September 25th 2024.
Recently, there has been a concerning situation that has come to light regarding the release of some prisoners. It seems that in an attempt to address overcrowding in jails, the government accidentally released dozens of offenders who had been convicted of harassment. This was all part of a larger early release scheme put in place by the Labour government.
On September 10th, around 1,700 prisoners were freed early from jails across England and Wales. However, it appears that some of these offenders were not properly identified as exempt from the temporary early release scheme. This was due to a technical error that affected cases where the Protection from Harassment Act of 1997 was used, after it had been replaced by the Sentencing Act in 2020.
Out of the 1,700 released prisoners, 37 of them were mistakenly let go. The Ministry of Justice is currently working with the police to return five of these offenders to custody, and the rest have already been brought back to prison. In response to this error, the ministry has issued guidance to their staff in an effort to prevent any further incorrect releases.
According to the Prime Minister's spokesman, the early release scheme was implemented in order to avoid a "paralysis of the criminal justice system." The Lord Chancellor, Shabana Mahmood, had temporarily reduced the proportion of sentences that inmates must serve behind bars from 50% to 40% during the summer. However, certain offenders were exempt from this scheme, including those convicted of stalking, controlling or coercive behaviors in an intimate or family relationship, non-fatal strangulation and suffocation, and breach of restraining order.
The Ministry of Justice has emphasized that public safety is their top priority and they have taken decisive action to address the issues within the prison system. This includes preventing the early release of offenders convicted of domestic abuse offenses such as stalking and controlling behavior. They are currently working with the police to urgently return the small number of offenders who were incorrectly charged and sentenced under old legislation to custody.
In response to this situation, the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer's spokesman, has emphasized that public safety is always the government's top priority. They acknowledge that there were exemptions and safeguards put in place to prevent the early release of certain offenders. They are also working closely with the police to return those who were mistakenly released to custody. It is worth noting that all of these offenders have been monitored since their release and will soon be back behind bars.
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