Latest news with #prisoners
Telegraph
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
El Salvador torture claims emerge as Farage eyes prisoner deal
El Salvador has been accused of torturing prisoners after Reform pledged to send Britain's worst offenders to the central American country. Venezuela announced last night that it had launched a probe into torture claims by 252 prisoners that they were beaten, sexually abused and fed rotten food. Tarek William Saab, Venezuela's attorney general, said he had spoken to some prisoners who feared they may not make it out of the prison alive. He presented photos of bruised detainees, some of whom had missing teeth. It comes after Nigel Farage said he saw 'no reason' why El Salvador would not take Britain's worst offenders as part of a five-year plan to halve crime rates. The policy is modelled on a similar idea by Donald Trump, who has paid El Salvador billions of dollars to house offenders. The Reform UK leader told a press conference on Monday: 'I haven't spoken to El Salvador yet, but we do know they're quite happy to take American violent offenders, so I don't see any reason why [not]. They want the money, they want the income.' El Salvador has not commented on Reform's plans. The country's prisons are renowned for their strict measures, which includes lining up hundreds of gang members and packing them into crowded jail cells. In some cases, prisoners have reportedly only been allowed to leave their prison cells for 30 minutes a day. Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Mr Saab said Venezuela's prosecutor's office had interviewed returning migrants, many of whom had spoken about being held in 'inhumane cells'. Others said they have been deprived of sunlight and ventilation, and given rotten food and unsafe drinking water. The men also claimed that they were given no access to lawyers or their relatives, and the last time many of them were seen was when Nayib Bukele's government issued photos of them arriving at the prison shackled and with their heads shorn. Many of the prisoners had been accused by the US of being gang members before they were flown to El Salvador in March under a wartime law invoked by Mr Trump, allowing him to deport them without court hearings. Mr Saab said the Venezuelan investigation would target Bukele and other Salvadoran officials for alleged crimes against humanity. Venezuela has faced its own criticism over its treatment of prisoners, with similar allegations of torturing prisoners and denying them access to legal representation. Reform's plan, which involves buying 10,000 foreign prison places over five years, would require the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights. Asked about the human rights records of El Salvador prisons, Mr Farage said: 'We are not going to send people for trial in El Salvador. Let's make that absolutely clear. 'People will be tried in this country, and El Salvador might be quite an extreme example, but the idea that we could send prisoners to Kosovo, to Estonia and everything else is a very, very serious proposal.' Reforms proposed plans come after the Government released thousands of criminals early because of overcrowding in UK jails.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
How Does Farage Want To Protect The UK From 'Collapse'? By Sending Prisoners To El Salvador, Of Course
Nigel Farage has a brand new plan to help save Britain from 'societal collapse', apparently. In a press conference, the Reform UK leader declared his party would cut crime in half amid a rise of alleged 'lawlessness' in Britain. As his party continues to lead in the polls, here's the £17.4bn vision he set out for how Reform would manage criminals if it were to win the next general election – including the rather bizarre figures who inspire him... Utilising other countries – like El Salvador Farage suggested sending British prisoners overseas to countries like El Salvador in Central America to complete their sentences. This is one of the arguments Reform has presented as part of the argument in favour of leaving the European Convention on Human Rights. Farage told the media today: 'We can send some of our worst violent criminals overseas to serve their terms. 'If that means that [child murderer] Ian Huntley goes to El Salvador…our attitude is so be it.' When reminded that the detainees in El Salvador have questionable human rights – they are isolated, do not have access to significant legal recourse and held in concerning conditions – Farage quickly backtracked, calling it an 'an extreme example.' Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin then jumped in: 'If they [offenders] lose some human rights about family visiting or whatever else it might be, Sky News in the cell. then it's a good thing, because it's about time we got tougher with these people.' But veteran broadcaster Andrew Neil still slammed the idea on Times Radio, saying: 'I don't like his idea of sending prisoners to El Salvador, to some godforsaken hellhole, we're a civilised nation we shouldn't be doing that.' "I don't like his idea of sending prisoners to El Salvador, to some godforsaken hellhole.'Nigel Farage's proposal to send prisoners to El Salvador is inhumane for a 'civilised nation' like Britain, says @AFNeil. — Times Radio (@TimesRadio) July 21, 2025 Nightingale prisons According to Farage, pop-up prisons inspired by the Nightingale hospitals set up during the Covid pandemic would help ease the capacity crisis in Britain's justice system. He said 12,400 offenders who have committed low-level crimes could be put up in these new constructions at the cost of £5bn over a five-year parliament. But Farage overlooked how many of the Nightingale Covid centres never had a patient – as the Guardian reported in 2020 – and that two-thirds of those beds were allegedly unfit for use. Reform would also unveil 100 pop-up custody centres for crime hot spots, and reopen 50 'mothballed premises' for use as courts. Borrowing from Rudy Giuliani Farage admitted his party's attitude would be inspired by Rudy Giuliani's crackdown on crime during his time as New York mayor three decades ago. In his famous 'broken windows' theory, Giuliani famously focused on lower level crime in an effort to deter larger criminal operations. The Reform UK leader said they were 'borrowing from the Giuliani playbook unashamedly'. 'What Rudy Giuliani did to New York in the 1990s was nothing short of a blooming miracle,' he said. Giuliani, formerly a lawyer for Donald Trump, was disbarred in New York earlier this year when he was found to be in contempt of court for falsely accusing officials in Georgia of committing election fraud in 2020. Inspired by Miliei Although this plan would cost £17.4bn over a five-year parliament, Farage said:'It's not really a question of 'can we afford to do this?' It's a question of 'can we afford not to do this?' That's just how grim and serious the situation is.' 'Of course you're going to say where is the money going to come from,' he noted, before suggesting the funds would come from abolishing the HS2 project, Net Zero and diversity, equality and inclusion programmes. He then pointed to Javier Milei, Argentina's libertarian president. He said Milei was accused of being a 'madman' but 'look what's happening'. Farage continued: 'He has cut the size of the public sector by about 15%, 20% in some cases. Argentina is beginning to see the beginnings of an economic miracle.' Miliei has undoubtedly improved the country's struggling economy – its high inflation has cooled and its currency controls have fallen – but public sector salaries have also declined in response, and protests have become a weekly occurrence. Wait, what 'societal collapse'? Of course, all of Farage's proposals are based on several assumptions. Firstly, that the country is on the cusp of 'nothing short of societal collapse' due to its high crime rate. Secondly, he set out the premise for his plan by saying: 'The crime survey for England and Wales is based on completely false data. If you look at police recorded crime... there are some significant rises in crimes of all kinds, particularly crimes against the person.' There was a 14% increase in crime last year on the year before – but prior to that, there have been significant successive falls over the last three decades. Thirdly, the MP for Clacton also claimed 'tourists are increasingly reluctant to come to London'. Actually, out of all the city destinations in the world, London had the second highest rate of international arrivals in 2023 with 18.8 arrivals, according to the UN World Tourism Organisation. Is this all just 'headline-chasing'? Naturally, Farage's political opponents were quick to tear into the announcement. Labour Party chair Ellie Reeves said: 'Nigel Farage repeatedly tried to block tough measures to make our streets safer. 'Reform is more interested in headline-chasing than serious policy-making in the interests of the British people.' Chris Philp the Tories' shadow home secretary, said:'Nigel Farage is writing his own crime fiction. 'Their own document admits it is unfunded – which means they are not being honest about the price you will pay for their policies just like Labour. 'This is the same Nigel Farage who calls immigration enforcement 'divisive', wants an amnesty for illegal immigrants who've 'integrated', and says mass deportation is a 'political impossibility'. You cannot trust a word he says.' And former chief inspector of prisons, Nick Hardwick, told Times Radio: 'Where I think what he's saying just doesn't add up is that first of all, what he's proposing will cost far, far more than he's suggesting and secondly, I don't actually think it will address the real concerns that people have got about crime.' Related... MP Gives Voters An Important Reminder About Nigel Farage's Brexit Past Nigel Farage Makes Light Of Concerns Over A Reform Mayor's Huge Pay Rise. No One Else Is Laughing. Nigel Farage Says Some Afghans Airlifted To UK Are 'Sex Offenders'. But There's No Evidence That's True
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nigel Farage apes Donald Trump with vow to send UK prisoners to El Salvador
