Jail inmates 'to be freed early'

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BBC NEWS

Lord Falconer is expected to announce the early release of up to 2,000 non-violent inmates, to combat prison overcrowding in England and Wales.

The Justice Secretary's statement, due in the House of Lords, comes as the prison population breaks the 81,000 barrier for the first time.

It would affect prisoners such as drug dealers, burglars and fraudsters, who are nearing the end of their sentences.

Last month Lord Falconer said he would not use early release to ease pressure.

The Conservatives have condemned the plan, with their home affairs spokesman Edward Garnier saying it posed a risk to the public.

And in a speech to police officers in Manchester, Gordon Brown promised new money for more prison places.


PRISON FACTS AND FIGURES
About 147 people per 100,000 are in prison in England and Wales - the highest proportion in Western Europe
The prison population has almost doubled from about 41,000 in 1993
More than 17,000 prison spaces have been created since 1997 - a further 8,000 are planned
More than half of prisoners serve less than six months, and one in five is held on remand
About two thirds of released prisoners are reconvicted within two years

Mr Brown, addressing delegates to the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo), did not say what increase in capacity that will bring.

BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said Lord Falconer's announcement would not be based on the Early Executive Release scheme, under which the home secretary has the right to release prisoners.

Our correspondent said the justice secretary was more likely to announce a release scheme for low-risk, non-violent prisoners.

It would involve some kind of monitoring or release conditions but probably not tagging.

Details for the scheme, which is believed to have been discussed with Prime Minister Tony Blair and Chancellor Gordon Brown, are yet to be finalised.

Safety warning

Jails in England and Wales are at bursting point - on Monday night the total prison population was 81,016, with 80,512 in prison cells and 504 in police and court cells.

But ministers have been loath to introduce any form of early release, fearing it would dent public confidence in the justice system.


HAVE YOUR SAY
Prisoners should serve their sentence. The way to tackle this is to build new prisons
Martin Long, Nottingham

Harry Fletcher, the assistant general secretary of the National Association of Probation Officers, said Home Office projections back in the late 1990s were warning of a prison population above 80,000.

"They've had eight, nine years and really done nothing, so there's been no easing up on sentencing because it would be unpopular but also there's been no substantial building programme and no provision for probation," Mr Fletcher told Five Live.

'Take the heat off'

Prison Reform Trust director Juliet Lyon said: "Releasing some people, assessed as no risk to the public, will take the heat off overcrowded jails for a while.

Government must use this respite to set out how it will reserve prison for serious and violent offenders
Juliet Lyon
Prison Reform Trust

"Instead of lurching from crisis to crisis, government must use this respite to set out how it will reserve prison for serious and violent offenders."

Chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, Jan Berry said: "A short-term revolving-door policy does nothing to protect the public, to motivate police officers or addresses the prison crisis in the long term.

"Whilst in the future it could be made possible to effectively monitor more offenders in the community, the structure and the resources are not in place to make this a safe or viable option at the present time."

On Monday, the Prison Governors Association said convicts should be set free a week early to stop court and police cells being used instead of jails and give the system some "breathing space".
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/h...ws/6766119.stm

Published: 2007/06/19 12:42:29 GMT