The early release scheme it's a gimmick and helps no-one but criminals. Just build more prisons.

I've thought for a long time that it's a societal problem. Early intervention should be made high priority. It was sad when Sure start was stopped. Children go to their GP for vaccinations but rarely are the family asked how they are managing. There are obvious known families which need more intervention support and mentoring. But there are many families unable to cope for multiple reasons. Any many only just getting by. Unless government's really understands and invests in educating and meeting the needs of these families, it shouldn't surprise us that many become dysfunctional. This should include many more fully qualified social workers and way more support for schools, educational psychologists and far more outreach and role model support with the aim being early intervention.

Nannee49

Non violent criminals yes.

Violent criminals absolutely NOT.

Absolutely. There is no point in locking up fraudsters for example. Instead they should undertake some sort of community service as they are not a physical threat to anyone.

When you think about it, emergency services personnel should be put first ( to deter attackers) as their jobs are all about keeping us safe, police, firefighters and ambulance staff.If there wasn’t a chance of any earlier release than two thirds of a sentence for violent people who harm them it sends a powerful message.

Doodledog

I am so sorry to hear the story of your relative, Luckygirl. Prison won't have helped them at all, and it would have been better had there been help, rather than punishment.

Oreo I am inclined to agree about emergency services workers, except that making some lives more valuable than others is politically difficult, and unfair to people who lose non-emergency service loved ones to violence, too.

I'd like to see prisons reserved for violent offenders and those who repeatedly offend, with more imaginative measures for others. If that happened, there would be space for violent offenders to serve their full terms, with maybe small concessions for good behaviour.

I utterly agree.

Perhaps if non-violent prisoners were not sent to prison in the first place and given both penalties serving in our community and rehabilitation (many are addicts or mentally unwell) and monitored carefully and prisons had the resource and capability to try and re-train and rehabilitate more serious convicted prisoners perhaps our re-offending rate might be much lower.

Whilst I’m not holding the Tories completely responsible, they had 14 years to help resolve this situation.

Then there’s our somewhat (mad) differentiating justice system, where it appears some crimes carry far less penalties than perhaps we, the general public, feel the should.

What I think about those two ministers joking is that they are sorry that they were caught out by a recording which revealed their true selves.
Neither is a political novice; both hold high office and both have now tarnished their carefully constructed reputation.

I am so sorry to hear the story of your relative, Luckygirl. Prison won't have helped them at all, and it would have been better had there been help, rather than punishment.

Oreo I am inclined to agree about emergency services workers, except that making some lives more valuable than others is politically difficult, and unfair to people who lose non-emergency service loved ones to violence, too.

I'd like to see prisons reserved for violent offenders and those who repeatedly offend, with more imaginative measures for others. If that happened, there would be space for violent offenders to serve their full terms, with maybe small concessions for good behaviour.

Anyone who harms our emergency services should never be considered for this new early release scheme.

Sunshinegirls

Mamood and Streeting caught having a laugh about early release scheme someone said 'He wants to release them all' to much laughter and knocking their drinks back mmmm many a true word spoken in jest.

You seriously believe these ministers want to release them all? Come on now.

England and Wales has highest per capita prison population in Western Europe. 145 inmates per 100,000people. Significantly more than the Western European,'s average of 83 per 100,000. It is roughly double the rate in Germany 72 per 100,000 and the Netherlands. 94 per cent of people in prison are adult males. Causes in UK are lengthening sentences, remand, release reoffending and policing. So the system clearly isn't working.

Primrose53

I can’t imagine how the family and friends of the poor young man who was dragged along the road until he died are feeling.

No way should those feral scum be given an early release. Shocking!

Isn’t it? But by being on the news a lot, it will give AB pause for thought and hopefully they will have to serve the usual two thirds of a sentence with good behaviour and nothing less!
Anything less than that usual sentence should be reserved for non violent crime, there’s plenty of it so should free up prison places.
If anyone says it really is for non violent crimes I would say check again from what I have read that isn’t the case.

Excellent post Luckygirl3

The prison estate expanded by 27,830 from 1997 - 2010 under Labour.

This was made up of new and upgrading existing facilities.

The experience in Lucky’s family will be familiar to anyone who worked in Probation, or a young offenders team.

Early release is not, so far as I’m aware, always agreed. Those released or on licence, have to abide by strict regulations under the supervision of a Probation to serve the rest of their sentence. Breach the regulations, get recalled to prison.

Sadly the privatisation of what was an effective, well established Probation service was a disaster. Like other areas of public and criminal justice system, recruitment and retention is a problem. PO’s are not managing large caseloads. Support services and good inter agency communication and working together a thing of the past.

Countries that take a more preventive, less punitive approach to offender management send less people to prison and have lower reoffending rates. Alongside this, they have better support and preventive services. Investing in Propbation, young offenders team teams, drug, alcohol, mental health support is cost effective. Large numbers of prisoners have specific learning difficulties like dyslexia. I’ve met many prisoners who have had basic literacy support in custody. They are very proud to show the certificates confirming attendance and progress.

It’s not idealistic to want better services it’s realistic and cost effective.

For the avoidance of doubt , I hope the two young men don’t get early release. They were passengers in the car, their behaviour in court appalling. I wonder if they’ve been model prisoners 🙈

The early release scheme has been continued by Labour because far from it being a gimmick it is pragmatic, there are not enough prison places because the Tories only increased prison places by 455 in 14 years.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/prison-spaces-richard-holden-gauke-b2700268.html

Yes, from 2010 until now. The earlier post I made was regarding prisons now being built and expanded to increase capacity.

Oh. Ah. 500 new places

There you go.

Three entirely new prisons have opened since 2010:
HMP Berwyn (opened in 2017), HMP Five Wells (opened in 2022), and HMP Fosse Way (opened in 2023).

While over 13,000 new prison places were constructed since 2010, the permanent closure of dilapidated facilities meant there was only a net increase of around 500 operational spaces across the country.

Sorry, Casdon

Ah. Cadon has done. 15.53pm

GrannyGravy13

The early releases started 2007-2010 under Gordon Brown to manage severe overcrowding.

Off to see how many new prisons have been build in the Uk since then.

Luckygirl, my heart goes out to your family. The situation you describe is, truly, the stuff of nightmares, for all involved.

^… up to 70 days early”
Oh c’mon Tuliptree you cannot possibly conflate those few days - what not quite 2 ½ months - with the huge early release for the murderers of PC Harper? A serving officer?

What does it take to be incarcerated these days?

And no, not mental health issues either. Just bad boys.

Way too lenient.

Casdon

Yes, but he did recognise the issue and had started to do something, that was my point - I think we have to be even handed.

I’m not disagreeing with that but it was very small beer in the 14 years which showed basically no meaningful growth at all . It’s still not enough to justify the criticism mass on this thread about Labour’s failings or that the early release was a gimmick.

The number of people with mental health problems in prison and learning difficulties is truly alarming. I feel for your relative and all your family Luckygirl3. We need more supportive therapeutic communities. I know I am an idealist!