NIGEL Farage has said he would seek to send prisoners to El Salvador if he became prime minister. The Reform UK leader said that the Donald Trump-aping policy would cost around £1.25 billion over the course of a five-year parliamentary term. Farage said that he would be prepared to take back British criminals who are in foreign prisons as part of his plans. He told reporters at the press conference that 'of course we're prepared to take British prisoners from other parts of the world. 'That's fair, right and proper.' Trump has a deal with Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele (below), paying the Central American country billions of dollars to imprison deportees in the country which is unconstrained by US court orders and where human rights abuses and attacks on the democratic process are rampant. (Image: MARVIN RECINOS, AFP via Getty Images) It came as he set out Reform UK's crime policies, which include a pledge to halve crime in five years if the party gets into government. Proposals to recruit more police officers and create new prison places contribute to the estimated £3.48bn annual bill for the party's plans on crime and justice. Documents handed out at Monday's press conference show that the party estimate a £17.4bn cost over the course of a five year parliament for their plans. Plans to recruit 30,000 more police officers take up the biggest chunk of this bill, estimated at £10.5bn overall. READ MORE: Farage has pledged 12,400 new prison places on Ministry of Defence land at a cost of £5bn, and five new 'Nightingale Prisons' to be built with the assistance of the Army. He also wants to see more than 10,000 more prison places freed up by deporting foreign criminals to their country of origin through bilateral agreements, and Farage claimed he was 'in conversation with Edi Rama', the Albanian prime minister over prisoners. The two leaders have been involved in a social media spat over the matter. In a video on social media posted last month, Farage said he would visit Albania and 'report back' after an invitation from Rama (above, left). In response, Rama said: 'I genuinely hope your upcoming visit to Albania inspires you to fight for ideas, rather than against people — in the spirit of the great liberal tradition your country has long stood for.' Labour chairwoman Ellie Reeves claimed 'Reform is more interested in headline-chasing than serious policy-making in the interests of the British people'. She added: 'Farage's Reform MPs voted against the Labour Government's landmark Crime and Policing Bill which tackles antisocial behaviour, shoplifting, violence against women and girls, knife crime, and child abuse.'
BreakingNews.ie
a day ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Inmates given almost €550,000 in 'bus money' over past five years after release from prison
Prisoners have been given almost €550,000 in 'bus money' to cover the cost of transport following their release from jail over the past five years, new figures have revealed. The annual amount spent helping inmates get to their desired destinations after leaving prison has more than doubled since 2022 due to rising transport costs and a 25 per cent increase in releases. Advertisement Last year, the Irish Prison Service (IPS) spent €182,121 on bus, train and taxi fares for inmates upon their release from jail. This was a 16 per cent increase from the previous year, and more than double the €87,598 that was spent in 2022. Prisoners receive 'pocket money' of up to €2.20 per day while serving custodial sentences, and can earn an additional €3.50 per week by engaging in work training activities. Nearly €6.8 million in taxpayers' cash was paid to inmates in pocket money over the past two years, while an additional €12.4 million was gifted to them by friends and family on the outside during the same period. There was more than €1.5 million held in back accounts managed by the IPS on behalf of inmates at the beginning of this year, according to records released under the Freedom of Information Act. Advertisement However, if prisoners still need help getting to their desired destination following their release, the IPS can issue a travel voucher, which specifies a destination but not a monetary value. 'Upon release, the [IPS] provides support to assist prisoners in transitioning back into the community,' said a spokesman. 'One aspect of this support is the provision of travel vouchers for those who need assistance reaching their destination. The IPS is billed directly by transport providers, ensuring that 'released individuals can travel without needing to cover the cost upfront, reducing barriers to reintegration," he explained. The spokesman said the increase in the costs associated with post-release transport was likely attributable to price increases by travel providers, and a rise in the number of releases each year. A total of 34,592 prisoners were released during the five years, with the annual number increasing by 26 per cent from 6,438 to 8,113 between 2022 and 2024. The annual amount spent on 'bus money' for prisoners decreased from €78,200 in 2020 to €43,760 the following year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It increased to €87,598 in 2022 and soared to €156,791 in 2023. Last year, it increased by another 16 per cent to €182,121.
