PM defends prison recall changes after backlash over victim safety
MPs and watchdogs have criticised the plans as putting victims and the public at risk.
The Prime Minister has defended plans to release some criminals on recall earlier to ease jail overcrowding as ministers faced a backlash over concerns for victim and public safety.
Under emergency measures announced on Wednesday, some recalled offenders serving sentences between one and four years will be returned to custody only for a fixed 28-day period.
Offenders are recalled to prison if they commit another offence or breach licence conditions, such as by missing probation appointments, when they are released early but remain on licence.
Sir Keir Starmer told reporters on a visit to Albania on Thursday: “I do not want to be in the position where we have this. I have no choice, literally no choice, because of the position the last government put us in.
“What we’ve done is to take the only action we can take.
“But at the same time we’ve put in place the biggest prison building programme since Victorian times.”
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the changes were necessary to curb overcrowding as she warned jails are on track to be down to “zero capacity” by November.
Ms Mahmood also announced three new prisons will be built starting this year as part of a “record prison expansion”, after securing a capital investment of £4.7 billion.
Sir Keir added: “I don’t want to be put in this position but it’s been pushed to crisis point where we simply don’t have the prison places for the prison population we’ve got because of the gross negligence of the last government.
“We are rectifying that at pace, which is why we’re now seeing prison builds.
“But, as you’ll appreciate, you can’t build a prison in a matter of months.”
It is hoped the emergency measures will free up 1,400 prison places and “buy time” before sentencing reforms are expected to take effect next spring.
Legislation to bring in the changes is expected to be introduced in the coming weeks.
But victims commissioner Baroness Newlove and domestic abuse commissioner Dame Nicole Jacobs criticised the recall plans and said lives would be in danger as a result of the decision.
Baroness Newlove wrote to the Justice Secretary on Thursday to say she was “struggling to understand” why this group of recalled offenders had been the focus of early release as she pressed for what safeguards will be in place for victims.
“We are re-releasing a group of offenders assessed as high risk and with a track record of poor compliance,” she wrote.
“These high maintenance offenders are all being re-released at a time when the Probation Service is already struggling to cope with the huge demands being placed upon it.”
Dame Nicole called for the proposal to be scrapped, saying: “I cannot stress (enough) the lack of consideration for victims’ safety and how many lives are being put in danger because of this proposed change.
“You are not sent to prison for four years if you do not pose significant risk to your victim or the wider public.
“Re-releasing them back into the community after 28 days is simply unacceptable.”
Conservative former minister Sir Desmond Swayne was one of a number of MPs questioning justice minister Sir Nicholas Dakin on Thursday on how the changes would affect victims of domestic abuse.
During an urgent question in the Commons, Sir Desmond said: “Given the nature of domestic abusers, many will welcome the opportunity to give another twist to the knife at a mere cost of 28 days.
“Hasn’t he just presented them with a practical opportunity?”
Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick added there is “now no punishment or deterrent” for criminals who immediately reoffend or cheat the system.
“There is no two ways about it. This decision has put the public in danger and victims in jeopardy,” he said.
Ministers say the scheme will exclude people convicted of serious violent or sexual offences, as well as terrorist and national security crimes.
They will still be subject to standard term recall, which is for the remainder of their sentence or when the Parole Board decides they can be released earlier.
The exclusions will focus on offenders managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (Mappa) at Level 2 or 3, the PA news agency understands.
Mappa is used to manage certain sexual and violent offenders in the community, with only the most complex or high-risk individuals put at Level 2 or 3.
Announcing the emergency measure, Ms Mahmood said: “The consequences of failing to act are unthinkable, but they must be understood.
“If our prisons overflow, courts cancel trials, police halt their arrests, crime goes unpunished and we reach a total breakdown of law and order.”
The latest weekly prison population in England and Wales was 88,087, 434 below the last peak of 88,521 inmates on September 6, recorded just before the Government began freeing thousands of prisoners early as part of efforts to curb overcrowding.
