{"id":2477,"date":"2024-09-10T02:37:22","date_gmt":"2024-09-10T02:37:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/last-night-in-jail-for-early-release-prisoners\/"},"modified":"2024-09-10T02:37:22","modified_gmt":"2024-09-10T02:37:22","slug":"last-night-in-jail-for-early-release-prisoners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/last-night-in-jail-for-early-release-prisoners\/","title":{"rendered":"Last night in jail for early release prisoners"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Last night in jail for early release prisoners<\/p>\n<div data-component=\"image-block\" class=\"ssrcss-1b5y2ub-ComponentWrapper-FullWidthWrapper ey0461q0\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-1vfya96-StyledFigure e34k3c22\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-b294mj-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/9d95\/live\/7c916370-6f04-11ef-8c1a-df523ba43a9a.jpg.webp 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/9d95\/live\/7c916370-6f04-11ef-8c1a-df523ba43a9a.jpg.webp 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/9d95\/live\/7c916370-6f04-11ef-8c1a-df523ba43a9a.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/624\/cpsprodpb\/9d95\/live\/7c916370-6f04-11ef-8c1a-df523ba43a9a.jpg.webp 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/9d95\/live\/7c916370-6f04-11ef-8c1a-df523ba43a9a.jpg.webp 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/976\/cpsprodpb\/9d95\/live\/7c916370-6f04-11ef-8c1a-df523ba43a9a.jpg.webp 976w\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Female prison warder stands near gated door in London prison\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/SymBKq.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/9d95\/live\/7c916370-6f04-11ef-8c1a-df523ba43a9a.jpg 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/9d95\/live\/7c916370-6f04-11ef-8c1a-df523ba43a9a.jpg 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/9d95\/live\/7c916370-6f04-11ef-8c1a-df523ba43a9a.jpg 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/624\/cpsprodpb\/9d95\/live\/7c916370-6f04-11ef-8c1a-df523ba43a9a.jpg 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/9d95\/live\/7c916370-6f04-11ef-8c1a-df523ba43a9a.jpg 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/976\/cpsprodpb\/9d95\/live\/7c916370-6f04-11ef-8c1a-df523ba43a9a.jpg 976w\" width=\"999\" height=\"562.4369999999999\" class=\"ssrcss-11yxrdo-Image edrdn950\"><\/picture><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"byline-block\" class=\"ssrcss-1hbb5i-BylineComponentWrapper e8mq1e90\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-qt5zqv-BylineWrapper e8mq1e917\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-h3c0s8-ContributorContainer e8mq1e916\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1u2in0b-Container-ContributorDetails e8mq1e913\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-68pt20-Text-TextContributorName e8mq1e96\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1q14p6q-LinkWithChevronContainer e8mq1e91\">Dominic Casciani<span class=\"ssrcss-o1g7k8-IconContainer-IconContainerChevron e8mq1e93\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" width=\"1em\" height=\"1em\" class=\"ssrcss-xi5oyi-StyledIcon e161cein1\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M21.6 14.3 5.5 31h6.4l14.6-15L11.9 1H5.5l16.1 16.7z\" \/><\/svg><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-84ltp5-Text e8mq1e910\">Home and Legal Correspondent<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-84ltp5-Text e8mq1e910\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1q14p6q-LinkWithChevronContainer e8mq1e91\">@BBCDomC<span class=\"ssrcss-86zs3k-IconContainer-IconContainerChevron e8mq1e93\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" width=\"1em\" height=\"1em\" class=\"ssrcss-xi5oyi-StyledIcon e161cein1\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M21.6 14.3 5.5 31h6.4l14.6-15L11.9 1H5.5l16.1 16.7z\" \/><\/svg><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-jlwt2c-Divider e8mq1e915\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"metadata-block\" class=\"ssrcss-xza2yt-ComponentWrapper ep2nwvo1\">\n<div>\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-1ik71mx-MetadataStripContainer eh44mf03\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-13nu8ri-GroupChildrenForWrapping eh44mf02\">\n<li role=\"listitem\" class=\"ssrcss-30fcoe-MetadataStripItem eh44mf01\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-m5j4pi-MetadataContent eh44mf00\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pvwv4b-MetadataSnippet e4wm5bw3\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1if1g9v-MetadataText e4wm5bw1\"><time data-testid=\"timestamp\" datetime=\"2024-09-09T18:04:01.138Z\">9 September 2024<\/time><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/div>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"links-block\" class=\"ssrcss-12l5xzx-LinksComponentWrapper e3eyuya0\">\n<section class=\"ssrcss-msolhr-LinksWrapper e3eyuya5\">\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-mh3hvv-InContentLinksGrid e3eyuya3\">\n<li class=\"ssrcss-r2yl4r-PromoItem e3eyuya1\">\n<div data-testid=\"promo\" class=\"ssrcss-s1qr4x-Promo e1vyq2e80\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1enzf19-PromoCompact e18gnqux0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1d68cot-PromoContent exn3ah99\">\n<div spacing=\"2\" class=\"ssrcss-1f3bvyz-Stack e1y4nx260\"><span role=\"text\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1sen9vx-PromoHeadline exn3ah96\"><span aria-hidden=\"false\">Chris Mason: Prison release plans spark fears but