Andy Burnham should hang his “head in shame” over hundreds of prisoners being released early, Reform UK’s candidate for mayor of London has said.
Some 700 offenders across England and Wales are being let out of jail before the end of their sentences today to free up jail space.
Over the next month about 2,000 criminals, including domestic abusers and those convicted of violence, are due to be freed, with another 3,000 in stages over the next year amid a prisons overcrowding crisis.
Reform UK’s Laila Cunningham, who is a former CPS prosecutor, told reporters outside HMP Wandsworth: “I’ve prosecuted domestic abuse crimes and I’ve sat and I’ve held the hands of victims, it takes so much courage to come.
“But when you get that conviction, that victim knows ‘I’m safe for that time. He’s in prison for two years, three years, whatever, I’m safe’.
“And now they’re told you’re not safe. Some are fleeing their homes, their communities.
“The victim’s freedom to live safely within her community and her home has been removed, while the freedom of the offender is being given to him. I’m speechless.”
Asked how she would feel if she was the Prime Minister and prisoners were saying thank you, she said: “I’d hang my head in shame.
“He should go speak to every domestic abuse victim who is fleeing her home and look them in the eye and say how’s he going to help them, what’s he going to do for them.”
Labour MP and former safeguarding minister Jess Phillips said she was not confident all the protections needed are in place, adding that she expects "huge recalls" to prison of domestic abusers.
She told Times Radio: “The helpline has been set up, it's being run by Victim Support and I know that Women's Aid have also been working with the government to look at how they give out extra capacity to support workers for victims of domestic abuse.
“So they are in theory in place. Always when the rubber hits the road, we will see how that is going to play out.
“You know, I would be lying if I said that I was completely confident today that everything that I think should be in place and many of us have fought for to be in place will actually be there.”
She added: “I expect there will be huge recalls to prison of domestic abusers. In a real tendency to breach their orders, breach their licences, get in touch with their victims, their children.
“And so I imagine...more people will be going into prison than leaving on most days. But the fundamental human issue here is either people are harmed or the fear.
“I am speaking to lots and lots of women, whether their perpetrators are being released today or in the next few months, who it's having a really bad effect on their mental health.”
Dozens of prisoners were released early from Brixton and Wandsworth jails on Thursday.
A serial shoplifter who was released early from prison said the Prime Minister should keep the scheme going.
Michael Bogle, 38, from Brent, told reporters outside HMP Wandsworth that he served 78 days after breaching a 32-week suspended sentence for shoplifting.
He said he had been jailed five separate times for 100 convictions.
Asked for his message to Mr Burnham, he said: “Keep the early release going. It’s good.”
The former bus driver added that conditions inside the prison are “awful”.
Asked if he would vote Labour, he said he did not vote but if he did he would vote for the Labour Party.
He added that there is a risk he would shoplift again “but hopefully not”, telling reporters he had an approved premises to live and plans to go to the job centre.
