Dangerous criminals could be freed under the government's early release scheme for England and Wales, the Conservatives have warned. Shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy told the BBC that to prevent one group of dangerous criminals being released early, Andy Burnham was "looking at releasing a different group of dangerous prisoners". The prime minister said at the weekend anyone convicted of manslaughter would be excluded from the early prisoner release scheme, following a campaign from PC Andrew Harper's family to block the release of two men convicted over his killing in 2019.
He said prison space would be found by releasing some inmates serving indefinite sentences, known as IPPs as well as by deporting foreign prisoners. Prisoners freed early are returning to jail at rapid rate, governors tell BBC Burnham gets the early prison release changes he wanted - but at what cost? On Monday Victims Minister Alex Davies-Jones told the BBC: "We will do nothing that would risk the public or put the public at danger." Under the early release scheme some 4,500 prisoners are now expected to start being released in tranches from October to ease overcrowding in jails.
The numbers due to be released has been reduced after the government said rapists, those found guilty of serious child sex offences and grooming offences and now those found guilty of manslaughter would be excluded from the scheme. Given that fewer prisoners will now be released than initially expected this will have a knock-on effect on prison capacity. Timothy said releasing prisoners serving indefinite sentences under imprisonment for public protection sentences posed its own risk.
Between 2005 and 2012 IPPs were given to some offenders in England and Wales where they were considered to pose a significant risk of causing serious harm to the public. Once they had served a minimum term they could only be released once the Parole Board was satisfied they no longer posed a risk to the public. Although IPPs are no longer imposed many people already serving sentences are stlll in prison.
Timothy told the BBC: "By definition, the people who are still in prison on those sentences are dangerous, because they've all been considered by independent expert assessors who have concluded that they are not safe to release and they would be a danger to the public." He accepted not enough prisons had been built under the previous Conservative government. Indefinite prison sentences have previously been handed out in several high-profile cases, including to Tracey Connelly, the mother of Baby P, who was jailed in 2009 after admitting causing or allowing the death of her one-year-old son Peter. There were 2,271 people serving IPPs, according to Ministry of Justice (MoJ) data up to June this year.
Of those, 856 have never been released because the Parole Board thought it was not safe to do so. Ending indefinite sentences for those still serving them would require new legislation, meaning it could be years before space is freed up. Davies-Jones told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The government's number one priority is to keep the public safe and in order to do that we need a functioning criminal justice system." She defended the government's decision to look at indefinite sentences as part of ensuring there were enough prison spaces.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
