Keir Starmer to let out home abusers below new scheme
Domestic abusers are set to be released from behind bars under Labour’s new early release scheme, reports claim.
The governments ‘SDS40’ scheme, could see prisoners automatically freed after serving between 40 to 45 per cent of their prison time, as ministers attempt to tackle the overcrowding crisis in UK prisons.
Among the 1,700 set to walk free next Tuesday are a man who told his partner he was ‘enjoying’ attacking her and another who strangled his partner and broke her jaw, The Times reports.
Under Sir Keir’s Starmer’s new scheme, Connor Shaw will only serve 13 months of his prison sentence after subjecting his partner to years of mental and physical abuse.
He was originally sentenced 32 months behinds bars after breaking her jaw, strangling her, and threatening to throw acid in her face.
Domestic abusers are set to be released from behind bars under Labour’s new early release scheme (Pictured: Keir Starmer)
Among the 1,700 set to walk free next Tuesday is Connor Shaw who was sentenced 32 months behinds bars after breaking his partner’s jaw, strangling her, and threatening to throw acid in her face
Shane Riley, who said he ‘enjoyed’ attacking his partner after she broke off their relationship will also be free after serving barely nine months of his sentence
Another abuser who will be granted freedom after serving barely half of his prison sentence is Shane Riley.
The then 44-year-old said he was ‘enjoying’ assaulting his partner as he punched, kicked and headbutted the victim in her Soham home when broke off their relationship on June 8, 2020.
He was sentenced to 23 months for causing actual bodily harm, common assault, making threats to kill, and criminal damage. He will serve less than nine months.
Inmates now behind bars will be set free after serving only 40 per cent of their sentence – lowered from the previous 50 per cent – in a fresh bid to tackle prison overcrowding.
The emergency plan, also known as standard determinate sentence 40 SDS40, will mark the first time the automatic release point for prisoners fell below half sentence served.
It comes as official figures showed there were 88,521 people behind bars on Friday, 171 more than the previous record set at the end of last week.
The prison population has now risen by 1,025 people over the past four weeks and now stands at its highest level since weekly population data was first published in 2011.
Jordan Green, who was put behind bars after he pleaded guilty to robbery and dangerous driving in March, will also be released under the new scheme
The governments ‘SDS40’ scheme, could see prisoners automatically freed after serving between 40 to 45 per cent of their prison time, as ministers attempt to tackle the overcrowding crisis in UK prisons (Pictured: HMP Wandsworth)
Another offender who will also taste freedom thanks to Labour’s new scheme will be Jordan Green, who was put behind bars after he pleaded guilty to robbery and dangerous driving in March.
He was jailed for 27 months after an incident saw him approach a woman’s window in Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees and screech: ‘Get out of the f***ing car’
He proceeded to hurl her mobile phone out of his window as he sped off, which allowed her take an image the criminal.
Green, who was previously handed a prison sentence after he attacked his own mother. will only spend four months in jail.
Sir Keir Starmer previously told the BBC no high-risk prisoners will be released, maintaining that risk assessment procedures will be put in place to prevent this.
Despite this, the Prime Minister confessed the risk could not be entirely quashed, saying: ‘We have put a threshold on risk, very much bearing in mind the victims in this.’
Newly appointed Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has declared several offences would also be exempt from the new scheme in a bid to keep the public safe from the most dangerous criminals.
Crimes exempt from the new early release scheme include prisoners sentences for sexual and violent offences of over four years.
Newly appointed Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood (Pictured has declared several offences would also be exempt from the new scheme in a bid to keep the public safe from the most dangerous criminals
Crimes exempt from the new early release scheme include prisoners sentences for sexual and violent offences of over four years (stock image)
Mahmood also aimed to curb the amount of domestic abusers set free from prison, by ensuring those serving time for coercive control, stalking, harassment or breach of a restraining or non-molestation order as well as non-fatal throttling would be exempt.
The Justice Secretary was previously advised that the emergency early release plan could prevent prisons running out of space within weeks.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) was been told by officials that the move would give them an extra 18 months to allow more prison places to be freed up. It would also allow for a wider review of sentencing to take place.
According to The Times, the government had announced the early release scheme two months prior so that relevant bodies and services had time to get ready for inmates to be released, and to tell their victims.
