the man later jailed for the crime and was found guilty of two counts of threats to kill, two of blackmail, and conspiracy to possess ammunition and firearms.
Cleveland Police are leading the search for Gee, who is said to have absconded from a Category D prison in the area. Category D prisons are low-security and allow inmates to spend most of their day outside jail carrying out work and educational activities as part of their rehabilitation. In a statement, the Ministry of Justice confirmed that an abscond was a rare occurrence, saying: “All prisoners in Category D prisons are robustly risk-assessed and absconds are rare.”
A spokesperson for the Ministry added that any offenders breaking the rules would be punished and face additional time in prison. The Ministry is working closely with the police to locate Gee and return him to custody.
The incident highlights the difficulty in balancing prisoner rehabilitation and public protection. While Category D prisons offer a chance for prisoners to reintegrate into society following their sentences, absconds such as this pose a real risk to the public. Prisons take on a difficult role in protecting the public from potentially dangerous inmates whilst also attempting to prepare them for life outside of prison
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