Dangerous prisoners will be released under Starmer's plans, warns Victims' Commissioner
Baroness Newlove has written to Shabana Mahmood, the Justice Secretary, to say she is 'genuinely struggling to understand' why such prisoners have been targeted for release under the recall scheme.
On Wednesday, the Ministry of Justice said criminals, including some violent offenders, burglars, domestic abusers and sex offenders, who have been recalled to prison will automatically be re-released after just 28 days.
Ms Mahmood said the measure was necessary to avoid jails running out of space in the next five months.
The early re-release scheme will apply to most prisoners sentenced to between one and four years, even if they are recalled to prison for minor crimes such as shoplifting.
At present, criminals recalled to prison are only re-released after their case has been considered by the Parole Board, which decides if they can be safely freed to serve the rest of their sentence in the community.
In her letter, Lady Newlove said many recalled offenders would already have been in prison for more than 28 days after having their applications for release rejected.
'In each case, the [Parole] Board will have applied the public protection test and concluded that it remained necessary to keep the individual in custody to protect the public,' she said.
Lady Newlove also noted that recalled prisoners would have been sent back to jail because they were an 'unacceptable' risk in the community.
'In short, 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,' she said.
'For these reasons, I am very concerned about the implications for both victim and wider public safety. Can you tell me what safeguards will be put in place to protect victims and uphold public trust?
'I am also worried about the cumulative impact of these short-term, stop-gap measures on victim confidence in our justice system. With each announcement, there is always a perception that this will be the last, only to be disappointed.'
Ministers said they had been forced to act following official projections that prisons would run out of space by November, raising the prospect that police may not be able to arrest offenders because of the lack of available cells.
Ms Mahmood warned it could lead to the 'total breakdown of law and order,' which left her no option but to introduce the recall measures to buy time before more fundamental reforms to sentencing are recommended in a review next week by David Gauke, the former justice secretary.
The new 28-day fixed-term recall is expected to free up 1,400 prison spaces.
Serious sex and violent offenders, terrorists, dangerous domestic abusers and any criminal who commits a serious further offence after their release – such as murder, rape or kidnap – will not be eligible for release under the scheme.
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