Thousands of prisoners to be released, starting from today.

It's hard to believe that this situation could arise.

Aveline

It's hard to believe that this situation could arise.

Indeed.
As a survivor of domestic violence I really feel for those women who are waking up to the day that their abuser is set free.
There are almost 11,000 foreign nationals in our prisons. Surely many of them, if not all, could be sent back to their own countries to serve their sentences. Even if we had to pay for them to go surely that would be better than letting criminals, many with a record of violence, back on our streets much sooner than originally intended.

I feel for the victims, imagine knowing your rapist/abuser is back out on the streets.

This country is done.

No doubt those to the left leaning will cut, copy & paste, why it’s the right thing to do 🙄
I wait with anticipation for the response.
No I don’t agree with it.

And why do we find ourselves in this situation?
Failure to invest in the prison system over decades. It’s not a left/right issue. All parties that have been in power for years are equally responsible.

The "Gemini" system was commissioned by the government from G4S (and I think Capita and others). Over the decade 2012 to 2022 the MoJ spent £98 million specifically developing the Gemini software platform... before writing it off completely.
By the time Gemini was scrapped, the "transformational" project had spent £157 million

In late 2023, the MoJ awarded Serco a £200m contract to take back the delivery of electronic monitoring services which had been given to Capita.
It wasn't going to be the same as the 2012 expectations.
...Then they gave the whole thing back to Serco.

By September 2024, hundreds of released prisoners were left untagged when they were expecting tagging because Serco faced staffing shortages and administrative backlogs, meaning field officers could not keep up with releases.

Basically, what I'm saying is there is a long history of incomplete tagging.
In my experience they always got out to the sex offenders and "high risk" released offenders but not all the others. Eventually they seemed to - but not always initially.

It takes time to tag someone.
As my home has very poor signals I expect if someone needed tagging here it would take a good couple of hours (if it could be done).

Yes, any release will put extra pressure on the system - but we are tagging better this year than last year!

2023: 85%–95% tagged as expected
May 2024 service change by MoD, combined with 20% "wrong addresses" and more early releases led to a 45% 1st completion rate.

It's not as straightforward as you would like to think Primrose
Just saying.

NotSpaghetti

The "Gemini" system was commissioned by the government from G4S (and I think Capita and others). Over the decade 2012 to 2022 the MoJ spent £98 million specifically developing the Gemini software platform... before writing it off completely.
By the time Gemini was scrapped, the "transformational" project had spent £157 million

In late 2023, the MoJ awarded Serco a £200m contract to take back the delivery of electronic monitoring services which had been given to Capita.
It wasn't going to be the same as the 2012 expectations.
...Then they gave the whole thing back to Serco.

By September 2024, hundreds of released prisoners were left untagged when they were expecting tagging because Serco faced staffing shortages and administrative backlogs, meaning field officers could not keep up with releases.

Basically, what I'm saying is there is a long history of incomplete tagging.
In my experience they always got out to the sex offenders and "high risk" released offenders but not all the others. Eventually they seemed to - but not always initially.

It takes time to tag someone.
As my home has very poor signals I expect if someone needed tagging here it would take a good couple of hours (if it could be done).

Yes, any release will put extra pressure on the system - but we are tagging better this year than last year!

2023: 85%–95% tagged as expected
May 2024 service change by MoD, combined with 20% "wrong addresses" and more early releases led to a 45% 1st completion rate.

It's not as straightforward as you would like to think Primrose
Just saying.

Then in my opinion they shouldn’t be released until they sort out that problem!

Burnham the prisoners mate 😀

Inmates released early by Andy Burnham thanked the Prime Minister as they left prison today.

One leaving HMP Brixton in south London at 9am said he was “over the moon” after being freed just a third of the way through his sentence. Asked if he had a message for the Prime Minister, he said: “Thank you mate, I appreciate it.”

He was one of around 700 prisoners jailed for offences including theft, violence and domestic abuse who were in the first group to be let out under the government’s early release scheme to ease prison overcrowding.

Of course, when the inevitable happens and a victim is assaulted or killed, ‘lessons will be learnt’. 🤬🤬🤬

And it will be everyone else's fault but Burnhams government.

It's not AB's fault that the prisons are so close to capacity so no room to admit newly sentenced dangerous criminals. Where are they to go to start their sentences away from their victims?

This is not a new problem. The whole criminal justice needs belt and braces review.

Well they could build a few more jails or is that just too hard ? Whilst they are at it, a few more hospitals wouldn’t go astray. Same applies here though not quite so bad on the jail situation. Probably worse on the hospitals, though. Plenty of work for the builders unions, they should relish the thought.

I think many of you are using this as yet another excuse to “left” bash.

This isn’t new, it’s not a left or right thing.

commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10974/

Just to be very very clear, no violent, murderers, or rapists or child killers will be released early.

We have little space in prisons, and where prison wards are available, we have no staff!

How is this AB’s fault?

Perhaps you right-leaning followers might like to explain exactly what your Tory government did in 14 years of rule, including many many years of austerity?

The LP have still only been in power for 2 years 4 months.

