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19/06/2007
Prisoners to be released early
Some prisoners will be allowed to be released early in order to ease prison overcrowding in England and Wales, the government has announced.
Justice Secretary Lord Falconer told the House of Lords that the new measure would only apply to prisoners serving sentences of four years or less and those who were up to 18 days away from the end of their sentence.
The new guidance will come into effect from June 29.
Lord Falconer also announced that an extra 1,500 prison places would be made available from January 2008. These will be additional to the 8,000 prison places which were previously announced and are now being built.
The announcement marks a U-turn for the government as last month Lord Falconer said that early release of prisoners would not be an option to solve the overcrowding problem.
The move has been criticised by the Conservatives. Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said: "This is disgraceful and a direct consequence of the government's absolute failure to deal with the crises in our prisons.
"It is bad enough that the British public have been paying the £1 million a week bill to keep offenders in court cells. Now they are going to pay with their safety."
The Liberal Democrats said that the move was the "criminal justice policy of the madhouse". The party's justice spokesperson Simon Hughes said: "If the government thinks it has been tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime by allowing judges to decide on sentences and then letting other prisoners out early it has learnt little in the last ten years.
"We can only hope that a new Prime Minister and new ministers apply policies that work and end this growing and dangerous crisis."
(KMcA/JM)
Justice Secretary Lord Falconer told the House of Lords that the new measure would only apply to prisoners serving sentences of four years or less and those who were up to 18 days away from the end of their sentence.
The new guidance will come into effect from June 29.
Lord Falconer also announced that an extra 1,500 prison places would be made available from January 2008. These will be additional to the 8,000 prison places which were previously announced and are now being built.
The announcement marks a U-turn for the government as last month Lord Falconer said that early release of prisoners would not be an option to solve the overcrowding problem.
The move has been criticised by the Conservatives. Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said: "This is disgraceful and a direct consequence of the government's absolute failure to deal with the crises in our prisons.
"It is bad enough that the British public have been paying the £1 million a week bill to keep offenders in court cells. Now they are going to pay with their safety."
The Liberal Democrats said that the move was the "criminal justice policy of the madhouse". The party's justice spokesperson Simon Hughes said: "If the government thinks it has been tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime by allowing judges to decide on sentences and then letting other prisoners out early it has learnt little in the last ten years.
"We can only hope that a new Prime Minister and new ministers apply policies that work and end this growing and dangerous crisis."
(KMcA/JM)
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Foreign prisoners escape deportation
More than 1,000 foreign prisoners have been released in the UK instead of being deported, Home Office figures have shown. The number includes three murderers and nine rapists, as well as five people convicted of committing sex offences on children, seven convicted for other sex offences, 57 for violent offences and two for manslaughter.
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Prisoners' Privileges Shake-Up Announced
The Ministry of Justice has announced a major shake-up to the rights of prisoners to receive privileges, to be introduced before the end of the year. Under the new rules, prisoners in England and Wales will have to "work towards their own rehabilitation and help others" in order to earn privileges.
Prisoners' Privileges Shake-Up Announced
The Ministry of Justice has announced a major shake-up to the rights of prisoners to receive privileges, to be introduced before the end of the year. Under the new rules, prisoners in England and Wales will have to "work towards their own rehabilitation and help others" in order to earn privileges.
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16 February 2007
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Home Secretary to announce new prisons
The Home Secretary John Reid is to announce plans for two new prisons, providing an extra 1,300 spaces. The prisons, which will reportedly cost more than £160m, will be located near Ashworth high security mental hospital in Merseyside and next to Belmarsh prison in Woolwich, south east London.
04 April 2005
Campaign to give vote to prisoners launched
A campaign to give sentenced prisoners the right to vote in the forthcoming general election has been launched. A coalition, which includes senior cross party politicians, church leaders, ex-offenders, human rights groups and prisoner reformers, wants a review of the 135-year-old law, which prevents offenders from voting.
Campaign to give vote to prisoners launched
A campaign to give sentenced prisoners the right to vote in the forthcoming general election has been launched. A coalition, which includes senior cross party politicians, church leaders, ex-offenders, human rights groups and prisoner reformers, wants a review of the 135-year-old law, which prevents offenders from voting.
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