Dangerous prisoners including a domestic abuser who is a risk to children and has a history of stalking have had their release dates brought forward.
The Chief Inspector of Prisons has said the Tories’ plan to let out offenders up to 70 days early “was undermining good, safe release planning and risk management”. Charlie Taylor said resettlement agencies have had to scramble to redraw release plans for prisoners “from scratch in as little as two or three weeks”.
It has left offenders with restraining orders freed early or prisoners with drug problems being released into homelessness. Last week it emerged prisoners would be let out up to 70 days early as the country runs out of spare prison cells. The original early release scheme, which was introduced in October, planned for offenders to be released 18 days early. It was extended to 35-60 days in March.
Shadow Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “The Tories’ attempted cover-up of their prisoner early release scheme is unravelling. The public will rightly be worried to hear of cases where violent prisoners are being released without a proper assessment of the risk they pose to the public, and specifically children.”
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In his inspection report of HMP Lewes, East Sussex, Mr Taylor said: “The inspection of Lewes took place immediately after the introduction of the Government’s early release scheme and found that its implementation was undermining good, safe release planning and risk management. Release dates for some high-risk prisoners had been brought forward at short notice, forcing already stretched resettlement agencies to redraw existing plans from scratch in as little as two or three weeks.”
He said appeals were denied to keep prisoners in jails for longer to give time for plans to be finalised, adding: “Remarkably, homelessness was not a barrier to some of these early releases if it was judged that a further 18 days in prison was unlikely to allow for accommodation to be secured.”
Detailing examples he saw, Mr Taylor continued: “In one case, a high-risk prisoner who was a risk to children had his release date brought forward despite having a history of stalking, domestic abuse and being subject to a restraining order.
“Another high-risk prisoner with significant class A drug misuse issues and a recent history of suicidal thoughts and self-harm was released from the segregation unit to homelessness despite appeals for the decision to be reversed and staff having serious concerns for his and the public’s safety. He was recalled to custody before the inspection had ended.”
A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “While we will always ensure there is enough capacity to keep dangerous offenders behind bars, this scheme allows us to ease short-term pressures on prisons by moving some lower-level offenders at the end of their custodial term on to licence. These offenders will continue to be supervised under strict conditions such as tagging and curfews, and the prison service can block the earlier release of any individual who poses a heightened risk.”