Thats one possibility- port and cons to be considered in a criminal justice review. UK currently already has a high rate compared to many others counties of prison spaces for population.

Pros
1) relieves overcrowding
2) improves safety for staff
3) better access to rehabilitation
4) handles backlogs in system

Cons
1) High financial costs- immensely expensive with expansion programmes costing £billions amid high inflation and existing prison maintenance backlogs
2) Delays in capacity deficits- building projects face major planning delays, meaning new cells take years to open whilst the current prison population grows faster than supply
3) Staff shortages- new building required trained detention officers and the prison service already struggles with recruitment, high turnover and renting
4) Treat symptoms rather than causes- building new cells arguably does not address the problem of rising prison populations such as sentencing inflation or short sentences for minor offences

It's a slow 'sticking plaster' without system review. Plus its a slow process so doesn't adequately address current capacity backlog and deficit quickly enough to alter early release scheme immediately.

nanna8

Well they could build a few more jails or is that just too hard ? Whilst they are at it, a few more hospitals wouldn’t go astray. Same applies here though not quite so bad on the jail situation. Probably worse on the hospitals, though. Plenty of work for the builders unions, they should relish the thought.

We were promised many new hospitals by our Tory govt who were in power for 14 years. None materialised.

2 and a quarter years later you’re expecting prisons and hospitals to be built and fully functioning! You’re hilarious!

Cossy- I agree. The age range of prison population is of concern. Those in prison over state pension age has been slowly and progressively rising over the past 15 years or so. The demand for health provision for the long term conditions of those elderly prisoners has also grown and is expensive.

When prisoners come out of custody to attend local NHS services, more frequently for elderly prisoners, they need 2 officers- costs come from escort and bed watch budgeta- which have been slowly rising and rising alongside the rise in age of prison population.

Well the Tories were in power long enough to sort out our crowded prisons, Burnham has inherited this problem so let’s not sling mud when it won’t stick.
My thoughts are with countless women up and down this land now living in fear, but this isn’t to do with overcrowded prisons it is to do with angry violent men who end up murdering women they supposedly should have once loved.
As a society this has to be dealt with, is no good saying men from other cultures are the bogey men when I imagine many of these dangerous men are white and indigenous. How we deal with it I cannot say but deal with we must because every year countless women are killed by their usually ‘ex’ partners. Is unconscionable.

To the people criticising this scheme, and to those who think “cutting and pasting” facts or providing links is somehow supporting this action or wish to criticise, I simply say, as always, facts matter.

Firstly, this is neither a “left” or a “right” action, but has come necessary due to both lack of space in our prisons and lack of prison staffing.

Secondly, more importantly, and I make zero apology for cutting and pasting;

“Will Rapists and Violent Prisoners Be Released?

• Rapists and Serious Sex Offenders:

No. Following significant backlash, Prime Minister Andy Burnham tightened the criteria.

Anyone convicted of rape, serious child sexual abuse, or grooming offenses is strictly excluded from this scheme.

• Killers:

Offenders serving sentences for unlawful killing—including manslaughter, death by dangerous driving, or causing the death of a child—are also barred from early release.“

Also!

“ Under the previous Conservative government, a total of 13,325 prisoners were released early between October 17, 2023, and September 9, 2024, under a temporary mechanism known as the End of Custody Supervised Licence (ECSL) scheme.”

Where’s your outrage for this?

I agree, none of these situations are deal, none of us want this, but to have the audacity and frankly cheek, to attempt to push the blame onto AB is pathetic!

Our entire criminal justice system is broken and has been for many many years.

Prevention is always better than a cure.

Strategies for preventing and reduce abuse and harm towards women immensely important alongside any strategies to reduce any and all criminal activity.

Basgetti

And why do we find ourselves in this situation?
Failure to invest in the prison system over decades. It’s not a left/right issue. All parties that have been in power for years are equally responsible.

Yes, they most certainly are!

LemonJam

Prevention is always better than a cure.

Strategies for preventing and reduce abuse and harm towards women immensely important alongside any strategies to reduce any and all criminal activity.

Yes to this.

LemonJam

Prevention is always better than a cure.

Strategies for preventing and reduce abuse and harm towards women immensely important alongside any strategies to reduce any and all criminal activity.

It’s a different thread, which I may start, but I totally agree.

Agree Cossy. Sadly people like to hold AB as their scapegoat for any and all complex problems facing the country. Part and parcel of being an incumbent PM I guess for those who do not support the politics of current Labour party government- that won the GE just over 2 years ago.

Twas ever thus. AB is seasoned and will survive. He also tells it how it is. Some people just dont want to see the problem as it is. AB spent time over the summer recess looking into the early release scheme to visit all possibilities and alternatives. He went on record, after some minor tweaks- saying there are no other alternative, immediate solutions to the current, immediate dangerous position re capacity in prison estate. Prison capcity backlog then compounds backlog capacity across the cranial justice system; problem in crown courts and police custody cells so more released on bail into the community whilst awaiting trial dates (slow because cause of court space backlog etc). Not even getting to demand on probation services 🥱

Near 100% prison occupancy levels, combined with low staffing levels results in a real risk of violent prison on prisoner and prisoner on staff violence. Not good all round.