Starmer defends releasing prisoners from jail early to free up cell space
The Prime Minister has defended freeing criminals early from prison as he angrily blamed previous government inaction for forcing him into the move.
Sir Keir Starmer lashed out at former prime minister Rishi Sunak in the Commons, repeating claims he had no choice but to cut the amount of time prisoners would serve behind bars amid urgent efforts to tackle the jail overcrowding crisis.
His comments were in response to accusations from Reform UK’s leader that Sir Keir was presiding over a two-tier justice system.
Nigel Farage described “some extraordinary celebratory scenes outside Britain’s prisons, where in some cases serious career criminals were released” after pictures emerged of an inmate being sprayed with frothing bottles of bubbly by friends as they left jail.
Tuesday’s exodus of 1,700 prisoners from jails across England and Wales came after Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced plans in July to temporarily cut the proportion of sentences which inmates must serve behind bars from 50% to 40% as the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said overcrowding had pushed jails to the “point of collapse”.
Anger
At Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Mr Farage said: “This to make way for, yes, rioters, but equally those who have said unpleasant things on Facebook and elsewhere on social media.
“Does the Prime Minister understand there is a growing feeling of anger in this country that we are living through two-tier policing and a two-tier justice system?”
Sir Keir hit back, telling MPs: “I’m angry to be put in a position of having to release people who should be in prison because the last government broke the prison system.
“The prime minister was repeatedly warned that he had to adopt the scheme that we put in place.”
Referring to reports on Alex Chalk’s pleas to enact the scheme when in post, he said the former justice secretary “said if we don’t do it we will have to get down on our knees and pray”.
Police chiefs also “made it absolutely clear” to Mr Sunak before the election that he “needed to take action”, he said – in reference to a letter police chiefs sent him in June urging him to put the plan in motion immediately as prison overcrowding was hampering officers’ ability to do their jobs.
“That’s how bad it was. He (Mr Sunak) delayed and increased the risks,” Sir Keir added.
Prisons watchdog Charlie Taylor has warned the scheme is “risky” and it was “inevitable” some prisoners released early would reoffend and end up back behind bars.
Some who are homeless on release could be temporarily placed in taxpayer-funded budget hotels if there is not enough space in bail hostels and other community accommodation typically used for offenders.
The number freed is in addition to the around 1,000 inmates normally released each week.
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
Tens of thousands of those criminals released and those in prison are foreign nationals, surely they should be deported as a first move. That would free up so much space.
farage? He is a stirrer, no better than the wail or torygraph. I know Labour are a dirty word here but lets not hong on farages every word. Farage wants to push the two tier trope for his own ends. He repeated unfounded lies during the lead up, he is not a source of reliable information. I wonder who supplied the booze that was seen on the press a lot. Really have to wonder some times. Sunak was warned before he called the election, this was going to happen no matter what and who was in post. 14 years the… Read more »
If there is one serious offence committed by one of those released after serving 40% of their sentence then who will be held responsible to the victims?
The Tory party.
Grayling, that same oik that tanked the probation service (important for the prisons to run etc.) and hired a ferry firm with no ferries, he took his seat in the HoL a very short while ago.