Attorney-General Shabana Mahmood said the proportion of people released early from prison who are recalled is “very high” as the government prepares to release more prisoners to ease the overcrowding crisis. He admitted that it was expensive.
Mahmoud said the number of prisoners returned after the first wave of releases in September has not yet been made public, but the number is likely to be higher.
A second round of releases will take place in England and Wales on Tuesday, with 1,100 offenders serving sentences of five years or more being released early to ease the crisis. Mahmoud said he was determined this would be his last emergency release.
Although he did not believe the return rate would be as high as the 50% figure suggested by the BBC, he said: “The return rate is very high and that is a fact.” And the problem here is that people are released on clearance, and they have strict licensing conditions that they have to abide by. If you violate these license conditions, you deserve to be recalled to prison.
“So it shows that the system is working properly. You know, you don't just go out and be free. You're fulfilling your license. You have to abide by its terms. If you break it, you will be recalled to prison.”
She said statistics would not be available until later this year, but added: “What I can say is that our initial assessment of recall and potential recidivism rates in the cohort released as a result of emergency release arrangements is broadly in line with what we would expect.” ”
Mr Mahmoud said there would be no more emergency releases to free up prison capacity, but told BBC Radio 4's Today program the government could not simply build more prisons to solve the problem. he said.
Mr Mahmoud has tasked former Conservative justice minister David Gauke with overseeing a review that will consider a comprehensive review of sentencing, including those found guilty of crimes against women and girls, including those related to domestic violence. Prison sentences given to sentenced offenders will also be re-evaluated.
As part of the review, judges could be given the power to sentence offenders to house arrest, which could extend to up to 12 months.
Mr Mahmoud said prisons currently “produce only better criminals, not better citizens… 80% of all offenders are repeat offenders and 90% of those sentenced to custody and must serve time. He is also a repeat offender.”
Mahmoud said the review aims to “broaden the application of punishment outside of prison”. “It is clear that it must maintain public trust. People must know that even if they are not detained, they are being punished for breaking the laws of our country. . There is still a real impact of feeling the loss of freedom.”
Mahmoud said the government remains committed to providing more prisons according to demand. “We're going to build 14,000 places, which the last Conservative government failed to deliver. So prison capacity will increase. Prison populations will also increase. But the truth is that we is unable to build a way out of this crisis, which is why we are reviewing sentencing.”
The prison population in England and Wales has increased by 93% over the past 30 years and now stands at just over 87,000 people. By March 2028, that number is expected to rise to 114,800. Labor has criticized the previous Conservative government for failing to curb the growth in the prison population.
The Ministry of Justice said the review would consider punishing thousands more offenders in the community as part of a 10-year capacity strategy. One possibility would be to give judges the power to sentence criminals to be forced to stay at home under surveillance with electronic tags. Currently, judges in England and Wales do not have the power to issue explicit sentences ordering offenders to be confined at their domicile.
In many US states, house arrest is considered an alternative to prison, allowing offenders to be confined in their homes for several days at a time. By using electronic bracelets, offenders in the United States are often allowed to earn income, maintain family and other relationships, and attend probation appointments and addiction treatment. I am.
