𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Labour’s early prison release scheme is descending into farce as criminals let out early commit more crimes. The Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, Sir Stephen Watson, said one in five people released early in his area in October have been detained again.

He admitted it is a “real problem” for his overstretched officers, adding: “I just hope that we get to a more rational place where those who should be in prison go to prison and there are spaces to retain them for as long as they deserve.” And a convicted criminal being let out on Tuesday in the third tranche of mass releases said inmates are seeing people returning after they were let out last month.

Career crooks serving long prison sentences are also coming to a realisation they will be getting out early, another said.

A lag – who refused to give his name – said as he left HMP Brixton: “I got a letter under my door and obviously I heard that Andy Burnham was releasing people early from prison.

“But it’s not seeming to be working because what’s happening is people have been getting recalled. It’s not down to the prison, it’s down to them being late, not signing on – if you miss one appointment you’re in straight away.

“They’re not giving people a chance to breathe out there and now the prisons are full again. All the people they’ve released technically they’re all back in.”

And Sir Stephen said: “The fact of the matter is 22% of everybody that’s been released [in October] are already back inside in Greater Manchester.

“We’re talking about highly recidivist people, so I’m not going to stand here and say this is an entirely good thing. This is, of course, a real problem for us.

“Whilst we’re busy building extra prison space, we need to work with our partners to mitigate the risk to the public.

“I just hope that we get to a more rational place where those who should be in prison go to prison and there are spaces to retain them for as long as they deserve.”

Another 650 criminals were released on Wednesday, despite widespread fury over the sentencing scheme.

Some had only served a third of their sentences behind bars. Thugs convicted of affray – which has a maximum sentence of three years – burglary, domestic abusers and stalkers were amongst those to walk out the prison gates.

Some violent offenders convicted of wounding, grievous bodily harm with intent or lower-end firearms charges are also eligible under the early release scheme.

Labour freed 1,350 prisoners early in two waves last month, although many have already been recalled to prison.

Reform MP Sarah Pochin arrived outside HMP Wandsworth, south-west London, as the third wave of early releases began on Tuesday morning.

She said she was outside the prison because she felt “so strongly about the safety of women now at risk because of the early release of these prisoners, many of which will be domestic violence perpetrators”.

Asked how to tackle overcrowding in prisons, she said: “One very easy solution, which the Reform Party would do if we get into government next time, is immediately empty all of our prisons of the foreign national offenders.”

She added: “We would deport them back to their country of origin.”