for ministers it is the only option<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<div spacing=\"2\" class=\"ssrcss-1f3bvyz-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<div>\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-1ik71mx-MetadataStripContainer eh44mf03\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-13nu8ri-GroupChildrenForWrapping eh44mf02\">\n<li role=\"listitem\" class=\"ssrcss-30fcoe-MetadataStripItem eh44mf01\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-m5j4pi-MetadataContent eh44mf00\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pvwv4b-MetadataSnippet e4wm5bw3\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1if1g9v-MetadataText e4wm5bw1\">2 hours ago<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/div>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\"><b class=\"ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3\">Up to 1,750 offenders are spending their last night in prison before being released under the Ministry of Justice\u2019s emergency plan to ease the overcrowding crisis in jails.<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Releases are due to begin on Tuesday morning as governors unlock cells under the plan to free up 5,500 beds.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">One charity has warned that women and children will become the unintended victims of the emergency plans &#8211; while rehabilitation specialists fear any rushed releases will compromise vital work in turning around the lives of some offenders.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The chief inspector of prisons told the BBC his \u201cbiggest concern\u201d was whether everyone released had accommodation to go to, a crucial part of stopping ex-offenders becoming homeless.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Last week prisons reached a record population of more than 88,500. That meant almost all of them were full, a situation that had been coming for months but had been exacerbated by the summer\u2019s riots.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Under the emergency plans announced in July, offenders serving sentences of fewer than five years will be released on licence into the community after having spent 40% of their term in jail, rather than the usual 50%.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">On 22 October the scheme will be expanded to include offenders serving fixed sentences of more than five years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The plan excludes offenders jailed for violent offences with sentences of at least four years, as well as sex offenders and domestic abusers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The release licence means offenders will be subject to restrictions for the rest of their sentence, including curfews and tagging, and will be supervised by probation officers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The scheme was triggered by the incoming Labour government days after the general election, but officials had already been drawing it up when the Conservatives were in power.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Labour delayed implementing the new release rules until this week to give prison governors, the probation service and resettlement and rehabilitation organisations time to prepare.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Isabelle Younane of Women\u2019s Aid said that while the charity recognised that overcrowding was a serious issue it feared the emergency policy was coming at the price of the safety of women and children.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">\u201cThe early release scheme relies heavily on an already overstretched and struggling probation service,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">On Saturday Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said that ministers were \u201cdoing everything\u201d to ensure domestic abusers are not released early.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The Victims&#8217; Commissioner has warned some people have not been informed of the early release of the person responsible for committing a crime against them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Baroness Newlove said this would be &#8220;distressing\u201d for many victims and that people&#8217;s safety must not be &#8220;in any way compromised&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The BBC has contacted the Ministry of Justice for more information.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Each former prisoner must meet their probation officer on the day of their release to ensure they understand the restrictions in their release licence. That may include curfews or bans on entering areas connected to their offending or to approach victims.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Yvonne Thomas, chief executive of The Clink, a charity that has a long history of training offenders for work, warned it was crucial that people leaving prison got a safe and secure start to minimise the risk of them re-offending.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">\u201cThe last four to six weeks since the announcement has been quite challenging,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">\u201cThe knock-on effect is that if resettlement is not properly planned, then resettlement fails. Recalls to prison are going up and the whole thing has become really dysfunctional.