Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.
The justice secretary in England and Wales has announced a plan to release over a thousand inmates early in order to address the overcrowding crisis in prisons. Offenders serving one to four years who are recalled to prison for breaching their licences will be released after 28 days, as part of the new initiative. Shabana Mahmood highlighted a £4.7bn investment for more prisons, noting that simply building more facilities will not solve the crisis.
The Ministry of Justice issued a warning that without action, the government would run out of prison spaces within five months. Despite previous statements ruling out emergency releases, the government now aims to free up around 1,400 prison places to prevent a collapse of the system. This move will exclude individuals who commit serious further offenses or pose a high risk, according to Mahmood.
The construction of three new prisons has already begun near HMP Gartree in Leicestershire, supported by the £4.7bn capital investment. However, Mahmood stressed that the focus should not solely be on building new facilities, as the real issues in the prison system need to be addressed. The upcoming review of sentencing, led by former minister David Gauke, is expected to bring further changes but will not take effect until next year.
In response to the announcement, shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick criticized the move, emphasizing the need to prioritize public safety. The chairman of the Prison Officers Association, Mark Fairhurst, suggested that investing in modernizing the prison estate and other support services would be more beneficial than building new facilities. The release of offenders, particularly those who have reoffended, has raised concerns among victims and the general public about the effectiveness of the current system
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.