DANGEROUS criminals will terrorise the public under Labour’s plans to unload prisons, the Victims’ Commissioner warned today.
Baroness Newlove slammed the Justice Secretary for planning to unleash potentially perilous criminals onto the streets.
Paul EdwardsVictim’s Commissioner Baroness Helen Newlove today slammed the Justice Secretary for preparing to release more criminals from prison to free up spaces[/caption]
PADaniel Dowling-Brooks celebrates after being released early from HM Prison Swaleside in October last year[/caption]
Among those that could be set free are lags who have previously been denied release by the parole board.
In a scathing letter to Shabana Mahmood, the Commissioner fumed that she is “genuinely struggling to understand” why domestic abusers and other high-risk offenders could soon be let loose.
In a scathing letter to Ms Mahmood, the Commissioner wrote: “We are re-releasing a group of offenders assessed as high risk and with a track record of poor compliance.
“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.”
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick declared it’s only “a matter of time” before these criminals strike again.
He said: “Instead of emergency measures to deport foreign criminals in our jails, Labour has decided to release early some of the most dangerous prisoners.
“Sick domestic abusers and prisoners so menacing that the parole board kept them behind bars will now be released.
“It’s only a matter of time before they go on to do something appalling.”
On Wednesday, Ms Mahmood announced plans to cut the time dangerous offenders spend behind bars.
Cons who flout strict conditions while out on licence will face just 28 days back in jail as ministers scramble to ease overcrowding in prisons now bursting at 99 per cent capacity.
More than 16,000 prisoners were already freed early under another Labour initiative last September, allowing offenders to be released after serving just 40 per cent of their sentence instead of half.
The move triggered shocking scenes of freed convicts celebrating outside prisons, spraying champagne and dancing in the streets – a spectacle critics fear could repeat itself.
Tory former minister Sir Desmond Swayne accused Labour of giving domestic abusers the chance to “give another twist to the knife”.
Meanwhile, Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice demanded answers over why foreign criminals aren’t being deported to free up prison space and keep violent offenders locked up.
In the Commons he blasted: “How long will it take to deport all the foreign criminals clogging up our jails?
“This is an emergency. Deport the lot of them.
“Free up around 10,000 places and help overcome this crisis.”
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