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">\u201cThese releases are going to be challenging and put more strain on us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Ms Thomas said that up to a fifth of the charity\u2019s prisoner trainees could be released early. That meant they would leave jail without finishing industry-recognised qualifications crucial to landing their first job.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">\u201cGuys and girls are unsettled and they don\u2019t know what is going to happen,\u201d said Ms Thomas.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">\u201cPeople have to leave prison with a qualification for work &#8211; the whole basis of rehabilitation has to be rooted in employability.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"embed-flourish-block\" id=\"19300213\" class=\"ssrcss-vwy109-FlourishContainer eockrme0\">\n<div data-component=\"include-html\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/flo.uri.sh\/visualisation\/19300213\/embed?auto=1\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" height=\"575\" width=\"700\" style=\"width:100%;\" title=\"Interactive or visual content\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">A key challenge for officials working on the scheme is ensuring that any homeless ex-offender has somewhere to go if they are released. A government scheme aims to guarantee up to 84 nights\u2019 accommodation for anyone in this situation &#8211; but in practice some offenders end up on the streets.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Charlie Taylor, the chief inspector of prisons in England and Wales, told the BBC his \u201cbiggest concern initially&#8221; was where people were &#8220;going to stay that first night\u201d, warning a surge in cases of homelessness was likely.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The release of 1,750 prisoners on Tuesday, in addition to the roughly 1,000 people let out weekly, has put already stretched prison services under \u201cextraordinary pressure\u201d to ensure prisoners are ready to leave, Mr Taylor said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">It is &#8220;inevitable&#8221; that if people do not have support and stable housing they risk reoffending or breaching their licence conditions \u201cand end up inside again anyway\u201d, he added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Mr Taylor&#8217;s comments followed the publication of his annual report on the state of prisons, in which he detailed a &#8220;fragile, overcrowded&#8221; system and his &#8220;alarm&#8221; at the prevalence of violence and drug use behind bars.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Mark Fairhurst of the Prison Officers Association said the early release plan would create \u201cbreathing space\u201d in overcrowded jails &#8211; but not without risks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">\u201cWe have had six weeks to prepare &#8211; and probation are overworked and under-staffed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">\u201cBut I think there has been enough liaison between all partner agencies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">\u201cThe issue is whether are there enough bed spaces for everybody for secure accommodation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">\u201cThere are no guarantees when we release anyone that they won\u2019t reoffend.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The Ministry of Justice is aiming to recruit 1,000 more probation officers by next spring to help manage the increasing number of ex-offenders in the community.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Officials project the 40% release scheme will cut spending on prisons by \u00a3200m a year &#8211; and rehabilitation advocates say that cash must be diverted into proven resettlement programmes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"piano-inline1\"><\/div>\n<div data-component=\"topic-list\" class=\"ssrcss-1qmkvfu-TopicListWrapper etw6iwl1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-113c0cq-StyledTagContainer ed0g1kj1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-50vlbt-TopicListHeaderWrapper etw6iwl0\">\n<h2 type=\"normal\" class=\"ssrcss-ad2rmd-Heading e10rt3ze0\">Related topics<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17ehax8-Cluster e1ihwmse1\">\n<ul role=\"list\" spacing=\"2\" class=\"ssrcss-1ujonwb-ClusterItems e1ihwmse0\">\n<li>Prisons<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Published at Mon, 09 Sep 2024 23:00:17 +0000<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last night in jail for early release prisoners Dominic Casciani Home and Legal Correspondent @BBCDomC 9 September 2024 Chris Mason: Prison release plans spark fears but for ministers it is the only option 2 hours ago Up to 1,750 offenders are spending their last night in prison before being released under the Ministry of Justice\u2019s&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/last-night-in-jail-for-early-release-prisoners\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Last night in jail for early release prisoners<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2478,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2477","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uk-politics","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2477","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2477"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2477\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2478"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2477"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2477"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2477"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}