Up to 1,750 offenders have spent their last night in prison ahead of being released under the Ministry of Justice’s emergency plan to ease the overcrowding crisis in jails.
Releases are due to begin on Tuesday morning as governors unlock cells under the plan to free up 5,500 beds.
One charity has warned that women and children will become the unintended victims of the emergency plans – while rehabilitation specialists fear any rushed releases will compromise vital work in turning around the lives of some offenders.
The chief inspector of prisons told the BBC his “biggest concern” was whether everyone released had accommodation to go to, a crucial part of stopping ex-offenders becoming homeless.Last week prisons reached a record population of more than 88,500. That meant almost all of them were full, a situation that had been coming for months but had been exacerbated by the summer’s riots.
Under the emergency plans announced in July, offenders in jails in England and Wales serving sentences of fewer than five years will be released on licence into the community after having spent 40% of their term in jail, rather than the usual 50%.
Source: BBC
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