Sky News
a day ago
- Politics
- Sky News
Nigel Farage says he would send violent offenders to El Salvador under crime crackdown
Nigel Farage has said violent UK offenders could be jailed overseas under his plans to cut crime by half. The Reform UK leader named El Salvador as a likely destination, though he said he has not held conversations with officials there and "multiple" partners would be considered. El Salvador is home to a notorious mega-prison, the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT). In a speech on law and order on Monday, Mr Farage said: "It is quite astonishing that to keep a prisoner in a British prison it costs nearly £52,000 a year. "You could send a child Eton for that price. "So we can send some of our worst violent criminals overseas to serve their terms. If that means Ian Huntley goes to El Salvador. Well, our attitude is 'so be it'." Huntley is serving a life term for the murders of two 10-year-old girls, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, in Soham, Cambridgeshire, in 2002. Asked if he had spoken to any members of the El Salvadoran government about his plans, Mr Farage said he had not but "we do know they're quite happy to take American violent offenders". In March, the Trump administration deported more than 130 alleged Venezuelan gang members to the CECOT while the US president has also spoken of sending "homegrown criminals" to the super max facility. Reform UK said it wanted to create 10,000 "dynamic" prison places overall by renting cells in third party countries, at a cost of £250m per year. This would involve "multiple partners including El Salvador", according to a document outlining the plan in further detail. This will come alongside a number of policies aimed at cutting crime by half if Mr Farage's party wins the next election. The Clacton MP wants to hire another 30,000 police officers, put stop and search in every area where knife crime is prevalent and implement a zero-tolerance policy to shoplifting so every offence "however small" is prosecuted. Mr Farage also said he would free up to 10,000 more prison places by deporting foreign criminals to their country of origin, saying he has already spoken to Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama about this. He said he would take back British offenders who are incarcerated overseas in return but if countries are still reluctant "we'll make it very straightforward. We'll just end travel". Mr Farage did not say how much the plans would cost or how they would be funded in his speech, which marks the start of a six week "lawless Britain" campaign. However, in response to questions from media he said the plans would cost £17.4bn over a five-year parliament. He said the cost of crime is far greater than that so "it isn't really a question of can we afford to do this, it's really a question of we can't afford not to do this". He insisted he would not have to raise taxes, saying the money would come from "huge cuts" to public spending including axing HS2 and net zero policies and reducing the size of the state. Mr Farage claimed his plans are necessary because parts of Britain are facing "nothing short of societal collapse" due to spiralling crime rates. Sir Keir Starmer has made halving serious violent crime one of the missions of his government, but the pledge has been somewhat overshadowed by his controversial early prison release scheme, aimed at freeing up prison capacity due to overcrowding. A spokesperson for the prime minister said he is already deporting foreign national offenders, adding that Mr Farage's plans are "unfunded and lack detail" and that "we are getting on with it". The spokesperson ruled out moving prisoners overseas, saying the government is "focused on investing and fixing prisons here".
